ARMENIAN FEAST: BOYAJIAN PASSES ALONG COOKING HERITAGE
By Mat Schaffer

Boston Herald
ood_dining/food/view.bg?articleid=1209420&srvc =home&position=also
Nov 4 2009
MA

Sundays are for family and food at the Boyajian home on the South
Shore.

That’s when Ann Boyajian cooks Armenian for her entire clan – husband
John, three children (including son John, who owns Boyajian Inc.,
manufacturers of gourmet infused oils), their spouses and five
grandsons ("almost enough for a baseball team," boasts their proud
grandmother).

"I don’t cook Armenian exclusively, but I’m always doing something
that is Armenian," Boyajian said. "When the kids come over on Sundays,
it’s usually Armenian. If not the whole thing, it will be part of it.

Because they appreciate it."

Boyajian, who turns 84 next week, holds up a stack of recipes written
on well-worn index cards.

"These come from my long-lost heritage that I have never forgotten
and will continue to uphold," she said. "They come from my mother,
my grandmother. "

What is Armenian cuisine?

"We use a lot of cumin," Boyajian said. "A lot of garlic. Coriander,
dill and mint. Allspice is a biggie. Bulgur, too – it’s in a lot of
our dishes. Rice. Lamb. Olive oil. Tomatoes. Vegetables. We stuff a
lot of vegetables.

"We have great soups. There are so many different kinds of pilafs
and different kinds of breads and Armenian pastries. It’s a very
healthy diet. The general public doesn’t know about Armenian food,
but once they taste it, they love it."

One recent Sunday afternoon, Boyajian laid out a Thanksgiving-sized
feast for family and friends. A buffet of mezze appetizers included
eatch bulgur salad, spinach and cheese filled boreg turnovers, dried
baby eggplants stuffed with veggies and meat, anise-scented chorag
tea bread, homemade hummus, stuffed grape leaves and an assortment
of olives and feta cheese.

Dinner began with mante – lamb dumpling soup, enriched with garlicky
yogurt. Followed by an 11-pound lamb rib roast stuffed with rice, pine
nuts and currants, ground lamb and bulgur kiba, imam bayaldi (pepper,
onion and tomato stuffed eggplant), bulgur pilaf and stewed string
beans with dill. Dessert was egg custard baked in phyllo accompanied
by tart Morello cherry sauce.

Boyajian says the next generations are already showing interest in
their culinary birthright.

"My children cook Armenian – and that’s a great testimony to its
goodness," she said. "The grandkids love it, too. I’m sure that they
will probably want the recipes so they can give them to their wives
when they get married. It will continue. It will carry on."

ANN BOYAJIAN’S EATCH BULGUR SALAD

1 6-oz. can tomato paste 1 1/2 c. water 1 c. fine bulgur 1 large onion,
peeled and finely chopped 1/2 c. olive oil 5 scallions, finely chopped
3/4 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped 1 t. lemon juice Salt and pepper
to taste Dissolve the tomato paste in water and, in a saucepan, bring
the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the bulgur. Let
sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, saute
the onion in the olive oil until it turns golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Set
aside. Combine minced scallions, parsley and lemon juice with the
tomato bulgur mixture. Add onion and the olive oil it was sauteed in.

Salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4 to 6 as part of a mezze appetizer buffet.

ANN BOYAJIAN’S KIBA LAMB AND BEEF CIGARS

1 lb. lean ground lamb or lean ground beef or mixture of the two
1 t. salt 1 1/2 T. dried mint Dash cayenne 3/4 c. coarse bulgur In
a large bowl, combine the ground meat(s), salt, mint, cayenne and
bulgur with your hands until it forms a thick mass, adding 1 or
2 tablespoons of cold water if necessary to achieve a dense, raw
meatball consistency. Form the mixture into thick cigar-shaped rolls.

Place the rolls in the bottom of a large pot or kettle. Cover them
with salted water and weigh them down with a plate. Simmer over
medium-low heat for of an hour, or until cooked through.

Serves 4.

ANN BOYAJIAN’S HUMMUS

1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas 3-4 cloves garlic (Boyajian uses 4) 1/2
t. salt 1/4 c. tahini 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice 2 T. olive oil Pour
a half cup of liquid from the canned chickpeas into a measuring cup
and set aside.

Combine the chickpeas, remaining liquid in the can, garlic, salt,
tahini, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor. Process until
smooth, adding some of the reserved can juices should you need to.

Serve with pita bread.

Serves 4 to 6 as part of a mezze appetizer buffet.

ANN BOYAJIAN’S STRING BEANS

1 large onion, peeled and chopped 2 T. olive oil 1 14.5-oz. can diced
tomatoes 1 lb. fresh string beans or pole beans, ends trimmed (frozen
beans can be substituted) 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. pepper 2 T. dried dill
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion in olive oil
until soft and beginning to turn golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add
the diced tomatoes, beans, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook
until the beans are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the dried dill.

Serve hot.

Serves 4.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress