My Armenian Table

from Connecticut Food & Farm Magazine, Spring 2020, Volume 20

by Connecticut Food and Farm

Tiny Studio Love

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by Ruth R. Hartunian-AlumbaughLisa Nichols photos

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Traditional Armenian cooking can be easy, with consistently excellent results. With spring just around the corner, you’ll enjoy these flavors brought here by my family, who originally came to the United States on a boat from Beirut, Lebanon. I’m first-generation, born in the United States, and the proud recipient of many recipes that have been used by my family for generations.

My grandfather was a baker in Beirut, often giving away his possible profits to hungry neighbors. He taught me how to make pita bread as he did before he crossed the ocean to this country and he and my grandmother lived with us in our home in Cudahy, Wisconsin. We used to make our own baklava from scratch, including the dough, syrup and hand-chopping the nuts. Everything was done with our hands, no matter how long it took. Two 9X13 pans of baklava took four home chefs a full day to create. Between rolling out the dough and brushing each sheet with clarified butter (and there were many, many layers), it was a labor of love. Thankfully, it took far less time to consume the crunchy sweetness!

We also made grape leaves filled with meat, called “sarma.” Cooking was sometimes a day-long event. To make sarma, the cooking frenzy was preceded by frequent stops along the highway to harvest the right kinds of leaves to make the dish. We had to do this for our supply since our grapevine wasn’t mature enough to harvest from our own backyard. After washing

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Food has a way of bringing back memories; I remember being part of a two-person army, jockeying the skewered lamb from the kitchen to my dad outside, where the hand-made charcoal grill and his expertise made these pieces of lamb a succulent dish. He even fashioned the skewers; being a watchmaker and jeweler came in handy with his kitchen gadget-making skills! We’d do this for a full day and then freeze what we didn’t need, so we had grilled goodness in the months ahead.

Seemingly always seeking to make use of precious time, we did not cook for just one meal. You never knew who would have a need: a baby was born, someone died, was sick, someone needs a friend. Food said that we cared for those around us. So we’d make double batches of the bulghur pilaf. Eaten in its simplest form, it’s like going back to days of grandpa and grandma living with us, Armenian picnics, gatherings and church events that featured this style of rice. It was, and still is, a staple. It is a perfect accompaniment to the lamb.

“ You’ll enjoy these flavors brought here by my family, who

originally came to the United States on a boat from Beirut, Lebanon.”

the leaves at home, the stems were cut shorter and the leaves were piled, vein side up, rolled gently and tied in a bunch to be submerged into boiling salt water to wither. When the water was drained off, the leaves were carefully separated and placed all over the kitchen table to fill with a yummy meat, bulgur (cracked wheat), and a seasoning mixture. Rolling them shut is an art in and of itself, and we’d make thousands at a time. Sarma were placed in a tall cooking pot, covered with tomato sauce mixed with water, covered with a plate on top and topped with a weight (like a clean brick!) to deter overboiling. When you could smell it, it was done.

I spent many hours learning how to make traditional Armenian dishes. It’s all we ever ate. Sadly, there were times when I dreamt of mac and cheese and hot dogs instead of what I had access to. Looking back, I fondly recall the great food I enjoyed. I think the kitchen was hallowed ground. With poverty and hunger in my history, nothing ever went to waste. The phrase “starving Armenians” was for real - especially given the genocide of 1915, which my grandparents survived. When they finally arrived in this country, they even brought leftover thread from buttons that fell off a shirt; I found some, years later, in my grandmother’s sewing tin.

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“ My grandfa was a baker in Beirut, often g away his possible profits to h neighbors.”

It would not be an Armenian meal or gathering without coffee and some kind of sweet! When I visited Armenia in July of 2019, there was literally a coffee machine or storefront where you could get coffee without walking just a few steps. There are tricks of the trade, but know that it’s easy to make. Sometimes people would turn the cups upside down after finishing their hot, sweet drink and tell one another’s fortunes. Often coupled with dried and fresh fruit, baklava and nuts of some kind - even cordials - it speaks of friendship, belonging and fellowship!

Speaking of friendship, the cookie recipe below makes about ten dozen - plenty to share (or keep for yourself!). If you don’t want to make them all at once, you can keep the dough in the fridge. It just needs to come to room temperature before you roll it out and bake it. It’s a timehonored recipe, and a no-fail baking endeavor!

Food is also an art in Armenia. Breads are beautiful, with decorations you’ll see nowhere else. The Armenian food I saw when traveling was astounding and delicious, making the best of what was available. It’s been said that Armenians can make soup out of stones, and I think this is right!

My heritage speaks to my very being. It feeds me when I’m hungry, gives friendship when I’m lonely, and gives me a chance to birth things that nourish not just the body but the soul, too. It even extends the borders of this thing called “family.” Everyone is my neighbor.

“Her-ah-meh-tsek!” Welcome to my table of Armenian foods. Try them all!

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Jajek (Yogurt Salad)

2 cups yogurt 1 cup cold water 1 clove garlic, crushed ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon crushed, dried mint 1 cucumber, peeled and diced

Place yogurt, water, garlic and salt in food processor and process for a few seconds. Transfer to a bowl and mix with mint and cucumber. Best served chilled for a few hours. When serving, add a few ice cubes for additional refreshment. Makes about four servings.

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Armenian Style Rice ENOUGHFOR ABOUT 15 HUNGRY PEOPLE.

1 stick of butter 2 large onions 1-2 cups fine egg noodles 3 cups bulghur (cracked wheat, larger size) 1 cup wild, long-grained rice 4 1/2 cups water, or broth of choice Optional; frozen or mixed veggies and meat, if you wish

Using a large cooking pot, melt butter at medium high heat. Add onions and saute until almost tender, stirring frequently. Add egg noodles and brown them, stirring frequently. They should look brown before you add the bulgher wheat and wild rice, stirring with all other ingredients so they all “roast” for about a minute or so.

Add the water/broth. Mixture should sizzle and steam should rise. Turn heat down to medium for about ten minutes and let it sit. Keep pot covered. “Fluff” the rice. Turn off heat and allow mixture to cook until done. Add vegetables/meat and heat through, if desired. Freezes well.

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Leg of Lamb,Armenian-Style

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1 leg of lamb, deboned and cut into two-inch chunks (ask your butcher to do the cutting!) 2 bulbs fresh garlic, peeled and chopped 1 1/2 cups fresh chopped parsley 1 cup chopped onion of your choice 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 1/8 cup dried mint leaves Quality salt to taste

Place all of the above ingredients into roasting pan at least two days before you want to eat, and refrigerate. Stir occasionally throughout the days to distribute marinade evenly. Once ready to cook, bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is not red when sliced.

You can also make these on skewers if you wish to go through the process of spearing the meat with other veggies to grill. Freezes well.

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Armenian Coffee

Use 1 tablespoon finely ground coffee per small demitasse cupAdd 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sugar per cupMeasure water using your demitasse cupAdd coffee grounds and sugar (optional) to your jezveh (long-handled coffee receptacle). If you don’t have one, use a small saucepan.

Bring ingredients to a boil. After it boils once, remove from heat. Immediately place it on the heat two more times, boiling and then removing from the heat. Serve immediately.

Note: The long-handled jezveh is a bonus; it’s easier to pour from it into the small cups!

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Mom’s Traditional Armenian Cookies

Shah/Ka/Lokh/Mahs

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1 pound unsalted butter (room temperature) 1 egg yolk (add to butter and beat until creamy) 1 teaspoon vanilla, added to the above ingredients 1 cup SIFTED powdered sugar, added to the above ingredients 5 cups pre-sifted OR scant cups of flour

Gradually add flour to mixture. Dough will be stiff. If dough becomes too stiff for your mixer, use your hands! But try not to handle the dough too much. Dough works best if you can use it when it is freshly made.

Variations: Add one cup of finely ground toasted pecans or walnuts. (I always do this!)

Put flour on the palms of your hand as you roll out small portions of the dough into a log about 12-15 inches long and about ¾ inch in diameter. Cut cookies with a butter knife, every three inches on an angle. Use leftover dough for the next log that you will roll out. Repeat process until all cookies are cut and on your ungreased cookie sheet. Place them close together since they will not get any bigger than they are unbaked.

Bake at 325 degrees for at least 15 minutes. Check bottom of cookie for doneness; it should look slightly browned when done. Add more time if necessary.