Fresh Fruit with Minted Yogurt – Just one of the many offerings

Fresh Fruit with Minted Yogurt

Just one of the many offerings of Armenian cuisine.

I’d be hard put to find a strictly Armenian restaurant in the Bay Area,
although Armenians have long lived in California. That’s one good reason to
check out Barbara Ghazarian’s book Simply Armenian, which is firmly rooted
in the cuisine while modernizing some dishes to make them lighter and less
caloric. The book encompasses 150 dishes from peasant fare to banquet
dishes. My favorites were the bulghur (cracked wheat) and lentil dishes;
kebabs; homemade yogurt and not-too-sweet cakes. Armenians, who are
Christian, have 180 fasting days a year, so vegetarian dishes are a staple.
They shine in this book.

Simply Armenian: Naturally Healthy Ethnic Cooking Made Easy
Barbara Ghazarian
Mayreni Publication
$17.95
ISBN: 1-931834-06-7

96.5 KOIT – San Francisco
Recipes
August 11, 2004