Serves 8 This dish can be enjoyed hot or cold. We served the Plaki cold in an Armenian Meza style dinner (cold buffet) and scooped it up with flatbread. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups dried Great Northern Beans, soaked overnight in water 1 Tbsp salt 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and diced 1 celery stalk, diced 1/2 cup diced onion 1 can diced plum tomatoes, drained 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1/3 cup olive oil 8 cloves garlic, quartered 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp Hungarian paprika 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley and stems 2 cloves, crushed chopped celery leaves (optional garnish) Method: 1. Add beans to a large pot. Add enough water to cover 1″ and salt. Simmer until almost done. 2. Add remaining ingredients, except for crushed garlic and celery leaves, and cook another 30 minutes. 3. Take off heat and add crushed garlic and celery leaves. Serve warm or cold. Adjust seasonings before serving if necessary. Beware of Baby. Armenian White Bean Plaki | Lupia Plaki Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print …
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Serves 4-8 Spiced feta is wonderful wrapped up in flatbread with fresh herbs. Feel free to improvise on this recipe with your favorite herbs and spices. Ingredients: 1/2 lb feta cheese 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika 1/2 tsp dried tarragon 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried cilantro 1/4 tsp sumac (optional garnish) 2-6 sprigs each of basil, oregano, mint, and chives Method: 1. Spread fresh herbs down in a shallow serving dish. Slice feta into 4 slices. Arrange on top of herbs. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, paprika, and dried herbs. Drizzle over feta. Let sit for at least an hour, or over night. Right before serving, sprinkle with ground sumac. Armenian Spiced Feta | Brinza Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Spiced feta is wonderful wrapped up in flatbread with fresh herbs. Feel free to improvise on this recipe with your favorite herbs and spices. CourseAppetizers & Snacks, Sides & Salads LifestyleGluten-Free, Potluck Friendly, Vegetarian Servings Prep Time 4-8 …
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Serves 6 Serve this refreshing dip with toasted pita chips. You’ll be cool as a cucumber even on a hot day. Ingredients: 2 cups greek yogurt 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, grated, and squeezed dry with paper towels (see photo at bottom of recipe). 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint 1 tsp dried cilantro 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground sumac for garnish (optional) Method: 1. Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl, except for sumac. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour or over night for flavors to mingle. If left to sit overnight the liquids will separate. Just stir to combine again. 2. Garnish with ground sumac. Serve with pita chips or lavash (flatbread). Cucumber and Yogurt Dip | Jajik Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Serve this refreshing dip with toasted pita chips. You’ll be cool as a cucumber even on a hot day. CourseAppetizers & Snacks LifestylePotluck Friendly, Vegetarian Food TypeDips, Vegetables Servings Prep Time 6 people 15 minutes Passive Time 1 hour Servings Prep Time …
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Shakila is a famous Persian singer. Listen to her gorgeous voice as she sings Armenian Folk Medly (sic). Even if you don’t know exactly what she’s saying, the high quality video tells the story.
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There are weeks I spend 10 hours grocery shopping. Take week 5, for example. Angola. I ran around to the fish market, the latino market, the african market, the health food store… and, just when I thought I was done, I realized I forgot something on the list and I had to head out again. With a baby, no less. A baby with needs. For example, Ava likes to eat once in a while. And sleep. And poop. She’s like a ticking time bomb; do too many errands, and she goes off. Well, this week I did not have to make ANY special trips. Hurrah! Thank goodness because it was raining cats and dogs when I got up the gumption to go. I’ll admit, I am pleasantly surprised at how simple Armenian food is. It turns out Armenians love hungarian paprika and parsley. They use lemon juice, yogurt, and honey. And they like stuffed vegetables. Incidentally, this is exactly how my mom cooks. Which is weird. But also, very comforting. Ground Sumac/Sumakh The “strangest” ingredient on my shopping list was ground sumac. I’ll be …
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Cooking my way around the world feels like young love. One minute I’m giddy with excitement, thinking about what it will be like to cook and feast on the next 3 1/2 years of meals. The next minute, I’m dumbstruck with awe as I ponder just how many countries I have left in my challenge. I mean, really. I’ve done 7 and I’ve got 188 to go… !!! With an average of 4 recipes per country that’s about … 752 more recipes… And this week I’m putting together 7 dishes for Armenia alone! Some one pick me up off of the floor. Please. *** Now. I’m going to get all mushy on you. I am so very grateful for YOU, my dedicated readers and fans, who click by to see what’s cooking at Global Table. You keep me motivated and happy! I’ve been both humbled and honored by your interest in my little project. Some of you have even made my recipes! Wow. What a compliment. Thank you. Less than two months in, the blog is getting quite a bit of attention. I’ve been featured on FOX 23 news …
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Nom, nom. I’m in the grazing mood. Solution? An Armenian Meza buffet for this weekend’s Global Table. Meza buffets are typically served cold or room temperature. Most of the dishes can be wrapped up or dipped in flatbread, making Meza great picnic food. This meal is vegetarian; add seasoned grilled chicken, beef, or lamb, if desired. Lavash Armenian flatbread Spiced Feta [Recipe] Feta seasoned with paprika, tarragon, oregano, and sumakh (tart berry powder available at middle eastern stores) Jajik (Cucumber Yogurt Dip) [Recipe] A refreshing blend of cucumbers, yogurt, mint and garlic Yalanchi Sarma (Stuffed Grape Leaves) [Recipe] Grape leaves stuffed with rice, onion, currants, pine nuts, and parsley Lupia Plaki (Stewed White Beans) [Recipe] Great Northern Beans stewed with carrots, celery, onion, tomato, and garlic. Seasoned with Hungarian paprika and fresh parsley Itch (Bulgur Pilaf Salad) [Recipe] Bulgur with bell pepper, onion, scallions, fresh parsley, and lemon juice Revani (Hazelnut Cake in Honey Syrup) [Recipe] A sponge cake made with ground hazelnut and walnut soaks overnight in honey-brandy-cinnamon syrup.
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Sayings stab the truth right in the eye – with just a few simple words they gracefully reveal local culture. For example, when an Armenian is in the company of good friends they say “We have bread and salt among us.” Why? Bread is an Armenian staple. The most popular flatbread is lavash, while the most popular leavened bread is Pideh. Comparing friendship to bread shows how both are basic sustenance to Armenians. Salt is an essential part of all diets because it is required for basic body function. “Without sodium, which the body cannot manufacture, the body would be unable to transport nutrients or oxygen, transmit nerve impulses, or move muscles, including the heart.” – Kurlansky, Salt On top of this, getting sea salt was historically challenging in landlocked Armenia. Thus, comparing a friendship to salt is a high honor in Armenia. Ok. Let’s talk Armenian food. Armenians are known for lush markets filled with endless supplies of dried fruits, vegetables, olives, nuts, spices, and meats (check out the wonderful photos at Uncornered Market). Traditional meals include a healthy balance of fruit, vegetables, and meats, however tourists often don’t stray beyond the popular meat …
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This is meal #7 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. This week I used my Great Aunt’s dishes for the first time. Her name was Caterina, but we called her Lulla Rina. Lulla Rina made two of my favorite childhood treats: spaghetti tossed with boiled potatoes and marinara, and braided challah with whole eggs baked inside. She’s been gone a long time now but I still smile when I think of those unusual treats. The day of our Argentine feast, I carefully unpacked the dishes. Many were missing or chipped, but I pulled out what I could and rinsed them under hot, soapy water. My fingers traced along the hundreds of harmless fractures that spidered across the old china, telltale signs of decades of use. She must have served thousands of meals on those beautiful dishes. I drank Yerba Mate tea from a teacup she’d once drank from and my heart was with her. Roasted Seasonal Pumpkin Salad with Arugula and Chevre [Recipe] What I like most about this dish: Imagine, if you will… aged goat cheese melts like butter into steaming roasted squash. Baby arugula …
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Serves 4 Chimichurri sauce is traditionally served with Beef Empanadas in Argentina. The bold garlic flavor also goes well with any grilled beef. Ingredients: 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp water 5 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp pepper Method: 1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until a loose salsa consistency is achieved. 2. Let stand at room temperature for flavors to meld, at least 30 minutes. Chimichurri can be refrigerated for a day or two. Serve at room temperature. Chimichurri Sauce Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Chimichurri sauce is traditionally served with Beef Empanadas in Argentina. The bold garlic flavor also goes well with any grilled beef. CourseAppetizers & Snacks LifestyleGluten-Free, Potluck Friendly, Vegan, Vegetarian Food TypeSauces & Dressings Servings Prep Time 4 people 10 minutes Passive Time 30 minutes Servings Prep Time 4 people 10 minutes Passive Time 30 minutes …
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Makes one 8×8 casserole Even the pickiest eater will enjoy this simple casserole. What’s better than mashed potatoes and corn? NOTE: Recipe updated November 2011 to make it richer and more epic. Depending on the size of your potatoes, you may need more or less milk/butter. Ingredients: 5 russet potatoes (3 lbs), peeled and boiled 1- 1 1/2 cups whole milk (or as needed to make potatoes fluffy) 3/4 cup melted butter 2 tsp garlic salt pepper salt 2 cups frozen corn, thawed 2 Tbsp minced parsley Method: 1. Preheat oven to 425F. In the hot pot you cooked the potatoes, add the drained potatoes. Let steam dry a few minutes (this allows even more milky goodness to get into them). Then add 1/2 cup melted butter (reserve the rest for the corn topping), garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Mash together, adding milk in small amounts until fluffy. 2. Put potato mixture in a buttered casserole dish. 3. Puree thawed corn with remaining melted butter until creamy. If your blender has trouble, add a bit of milk …
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