'Made in Armenia Direct' Links Armenia's Craftspeople with the World

I had the privilege of meeting guest speaker, Gail O’Reilly at a recent Women’s Guild meeting at St. David Armenian Church in Boca Raton, FL.

So now I’d like to introduce Gail and her business to you:

Gail Talanian O’Reilly is creator of a most unique business venture – Made in Armenia Direct, designed from the heart, to ‘link Armenia’s craftspeople with the world’.

Gail, who is 100% Armenian, and her husband Richard, an ABC – Armenian By Choice, traveled to Armenia for the first time in 1991 with the Armenian Assembly of America to celebrate the opening of the housing manufacturing plant. She was emotionally charged by this visit – appreciating what her ancestors had gone through in the early 1900’s to make their family’s life possible in the United States, and stirring inside herself a heart-felt sadness for the residents she met still living there under very poor conditions – especially after the earthquake of 1988 and the collapse of communism.
After numerous visits to Armenia, Gail was convinced that in order to help make Armenia a thriving, independent nation, there had to be a good reason for the residents to want to stay and work there.

With the establishment of MIAD (Made in Armenia Direct) in 2000, Gail has been working with crafts people to, as she stated: “… assist in the mindset change while providing them with a way to live with dignity in their homeland – AND- at the same time introduce their quality products to the global market.”

Gail continued, “MIAD has been refusing to pay bribes (which was a typical practice), has been identifying craftspeople, teaching quality control and accountability, finding the ‘right’ markets in Armenia and in the U.S., and developing trust. The main idea behind MIAD is for the craftspeople, designers and entrepreneurs to find some financial security and independence so they can support themselves, their families and extended families (while still calling Armenia home).”

My MIAD Christmas gifts

MIAD logo on back of box

As I listened to Gail speak, I proudly realized that I already have a few MIAD items in my home! Over the past few years, my husband, who loves to shop via the internet, had purchased some MIAD Christmas gifts for me – a lovely filigree basket, a carved wooden box with a swivel top, and a clay Christmas tree ornament in the shape of a saint.

Take a look at MIAD's products online, but also know that MIAD can fulfill custom orders as well, for example: darosigs (favors) for weddings, hand-carved family crests, and more.

Flyer for St. David Food Festival

For those fortunate enough to be in Boca Raton, Florida the weekend of February 25-26, Made in Armenia Direct will have merchandise available for sale at St. David Armenian Church Food Festival to be held in their fellowship hall.

If you’d like to support a business that is truly trying to make a difference in Armenia, place your trust in – and place an order with - Made in Armenia Direct!

Black Beluga Lentils, our latest discovery

Archer Farms Black Beluga Lentils

Doug and I don’t usually shop for groceries at Target Super Stores, but we found ourselves wandering through their grocery aisles before the holidays making note of some rather interesting products. One such item was a pouch of black beluga lentils, already cooked, and according to the microwave instructions on the pouch, ready-to-eat in 90 seconds. We’d never encountered these before, so feeling adventurous, in our cart it went.

NOTE: Black beluga lentils are petite, black lentils which have a resemblance to beluga caviar. They’re perfect in soups and salads, and are a good source of protein and fiber.

At the beginning of the new year, I reorganized  my pantry and noticed the black beluga lentil pouch sitting there, begging to be used.

It was a soup- kind- of- day, so I decided to make– you guessed it- Black Beluga Lentil Soup. Yield: about 5 to 6 servings

Here’s what I did:

·         finely chopped a small onion, minced a clove of garlic and  sautéed them in a wee-bit of olive oil in a 3-quart pot - until the onions softened.

·         poured in a 32-oz. box of low-sodium chicken broth.

·         added about 1 cup of frozen, chopped spinach, some seasonings, and let it all come to a boil.

·         reduced the heat, added the pouch of pre-cooked beluga lentils, partially covered the pot, and allowed the soup to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Served with a small salad, this made a perfect lunch. 

Just so you know:  the 2-serving pouch contained more than enough lentils for the soup recipe.

Would I buy Black Beluga Lentils again? Definitely!

The search for Zadig Kahke continues...

In an effort  to fulfill  Hermine  Kabbendjian’s request for Zadig Kahke, I turned my search over to one of my brand new cookbooks, ‘Armenian Cuisine ‘ by Aline Kamakian and Barbara Drieskens. In it I found a really delicious-sounding recipe called Zadigi Kahke. I emailed the recipe to Hermine, who said it sounded great, but her family didn’t use farina in their version. I’ll keep on searching for that perfect recipe for Hermine, but in the meantime, Aline’s recipe sounded so, yummy, I contacted her to see if she’d allow me to post it for you. Her co-author, Barbara wrote back giving me full permission to share Aline’s mother’s Zadigi Kahke with all of you.

If any of you try making Aline’s recipe before The Armenian Kitchen does, we'd would love to hear how  yours turned out. Simply send an email to: robyn@thearmeniankitchen.com.

Zadigi Kahke (from the cookbook “Armenian Cuisine”)
Yield: About 50 cookies

Cookie Ingredients:
2 ½ cups flour, sifted
2 cups farina, sifted
1 cup butter, melted
½ cup sunflower oil
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup lukewarm milk
1 tsp. ground mahlab
1 ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. dry granular yeast
1 egg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. ground cloves
A dash of salt

Glaze:
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk

Garnish:
1 Tbsp. raw sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. black cumin

Directions:

1. Using a stand mixer, blend one fourth of the flour and farina with all of the other cookie ingredients. Mix until well-combined.
2. Gradually add the rest of the flour and farina. Knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth.
3. Divide the dough into several balls and place them in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then with a clean towel. Let dough rise for 2 hours.
4. Roll balls of dough into fine sausage-shapes that can be formed into twists, rings or braids.
5. Place shaped dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with egg glaze made by mixing together one egg and 2 Tbsp. milk. Sprinkle tops with either sesame seeds or black cumin.
6. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until cookies are golden.

Sini Kufteh (Oven-Baked Kufteh)

Baked Sini Kufteh

In the past the Armenian Kitchen has prepared kufteh in two ways – heart-healthy, and kufteh deconstructed. One method we haven’t made – until now -  is sini kufteh. Think of it as a kufteh casserole which is fairly easy to make and is great for a buffet.

Sini Kufteh (Oven-baked kufteh)

Shell Ingredients:

Mixing shell ingredients

1 1/2 cups fine (#1) bulgur
1 cup lukewarm water (or just enough to cover bulgur)

2 lb. finely ground beef (or lamb, turkey) - not too lean

1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Aleppo red pepper
1 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Meechoog (Filling)

Filling (Meechoog):

1 lb. ground beef, lamb or turkey – not too lean
3 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. Aleppo red pepper
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ to 1/3 cup pine nuts

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions for the shell:                                                   

1. Place the bulgur in a large bowl and cover with warm water. Allow bulgur to absorb the water to soften. Drain excess water, if necessary.
2. Place meat in a large bowl.  Add the bulgur and seasonings to the meat, mixing with your hands until well-combined. If the mixture seems a bit dry, add a little warm water, and mix it in with your hands until you reach your desired the consistency.
3. Divide the mixture into two equal parts. Set aside until ready to use.

Directions for the filling:

1. In a large skillet, cook the meat over medium heat until it is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Remove meat from pan.
2. Using the same skillet, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add onions and cook until onions become soft. Add the seasonings, parsley and cooked meat; cook another 2 minutes; remove from heat and allow filling to cool. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in pine nuts. Set filling aside until ready to use.

Assembling and baking the Sini Kufteh:

1. Use a 13”x9” baking pan, or a large (10”) round pan or pie pan. Lightly grease the bottom of the pan.
2. Press one portion of the shell mixture into the bottom of the pan, flattening it evenly to fit the shape of the pan.
3. Evenly spread all of the filling over the bottom layer of the shell mixture.

Rolled out top layer of sini kufteh

4. NOTE: Keep a bowl of warm water on hand for this step. Using a large piece of parchment paper or waxed paper, flatten the remaining portion of the shell mixture with your hands or a rolling pin so that it will fit the shape of the pan. Lift the paper with flattened topping and carefully invert it over the filling in the baking pan; gently peel the paper away and lightly press down the top layer. If the top layer cracks or separates, dip your fingers in the bowl of warm water and press the topping back together. Tuck in the edges.

Side view of sini kufteh layers (unbaked)

5. Using a knife that’s been dipped in water, score the top layer into squares or diamond- shaped portions. Brush surface with a little olive oil or melted butter.
6. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 35-40 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Serve with plain yogurt, and a refreshing chopped salad!

An Armenian Christmas Family Tradition is Born

At the end of last December, after recovering from the joy and of hosting Christmas with family and friends, I received a most-interesting request from recently wed Lindsay Peckham of Weymouth, MA.

Lindsay, grandmother Rencie, and husband Jay Peckham

Lindsay wrote:

“I just recently came upon your blog and couldn't be happier!  My paternal grandmother is half Armenian which only makes me a small percentage, but since I was very young I have always had an interest in everything Armenian!  I guess you could say I feel more Armenian than I actually am!  Every year - since before I was born - my family has had an Armenian cook-out where we indulge in all the wonderful Armenian food.  A few years ago my grandmother taught me how to make kourabia and now I have turned it into my own Christmas tradition making it for family and friends.  The reason for my email...besides telling you how much I appreciate your great blog...is to ask for some advice.  I know that Armenian Christmas is on January 6th.  My family has never done anything on that day, but now that I am married I was thinking that it would be nice to start my own tradition.  I would like to host a small Armenian brunch that weekend and hopefully it will become an annual event.  Do you have any suggestions of some things I could make for this occasion?  We have a small apartment and an even smaller kitchen (literally no counter space)!  I'd like to make a few different things, but since I have limited space, nothing overly complicated.  Any suggestions or advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!  I look forward to reading more of your blog and trying out some of the many recipes.”

I love requests like this!
Lindsay mentioned that her family gathering was to take place on Sunday, January 8^th  so, I put on my thinking cap, poured myself a steaming cup of mint tea, and gave it some thought. I had to keep in mind her key points – recently married, starting her own annual family tradition, Armenian Christmas brunch, small kitchen, no counter space, nothing complicated.
My suggestions included: a mezza platter with basturma, string cheese, pita bread; nevik , parsley- onions- and -eggs, and few other favorites. You know me, I had to ask Lindsay if she would share her result with us.

On the evening of January 8th, after her guests had gone, Lindsay filled me in on her gathering:

“ After consulting your blog and hearing your feedback I decided to make the Pomegranate and Pear Salad, Cheese Beoreg ( my grandmother's recipe which uses muenster cheese ), Parsley- Onion- Eggs (which I scrambled), Armenian Walnut Cake (it was very simple to make), and Kourabia (I used my grandmother's recipe which is a family recipe, and one of my favorite things to make. Plus, making these cookies really makes me feel connected with my Armenian side. And my husband who is not Armenian at all LOVES them!). In addition, I bought some bastourma, Armenian string cheese, and pita bread. My father also brought some homemade lahmejune which we cut into smaller portions, so everyone could try it. “

Mezza Platter

Grandmother Rencie's Kourabia cookies

Pomegranate and Pear Salad

Lindsay began her food preparation on the Thursday before the event, carefully planning her work-strategy. With hard work and great determination, her first-annual Armenian Christmas brunch was ready in time for her guests’ arrival.

The Final Outcome:

"The Armenian Christmas brunch was a great success! When my parents and grandmother, Rencie, showed up they were really impressed! I've never been much of a cook, so seeing how much (food) I made was quite a shock. While everything was a huge hit, I think the most talked about item was the Pomegranate and Pear salad. Not only was it colorful, but the mint and lime gave it such a great taste. Absolutely delicious! The string cheese was also good. My father, grandmother, and I had never had it before. I can definitely see how that could make a good snack item! It was so much fun pulling it apart! My sister-in-law and her husband and my brother-in-law were also in attendance. I was thrilled that they tried and liked everything. I'm looking forward to when my husband Jay and I have a bigger place and can invite more of our family and friends. But, this will definitely be an annual tradition no matter where we live!"

The Armenian Kitchen is honored to have had a small part in the establishment of the Peckham Family's annual Armenian Christmas tradition. Thanks, Lindsay, for this opportunity, and for allowing us to share your first-ever Armenian Christmas event!