Up until a couple of years ago, my knowledge of Armenian cuisine was limited. Even though I had grown up with Armenian friends in school, I had no idea what Armenians ate besides sujuk and basterma.

Then  I heard about an Armenian restaurant called Mayrig and I wanted to try it.

Mayrig is located in a beautiful restored house from the turn of the century; the Armenian dishes we tasted that day were refined and beautifully presented. I was smitten.

This Armenian bulgur salad called Itch, was part of our feast that day. I made it with coarse bulgur instead of the fine bulgur that is traditional. It is moist, light yet  rustic and refreshing with the diced tomatoes and speckles of parsley.

INGREDIENTS: 8 servings

• 2 cups of coarse bulgur
• 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion
• olive oil as needed
• 1 or more red chili pepper (optional)
• 1 bunch of parsley, leaves chopped
• 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon of hot red pepper paste (can omit it)

METHOD:

1. Fry the chopped onion in a bit of oil and then add the bulgur; stir a bit,  add tomato sauce, red pepper paste  and water; bring to a simmer and boil gently for 20 to 30 minutes until the bulgur is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid. Cool.
2. Add the lemon juice, a jiggle or two of olive oil, a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses (if you wish), the chopped parsley, chopped tomatoes and chopped chili pepper (if using). Check for seasoning, salting the mixture as required.

I left the house today at 2PM; I knew that Elie, owner of the  internet café closes shop  till 5PM due to lunch and siesta. I got in the car and drove the winding mountain roads, hoping for a lit internet sign somewhere.

I am now sitting in a restaurant in a village in the Chouf; eating a grilled  kafta plate and drinking Almaza beer;  the only other customer is a Frenchman, sitting across from me with his laptop; I can hear him speaking audibly in French on his cellphone; he seems to have a bit of an attitude; on his table all the Lebanese goodies: a bottle of arak, an array of mezze plates;  the waiter told me apologetically that he  had no clue how to connect to their network; so I had to ask the French man.

The restaurant is large with a canopied terrace, overlooks the valley  and the food is freshly grilled on charcoal.  The waiter is so sweet  and attentive. When it comes time to pay, he refuses payment  in the typical gracious mountain fashion, repeats ” It is on us”, until he finally agrees to bring me the bill.

Last night, we had  a get-together  with more second and third cousins;  picked up some goodies at Souk el-Tayeb.

I grabbed a dozen spinach fatayers (turnovers) at Georgina‘s stand  and was tempted by a dish called madfoonet (meaning buried) al-koossa or zucchini; it is a moist pilaf of bulgur with onions and tomatoes with  chunks of zucchini and green beans “buried” in it.

Georgina, a warm and effusive lady, told me about her village in Northern Lebanon, the stream nearby, their olive groves and the  upcoming  fall season: their olive oil will be extracted in the  ancient stone press. Told her I would not miss a chance to see this; anyone interested? (it will be in October)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of coarse bulgur
• 1 cup of water (or broth)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 or 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup of zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup of green beans, cut in one-inch sticks
• olive oil, as needed

METHOD:

1. Heat some olive oil and fry the onions for a while; add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes have given up some juice.
2. Meanwhile, soak the bulgur for 15 minutes and then drain well. Add the bulgur to the skillet, coating the grains with oil and juice for a few minutes.
3. Add the zucchini and green beans, previously blanched or steamed and  the water; cook the mixture, covered, adding some salt and pepper and a dash of cinnamon and allspice, until the bulgur is cooked well and soft. Serve hot, lukewarm or cold.

Back in my hometown!

Traffic  as crazy as ever;  crossing the streets  an exercise in bravery, due diligence and plain unconsciousness ; one is not even safe on the sidewalk since scooters even hop on at their convenience and when you thought you had (narrowly) escaped sudden and painful death you find yourself in a head-on near- collision with a (charming) pizza delivery man whizzing by.

NOTE: If you wish to make grape leaves, I strongly urge you to get fresh ones (right now they are available at middle-eastern stores); if you persist in using canned ones, don’t complain to me about the fact that they turned out stringy and rubbery. You can use swiss chard leaves; for the recipe, click here

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 pound of grape leaves or swiss chard leaves
• 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 very large onion, chopped fine
• 1 cup of coarse bulgur #4 or #3
• 2 cups of cooked chick peas
• 1 bunch of parsley, leaves chopped fine
• 3 Large tomatoes, peeled and chopped fine
• 1/2 bunch of chopped mint leaves (or a few tablespoons of dried ones)
• 2 Tablespoons of hot red Aleppo pepper (optional) or hot pepper paste
• salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, to taste
• 2 potatoes (to line the pot, optional)

METHOD:

1. Prepare the grape leaves by throwing them in a lot of boiling water for a couple of minutes, then draining them and setting them aside.
2. Pour some hot water over the bulgur and let the grains swell up while you prepare the rest of the stuffing ingredients.
3. Place all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl, season and add the drained bulgur. Moisten with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice, leaving the rest to go into the pot while the leaves are cooking.
4. Start wrapping the leaves; play some music, if you like, because it will take about 45 minutes.
5. Cut the potatoes in 1/2 inch slices and line the pan with them; this is extra insurance, to avoid burning the leaves, but it is not absolutely necessary. You can also use tomatoes to line the pot.

To cook the leaves:

1. After lining the pot (or not), place the little bundles tightly side-by-side; cover the leaves with a small plate snugly; add water halfway up the pot and pour the lemon juice and olive oil and a dash of salt on top of the leaves. Cover the pot and bring to a slow simmer; simmer for one hour or a bit longer, until the leaves are fully cooked. Cool.
2. To serve, flip the pot onto a serving platter and serve at room temperature.

Everybody in America had  at one time  a box of Rice-a-Roni in their cupboard; well, everybody in Lebanon  has a big bin of coarse bulgur and makes this at least once a week; especially if they live in a village or a rural area.

I added the red chili pepper; Lebanese cuisine is not based on heat, by definition. Mea Culpa.

Omit the pepper and make it with just the eternal couple: allspice and cinnamon. (won’t hurt my feelings!)

INGREDIENTS: 4 to 6 servings

• 1 1/2 cups of coarse bulgur#4 (or at least #3)
• 1 large onion
• 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon of allspice, a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 or more red chili peppers (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon of hot pepper paste (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups of water to cook the bulgur in
• olive oil, as needed

METHOD:

1. Heat the olive oil in a pot; add the chopped onions; fry for a few minutes and cover the pot for a few minutes till the onions are translucent. In the meantime, soak the bulgur in a bowl with some fresh tap water to cover for about 10 minutes. Drain and press the extra water out.
2. Add the bulgur to the pot and stir-fry with the onions; add the spices, including salt and pepper. Fry for a few minutes until the bulgur is translucent. Add the diced tomatoes, chili peppers,  water, pepper paste if using, stir and cover the pot.
3. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the bulgur is cooked. Uncover the pot and let the extra water evaporate if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From: Al Tabekh Al-Arabi (Leena Bassam Shbaro)

Burghul be-dfeen

My son, who is 18 going on 30, announced that he was vegetarian. I said: ” no problem, Lebanese cuisine has hundreds of vegetarian dishes! ” I immediately thought of burghul be-dfeen. Instead of lamb shanks, I will use mushrooms! Amazingly simple and hearty and delicious. He loved it. All you need is the right bulghur, which needs to be coarse or a #4. I used a chicken broth but a vegetable cube will do fine if you are vegan; with some onions, garbanzo beans, and sliced white mushrooms, you can make this dish in 20 minutes! It is usually served with plain yoghurt on the side. I was reading an interview of Chef Ramzi, our Lebanese Paul Bocuse, and he said to experiment with traditional recipes. I felt I did just that today, and it was successful!

INGREDIENTS: Quantity will feed 4 to 6 people.

1 cup of coarse or #4 bulghur, preferably the unbleached kind if you can find it

2 cups (approximately) of cooked garbanzo beans

2 cups of chopped yellow onions

A handful of garlic cloves, peeled

2 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, preferably homemade

1 to 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of allspice, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper,  or more

1 basket of sliced white mushrooms (about 2 cups)

2 to 4 Tablespoons of clarified butter (samneh)  or olive oil

METHOD:

• In a large pot, heat the butter or oil. Saute the chopped onions and after 5 minutes when the onions are translucent, add the garbanzo beans and saute them until both the onions and beans are browned nicely (you can add a teaspoon of brown sugar).
• Now add the mushrooms and the garlic cloves  and saute a couple minutes until they cook a bit, then add all the spices and taste to adjust seasoning. Add the burghul and make sure it is well coated with the oil or butter, if not add additional butter.
• Add the broth (preferably simmering) and cover the pot. It will take about 15 minutes to cook and the top will make holes like rice. Taste it to make sure it is well cooked and not crunchy. If so, add a little more broth, 1/4 cup at a time and cook a few more minutes.
• Let it cool on a serving plate. Serve either hot, or warm, or at room temperature with some plain yoghurt on the side. Sahteyn!

Bulghur #4

garbanzos, onions, garlic, mushrooms