Detroit Armenians offer lahmajoun

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
July 19 2006

BY ROBIN MATHER JENKINS

Pine nuts and feta cheese bring a salty, rich finish to lahmajoun.
(JOHN DZIEKAN/McClatchy-Tribune)

Lahmajoun A stop at a Middle Eastern bakery and a stack of freshly
baked pitas rekindled my appetite for lahmajoun, a dish I learned
to make from Armenian-American friends in Detroit. It’s a terrific
solution for the dinner rush. I’m told that lahmajoun (la-ma-ZHOON)
translates from Arabic to "meat dough," but if you think of it as
individual pizzas, you would be closer to the mark.

Here are a few tips:

If lamb isn’t your favorite, substitute ground beef or even ground
turkey.

Try adding diced tomato or tomato paste to the meat while browning.

If you can find za’atar, the Middle Eastern blend of sumac, oregano
and sesame seeds, use that instead of the oregano.

Lemonade and limeade are both so easily made at home that you can
make a pitcher while the lahmajoun bakes. The juice from half a lemon
or a whole lime should be adequate for a glassful. Sweeten to taste.
Serve with chopped salad of cucumbers, onions and tomatoes.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS