ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
THRUSDAY JUNE 22, 2006
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Thursday, June 22, 2006
Under the Armenian sun
Cathy Thomas explores cuisine and culture in Armenia
with local chef-restaurateur Zov Karamardian.

Click here to go to recipes

By CATHY THOMAS
Register Food Editor

The midmorning sun burns through an intense turquoise
sky. The greenish-blue color startles me and I take
off my sunglasses to assure myself that it really is
the same shade as the semiprecious stone.

Perhaps it’s the lush green blanket of vegetation
covering the Armenian countryside that creates such a
brilliant celestial hue. Hills, ridges, canyons, open
fields, even jagged outcroppings of rocks, are the
verdant green of an elf’s shoe.

Our private bus travels northeast from Yerevan, the
capital of Armenia. We’re headed for the Garni Temple,
built in the first century, and the Geghard Monastery,
a medieval complex carved into the mountainside.

With me is Zov Karamardian, cookbook author and
chef-owner of Zov’s Bistro and Bakery in Tustin, along
with her daughter Taleene, my daughter Christy, and
nine other culinary enthusiasts.

Zov sees Armenia through a colorful prism formed by
lifelong exposure to the food, music and stories of
her Armenian ancestors. My eyes take it in through a
squeaky-clean prism. Not one drop of Armenian blood
runs through my veins. Hers is 100 percent.

I want to see and taste Armenia with her, a desire
kindled when she returned from her first visit two
years ago. Zov doesn’t keep her passion for life,
people and food closed in her heart. She openly shares
her enthusiasm, a trait that endears her to friends,
customers and strangers alike.

Reaching the path to the monastery, we pass a row of
women selling homemade goodies – baked goods, canned
goods and candies that make our stomachs growl. Many
hold up large disks of their golden-brown bread
personalized in some artistic manner that makes each
unique. Some bakers have loaves topped with
bread-dough cutouts of leaves and tendrils. Some have
the names of people and places created by lining up
tiny elevated circles of dough side by side to form
the letters. Some surfaces display comical faces.

Called ghata, these delectable breads are like
coffeecake. The sweetened yeast dough has a filling
made of walnuts that have been cooked in butter and
sugar.

Some cooks hold up jars of honey or preserves made
with cherries, plums, apricots or mulberries. Other
cooks offer curled fruit leathers, as well as ropes of
candy-covered walnuts called rojig.

Rojig’s fruity, paste-like exterior is made by cooking
fresh grape juice to condense it, and then adding
cornstarch to further thicken it. The walnut halves
are strung on cotton string, then dipped in the juice
mixture and placed in the sun to dry. The
dipping-drying process is repeated daily for about a
week, or until the nuts are topped with a generous
coating – enough fruity paste to make it chewy, yet
not so much that it overpowers the taste of the
crunchy nuts.

We return to the bus to find Zov breaking rojig into
bite-size pieces and insisting that everyone has a
sample. She declares it a "superfood," and says that
even one bite is enough to make everyone feel great.

But the biggest feast was yet to come, an alfresco
barbecue at the home of Sergei Gabrielyan on the
outskirts of Garni. Sergei is a professional
photographer, but today he demonstrates the fine art
of Armenian kebabs and grilled vegetables. Two
sisters-in-law will show us how to make fresh lahvosh,
the paper-thin bread that is served at most Armenian
meals.

As with all our lunches and dinners, the first course
is on the table before we sit down. A variety of
ingredients are available for each diner to prepare
lahvosh-wrapped delicacies to suit their own tastes.

This isn’t an eat-it-fast nibble. Designed to be a
convivial, chatty process, Armenian appetizers aren’t
to be rushed. Communal platters of deep-red tomatoes
and robust cucumbers are cut into chunks and placed
next to plates of raw vegetables and herbs (slender
green onions, long green chilies, radishes, parsley
and cilantro). The tomatoes smell like warm summer
grass; as with all the tomatoes we encountered in
Armenia, they’re dead ripe and promise maximum flavor.

There are plates topped with firm, white cheese, and
plates of warm green beans. There are bowls of
enormous black olives, plus bottles of beer, as well
as jugs of wine. And, yes, tempting mulberry vodka.

We sit on rustic benches draped with colorful ethnic
rugs and practice stuffing and rolling Armenian
"burritos." Zov says her favorite filling is a
combination of feta or string cheese, fresh mint,
tomato wedges, cucumbers slices and lebni, a yogurt
cheese spread made with strained yogurt, herbs and
Aleppo pepper. She says there is something very
appealing about the combination: the sweet juiciness
of the tomato, the crunchy texture of the cucumber,
the slightly salty nature of the cheese and the thin
bread (that she describes as "without heaviness –
bread without bulk").

After some debate about the years Armenia spent under
Soviet rule, some joke telling and belly laughs, we’re
invited into the outdoor stone kitchen where the
lahvosh is made.

We watch as the two-person team turns out the
quintessential bread, the element that ties every meal
together. The baking takes place in the wood-fired
tonir, a cylindrical, brick-lined ground-level oven
that’s about 3 feet deep. The first woman rolls a ball
of dough into an oval sheet and the second stretches
that dough over a large cushion with a handle on the
back.

Bam! The dough-covered cushion is slammed against the
hot wall of the oven. The dough sticks and quickly
cooks. After it cools a few minutes, stacks of the
bread are placed onto the arms of Sergei’s costumed
daughters, who carry it to our table. The oven has
formed sporadic dark-mahogany spots on one side,
sending the smell of warm yeast and caramelized flour
over the yard. We tear them into manageable pieces and
use them to wrap grilled eggplant and elongated green
peppers.

Already, the bread is cool enough to be cracker-y
crisp. It’s the perfect consistency and taste to
showcase the soft texture and smoky taste of the
vegetables.

Irina Astvatsatouryants, our guide, explains that a
large quantity of lahvosh is made at one time. In a
village, cooking is often a group project, she said,
often with several women participating in the work.
After the lahvosh is baked, it’s dried and stored.
Before it’s served, it’s sprinkled with a little water
to soften it and make it pliable.

Recalling her childhood visits to Syria to see her
grandparents, Zov mentions the older ladies in the
village of Kessab preparing lahvosh. She says they
would give her a warm piece of very thin lahvosh and
she would top it with a sliver of cheese. Plain, she
says, but absolutely delicious.

Years later, after moving to the U.S. from Iraq at age
14, she watched the process at bakeries in Fresno.
There, she says, it wasn’t as thin. A different
technique was used to create it, and rather than a
tonir, Fresno bakers used traditional ovens.

Meanwhile, Sergei lowers a grid – attached to a chain
with a horizontal rod-like handle – into the tonir.
The grid is topped with peeled baking potatoes that
have been cut in half and rubbed with oil and paprika.
Once the grid is in place, the rod rests over the top
of the tonir, holding the potatoes at a just-right
spot close to the fire. Sword-like skewers filled with
pork, lamb and onion halves are suspended vertically
from the rod.

He covers the opening with a thick red carpet. We
smell the aroma of wood smoke that fills the oven, and
imagine the taste of potatoes below as they absorb the
gentle drip-drip-drip of meat juices from above. In
minutes we eat the kebabs and spuds with joy, our
enthusiasm intensified by the effect of cool mulberry
vodka.

Now the prism through which my mind’s eye views the
world includes that day spent around the homey
backyard table in Garni. A day that ended with a
gentle rain, and plenty of treasured memories of
friendly hosts and irresistible food.

Where is Armenia?

Armenia is in Asia, situated in the southern Caucasus,
sometimes referred to as Transcaucasia. It is
landlocked, bordered to the north by Georgia, to the
east by Azerbaijan, to the south by Iran and to the
west by Turkey.

[PICTURE]
[CAPTION] ARTISTIC: A woman at Geghard Monastery sells
freshly made ghata, a sweetened bread similar to
coffeecake that is personalized with letters formed by
the dough.

TALEENE KARAMARDIAN, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

RECIPES

GRILLED LAMB AND VEGETABLE KEBABS

Yield: 6 large servings, 12 smaller servings

For lamb kebabs:

12 lamb loin chops (about 4 1/2 pounds); see cook’s
notes

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon salt

For vegetable kebabs:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

12 large white mushrooms

4 small red bell peppers, cored, seeded, cut into 6
chunks each

2 large Japanese eggplants, each cut crosswise into 6
pieces

2 large zucchini, each cut crosswise into 6 pieces

Optional for serving: Feta cheese, cilantro, mint,
olives, cucumber slices, tomato wedges, walnuts,
lahvosh; seek cook’s notes

Cook’s notes: If you prefer, leg of lamb can be
substituted for the loin chops. Be sure to remove as
much gristle and fat as possible; cut into 1-inch
chunks. If desired, serve skewers on platter
accompanied by feta cheese, cilantro, fresh mint,
olives, cucumber slices, tomato wedges, walnuts and
lahvosh.

Procedure:

1.Prepare lamb kebabs: Using sharp knife, cut 2 pieces
of meat from each chop. Trim away fat and sinew. Cut
larger pieces crosswise in half. Toss onions, lemon
slices, oil, pepper, soy sauce and salt in large bowl.
Add meat. Using hands, massage marinade into meat.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to 2
days, stirring occasionally.

2.Thread up to 6 pieces of lamb onto each of 6
skewers, spacing meat 1/2 inch apart. Cover and
refrigerate until ready to grill. (If you prefer, make
smaller kebabs using half as much meat on each of 12
skewers.)

3.Prepare vegetable kebabs: Whisk oil, rosemary,
pepper and salt in large bowl. Add vegetables and toss
to coat. Let stand up to 1 hour at room temperature,
tossing occasionally. Thread 2 mushrooms, 4 pieces
bell pepper, 2 pieces eggplant, and 2 pieces of
zucchini alternately onto each of 6 skewers. (If you
prefer, make smaller kebabs using half as many
vegetables on each of 12 skewers.)

4.Prepare barbecue for high heat. Grill lamb until
crisp and brown on outside but pink in center, turning
occasionally, about 8 minutes. Grill vegetable kebabs
until tender and beginning to get nice grill marks,
turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Arrange on
plates and serve, if desired, accompanied by lahvosh.

Nutritional information(for smaller servings):
Calories 330 (62 percent from fat), protein 20 g,
carbohydrates 11.2 g, fat 22.8 g (saturated 10.8 g),
cholesterol 105 mg, sodium 143 mg, fiber 0.5 g

Source: "Zov: Recipes and Memories From the Heart" by
Zov Karamardian (Zov’s Publishing, $35)

LEBNI (YOGURT CHEESE SPREAD)

Yield: 1 cup

1 cup yogurt cheese; see cook’s notes

1 tablespoon dried mint

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus more for garnish; see
cook’s notes

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

For garnish: Italian parsley, fresh mint

For serving: Lahvosh, sliced cucumbers, tomato wedges,
fresh mint, string cheese or feta cheese

Cook’s notes:To make yogurt cheese, line colander with
4 layers of cheesecloth and place in bowl (there
should be at least 1 inch between the bottom of the
colander and the bottom of the bowl). Add 4 cups plain
yogurt (not low-fat or nonfat) to colander. Place in
refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours. Once
strained, yogurt cheese will have a consistency that
is thicker than sour cream. Aleppo pepper, a
coarse-ground, deep red pepper, is found in Middle
Eastern markets and at (1.9-ounce jar
is $3.49).

Procedure:

1.In medium bowl, stir yogurt cheese, dried mint,
garlic powder, Aleppo pepper and salt until
well-combined. Transfer to serving bowl. Drizzle with
oil and sprinkle with Aleppo pepper. Garnish with
parsley sprigs and mint sprigs.

2.Spread each piece of lahvosh (about 6-by-6-inch
piece) with layer of lebni (cheese spread). Top with
cucumber, tomato, mint and cheese. Roll up "burrito
style" and serve.

Nutritional information(per teaspoon): Calories 74 (80
percent from fat), protein 2.8 g, carbohydrates 1.1 g,
fat 6.6 g (saturated 4.2 g), cholesterol 22 mg, sodium
113 mg, no fiber

Source: Adapted from "Zov: Recipes and Memories From
the Heart" by Zov Karamardian (Zov’s Publishing, $35)

PAPER-THIN LAHVOSH

Lahvosh, also spelled lavash or lavosh, is sold at
many supermarkets, Middle Eastern markets and Trader
Joe’s. A 1-pound package of Trader Joe’s lahvosh is
$1.59. A 1-pound package of Babylon Bakery’s lahvosh,
available at Ralphs, is $2.19. The following recipe
uses an upside-down wok to cook the dough over a gas
flame. The sheets cook quickly, but are much smaller
than those we saw in Armenia.

Yield: 8 thin flat breads

1 tablespoon mild honey (or brown sugar)

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 1/2 to 3 cups hard unbleached white flour; see
cook’s notes

1 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil

Cook’s notes: "Hard" wheats have an endosperm with a
higher proportion of hard protein molecules and
produce a flour containing more protein particles.
Arrowhead Mills Organic Unbleached White Flour is one
example. It can be ordered at

Procedure:

1. Stir honey and yeast into warm water in medium bowl
until dissolved. Gradually add 2 cups flour, stirring
constantly in the same direction. Then stir 100 times,
about 1 minute, in same direction to help develop
gluten. Sprinkle on salt and gradually add more flour
until dough is too stiff to mix. Turn onto lightly
floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5
to 7 minutes, adding flour only as needed.

2.Clean and lightly oil bowl. Place dough in bowl and
cover with plastic wrap. Let rise about 3 hours in
warm location, or until doubled in volume. Or you can
let dough rise overnight in cool place; the slower
rise will give more flavor. Punch down dough and let
rest 10 minutes.

3. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each
piece between floured palms. To roll out, work on 2
pieces at a time, leaving remaining dough covered.
Roll out 1 piece to a round 5 to 6 inches in diameter,
then switch to the other piece. In rolling out yeasted
dough, it is important to roll them out only so far
and then let them rest. Alternate between 2 pieces of
dough until each is a very thin round about 13 to 14
inches in diameter.

4. To cook lahvosh, turn wok upside down over high
heat. Lightly oil top surface with paper towel, and
let it get hot before putting on bread. The rolled-out
bread is a little fragile at this point and may tear
while being transferred to wok. To carry it, roll it
halfway up onto rolling pin. Then lay 1 edge on hot
wok and gradually unroll bread over wok.

5.Cook 15 seconds and delicately turn with wooden
spatula. Cook 30-40 seconds, then turn again and cook
about 30 seconds. Remove and place on clean kitchen
towel. Fold lahvosh in half and wrap it in towel to
keep warm. Continue in same manner for remaining
rounds.

Nutritional information(per lahvosh): Calories 98 (3
percent from fat), protein 3.7 g, carbohydrates 22.1
g, fat 0.4 g (saturated 0.1 g), cholesterol 0.1 mg,
sodium 23 mg, fiber 1.8 g

Source: "Flatbreads and Flavors" by Jeffrey Alford and
Naomi Duguid (Morrow, $35.95)

SAVORY MINCED BEEF KEBABS WITH ONION-SUMAC RELISH

Yield: 8 servings

For beef kebabs:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 small onion, finely minced, about 3/4 cup

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

1 jalapeño, seeded, finely minced; see cook’s notes

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For relish:

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

3 tablespoons ground sumac; see cook’s notes

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

For serving: Lahvosh, cucumber slices, cilantro, mint,
tomato wedges, thinly sliced cabbage

Cook’s notes: Sumac is sold at Middle Eastern markets
and at Use caution when handling
chilies, keeping hands away from face and eyes and
washing carefully afterward.

Procedure:

1.Prepare kebabs: Using your hands, mix beef, onion,
cilantro, parsley, mint, jalapeño, salt, pepper,
allspice and cinnamon in large bowl until
well-combined. Divide into 8 equal portions. Shape
each into sausage-shaped patty. Insert a metal skewer
at 1 end and push it through to opposite end of each
patty.

2.Prepare relish: Toss onion with sumac in medium bowl
to coat. Squeeze mixture to extract as much juice as
possible from the onion. Discard juice. Stir in
parsley and mint.

3.Prepare barbecue for high heat. Grill kebabs until
just cooked through, turning occasionally, about 10
minutes. Transfer kebabs to platter. Fold lahvosh
around patty and pull meat off skewer. Add ingredients
to taste, such as cucumber, tomato, cabbage, fresh
herbs and Onion-Sumac Relish. Roll up each or fold in
half like taco.

Nutritional information(per serving): Calories 316 (14
percent from fat), protein 52.4 g, carbohydrates 15.3
g, fat 5 g (saturated 2.5 g), cholesterol 37 mg,
sodium 230 mg, fiber 2.5 g

Source: "Zov: Recipes and Memories From the Heart" by
Zov Karamardian (Zov’s Publishing, $35)
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