Serves 6-8 These spicy kabobs are wonderful for lunch or a light dinner. The cayenne provides medium heat, add up to a 1/2 tsp more to make them spicy. Ingredients: 1 3/4 lbs ground lamb 2 medium onions, grated 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp dried mint 1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp paprika Optional Accompaniments: Lavash flatbread Pita Bread Sliced red onion sliced tomatoes fresh sprigs of parsley, mint, and tarragon yogurt and/or yogurt sauce Method: 1. In a small bowl, combine grated onion, garlic, cumin, mint, parsley, cayenne, salt, pepper, and paprika. 2. Add ground lamb to a large mixing bowl. Add onion mixture. Knead into the lamb, making sure to evenly disperse the spices and ingredients. 3. Shape lamb onto skewers, making sausage shapes. I found it easier to use 2 skewers per sausage because the meat has a tendency to roll around just one skewer. Flat skewers can help, but I didn’t have any. The …
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Serves 6 I almost didn’t make this pilaf because there were so many steps. I went out on a limb because I figured Azeri’s must know how to cook basmati rice better than me. I was right. This is a great rice dish, buttery and delicately perfumed with saffron. Ingredients: 2 Potatoes 2 cups basmati rice 2 tsp salt 1/4 cup water 2 sticks butter 1 tsp saffron threads, soaked in a Tbsp of hot water. optional garnish: fresh mint leaves Method: For the potato crust: 1. Slice 2 potatoes thinly. Mix water with 4 Tbsp melted butter. Pour into the bottom of a large skillet or pan that has a tight-fitting lid. 2. Line the bottom of the pan with potato slices, fitting them close together without overlapping. Mine overlap a little because the sloped sides of my pan caused them to slide down – the crust still turned out fine, so don’t worry too much about this. 3. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until the potatoes soften and begin to turn …
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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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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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Glorious meatballs, bathing in hearty, simmering sauce, can be found all over the world. Some meatballs are a meal unto themselves, requiring a knife and fork, while others are delicate, dainty droplets – more garnish than substance. Although most people enjoy a good meatball, entirely too much effort goes into making them. Intended to be comfort food, even homemade street-food, meatballs should not be an all day affair. Here are my simple tips for how to make great meatballs, from any country. 1. Roast the meatballs, don’t fry them. I’ve ruined at least 4 cute shirts by pan-frying batch, after batch of meatballs. Oil spatters not only ruin shirts, but also burn skin, grease up the stove top, and yellow surrounding walls. Not to mention the time it takes to carefully rotate each meatball. One. By. One. Usually, the little balls get beat up in the process and end up with flat sides, like the skulls of babies who aren’t given enough tummy time. To roast meatballs, all you have to do is lay them on …
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The Azerbaijani table is commonly adorned with flatbread, yogurt, sumac, and fresh herbs. This is because diners scoop meat dishes up into either lavash or pita bread and then top them with these regional “condiments.” Although a month late, we’re celebrating the spirit of the Azerbaijani holiday “Novruz” by gardening and spring cleaning before our feast. Sides & Condiments: Pita Bread, fresh mint and other herbs, sliced red onion, sumac, and yogurt Rice Pilaf with Potato Kazmag [Recipe] Basmati rice, steamed over a crispy layer of potato slices, then tossed with saffron butter. Laura Kelley’s Green Beans with Azeri Tomato Sauce [Recipe] Laura was kind enough to share this recipe from her cookbook “The Silk Road Gourmet, Volume 1.” Her book was recently nominated for a “golden ladle” in Le Courdon Bleu’s World Media Food Awards. Congratulations, Laura! Fresh green beans are cooked with caramelized onion, then tossed with a creamy, tangy tomato sauce. Spicy Meatballs in Pomegranate Sauce (Fesinjan Kyufta) [Recipe] Ground lamb and beef is mixed with onion, paprika, breadcrumbs, and mint. The …
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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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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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Serves 2-4 Viennese Hot Cocoa is so rich and tasty, you won’t need dessert. Perfect for a chilly night! Take care when adding the egg yolk to the hot liquid, you don’t want to make “scrambled egg cocoa.” Ingredients: 2 cups milk 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa 3 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp raspberry brandy (or regular) 1 egg yolk For whipping cream: 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 Tbsp powdered sugar Method: 1. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, and continue whipping to combine. 2. In a small saucepan, whisk together milk, cocoa, sugar, and brandy until combined. Heat over medium-low until barely simmering. Turn heat to low. 3. Place an egg yolk in a small bowl. Whisk a small ladle of the cocoa into the egg yolk, tempering it. Add yolk mixture to pot, whisking constantly until thickened. Do not let mixture boil or egg will scramble. 4. Serve cocoa in teacups or mugs with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Viennese Hot Chocolate Votes: …
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Serves 2-3 This is an Austrian’s answer to Mac and Cheese. Totally wonderful and, as a bonus, vegetarian! One taste and you’ll want to move to Austria. Ingredients: 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 1/2 cups flour 1 Tbsp butter 1 onion, sliced thinly 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese (or more to taste) Method: 1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Add flour a 1/2 cup at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let rest 10-20 minutes. The dough should be like pancake batter – thin with more milk if necessary. 2. Meanwhile, saute onion in butter until golden. Set aside. 2. Preheat oven to 350. Drop nocken through the holes in a sieve (see techniques) into simmering water. Cook until the nocken float. 3. Remove the nocken from the water with a strainer. Place in a buttered casserole or oven-safe pan. 4. Sprinkle with grated cheese and caramelized onion. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve out of pan. Austrian Spaetzle with cheese …
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Serves 2 Wiener Schnitzel will fill you up after a long day hiking, skiing, or swimming. Enjoy this Austrian dish with potatoes or Nocken. Ingredients: 2 pork cutlets 1/2 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 eggs 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1 tsp parsley 1 tsp paprika olive oil lemon slices Method: 1. Place flour, salt and pepper in a dish. In another dish, place whisked eggs. In a third dish, place bread crumbs, parsley, and paprika. Whisk. 2. Place cutlets between plastic wrap and pound with a mallet until about a 1/2″ to 1/4″ thick. Cut several small slits around the edges to prevent curling. TIP: Ask your butcher to pound the cutlets thin for you. Even if they don’t get them as thin as you want, you’ll be ahead of the game. 3. Dredge cutlets, first in flour, then in egg, and finally in bread crumb mixture. 4. Cover and refrigerate cutlets for at least an hour. 5. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Saute cutlets for …
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