Cardamom fruit salad

To children, the lure of coffee has always been one of the great adult mysteries:How could it be that the strong, bitter taste never justified all the begging and pleading required to get a sip from Mom's cup. 

To Armenian kids, an even greater mystery was the other coffee (the one that everyone we knew called Turkish coffee) served in those dainty little cups. Even more than the coffee itself, we were both fascinated by the little paper-like balls of cardamom floating in each cup, their exotic perfume rising with the coffee's steam. 

Usually, they were discarded like used tea bags after imparting their flavor, but Doug remembers his father occasionally chewing cardamom even without coffee. Armenians, he said, believed it was good for digestion. 

We aren't alone in attributing medicinal benefits to cardamom. It was thought throughout the ancient world to have almost mystical properties. The Roman poet Ovid wrote that the legendary Phoenix "does not live on seeds and herbs, but on drops of incense, and the sap of the cardamom plant." 

And while praising differing varieties of cardamom from around the world, the Greek botanist and healer Dioscorides recommended cardamom from Armenia.

These days, we're happy enough to find cardamom in the supermarket. It is sold in its pod, as seeds, or in ground form.

Cardamom’s flavor keeps best in pods; however, the seeds - when freshly ground - are quite robust. If you purchase cardamom in ground form, buy it in small quantities, as it loses its flavor quickly.

Cardamom has a unique taste: sweet-spicy, floral and somewhat similar to ginger. It’s more expensive than more common spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, but a little goes a long way.

Cardamom works well in baked goods (cookies, cakes), in coffee (even American coffee), in curries, citrus salads, in fall and winter squash recipes, lentil recipes, and with poultry and meat (generally as a rub).

A very simple recipe

This dry rub mix comes from Chef Cat Cora, a Food Network chef of Greek descent:
Combine ground cardamom, coriander and fennel. Use this as a dry rub on lamb before roasting.

Another simple and refreshing recipe:

Cardamom-Orange-Berry Salad
Yield: 4 to 5 servingsIngredients:
6 navel oranges (or whatever combination of oranges you like)
1 cup strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced (You can use your favorite berry in this)
1 to 2 Tbsp. honey (amount used depends on the sweetness of the fruit)
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (lime juice can be used, also)
¼ tsp. ground cardamom

Directions:
1. Working over a bowl, peel and section the oranges. Save any juice that collects in the bowl; it will be used to prepare a sauce for the fruit.
2. Place the orange segments and sliced strawberries in a serving bowl. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, combine the juice from the oranges, honey, lemon
juice, and cardamom. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Cool.
4. Pour sauce over the orange-berry mixture. Gently toss to coat fruit with sauce.
5. Chill or serve immediately.

Candied Quince Preserves

Nobody ever said that finding quincewould be easy.

Most supermarket produce managers don’t even know what they are, so how am I to find them? Instead of driving around, wasting time and gasoline, I got smart, and started calling nearby markets.

*Publix: the manager insisted I must be referring to persimmons or Asian pears. (I wasn't!)
*Winn-Dixie: had no clue what I was talking about.
*Whole Foods: told me they weren’t in season until December. I asked in October, at the beginning of quince season. For  the record: it's December now, and my local Whole Foods still doesn't have quince!
*Fresh Market: said they carried quince, but didn’t know if any were in stock- couldn‘t be bothered to check.

On an outing, Doug and I happened to be passing The Fresh Market (TFM). We stopped in even though I wasn’t sure any quince were in stock - at least I knew the store carried them.

At first glance I didn’t see any, so I asked the pleasant, young produce clerk where I could find quince. She asked me to repeat the question, which I did. She apologized meekly, admitting she didn’t know what a 
quince was.

Oh My Gosh, I thought! I explained that I had phoned earlier, and was told TFM carried them, so could she please ask. While the young lady was gone, I spotted the elusive, exotic fruit. Smiling, I picked one up, caressing it - until I saw the price - $2.99 EACH! 

I dug deep into my pockets and bought two beautiful quince - I had to. Where else was I going to find them?

So ,I finally had the quince. My next hurdle was to find a recipe that only used 2. After some serious searching, I located a recipe that came close.

Here it is- with some ingredient adjustments:

Candied Quince Preserves

2 quince
Juice of ½ lemon
1 1/2  cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 small cinnamon stick
Dash salt

1. Peel skin and core. Fruit is very hard so use caution!
2. Cut into ¼ inch slices.
3. Place slices in a heavy pot, covering with water and lemon juice to 
prevent quince slices from browning.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes. Drain.
5. Return quince to pot, add the sugar, 1 ½ cups water, stick of 
cinnamon and salt.
6. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
7. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until syrupy, and quince turns a 
slightly pinkish color.**
8. Remove pot from heat. Discard cinnamon stick.
9. Store, refrigerated, in a container with tight-fitting lid. This 
should keep for up to 2 months.

**For the record, my quince did not turn pink. (See photo) But, it sure tasted great!
To serve:

Top with plain, unsweetened, thick yogurt, clotted cream -or- creme fraishe
And a cup of piping hot Armenian coffee!

Quince: The confoundingly delicious Armenian fruit

Have you ever taken a bite out of a quince? You'd remember if you did.

Like olives, quince is not edible when first picked. It looks like a yellow pear and smells deliriously sweet, but the fruit inside is a tongue-puckering nightmare that instantly sucks up every last trace of saliva.

Cooked quince, however, has been savored throughout Asia and the Mediterranean region for more than 4,000 years. Armenians have a particular fondness for quince that's candied, jellied or cooked in stew to lend its sweetness to meat.

It's a treat that most Americans will never taste, as quince isn't stocked in most grocery stores here. Case in point: I went to my local supermarket and asked the produce manager where I could find the quince. He thought for a moment, walked with me to a display, and handed me a persimmon! Not even close! I suggested he research his produce some more. You really have to search for it, and most people don't know enough to bother.

Doug remembers his father's delight at discovering a quince tree in a friendly neighbor's yard. The neighbor had no use for the fruit, so bushels of it were cheerfully passed over the fence to find their way into pot after pot on his Mom's stove.

The Romans used the fruit and flowers of the quince for perfume and honey. The quince symbolized love, and was given as a sign of commitment to that special person.

It has a yellowish skin and hard, off-white interior. Its peak season is October to December. Because quince is high in pectin, it’s great as jelly, jam or preserves. Peel it before using it in any sweet or savory dish, and never-ever try to eat it raw!

Here’s a recipe from The Assyrian Cookbook, created by the women of the Assyrian Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary, Paramus, N.J.

NOTE: Because we haven't been able to find any quince this season, this recipe has not been tested in The Armenian Kitchen - yet.

HYVAH - Quince Stew
Yield: 4 to 5 servings

2 lbs. lamb, trimmed and cubed
3 lbs. quince, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp salt

1. Cover lamb with water. Bring to a boil, removing foam as it rises to surface.
2. Cover and cook until tender, about 1 hour.
3. Brown quince in butter.
4. Add quince and remaining ingredients to meat. Cover and simmer until tender.

Bulgur Pilaf - Dikranagerdtsi style

Dikranagerdtsi Bulgur Pilaf

Just got off the phone with my mother. She was sitting on the front porch of her Jersey shore beach house when along came jogger, Dee Aljian-Barnes... Dee is a long-time family friend who spends summers at the shore as did her family for many decades. Dee, my mother and sister settled in for a visit when Dee mentioned she found our website while looking for a bulgur pilaf recipe.

Dee said she was surprised that the recipe we posted wasn’t the way Dikranagerdtsis make it. I told Mom that Doug posted it, so I went back to refresh my memory. The bulgur pilaf recipe he posted came from the Harvard University School of Public Health - a very tasty recipe for sure, but not the one Dee wanted.

So, Dee, here’s our Dikranagerdtsi-style Bulgur Pilaf recipe which serves 4:

Ingredients:


2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup fine noodles
1 cup #2 or #3 bulgur
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
salt to taste 


Directions:


1. In a 3 quart pot, melt the butter. Add noodles and stir gently until noodles begin to brown lightly. Do not let butter and noodles burn!


2. Stir in bulgur allowing the butter to coat it.


3. Add the broth or water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover and cook about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and bulgur is tender but not mushy.

The oldest newly discovered health food

Finally, there's a food that tastes great, helps you lose weight and packs more health benefits than a field of alfalfa sprouts.

It's called...bulgur.

No kidding!

The world has suddenly discovered what Armenians have known since Mrs. Noah cooked her first pot of pilaf on Mount Ararat.

Read any blog, Web site, magazine or news article on healthy eating and you're almost certain to find the latest story about this "exotic" whole grain wonder.

Check out this article ("Bulgur: Natural Weight-Loss Food.") from the Web site HowStuffWorks.com about "what's left after wheat kernels have been steamed, dried, and crushed"

"High in fiber and protein, and low in fat and calories, bulgur is another food that offers bulk and nutrients to fill you up without adding pounds. One thing to keep in mind, a cup of bulgur has fewer calories, less fat, and more than twice the fiber of brown rice."

That's not all.

"Bulgur is also a standout in terms of its fiber content, just like whole wheat, and can help keep your digestive tract healthy as a result. The insoluble fiber it contains absorbs water, promoting faster elimination of waste, which prevents the formation of an environment that promotes the development of carcinogens."

We love bulgur, as you know, and we have our own favorite ways of preparing it. You probably do, too.But just for a change, here's a recipe from The Harvard University School of Public Health, which we figure might know a thing or two about healthy eating.

Bulgur Pilaf (Serves 4) 
1¼ cups low-sodium vegetable broth, heated
1 cup bulgur
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup tomatoes, chopped
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, minced
1 dash crushed red pepper (or to taste)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons canola oil
Salt (optional) and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, and sauté the garlic until it is tender; do not let it get brown.

Add the bulgur and sauté until it smells toasty, about 10 minutes. Pour in the hot broth, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until all the broth has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Fluff bulgur with a fork. Gently stir in diced and dried tomatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, canola oil, crushed red pepper, salt (if desired), and pepper.

Pour over bulgur and blend well. Serve warm.

Brownies made with Yogurt

If you're ever wondering what to do with that little bit of plain yogurt left in the container, here's a sweet idea - add it to a brownie mix. But not just any brownie mix.

I first discovered  No Pudge! Fudge Brownie Mix a few years ago. Requiring only the addition of yogurt in its preparation, I figured this was a handy item to have on hand for those desperate times when a quick, relatively healthy, chocolaty dessert was required. 


No Pudge!, a staple in my pantry, comes in 4 flavors – original, cappuccino, raspberry and mint. My personal favorites are the original and cappuccino. 

Since I had less than one cup's-worth of fat-free plain yogurt fromKaroun Dairy, I figured this would be a good way to use it up. 
It’s a cinch to make, too. Just add 2/3 cup plain, fat-free yogurt (the company suggests using vanilla yogurt), and a capful of vanilla extract to the dry mix. Mix until dry ingredients are moist. Pour the batter into an 8x8 inch pan sprayed with PAM. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes. When cooled, cut into serving pieces. This will yield about 12 moist, fudge-like brownies. 
Serve with frozen yogurt, if desired.

How easy is that?

Borani - Lamb and Chard Stew with Bulgur balls

Whenever someone asks me to help find a lost family recipe, I can usually count on Ara Kassabian to post a recipe or an interesting comment which helps in the search.

This time HE wanted a recipe…
Ara wrote:“My turn to request a recipe. My uncle’s sister (my aunt-in-law?) was from Urfa and made a dish typical of that region. The dish is called “borani” and is basically a meatball/chick pea/green chard soup or stew. I found a recipe for this in the AGBU cookbook, “Tastes with History”. However, my recollection is that there were more ingredients in the borani that I remember than are listed in the cookbook. Can anybody help? I looked through all my other cookbooks (and I have a bunch) and cannot find a recipe. Thanks!”
I took this to task and started looking through my cookbooks. I found two recipes with a similar name, but neither of them came close to his description. Then I found a Borani recipe in Alice Bezjian’s cookbook, "The Complete Armenian Cookbook". I thought this was just what he had ordered and sent it along. If any of you have another "Borani" recipe to submit, I'll gladly post it.

Borani (from Alice Bezjian's cookbook)
1 cup #1 bulgur
1 cup water
1 lb. lean ground meat
1 Tbsp. onion, minced
Salt, red hot pepper to taste
Oil for frying
2 lbs. Swiss chard, chopped (washed, of course!)
1 lb. lamb shanks, boned
Salt
1 lb. canned chick peas, drained and rinsed
*************************************
2 cups yogurt
2 cloves pressed garlic or garlic powder to taste

Directions:

1. Soak bulgur in water for about 10 minutes. Add ground meat, onion, salt and red pepper. Moisten your hands with water and knead mixture about 10 minutes to make a soft mass. Divide mixture into marble-sized balls. Fry in hot oil.
2. Chop Swiss chard, boil 5 minutes in water; drain.
3. Place lamb shank into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Skim foam from the surface. Add salt, reduce heat, cover and cook for 1 hour or until meat is tender. Add Swiss chard, chick peas and meatballs. Cook for 5 minutes more.
4. Transfer Borani to a serving bowl. Serve with yogurt seasoned with garlic.

Ara replied:
“The borani recipe you gave me is essentially the same one published in the AGBU cookbook, with the substitution of swiss chard for spinach. It is in fact the one that I made.”

Ara tweaked the recipe a bit to suit his time schedule, and was basically pleased with the result. He served it with a side dish of shiitake mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter, parsley, and a little shot of cognac (French, not Armenian).

Ara’s special notes:
"Per my uncle, the "secret" of borani is in making the meatballs tiny, the size of chick peas, so it looks uniform. Of course, since they expand in the water, that means you have to form them to be SMALLER than chick peas." 

"My mother mentioned the other day that, in Aleppo, they would add "keme" (truffles) to the borani. Keme are "desert truffles".
 http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/case-studies/desert-truffles.html