Peace Corps Armenia Cookbook

156 Pages·2010·0.88 MB·English

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Table of Contents
Forward
..........................................................................................................................................3
Measurement Conversions
.............................................................................................................4
Ingredient Availability/Substitutions
................................................................................................5
Translations
....................................................................................................................................9
Avoiding Food Poisoning
..............................................................................................................15
Breakfast Foods
...........................................................................................................................17
Appetizers & Easy Food
...............................................................................................................22
Dips & Spreads
.............................................................................................................................26
Sauces
..........................................................................................................................................29
Gravies & Marinades
....................................................................................................................31
Yeasted Breads
............................................................................................................................32
Pizzas, Tortillas, Biscuits, & Crackers
...........................................................................................35
Soups, Stocks, & Stews
...............................................................................................................38
Salad Dressings
...........................................................................................................................47
Salads
..........................................................................................................................................49
Fruits, Vegetables, & Vegetarian
..................................................................................................54
Potatoes
........................................................................................................................................64
Rice & Grains
...............................................................................................................................68
Beans
............................................................................................................................................73
Pasta
.............................................................................................................................................77
Poultry
..........................................................................................................................................86
Beef, Lamb, & Pork
.......................................................................................................................93
Fish
...............................................................................................................................................96
Italian
............................................................................................................................................97
Mexican
......................................................................................................................................100
Asian/Fusion
...............................................................................................................................103
Curries & Indian
..........................................................................................................................105
Cookies, Bars, Brownies, & Fudge
.............................................................................................107
Quick Breads & Cakes
...............................................................................................................116
Frostings & Dessert Sauces
.......................................................................................................123
Puddings & Custards
..................................................................................................................125
Pies and Pie Crusts
....................................................................................................................126
Fruit Desserts
.............................................................................................................................129
Hot Beverages
............................................................................................................................133
Cold Beverages
..........................................................................................................................134
Cocktails, Punches, & Liqueurs
..................................................................................................135
Miscellaneous
.............................................................................................................................136
Peace Corps Thanksgiving
.........................................................................................................138
Preserving Food
.........................................................................................................................142
Essential Canning Information
....................................................................................................142
Canning Recipes
........................................................................................................................144
Beer & Wine Guides
...................................................................................................................152
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Forward
US Peace Corps Armenia ➤ Volunteer Cookbook, Eighth Edition
Peace Corps Armenia provides the perfect opportunity to develop culinary survival skills and
promotes gastronomic resourcefulness. Your kitchen may be makeshift, some ingredients
might be hard to find, and you might have to borrow pots and pans from a neighbor, but
PCVs are always an appreciative audience, and Armenians always love to see Americans
cook.
In this cookbook you will find many PCV favorites—both American and Armenian—but you
will probably also want to create your own dishes or adapt well-loved family recipes, so
check the next section for:
• temperature and measurement conversion charts;
• a produce availability chart (by season);
• ingredient glossary;
• a shopping guide;
• tips for finding & substituting ingredients commonly used in American recipes;
• general advice on safe kitchen practices and how to avoid food-poisoning.
As you use this cookbook, take note of any modifications, substitutions, or additions that
might improve future editions—to volunteer to oversee revisions, just talk to the PCMOs in
the spring.
Բարի ախորժակ! Bari Akhorzhak!
In this book you will find the following:
Abbreviations Icons
C = cup [B]: Suitable for beginning cooks
T = tablespoon [V]: Vegan (but includes honey, yeast & sugar)
t = teaspoon [M]: requires meat
kg = kilogram ➤ g = gram [⌘]: American holiday staple
lb = pound ➤ oz = ounce [A]: Armenian staple
[☞]: recommended recipe [Y]: Requires ingredients from Yerevan
[]: fussy, requires cooking skills [US]: Requires ingredients from the US
Credits
Char Taylor—food poisoning section; Wayne Purves (A5) & Angus Anderson (A6)—
Armenian wine; Andy Matestic (A6)—saved the cookbook disk; David Davtian & Anoush
Sargissian—Russian/Armenian glossary, spice/herb list; Alina Grigoryan—data entry; Frank
Pastorino (A10)—beer editorial; Christy Schindler (A5), Lisa Householder(A5), & Heidi
Wilton (A6)—A6 cookbook editors; Wendy Schmidt (A8), Jennifer Windkle (A8), & Jennifer
Haile (A8)—A8 cookbook editors; Meg Wallace (A8), Ben Steinbach (A10), Mari Chiba (A16)
& Patrick Findler (A16)—proofreaders; Aaron Martinez (A10) & Salena Bailey (A10)—A10
cookbook editors; Elvira Dana (A13) & Jennifer Carter (A13)—2006 revisions; Elizabeth Pou
(A15)—2008 revision; Meaghan Corwin (A16)—2009 & 2010 revision; Barbara Harrington
(A17)—2010 revision;Elvira Dana (A13)—end illustration; Elizabeth Allen (A16)—cover
illustration.
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Measurement Conversions
If you donʼt have measuring cups, you can make your own by taking a 500mL soda bottle
and cutting the bottom end off just under the label. If you measure 3 inches up from the
bottom, you will have one cup. If you measure 1.5 inches from the bottom, you will have ½
cup.
Alternatively, you can make do with items commonly available in most Armenian
households: one teacup is approximately 1 cup; one coffee cup (demitasse) is approximately
¼ cup.
Standard US kitchen measurements
2 C = 1 pint ➤ 2 pints = 1 quart (4 C = 1 quart) ➤ 4 quarts = 1 gallon
Metric Measurement conversions
1C = 236 mL ➤ 1L = 4.23 C :: 1 kg = 2.2 lbs = 35.27 oz.
To convert Into Multiply By
Cups 4.226
Pints 2.113
LLLLLiiiiittttteeeeerrrrrsssss Gallons 0.264
mL 1000
Quarts 1.057
Ounces 0.035
GGGrrraaammmsss Pounds 0.002
Kilogram 0.001
Ounces 35.274
KKiillooggrraammss
Pounds 2.205
To reverse the listed conversion, just divide by the given number instead of multiplying.
Other Measurement Conversions
3 teaspoons = 15 mL = 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons = 30 mL = ⅛ cup
4 tablespoons = 60 mL = ¼ cup
5⅓ tablespoons = 79 mL = ⅓ cup
8 tablespoons = 118 mL = ½ cup
12 tablespoons = 178 mL = ¾ cup
16 tablespoons = 237 mL = 1 cup
1 fluid ounce = 30 mL = 2 tablespoons
8 fluid ounces = 237 mL = 1 cup
16 fluid ounces = 473 mL = 2 cups or 1 pint
32 fluid ounces = 946 mL = 4 cups or 1 quart
For example: butter generally comes in 200 g packages = 7 oz = 14 T = 7/8 C; 5 ½ T
= ⅓ C = 40% of package; 8 T = ½ C = 60% of package.
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Oven Conversions
Degrees Celsius = (Degrees Fahrenheit - 32) × 5/9
Degrees Fahrenheit = (Degrees Celsius × 9/5) +32
Table of Temperature Conversions
500°F = 260°C 425°F = 218°C 350°F = 180°C 250°F = 121°C
475°F = 245°C 400°F = 205°C 325°F = 163°C 200°F = 93°C
450°F = 232°C 375°F = 191°C 300°F = 149°C
Most ovens (if you happen to have an oven) are unlikely to have any accurate way of setting
their temperature. In which case there is a good way to estimate oven temperature, by
sprinkling flour on a pan and placing the pan in a heated oven.
• If it turns pale brown in 5 minutes, the oven is 250°F-325°F;
• if it turns a medium golden brown in 5 minutes, the oven is 325°F-400°F;
• if it turns a deep dark brown in 5 minutes, the oven is 400°F-450°F;
• if it turns a deep dark brown in 3 minutes, the oven is 450°F-500°F.
Ingredient Availability/Substitutions
As you might have noticed, not all of your favorite cooking ingredients are available in
Armenia. Fortunately, you can make substitutions without affecting the flavor of the final
product too much (though of course it wonʼt be quite the same).
General Availability
The following ingredients are generally available in Yerevan, and may also be found in larger
towns and cities. We should note that availability varies wildly; if you see something you
might want, you should purchase it right away, as it will likely not be in stock the next time
you look for it.
Spices and herbs: bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry, fennel, ginger,
marjoram, mint, nutmeg, oregano, paprika (spicy and sweet), poppy seeds, saffron, sesame
seeds, sumac, thyme (ուրց/urcʼ: minty-flavored, for tea).
Cheeses: in Yerevan you can find most of the standard cheeses you would be able to find in
the US (e.g. parmesan, mozzarella, feta, cheddar) as well as a wide range of Armenian
cheeses.
Other ingredients: baking powder, brown (and wild) rice, cream cheese, limes, ground
ginger, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, pesto, coconut milk, tabasco, almond extract,
tahini, bacon, brown sugar, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil (will be more expensive outside of
Yerevan, but when transportation is calculated into the cost, it evens out).
If your recipe depends on baking powder or brown sugar, though, you might want to have
that shipped from the US, instead of depending on local supplies.
We have not been able to find the following in Armenia (but maybe we havenʼt been looking
hard enough): chili powder, dried chilies, rosemary, maple syrup.
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Seasonal Availability
Prepared by Meg Wallace (A8), this chart gives a rough idea of when most fruits and
vegetables are available in the markets, although timing and availability vary by site.
FFrruuiittss AAAAAAAAAvvvvvvvvvaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiilllllllllaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbiiiiiiiiillllllllliiiiiiiiitttttttttyyyyyyyyy
aavvaaiillaabbiilliittyy ccaann vvaarryy
winter Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov
wwiillddllyy
Oranges, bananas,
lemons, dates, apples,
kiwi, dried fruits,
grapefruit, grapes
white cherries
strawberries
red & black cherries
mulberries
apricots
green plums
currants
raspberries
blackberries
muskmelon
watermelon
apples
peaches
plums
grapes
pears
mandarins (through
winter)
persimmons (through
winter)
quince
pomegranate (through
January)
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VVeeggeettaabblleess AAAAAAAAAvvvvvvvvvaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiilllllllllaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbiiiiiiiiillllllllliiiiiiiiitttttttttyyyyyyyyy
aavvaaiillaabbiilliittyy ccaann vvaarryy
winter Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov
wwiillddllyy
Cabbage, potatoes,
beets, onions, carrots
asparagus
mushrooms
garlic
lettuce, wild greens,
radishes
spinach
tomatoes, cucumbers
zucchini, beet greens
eggplant
Selecting, Buying & Storing Produce
Taken from “The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia”
Apple: Select firm, crisp apples with a vivid color. Peak season is September-March.
Apricot: For an apricot to have a good flavor, it must be fully ripe when picked; it then keeps
no more than 3-4 days. Look for apricots during June and July and purchase those that yield
to a soft touch and are golden all over with a rosy blush.
Beet: Select firm, fresh-looking, plump beets
Cabbage: Purchase cabbages with compact heads that are heavy for their size. Favor those
that have their outer leaves in place; this indicates freshness.
Carrot: Select carrots with the deepest orange color and a good carrot aroma.
Cauliflower: Cauliflower is in peak supply in the fall. Select one with a firm, compact head
and a clean and creamy white color. Size is no indication of quality. If the head is wearing a
collar of outer leaves, these should be fresh. Cauliflower with brown spots or spreading
florets is past its prime. Refrigerate cauliflower, stem side up, loosely wrapped.
Celery: Favor firm celery with no signs of damage; avoid celery with yellow leaves or wilted
or cracked stalks.
Cilantro: Select bunches of cilantro that look fresh and bright. Cilantro quickly loses its
flavor and develops a harsh, unpleasant taste. To store, cover cilantro with a damp cloth,
refrigerate in a perforated plastic bag and use within four or five days. Avoid dried cilantro.
Cucumber: Select cucumbers that are firm, almost hard to the touch, and plump and heavy
for their size. Avoid those that are pliable, have yellow on the skin or soft spots, or are
withered at the stem end.
Dried Beans: Store by keeping all dried beans dry, in a sealed container or bag.
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Eggplant: Eggplant is at its peak in the summer. Purchase only firm and unblemished
eggplants; discoloration or dents as these indicate a bitter fruit. Avoid spongy-to-the-touch or
large eggplants. This highly perishable fruit should be purchased no more than two days
before use. Store in a cool, not cold or hot, area.
Garlic: To store garlic for the winter, it should be hung in an airy place—preferably in a string
bag. Garlic should be firm and heavy when purchased. Donʼt buy it if it has soft spots and
donʼt store it in the refrigerator. Store it in a container that air can flow freely through in a
cool, dry place.
Grape: If the stem and the area where the grape attaches to the stem looks fresh, the grape
will be fresh as well. Avoid soft or wrinkled grapes or grapes with stems that are brown and
brittle.
Hazelnut (Filbert): While all nuts have a fragile shelf-life, hazelnuts especially do. Purchase
a years supply in the late fall—ideally in the shell—wrap the nuts tightly, and freeze until use.
Lemon: Avoid lemons with a darker yellow or dull color or with hardened or shriveled skin,
which indicates old age. Soft spots, mold, or broken skin indicate decay.
Melon: A ripe melon is heavy for its size with a firm rind, a slight softening, and a sweet
aroma at the blossom end. Avoid an overly ripe melon or one with dark, soft, or sunken
spots.
Onion: Select firm onions that have a papery dry skin with little or no neck and no soot.
Avoid onions that are light for their weight or are beginning to sprout. To store onions for the
winter, they should be stored in a dark place—a cardboard box for example. Do not store
onions in the refrigerator.
Peach: Do not buy hard, out-of-season peaches and those with greenish skins; they do not
ripen or become sweet. A peachy aroma indicates ripeness, as does softness; choose a
peach that gives slightly to palm pressure.
Peanut: If purchasing shelled peanuts, refrigerate until use.
Pear: Select firm - not hard - pears with a noticeable pear aroma. Ripen at room
temperature in a closed paper bag until the flesh at the stem end yields to gentle thumb
pressure. Because pears soften from the inside out, a pear that is really soft on the outside
is overripe.
Pepper: Select firm, glossy peppers with stems intact. Avoid those with soft spots or
shriveled, pale skin. In general, those with thinner skins are more peppery; those with thicker
skins, sweeter.
Pomegranate: Look for fresh-looking, plump, heavy fruit with a hard red skin. Store in a
cool, dark place for up to a month, or refrigerate for up to two months.
Potato: Select firm potatoes that are clean, firm, smooth, and free from soft spots or
darkened areas.
Scallion/Green Onion: Scallions are more perishable than mature onions. Look for firm
scallions with their long rootlets intact, and unblemished leaves that show no signs of
withering or slime.
Spinach: Look for crisp bright green leaves with short stems. Avoid spinach that is yellow,
wilted, slimy, or with stem ends that show drying.
Strawberry: Buy strawberries that are fully red and slightly soft, with hulls intact. Peak
season is from late spring through early summer. Do not remove the green caps until after
washing the fruit and just before serving.
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Tomato: Purchase tomatoes that are firm but yield slightly to pressure and have an even,
bright red color and a rich tomato aroma. Avoid those with bruises, cracks, and dark spots.
Do not refrigerate tomatoes, this drains their flavor and gives a mealy texture.
Turnip: A turnip past its prime is bitter. A small fresh turnip, no longer than three inches in
diameter, grown in the spring or fall, is sweet with a mild bite like a radish when raw. Turnips
grown in the hot months are decidedly more pungent. Select turnips that have root end and
stem base intact. Look for smooth, firm roots. Reject flaccid, discolored, or withered turnips.
Watermelon: Heft several melons and choose one that is heavy for its size and symmetrical
in shape. Also hold the melon in one hand and thump it with the other. If it sounds hollow
with a slight ring, it is ripe.
Substitutions
Maple syrup: although there is a recipe for artificial maple syrup in this cookbook, a far nicer
substitute is the syrup of walnut muraba. Itʼs got a sweet, complex nutty and spicy flavor that
make up for the lack of maple syrup. And the colorʼs right!
Powdered sugar: to make powdered sugar from regular sugar, put the sugar in a blender
and blend until powdered or place sugar in a sturdy plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin or
glass bottle until sugar crystals break into powder.
Dried herbs for fresh: use ⅓ teaspoon powdered dried herbs or ½ teaspoon crushed dried
herbs for every tablespoon of freshly chopped herbs. This does not work well for cilantro
(coriander).
Milk: fresh milk may or not be available at your site; if you are getting milk fresh from the
farmer, be sure to bring the milk to a low boil (stirring constantly to prevent burning) before
using it (i.e. pasteurize it). If fresh milk is not available, add one can (filtered or boiled) water
to one can of condensed milk to make a slightly sweet milk-substitute. Or you can mix
մածուն/macun and water for a slightly more savory milk-substitute.
Cream cheese: American-style cream cheese is sometimes available in Yerevan, but you
can make do by substituting curds (կաթնաշոռ/katʼnashoṙ). Viola brand processed cheese
also works, we are told, but, although the texture is slightly smoother, the taste is rather
more processed.
Meltable cheese: sometimes you need a cheese that melts to make a recipe work. Ask for
հոլանդական/holandakan in the store and they will give you a cheese, probably fairly mild,
that melts. You might end up with cheddar one time and gouda the next.
Sour cream: if you are watching your diet or simply canʼt find sour cream, you can
substitute մածուն/macun. Just line a strainer with a paper towel or napkin, place over a
deep bowl or jar, then pour 2 C մածուն/macun into the strainer. Return to the refrigerator for
a few hours, then discard the water in the container and the thickened մածուն/macun can
be used in place of sour cream.
Translations
This glossary of Armenian (and Russian) food terms is not meant to be exhaustive, but
should help you the first few times you go to the store, so you can ask for “peas” instead of
“green balls for salad”. It might help to make a written list (in Armenian) if you have specific
things you need at the store and then give the list to the shopkeeper. Or you can get some
extra language practice by using paraphrase—most shopkeepers are more than happy to
— 9 —
help you with your vocabulary (though oftentimes they will use the Russian word rather than
Armenian: if youʼre interested in the Armenian word, be sure to ask for it).
Transliteration Key
Ա ա a Ծ ծ c Ջ ջ j
Բ բ b Կ կ k Ռ ռ ṙ (rolled r)
Գ գ g Հ հ h Ս ս s
Դ դ d Ձ ձ dz Վ վ v
Ե ե (y)e Ղ ղ gh Տ տ t
Զ զ z Ճ ճ ch Ր ր r
Է է e Մ մ m Ց ց cʼ
Ը ը ə (schwa) Յ յ y ՈՒ ու u
Թ թ tʼ Ն ն n Փ փ pʼ
Ժ ժ zh Շ շ sh Ք ք kʼ
Ի ի i Ո ո (v)o Եվ և (y)ev
Լ լ l Չ չ chʼ Օ օ o
Խ խ kh Պ պ p Ֆ ֆ f
These transliterations will be followed throughout the text. Although this transliteration key
and the transliterations provided below are meant to assist your pronunciation, please ask
your LCF or an Armenian friend for pronunciation help if your are in any doubt. Please be
aware that the apostrophes indicate aspiration or a breathing sound. Again, consult an
Armenian for pronunciation advice.
Glossary of Food Terms
Please note that items included in the spice and herb list will not be reproduced below, so if
you are looking for, say, “cinnamon” and canʼt find it here, look in the spice and herb list.
Dishes, Cutlery, & Meals
պատառաքաղ /
bowl թաս / tʼas fork
pataṙakʼagh
breakfast նախաճաշ / nakhachash knife դանակ / danak
կեսօրյա նախաճաշ /
cup բաժակ / bazhak lunch
kesorya nakhachash
dinner ճաշ / chash plate ափսե / apʼse
— 10 —