The culture & varied climates of Azerbaijan

About Azerbaijan from Anar GARIBOV on Vimeo. I adore this video! Also: I read the most fascinating fact in this article by Laura Kelley about Azeri food and culture: Like Georgia, Azerbaijan has a wide variety of climatic zones as well. In fact, nine of eleven climatic zones are represented, and in Azerbaijan one can simultaneously see all four seasons just by traveling from one end of the country to the other. High mountains, fertile foothills growing tea and citrus, dry steppes, luxurious forests, and Caspian shores—Azerbaijan has it all! So, in addition to a long history of foreign occupation, a widely varied climate has led to one of western Asia’s most diverse cuisines. Full Article

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For the Love of Plov: Azerbaijan

Sharbat: When the summer sun roasts everything from the birds, to the bees, Azerbaijani enjoy Sharbat drink, a traditional, fruity nectar whose name evokes the refreshing dessert, Sherbet. This drink is chilled, not frozen, however. Popular flavors include pomegranate, cherry, mint, and lemon. The drink can also be flavored with saffron, honey, and basil seeds. Canned soda is gaining popularity, however, threatening to push this homemade drink to the back of dusty shelves. Ovhsala: Ovshala, or rose petal drink, is popular throughout the Caucus. Rose petals are literally plucked from fresh roses, boiled with lemon juice, and sweetened with sugar. Make this drink with your family and friends as a fun summer project, instead of traditional lemonade! Just be sure to use flowers from your garden, not the chemical-sprayed roses from florists and grocery stores. Plov: Azerbaijani enjoy more than 40 kinds of Plov, or rice pilaf. Plov is served at special gatherings, including weddings, and is considered the true test of a cook’s skill. Many include crusts, such as the potato crust, pictured above …

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About the food of Azerbaijan: Happy Novruz!

I’ve been digging in the dirt lately, planting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and peas. This is not the first year I’ve gardened, but this is the first year my seedlings survived long enough to be planted in the ground. Last year, out of 48 seedlings, only one lived long enough to eat from. Parsley. The rest died because I planted my seeds too early and was forced to wait to put them in the ground. Without adequate sunlight the seedlings became gaunt and gave up the fight long before they hit 2 inches. This year I became neurotically obsessed with the weather. I waited patiently to plant my seeds until just a month before all danger of frost passed. Things are looking good; I just put the seedlings in the ground. They’re thick and hardy; I’m hopeful for this year’s harvest, although I remain at the mercy of mother nature. Experiencing firsthand how temperamental and fragile vegetable gardening can be gives me an understanding of why so many cultures mark the changing seasons with festivals and …

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Monday Meal Review: Austria

This is the 10th meal in my personal challenge to cook one meal from every country in the world. We planned on eating our Austrian Global Table over candlelight. As a new parent, I’m learning to improvise. As you know, we have a 9-month old. With just the two of us juggling our little sweetheart, there was no way we could get our meal done, take pictures, feed her dinner, nurse her, put her to bed, and fit “romantic dinner” into all of that. So, to make things “easier” we ate our meal with little miss adorable, and saved dessert for after her bedtime. I highly recommend this technique for new parents. Perhaps our date wasn’t typical “dinner and a movie,” but it sure was romantic. After a nice family diner, my husband and I ate our dessert (chocolate Sachertorte and Viennese Hot Cocoa) on the back patio, under the stars. As we ate, we read love poems to each other. Even the low hiss of the baby monitor didn’t drown out the moment. I …

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Austrian Sacher Tortes and Farming (POLL)

About the Sacher Torte: The Sacher Torte is shiny chocolate sponge cake layered with apricot jam from Austria. The cake was invented 175 years ago by 16-year old Franz Sacher. Many years later, his son opened the Sacher Hotel. You can still order this gorgeous cake from their web site. They ship around the world! Go take a peek. Gosh, they are beautiful! The cake was designed to impress the uber-rich, but word spread and various establishments tried to imitate the cake. Most famously, one copy cat resulted in a seven-year law suit between the Sacher Hotel and Demel’s Cafe. Sacher won and the rest is history. Fun Farming Facts: – Only 17% of the land is farmable (because of the mountains) but Austria grows more than 90% of its own food. – Main produce includes apples, pears, plums, peaches, grapes, beets, corn, barley, potatoes, rye, and wheat. – A local harvest ritual includes parading cows through town: “Dairy farmers in part of Austria dress up their cows as a way of telling their neighbors they …

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About Austrian Food: land of ‘sausage-gobblers’?

“What did you call me?” “Sausage-gobbler!” “Why, I oughtta!!!” “No, no! It’s a compliment in Austria!” Austrians appreciate good, meaty, fried, stick-to-your-ribs-after-a-day-of-hiking-or-skiing food, followed by so-decadent-they-should-be-illegal pastries and desserts. True, modern Austrians trend towards eating a more healthy, low-fat diet. However, traditional Austrian diners are affectionately referred to as Wurstfressers (sausage-gobblers). Wurstfressers are Austrians who enjoy so much of the country’s high-fat meaty, fried foods that they get huge pot-bellies. Austrians typically eat a prodigious amount of delicious but rather unhealthy fare, rich with meats, cheeses, potatoes, and dumplings, which makes the Austrian dinner table a delight but which also contributes to a high national incidence of heart disease and other diet-related health problems. Source: Austria, Alan Allport The most popular meat dishes in Austria include weiner schnitzel (breaded and fried pork or veal), Backhendl (fried chicken), Zwiebelrostbraten (roast beef smothered in fried onions), and Tafelspitz (boiled beef in horshradish). Meat is usually served with potatoes or dumplings. Popular vegetables include cabbage and sauerkraut. Bacon, referred to as “speck,” is used in many dishes as a salty/spicy element. …

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Monday Meal Review: Australian Barbie

This is meal #9 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. “What’s wrong?” I asked. For the third time Keith waved his hand over $50 dollars worth of kangaroo meat to feel the grill. “I don’t know why the grill isn’t hot,” he muttered, “It’s just warm. It won’t get hot. The grill should be hot. I think it’s out of gas.” I looked over at our friends who were expecting their first taste of kangaroo any minute. A few glanced back at me. I felt my neck get hot and repressed the urge to get mad. The grill had not even been on 10 minutes. The irony? For the last three days Keith and I had this exact conversation at least five times: Me: “Do we have enough gas for the grill?” Keith: “I don’t know.” Me: “We’re having 15 people over. We’re going to use a lot of gas.” Keith: “Yeah.” Me: “You don’t think we need any gas?” Keith: “Yeah. Maybe.” Hosting tip of the …

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Australian Barbies, a.k.a. BBQ (POLL)

WHAT’s SO GREAT ABOUT AUSSIE BARBIES? 1. They make the word “barbie” a whole lot manlier. You’ve all heard it before. There’s nothing manlier than throwing hunks of meat on roaring flames, while sipping beer. Even calling barbecue a “barbie” doesn’t make it any less manly. After all, in Australia, barbecue is (generally) men’s work. You have to love that an entire country of men love playing with their Barbies. And, by that, I mean adjusting the flame… of course! Thank you Australia, for making a much better definition of the word “barbie.” 2. Beer is required, as illustrated by this old Australian saying: When hosting a barbecue, a knock on the door should never be answered as it means the guest isn’t carrying the required case of beer. (One should only answer a kick on the door.) 3. Speaking of beer, in 1954 Bob Hawke (from Australia) downed 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds, granting him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. He then became Prime Minister. What’s the correlation to Barbies?? …

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About Australian Food and Tucker

Let’s play a little game. Imagine the United States. Cut out about 20% of the land. Now, say goodbye to 93% of the population. Everyone vanishes except the people of New York State. That’s Australia. A massive country with very few people. *** 1. Australia is one of the world’s greatest melting pots. Around 1/3 of this great nation is sand and wind. A literal melting pot, the scorching desert pushes almost 90% of the population to urban centers like Sidney and Melbourne where they frequent cafes, markets, and pubs. And who are these Australians? Nearly 25% of Australia’s population was born in the  U.K., Italy, China, Vietnam, North Africa, or the Middle East (Countries of the World, Kate Turner). When so many diverse cultures mix in urban settings, looking for great food, the result is fusion. 2. Traditional Bush Tucker comes from the Outback Bush Tucker is food that can be found while living off the land, in the sizzling hot Outback. Not many Australians eat off the land any more (most of them are in …

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Monday Meal Review: Armenia

  This is meal #8 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. Before I get into the Armenian review, I want to mention a few words about hosting dinner parties. Hosting dinner parties is a lot of work if you don’t have much experience. In terms of food you have to: – Go shopping – Cook the food – Serve the food at the right temperature But, I find, far more stress is spent on cleaning than on food: – Clean the inevitable disaster areas around the house – Clean the kitchen that you just destroyed before guests arrive (including mopping up crumbs and spills scattered on the floor). If you don’t do this someone will definitely walk into the kitchen. It’s Murphy’s Law. – Empty the dishwasher so that, when the party is over, you actually have somewhere to put all the dirty dishes. – Set the table, being sure to remember appropriate items for each course – Get those nasty dishwasher spots off your glassware With each …

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