Cookbook

[Arpa]

Մուսա Լերան Աւանդական Ձէթով Փիկիղը

 

http://www.yerakouyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/kaghke.jpg

http://www.yerakouyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/kaghke.jpg

 

Բաղադրութիւն

3 քկ ալիւր

1 1/2 ա. դգալ մահլապ

1 1/2 ա. դգալ շումրայ

2 գաւաթ շաքար

1 ա. դգալ թթխմոր

2 գաւաթ ձէթ

1 գաւաթ փոշի կաթ

1 ա. դգալ սեւ գնդիկ

Պատրաստութիւն

Ալիւրը դնել խորունկ ամանի մը մէջ, աւելցնել մահլապը, շումրան, շաքարը, թթխմորը, ձէթը, կաթը եւ սեւ գնդիկները. շաղել գաղջ ջուրով, պատրաստել միջակ կարծրութեամբ խմոր մը: Ծածկել եւ ձգել որ հանգչի մօտ մէկ ժամ. ապա վերածել շատ փոքր գունդերու, դարձեալ ձգել, որ քիչ մը հանգչի, այնուհետեւ բանալ 40 սմ տրամագիծով բարակ խմոր, վրան ձէթ քսել, ոլորել, պատարաքաղով վրան ճնշել եւ կլոր ձեւ տալ: Ափսէներու մէջ տեղաւորելէ ետք դարձեալ ձգել որ հանգչի, ապա եփել միջակ տաքութեամբ փուռի մէջ, մինչեւ խմորին երեսը վարդագոյն դառնայ:

Եփած փիկիղներուն վրայ թեթեւ ձէթ քսել եւ հիւրասիրել:

Մուսա Լերան եւ Այնճարի Տոհմիկ Ճաշեր

[Arpa]

Բաղադրութիւն

3 քկ ալիւր

1 1/2 ա. Դգալ մահլապ**

1 1/2 ա. Դգալ շումրայ***

2 գաւաթ շաքար

1 ա. դգալ թթխմոր

2 գաւաթ ձէթ

1 գաւաթ փոշի կաթ

1 ա. Դգալ սեւ գնդիկ****

Glossary;

**Mahlab Please note the similarity to haleeb -milk, and Haleb-Aleppo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahlab

*** Shumra? Wild dill? Did you know this words? I did not.

http://www.nayiri.com/imagedDictionaryBrowser.jsp?dictionaryId=25&pageNumber=512

http://www.arthurleej.com/a-fennel.html

http://www.silkroadspices.ca/assets/products/1180/large/Nigella.jpg?1240517832

 

ՇՈՒՄՐԱՅ. To not confuse wirh shushma- Sesame ԿնճիթKnjith****

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame

http://www.nayiri.com/imagedDictionaryBrowser.jsp?dictionaryId=7&pageNumber=1926

*** *Black Caraway Seed

http://www.thekitchn.com/a-twist-armenian-string-cheese-125368

**** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Sesame_(phrase)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Sesame_(phrase)

PS. Along with knjith for sesame we also see knjuth. See what the furks call it. Kiunji

http://www.seslisozluk.net/nedir/küncü

[Yervant1]

The Guardian(London)

December 22, 2018 Saturday 9:00 AM GMT

A brief history of the gingerbread house

The witch's house in the two-centuries-old tale of Hansel and Gretel is today inspiring ever more extravagant gingerbread creations and constructions across Europe and the US

by Antonia Wilson

Then ...

The tradition of decorated gingerbread houses began in Germany in the early 1800s, supposedly popularised after the not-so-Christmassy fairytale of Hansel and Gretel was published in 1812. The Grimms' original fairy tale includes the line: "When they came nearer they saw that the house was built of bread, and roofed with cakes, and the window was of transparent sugar." (In later versions it became gingerbread, rather than just bread.) Inspired by the story, German bakers began to craft small decorated houses from lebkuchen, spiced honey biscuits.

The origins of gingerbread are not precise. Ginger root was first cultivated in China around 5,000 years ago, and was thought to have medicinal and magical properties. When its usefulness as a preservative was discovered is unclear, but some food historians say that the first known recipe for gingerbread dates from around 2400 BC in Greece. Others trace its history to 992 AD, when Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis is thought to have taught Christian bakers in France how to make it. Later references include a gingerbread guild in Germany, probably formed in the 15th century to protect the rights of certain bakers. At around the same time, nuns in Sweden were baking gingerbread to ease indigestion.

Figure-shaped gingerbread is often credited to the court of Queen Elizabeth I, where biscuits were made in the likeness of important guests. It was even referred to in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost in 1598: "And I had but one penny in the world, thou should'st have it to buy gingerbread." In the following centuries shaped gingerbread became popular across Europe, with figures and models used as window decorations, or given as gifts on religious holidays or birthdays.

Now ...

The modern tradition of making gingerbread houses has become a family event at Christmas markets around the world.

The biggest house Created by Traditions Club in Texas, on 30 November 2013, the house was 18.28 metres long, 12.8 metres wide and 18.28 metres tall. Making a similar house would take 820kg of butter, 1,327kg of brown sugar, 7,200 eggs, 3,266kg of flour, 31 kg of ground ginger - and would contain a whopping 35.8 million calories.

The biggest village

In 2017, Jon Lovitch, sous-chef at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, broke the record for the fourth time for the "largest gingerbread village". It was displayed at the New York Hall of Science. Another contender was the Pepperkakebyen (Gingerbread Town) in Bergen, Norway (on display until 31 December, £9). In 2015 it had more than 2,000 individual buildings that lit up, as well as ships, cars and a train. But only 1,020 of the structures were made of gingerbread, and it was denied the record for including non-edible components.

The real-life gingerbread town

The walled medieval town of Dinkelsbühl, southern Germany, is often thought of as a real-life town of gingerbread houses. Its picturesque and well-preserved historic centre has gabled half-timbered buildings in yellow and peach, a church, a little town square and cobbled streets.

Where to see gingerbread houses this Christmas

The Museum of Architecture's annual Gingerbread City is on display at the V&A in London until 6 Jan 2019 (£6, under-12s free). The intricate, fully lit city includes city farm, museum, school, sports stadium, botanical gardens, opera house, cable car and even a microbrewery. Its theme this year is Imagining the Future City, aiming to encourage visitors to think how our cities could be more inclusive and sustainable. Look out for the homeless shelter with a community cafe and the outdoor cinema powered by green hydroponic energy. There are also workshops for budding biscuit architects, (child £30, accompanying adult free).

Trying once more to break his own record, Lovich has created a 2018 Gingerbread Lane, on display at the New York Hall of Science again this year ($16 museum entrance, until 31 January). There are also gingerbread house workshops until the end of December ($15). The New York Adventure Club is running a workshop with Lovitch himself tomorrow, with a step-by-step demo on how to make the perfect gingerbread house ($60).

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/dec/22/a-brief-history-of-the-gingerbread-house

Edited December 24, 2018 by Yervant1

[onjig]

Arpa ~ Come back, we need you ```

[MosJan]

Mousa Ler – Cuisine
Author: Sonia Tashjian, 18/02/15 (Last modified 18/02/15)- Translator: Hrant Gadarigian

Mousa Ler, comprised of seven villages, is located on the southeastern slopes of a mountain with the same name not far from the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The terrain is mountainous and the villages are separated by valleys. The roads are rocky and often impassable. While the climate is temperate and favorable for farming, only one quarter of the land is suitable for agriculture. Thus, Armenian villagers tamed the land over the centuries, cleaning the slopes of stones and bushes to plant their gardens and fruit trees. Water wasn’t plentiful and merely sufficed for home garden vegetable plots and to grow fruit trees. Residents would purchase various provisions from Antioch. Locally cultivated fruit trees included mulberry, fig, peach, apple, orange, grapefruit, lemon, larinch (a semi-sour orange whose juice was often squeezed in meals), medlar, quince, plums, apricot, pear, pomegranate, grape, blackthorn, sour cherry, walnut, olive, carob, terebinth, banana and pistachio.


Vegetables were planted amongst the trees, thus satisfying the daily needs of local villagers. Each household would plant tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, malanga, carrots, sugar beets, turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, beetroot, spinach, onions, garlic, eggplant, summer squash, gourds, cucumbers, edjour (a kind of striped cucumber, otherwise known as kheta, guta or adjur), radishes, fava beans, green beans, mint, parsley, basil, etc.

Cereals were used as well and residents planted wheat, barley, millet, corn, chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans, levous (black-eyed bean), amongst others.

Residents would gather wild greens and herbs from the mountain slopes and valleys. These included shepherd’s purse (a member of the mustard family), stinging nettles, thyme, sumac, sorrel, water cress, broad bean, candytuft (Iberis), common mallow, and many others whose names have reached us in the local dialect: erzihoun, tagirag, khanchour, lvag, gatnag khidag, harse madank, henderbil, manikh, mirrag, bakher lizeou (ox tongue), sembek, kerrout.

From the carob tree, residents would gather a long bean-like fruit with dark red glassy seeds to make syrup. For honey, people would build basket-like beehives from simple tree branches.

The mountain’s rich wild plants (acorns, walnuts, hambalas, laurel, blackberries, wild cherries, etc.) were used to supplement the meager harvests of the fields.

The land was rich in wild game and fish, taken from the sea and rivers, provided a daily staple of meat. Fish were also caught for sale.

Horticulture and winemaking weren’t that developed. Some people made a semisweet wine for domestic consumption. Raisins were only produced when the grape harvest was excessive. It was exchanged for grains and also distilled into vodka.

In contrast to the grape, the fig was a household staple – not so much the fresh fig as the dried variety. Good quality dried figs were sold and the rest distilled into vodka. The same held true for fruit of the orange family. Bountiful harvests were either sold or exchanged for other natural produce. Mulberries were mostly cultivated for the silk industry.

Shirikian family members of Mousa Ler; 1933. From left: Kevork, Negdar (mother), Soseh and Paylag (in mother’s lap) (Source: Father Nareg Shirikian collection, Los Angeles. Courtesy of Liza Manoyan)

For dairy items (yogurt, strained yogurt, butter, cream, fat, cheese) each household had a cow, goat and sheep. It must be noted that fat was used sparingly for nutrition and was only found in the kitchens of the wealthy. Common villagers would use hand-pressed olive oil to cook with, and this is why olive oil features prominently in Mousa Ler cuisine.

There were no butchers in the villages. Animals were butchered early in the morning and the meat consumed by night. Meat was rarely used in daily meals where grains and vegetables were the rule. This was the case even though the ghavourma (kavurma) stewed meat dish was common table fare. Meat dishes were mainly cooked for the holidays and wedding feasts, or when respected guests gave to visit and a cow or rooster was slaughtered.

Preserves were prepared in the summer. Bread was the staple source of nutrition. A portion of the wheat was made into flour and the rest into bulghur (tsavar in Armenian) after boiling and drying. Rice, shipped in from Marash, was only used to make holiday tanabour. Instead, bulghur (locally called grgiud) made by grinding the dzedzadz was widely used. The famous joke was that people from Mousa Ler ate bulghur for breakfast, for lunch (as a soup), and for dinner (tabouleh).

After boiling and drying, the cracked wheat (dzedzadz) is taken to the mill where it is made into coarse bulghur for pilav; medium for tabouleh (grgiudag) and fine for keofteh balls (glor). The finest was called smndrag (semolina); used for making pickling water as well as for prtoudj (hand-sized morsels).

A dish called trkhanou was made of coarse bulghur, cooked yogurt and mint. The bulghur, resting in the cooked warm yogurt all night, would soak in all the yogurt. Next morning, it would be crumpled and dried under the hot sun. Afterwards, it would be encased in cloth bags for preserving.

 

https://www.houshamadyan.org/mapottomanempire/vilayetaleppo/mousa-ler/local-characteristics/cuisine.html

[MosJan]

Sourki



200 grams curds
1 soupspoon tomato-pepper paste
1 soupspoon thyme
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon breckland thyme
½ teaspoon bahar (baharat-spice blend)
½ teaspoon rose petal
Salt

Mix ingredients together. Sourki (moldy cheese) prepared in summer. Grease hands and roll into pyramids. Place on cotton cloth and put in shady and windy spot. Let dry, occasionally turning over. After drying, to make moldy, place in glass pitcher, close opening and store in dark, cold place. It will go moldy in time. To consume, clean off mold, cut in thin layers and add oil. To avoid mold, keep in refrigerator.

[MosJan]

Banruhouts

Bread dough *
100 grams sourki
2 soupspoons tomato-pepper paste
1 onion
1 coffee cup oil
Salt

Chop onion; add to sourki. Add oil and spread mixture on bread dough and bake in oven.

*To make bread dough – Add ¼ cup oil to 1 cup lukewarm water; 1 teaspoon sugar; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons yeast and 2-3 cups flour. After kneading, cover and wait two hours.

[MosJan]

Chiftuhouts

Bread dough
200 grams green olives (no pits)
1 onion
1 coffee cup oil
1 teaspoon red & black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
A few sprigs of parsley
Salt

Finely chop onion and olives (use electric mixer). Season and add oil and parsley. Spread mixture on bread dough and bake in oven.

[MosJan]

Gatnuhouts

 

This bread, along with usual bread was baked on holidays. The cream from milk was gathered and the dough kneaded from the same milk. Special kata patterns were made before baking. Afterwards, the cream was rubbed on the bread.

Harsuh Trakhuh (Harsi Katah) was made the same way, but in smaller measurements. It was handed out to in-laws.

1 cup milk
2 teaspoons yeast
½ cup honey (or sugar)
½ teaspoon mahleb (aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry)
2-3 cups flour
Pinch of salt

Mix milk and honey; add flour, mahleb and yeast. Knead until dough is soft. Let rest a few hours to rise. Prepare a few round loaves, embellish, and bake. Immediately after removing from oven, rub with milk cream.

[MosJan]

Koumbou
5 cups flour
1 cup oil
1 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 cup nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios)
½ cup raisins
½ cup white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 soupspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon mahleb
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon cardamom

Lightly roast flour and let cool. Sieve flour, mix in sugar and spices and knead with oil/water mixture. Add chopped nuts and raisins and mix. Place dough on pre-oiled/floured oven dish. Even out with damp hands and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake in medium then low heat for 30-40 minutes.

[MosJan]

Bourmuh
To make the dough:
3-4 cups flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 soupspoon vinegar
1 coffee cup oil
1 soupspoon sugar
Pinch of salt

To make the core:
½ kilo walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon

To make sugar water:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
A few drops of lemon juice

Knead the dough and shape into walnut-size balls. Roll dough balls into very thin layer. Add walnuts and cinnamon core. Roll and then fold two edges into snail-like shell. Pinch the two edges together and fry in oil. Remove after a few minutes and place in sugar water for five minutes. Then place pastries on mesh sieve (souzag) to allow excess sugar water to escape.

[MosJan]

Zulubeeg (Tkalag)
1 cup yogurt
1 coffee cup oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 soupspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Flour to suit

Mix ingredients to get weak dough. Lift with spoon (thus the name of the dish tkalag; spoon in Armenian) and drop in hot oil. When color changes after a few minutes, remove from oil and immediately place in sugar water for five minutes. Then place on a sieve for excess sugar water to escape.

[MosJan]

Khaveydz
1 cup flour
1-2 soupspoons fat
½ cup honey water or syrup

Toast flour in fat or oil until golden. Knead with honey water or syrup. Then shape into morsels.

[MosJan]

Zarda
1 cup coarse bulghur
4 cups milk
½ cup sugar
One cinnamon stick

Boil milk with cinnamon stick. Add sugar and bulghur and cook until liquid dissolves.

[MosJan]

Lantug
2 cups milk
½ cup flour
1 soupspoon fat
Salt or flour (according to preference)

Lightly toast flour in fat. Add hot milk and constantly mix until uniform. Add salt or sugar (or both).

[MosJan]

Adjdjuk
4 eggs
1 soupspoon fat
2 soupspoons flour
Honey

Beat eggs with flour and pour into hot fat. Cook both sides. Pour honey on top to serve.

[MosJan]

Ehdjdjeeg
1 bunch spinach (or another green)
3 eggs
2 soupspoons flour
Red and black pepper
Cumin
Salt
Oil

Chop greens, beat eggs and flour, and season. Heat oil. Spoon mixture on hot oil and fry both sides.

The same method is used to prepare summer squash ehdjdjeeg, especially the day after making dolma, in order to use the core of the squash.

[MosJan]

Tomato Omelet
1 onion
1 tomato
1 pepper
4 eggs
1 soupspoon fat or oil
Black and red pepper
Salt

Add cut tomato and pepper to fried onion. Season and then break eggs on top. Cook according to preference – omelet style, sunny side up, etc.

[MosJan]

Ghavourma Omelet
4 eggs
2 soupspoons fat
100 grams ground meat (coarse)
1 onion
Black and red pepper
Bahar
Salt

Fry meat and onion together in fat and season to taste. Add beaten eggs and cook.

[MosJan]

Shepherds had their own special dishes. The most common was simple talamou, prepared from the fig milk gathered from the broken ends of fig tree branches. It was mixed with hot pressed sheep milk that would immediately break into pieces.

There were several salad-like dishes called pezurgani that shepherds would make in the open fields with produce brought from home that morning.

Pezurgani with olives
1 cup green olives (pitted)
1 onion
1 tomato
1 soupspoon tomato paste
1 soupspoon pomegranate pickle
½ cup walnuts
2 soupspoons oil
Parsley
Black and red pepper
Cumin
Salt

Dice olives, tomato, onion and greens. Add chopped walnuts, paste, oil and pomegranate pickle. Season to taste.

 

 

[MosJan]

Pezurgani with sourki
1 sourki
1 coffee cup oil
1 tomato
1 onion
1 pepper
1 cucumber pickle
Greens

Dice sourki and place in center of plate. Drizzle oil on top. Chop veggies and place next to cheese.

[MosJan]

Grgoudag

 

1 cup fine bulghur
1 cup boiling water
1 onion
2 soupspoons tomato-pepper paste
Juice of one lemon
Oil
Parsley
Mint
Red and black pepper
Cumin
Salt

Add paste, spices and water to fried onions. Add bulghur, cover and let cool. Dice greens and mix into bulghur. Add lemon juice. Serve with boiled cabbage, lettuce leaves or with fresh grape leaves.

[MosJan]

Kemenuh Prtoudj
1 kilo potatoes
2 cups fine bulghur
2 tomatoes
2 onions
1 pepper
1 soupspoon tomato-pepper paste
Fresh parsley and mint
Oil
Red and black pepper
Cumin
Salt

Boil potatoes, drain and mash. While still hot, pour over bulghur and knead. Add fried onions (or diced raw onion), yogurt and seasonings. Continue to knead with wet fingers. When ready, mix in diced tomato, pepper and greens. Shape into prtoudj and serve.

[MosJan]

Kemenuh Klour
Ingredients of dough shell:
½ kilo potatoes
½ kilo fine bulghur
1 soupspoon tomato-pepper paste
Cumin
Salt

Filling:
½ kilo potato
2 onions
1 soupspoon tomato-pepper paste
2 soupspoons oil
Red and black pepper
Cumin
Salt
Oil – for frying

First prepare filling – Boil potatoes and mash, then add fried onions, paste and seasonings. Let cool. Prepare dough – mix bulghur to hot potatoes. Then add remaining ingredients and knead by adding water a bit at a time until dough becomes soft but not sticky. Remove walnut sized pieces, knead gently and open hole with fingers and widen. Then add filling, close, and shape into a lemon. Fry in plenty of hot oil.

[MosJan]

Mitchuh Klour

 

Ingredients of dough shell:
½ kilo cracked wheat
½ kilo fine bulghur
1 soupspoon tomato-pepper paste
Red and black pepper
Cumin
Salt

Filling:
½ kilo ground meat
2 onions
2 soupspoons oil
Red and black pepper
Cumin
Bahar
Salt

First prepare filling – Cook diced onion and ground meat with spices. Let cool. Prepare dough by mixing ingredients and kneading with wet fingers until soft but not sticky. Remove walnut-sized pieces, open hole and widen with fingers. Then add filling, close, and shape into a lemon. Fry in plenty of hot oil, or cook in yogurt soup.

To make yogurt soup – boil 1-2 spoons rice in boiling water. Then add yogurt. Use powered mint.

Mitchuh Klour
There was also a dish of raw meat prtoudj – Fresh red fat-free meat would be beaten on a stone mortar. It was then kneaded with fine bulghur and hot red pepper paste. The raw prtoudj would be dipped in cooked meat (with seasonings and onions) served alongside.