i ered Fea Soe ede Fe ee ie ied eee Pe TET At Laan ae EREUT PACE MPE cain ora eee (Tass Kebab) (Serves 4-6) This is simply a spicy lamb stew, but the Armenian name is so beautiful I think you should try it. THE ARMENIAN immigrants who have come to. this . continent over the years have been literate, artistic and an skilled. And the food they brought with them as a memory of the Old World is just heaven. 7 casaba melon, Armenian pilaf, shish kebab and dolmas, as well as Almond’ Joys and Mounds _ You can see from the following re that - tomatoes and peppers can provide , you with.a wonderful table filled with: memories. Armenia. ; ARMENIAN THIN BREAD : QLavash) : (Makes 8 cracker breads) This cracker-like bread is basic _ to the Armenian diet. With a little bit of clever insight ; you can wet it and roll it up with ~ wonderful fillings for a sandwich you would not believe! 14: cups): tepid water warm, about 105°F) . Ya cup olive oil 3 teblespoons sugar 1 package quick-rising yeast ‘2 teaspoons salt. : 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 cup milk for topping Sesanie seeds for or topping (barely , \ me aa Place the: tepid water ‘in’ your “water; olive’ oil, sugar and yeast.” : Using ‘the. batter blade, let. the. electric: mixer’: blend these very well. ‘It will take about 5 minutes on low speed. Stir in the salt. ~ “flour and beat on low: speed until “a thick and smooth batter forms.. Change “the ,, blade to" “a .bread ugh hook and knead in. the ad- ditional 2 cups of flour. os moe a: wooden: spoon: and fi nish the: , oy _ kneading by hand.” =! Me minutes in: the’ machine, 20 y. minutes by hand. an Place; the’ dough, on ‘a Plastic “SUE “ANNE | ee _ WILSON . “GARDINER | : We must. thank them for the. _ bars. : Delectable « breads, including .. “ ee lavash, are also part of ‘their ‘tradition. lamb ‘and stuffed © from ancient 7 “ electric mixing bowl.and add the - “ , Gradually’ add 2 cups ofthe . -If,-you ‘do ‘not havea heavy - mixer, . incorporate’ the flour with - , Kneading should ‘take about 10 : “more- water and let stand a few THE FRUGAL GOURMET countertop and cover with a large stainless-steel _ bowl... Allow the dough to rise until double i in bulk, about 1% hours. Funch - the dough down and divide’ into 8 pieces. Let stand, , covered, 15 minutes... Roll ‘out each piece of dough into a 12-inch-diameter circle. orking with two. pieces of dough - quite versatile td at a time, « arrange. breads on /ungreased baking sheets. - Brush’ with ‘milk ‘and’ sprinkle’ sesame seeds over tops. Prick with a fork many times all over. Bake on the lowest racks in the - oven: at 375°F for eight: to 10 minutes or until light brown. Rotate the pans in the oven from top .to bottom - to. ensure even browning. : , Serve dry or wet. (To wet, hold the cracker under running water: until lightly moistened all. over,’ then wrap in a inoist towel for 10 “to 15 minutes.) : If the cracker is too dry to roll, it will crack. Sprinkle witha little _ minutes. ' ARMENIAN LAMB s W THE six. o'clock question for many, people is not “What. shall I much time.do I have?”’ . It's a reflection of our lifestyles.“ that the time it takes to preparea meal has become more important: _ than the food itself. The desire ‘for- efficiency. is ‘i , transforming: the. way we eat so “that meals ‘in a hurry have become © a fact of life. : _ “” Let’s leave aside the prolifera-:; tion of fast foods available and: consider. how cooking has changed.. so we can prepare food faster. Only young, tender, fresh pro- "3 duce is forsale in markets. We~ seldom’ have : to ‘deal “with «an abundance of. fibre,. or lignin, which toughens mature vegetables,“ make for dinner?” but. rather,: ‘‘How: Tass Kebab is what an Armenian grandma would call it, that’s for’ ’ sure. 2 pounds boneless lean leg of jamb, cat in 12-inch cubes 2 tablespoons butter... 2°medium yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon salt V2 teaspoon paprika ¥ teaspoun freshly ground black Fepper ~ Y2 teaspoon pround allspice Ys teaspoon ground cincamon Ya cup tomato paste diluted | with ’ '¥% cup water 2 tablespoons dry red wine _" Heat a large frying pan and add the lamb and butter. Brown the meat and place it in a 6-quart stove-top casserole; leaving the fat "in the frying pan. Saute the onions in the reserved fat and add to the pot along with the remaining ingredients except ‘the wine. Cover and-simmer 45 minutes or until all is tender. Add. the wine, cover and’ sim-., mer 15 minutes more, This stew ‘is. very |. thick . and’ tich-tasting. Serve it over rice. ‘ _ ARMENIAN HAND-ROLLED | SAUSAGES - “(Makes about 14 sausages) When Armenian -: immigrants came to this country they certainly ‘understood . our love” of ‘ham- / burger. >, he, However, these meat rolls have - a favor. no hamburger could ever match, 2% pounds lean ground meat, “half beef and haif lamb ~ 1 tablespoon tomato paste | ¥ cup (4 ounces) tomate sauce 1 cup breed crumbs ; Y% cup @ tablespoons) evaporated milk . 1 tezspoon ground cumin : "WY cup minced parsley ~ poe . tablespoon minced dried onion - ‘I teaspoon salt - Freshly. ground black pepper. to taste... 0s GARNISHES Bas | cup peeled and minced yellow onion © ro ot : -¥: cup minced parsley Mix the ingredients, except gai- nishes, together. © 2 Roll mixture ne, i Pails just: “market quickly, so their texture -is still crisp and their flavors fresh; : So farming, as well as transport systems, have become geared to- supporting our desire for efficien- oY ” Making sure produce i is ready to ‘use creates an ever-widening gap - » between the . _ consumer and: the “land. . . aot ‘Today, vegetables : arriving ‘at the market. are- even: clean.. (Yet. -aren’t there times-as a city-dweller when you yearn for good honest dirt on-a potato?) : And of course. some vegetables, *. such «as lettuce -and-: tomatoes, often: raised hydroponically, n ‘touch soil. a ~ The beef. on. our meat counters usually comes from cattle finished | in feed lots, Cattle get less exercise than’ when they graze for food; sc their muscles develop less connec-' ‘Young vegetables cook «faster, «tive tissue.’ ‘out they, must be’ brought to the: This means meat, vis “generally, never: RECIPES FROM the ancient Armenian, culture’ gives” us, ‘suc delights as stuffed peppers and tomatoes, hand-rolled. sausage and dolmas. smaller than a tennis. ‘ ball, “inch' by: 4: inches long. -Moisten : hand with. water to facilitate shap- - : ing. Place. the kebabs in a shallow . baking dish. >: Bake 20 minutes ‘in a a preheated. 400°F: oven. Transfer to-a’ heated. platter and reserve the pan juices... to serve separately, first spooning © off the excess fat. ° . Garnish with the chopped onion * and parsley. , - ARMENIAN STUFFED - 7 TOMATOES AND PEPPERS These are delicious and the. rec- . ipe is quite versatile. You. can use: wegstables. more ~ tender’ even | ‘before iv’s cooked. So.we. spend less time _ simmering, .braising — or stewing. , and choose ‘instead’ from an abundance of quickly cooked cuts. - As for aging beef, it now takes place as beef is transported to the. -market, vacuum- ~sealed wholesale portions. in Industry, too, ‘is geared to mak-— ing cooking more efficient. a » Margarine . and ‘shortening | ‘are -hydrogenated so . they .can_ -be ‘creamed in less time: Flour can be: milled especially for “pies, breads,:. ‘or cakes, each. with a specific : : gluten content. * gredients so they save us time. Consider. how .we take are added directly to the dry in- gredients, to save proofing , time. And rising periods are.cut in half :” with quick-rise yeasts. ” then»; -form into sausage.shapes about 1: »-¥s'cup long-grain rice ‘rice’ and . water toa. boi ‘the. filling. to stuff all: ‘kinds’ of: : ‘ ‘ whip and knead: with Busto.. ‘And - ’ molecules: in.-foods, * Often food’ scientists. alter in. for ° o granted the - strains. of yeast | that’ In our kitchens, machines ‘do usiiig time well. ¥% cup water 7) pound ground | : ¥ pound coarsely ground lami: 1. medium . ripe’, tomat ‘ chopped ‘. "2 ‘medium: y K Wn teaspoon aprile , Erestly ground ©. blac Pinch ‘of ground | alispi ‘To : partially.’ cook ° rice -mamial tasks" faster. . Food ‘processors often take the ‘place of knives. Electric: mixers microwaves‘: vibrate: the *liqui ‘baking: in’ three minutes instead of 20.°. “With: all this -assistance, do we: “really need the fast foods?. Many’ are’ saying ‘‘No”?-as they” return to -cooking.: For | with fast : foods we tend to ignore the ‘con--: nections between’ good: food,’ the ® rituals, of dining well’ (thougn: not’, necessarily expensively). and. . cultivating warm’ bonds of fri nd- ship during meals. + - : _ Yes, the Old Year shuffled Offa : week ago, warning us that time is: passing. “a4 : But surely, “even” as time’ mar- ches on, working’ ‘with : ‘our: “streamlined food supply: to give'us pleasure as ‘well as Sustenance is”