Armenian Cuisine-Sucmic Kufta


Potato and Bulghur Appetizers
Serves 4 - 6
Sucmic is a wonderful way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. This is a variation on Red Lentil Kufta.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup cold mashed potatoes
1/2 cup fine bulghur wheat
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1.  Knead bulghur into mashed potato until well mixed
2.  Add remaining ingredients, mix well.
3.  Shape into small egg-sized portions with hands.
4.  Chill before serving
5.  Arrange sucmic on a platter and brush lightly with olive oil. Garnish with sprigs of parsley.

Armenian Cuisine-Derevi Sarma


Stuffed Grape Leaves with rice and olive oil
Stovetop
Makes about six dozen
Sarma  are tasty and attractive as appetizers for an Armenian meal.  These are the ones without meat,
hence the name "Yalanchi". They are eaten out of hand and sometimes dipped in madzoon. This is a
different recipe from the 1st edition. The currants give a slightly sweet taste which makes the sarma
delicious!
Ingredients
16 ounce jar grape leaves (about 80)
rice filling (below)
Filling (about 5 cups, enough to fill 60-80 leaves, depending on size.)
2 lbs onions
1 cup medium grain rice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 large bunch parsley
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh mint - chopped
2 Tablespoon fresh dill - chopped
1/4 cup currants
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Preparation
1.  Chop onions and parsley, mint and dill. Saute onions in oil for 15 minutes. Stir in rice and lemon
juice and cook 10 minutes longer.
2. Add remaining filling ingredients and cook a few minutes longer. (rice should not be completely
cooked, it will expand after it is filled into the grape leaves)
 Filling may be prepared in advance and refrigerated
3.  Rinse and soak grape leaves in hot water to remove brine. Remove stems
4.Place each leaf with shiny side down on a plate. Put 1 to 11/2 tablespoon of filling at stem end.
roll once, fold in sides and roll the rest of the way. Try to get them as tight as possible.
5.In pan for cooking place torn grape leaves to line the bottom (you can also use a few lettuce
leaves to line the pan).
 6.  Pack rolled grape leaves close together, as many layers as needed.
7.  Add 3 cups water, put a heavy plate on top of the leaves to keep them from floating up.
8. Bring to a boil on med high heat (watch closely not to scorch the bottom). Lower heat , cover and
simmer for 45 minutes.
 9.  Allow to cool, uncover and drain liquid. (grape leaves will discolor if uncovered while still hot)
10.  Serve at room temperature with lemon wedges.
Notes
It is important to roll sarma tightly and completely enclose the filling. Leaves which tear
can be used to line the bottom of the pan. Pack tightly together and hold down with a plate
while cooking to prevent unraveling. If too much water gets into the sarma, they will be
 soft and bland in taste.

Armenian Cuisine- Shish Kebab Shampouri Khorovadz, Shashlik


Ingredients
2 - 2 1/2 pounds boned leg of lamb or shoulder
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon light soy sauce
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 large onions
2 green bell peppers
4 small tomatoes
melted butter

Preparation
1.  Cut lamb into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2.  Mix oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, tomato paste, oregano, mint and garlic. Pour over lamb.
3.  Marinate 3 hours or overnight in refrigerator.
4. Peel onions and cut in half across the middle. Cut each half into quarters. Peel the layers to make
three pieces from each quarter.
5.  Cut pepper in half and then in thirds lengthwise. Cut each piece across.
6.  Arrange marinated lamb on skewers, alternating with pepper or onion.
7.  Quarter tomatoes, place on separate skewers and brush with butter.
8.  Grill lamb until lightly browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Put tomatoes on during last half
of cooking time.
9.  Keep a covered pot by the grill. Using a fork or a round of pita bread, slide lamb and vegetables
off the skewers and into the pot as they are done.
10. Serve over rice pilaf.

Armenian Cuisine-Armenia is a real paradise for gourmets


The national cuisine of this country is considered one of the ancients in Asia and the most ancient one in the Transcaucasia. Armenian culinary traditions derive from the core antique times and the methods of preparation of a number of Armenian dishes remain unchanged for centuries.
Armenians love to eat delicious, rich and tasteful meals. A huge number of soups, meat and fish dishes, pilaf with spices and sweeties will tempt and not leave any gourmet indifferent to. The major parts of dishes in Armenian national cuisine are not only labor-intensive and hard to prepare, but also imply a special process, let's say “a ritual” of meal preparation.
One of the most popular and favorite national dishes is KHOROVATS /in Armenian/, some sort of barbeque. KHOROVATS is mainly prepared on some special occasion, with a group of noisy and cheerful friends and a good master who will be entrusted the preparation of the meat and fire, moreover, this Armenian party will never do without a talking point.
Every year a festival of KHOROVATS is organized in Armenia, where the masters and experts of khorovats gather, at the green slopes of mountains, to compete in mastery of this “meat masterpiece”.
Another favorite Armenian dish is called “Khash” (word by word “Broth”), which Armenians started to cook in the ancient times before the birth of Christ. Armenians eat Khash early in the morning and it requires a strict compliance to the rules of this meal: no women, spoons, cognac or toasts at the table. To tell the truth, today the first point of the “Khash code” is not being applied, but all the other ones are actual up to date.Ghapama is a festive pilaf which even has its own song. A pumpkin filled with rice, dried apricots, nuts, raisins is put into «tonir» (a national stove) and cooked. Ghapama is mostly preferred on holidays, particularly on Easter and on this day the number of black raisins in it symbolizes the quantity of truly faithful people who will be saved on the Great Tribunal Day. Tolma is certainly the queen of the Armenian cuisine. The Armenian women cook various versions of this ancient dish, however, the most favorite ones are the summer tolma and tolma with grape leaves (in ancient Armenian “TOLI” means grapevine).
The glory of Armenian cuisine extends far beyond the country's borders. There is not a place on the post-Soviet territory (and even farther) where people do not know or love and cultivate Armenian cuisine. The juicy smoking shashlick emitting magnificent aroma, baked vegetables – khoravats saturated with the smell of coals; tender cooked without oil dolma melting in your mouth …delicious! All the dishes of Armenian cuisine are well familiar and loved by us. But what is the historical background of the culinary attraction of Armenia?
Armenian Cuisine is as ancient as its history, as the land it is standing on. Armenian culinary traditions are over 2000 years old. The abundance of meat on Armenian tables is the result of the most ancient development of cattle breeding in Armenian uplands which led to such a variety of livestock and poultry. Cattle breeding was also the source of various dairy products – basically brine-ripened cheeses as well as sour-milk products which serve as the basis for traditional Armenian dishes and beverages.
Early beginning of agriculture in the fertile valleys of Armenia caused the application of various cereals in Armenian cuisine - spelt, millet, barley, wheat, rice; beans - string beans, beans, lentil, mountain peas to say nothing of great variety of vegetables and greens which are a must of Armenian feast.
Traditionally Armenians cooked food on fire. The clay furnace began to be called tonir and has retained this name. Armenians used clay kitchen ware too. Tonir was used for cooking bread, mashes, fish and poultry, vegetables, soups and other dishes. By the way, tonir was borrowed by all people of Transcaucasia becoming an integral part of their national culinary. Armenia in general has contributed a lot in term of cooking. Thus, many authentic Armenian dishes later became known in Europe thanks to Persians and Turks as the dishes of their national cuisines. (for example, dolma).In their turn the cuisines of Turkey, Iran and Arabian countries have enriched the culinary culture of Armenia.
Armenian cooking techniques are rather complicated. The most difficult to cook are meat, fish and vegetable dishes which require stuffing, whipping, puree and souffle making as it takes a lot of time and work. Armenians very much love dishes from chopped meat and all possible variants of stuffed dishes.
The thermal processing of dishes is labor-consuming too. One and the same dish or raw product, for example, meat, can be subject to roasting, boiling and stewing in tonir making some dishes of Armenian cuisine melt in your mouth.
Another feature of Armenian cuisine is a great number of greengrocery and spices in preparation of dishes. Armenian cooks use 300 kinds of wild-growing grasses and flowers which are used as seasonings or even as basic dishes.
Fragrant spices are very popular: pepper, coriander, fenugreek, black pepper, mint, tarragon, basil, thyme and of course garlic and onion; and for sweet dishes - cinnamon, cardamom, clove, saffron and vanilla.
The surprising fact is that Armenian cuisine practically does not use fats. The majority of dishes is cooked in drawn butter. It is used for soups, stewing and roasting of meats, poultry, fish and vegetables as well as sweet dishes. Vegetable oils are used in Armenian cuisine less frequently - for preparation of fish and some vegetable dishes (string beans, eggplants). Sesame oil is traditional.



Brazilian Cuisine-Pao de Queijo - Brazilian Cheese Bread


Brazil is famous for its pao de queijo - cheese rolls with soft chewy centers. Pao de queijo is made with cassava flour (tapioca flour), the ground root of the manioc plant. They smell wonderful when they are baking, and plump up into perfect round balls. Many recipes call for parmesan, but if you can find the Brazilian cheese queijo minas in your local Brazilian market, your pao de queijo will be even more authentic. Regular farmer's cheese or any other firm, fresh cows milk cheese work well in this recipe.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 1/4 cups tapioca flour
4 eggs
2 cups grated farmer's cheese, or any firm, fresh cows milk cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
salt to taste
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix milk, salt, vegetable oil and butter in a pot, and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove from heat.
Stir tapioca flour into the milk and butter mixture.
Stir in the eggs and the cheese, and mix well.
Let mixture cool for 15-30 minutes, so that it will be easier to handle. (I like to chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so).
With floured (tapioca flour) hands, shape the dough into golf ball size balls (about 50 gram portions) and place them on a baking sheet.
Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are puffed up and are golden. They will rise slowly and puff up mostly in the last 5 or 10 minutes.


Serve warm.

Brazilian Cuisine-Feijoada - Brazilian Black Beans with Smoked Meats


Feijoada is one of Brazil's national treasures. This is a dish that is meant to serve a group, and the preparation begins the night before. Several kinds of smoked meats, ribs, and beef jerky are simmered with the black beans. The meats are removed and served separately on a platter. The other traditional accompaniments are Brazilian-style rice, collard greens (couve a mineira), farofa (toasted manioc meal), hot pepper sauce, and orange wedges (to help with digestion).
Prep Time: 15 hours
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 18 hours
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds small black turtle beans
1/2 pound Brazilian dried beef, or beef jerky
1 ham hock
1 pound pork ribs
1 pound smoked chorizo, or other spicy smoked sausage
1 pound beef sirloin or smoked pork loin
1/2 pound slab smoked bacon
1/2 pound smoked pig or beef tongue (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, mashed
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Soak the beans overnight in cold water. In a separate bowl, soak the beef jerky overnight, changing the water 2 or 3 times.
Place the beans in a large pot and cover with water. Add the ham hock and the dried beef. Simmer for 2 hours, or until beans are cooked but firm. Remove the ham hock and discard.
Add the rest of the meats and the bay leaf to the beans and simmer for 30 minutes, adding hot water if necessary to maintain an inch of water over the beans.
Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onions and garlic until soft and golden. Add the parsley, and season with the cumin and salt and pepper to taste.
Add 3/4 cup of the bean mixture to the skillet and mash the beans with the onions. Add the this mixture back to the beans and meat. Simmer for 30 minutes more.Remove the meats from the beans and cut them into smaller pieces or thin slices. Arrange the meats on a platter, grouped by type. Serve the beans in a separate bowl. Serve with Brazilian-style rice, collard greens, pepper sauce and orange slices.


Brazilian Cuisine- Brazilian Black-Eyed Pea and Shrimp Fritters - Acaraje


Acaraje are a popular street food snack in Brazil, especially at the beach. Black-eyed peas, seasoned with ground dried shrimp and onions, are shaped into balls and deep fried in palm oil, then split and filled with a spicy shrimp and onion filling. Though dried shrimp are a traditional ingredient in acaraje, they tend to impart a very strong flavor. In this milder version, the cooked fritter is split and then filled with fresh shrimp and caramelized onions.
Ingredients:
For the Filling:
1 onion
1 cup small shrimp, fresh or frozen, shelled and de-veined
2 tablespoons palm oil or olive oil
For the Fritters:
2 cans black-eyed peas
1 clove of garlic
1 onion
1 red chili pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Palm oil and/or vegetable oil for frying
Preparation:
Make filling: Slice onion very thinly. Spread onions out on a skillet with the olive oil or palm oil, and cook on low heat until they are golden brown (about 15 minutes). Add shrimp and saute until shrimp are pink. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Make the fritters: Thoroughly drain the black-eyed peas and place them in the food processor. Roughly chop the onion and garlic, and add it to the peas.
Clean the pepper of seeds and add to the processor.
Process mixture just until well-blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add flour by the tablespoon, until mixture is stiff enough to hold a shape. Divide into 15 pieces, and form into balls or ovals.
Heat 2 inches palm oil and/or vegetable oil in a pot on medium high heat. Fry several fritters at a time until browned, turning once, about 5 minutes. Drain fritters on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Fritters can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven.
Split fritters and fill with a spoonful of the onion and shrimp mixture. Serve warm.


Russian Cuisine-Main Courses & Recipes


Main courses are eaten at the dinner (afternoon meal) and at the supper (evening meal). Most often they include meat (beef, chicken, fish) or vegetables and are served with various garnishes and dressings.
Main Courses:
Omelets - usually eaten in the morning
Sausages – usually served two sausages with ketchup
Pelmeni. Chops (kotlety) – made of various kind of meat in various regions
Pelmeny – (on the photo) the small balls of minced meat covered with the pastry
Vareniky – it looks like pelmeny however inside the pastry there is no meat but berries, potato or curds
Steak (otbivnaya) – beef and pork ones are most popular
Beef stroganov – pieces of beef prepared with cream sauce
Kiev style chicken (kotleta po-kievsky) – the special type of chicken chop with butter inside
Potato with mushrooms - favourite countryside meal
Russian Cuisine: Main Courses Recipes —Abbreviations: ea - Each, tb - Table spoon, sm - Small, c - Cup, ts - Tea spoon.
Vegetable Meals
Draniki recipe Ingredients : 12 medium potatoes , 1-2 tbsp flour, 7-8 tbsp vegetable oil , 1 egg, 100-200 g of salted pork fat, 1/2 glass of sour milk, salt
Method:
1.Peel the potatoes and grate them, add flour, sour milk or kefir, egg, salt and mix everything. 2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Lay the potato mass with a tablespoon in separate small pan-cakes (each no more then 10 cm / 4" in diameter). Cook until crisp and browned, then turn on the other side. 3. Serve hot with sour cream.




Russian Cuisine-Borcsh


Soup is an important part of every meal in Russia, usually eaten in the afternoon.
Soups:
Borcsh – the famous Russian soup made of beet and meat, usually served with sour cream.
Borsch. Vegetable soup (shie) - the soup made of cabbage, potato and meat. There is also the specification called “shie postnie” –the same soup without the meat.
Fishsoup (uha) – the fishsoup with carrot, spices and potato.
Chiken soup
Mushroom soup
Noodle soup – popular countryside dish made of homemade noodle, potato and meat sometimes.
Cold soup (okroshka)– gold “kvas” with vegetables, potato, eggs and spices
Russian Cuisine Recipes: Soups —
Abbreviations: ea - Each, tb - Table spoon, sm - Small, c - Cup, ts - Tea spoon, lg - Large. Recipes coutesy of RusCuisine.Com
Russian Borstch recipe Ingredients : 3/1/2c. canned tomatoes , 5or6 med.size potatoes cut in halves ,1 large carrot cut fine, 1 small peeled beet , salt to taste , 1 small onion chopped, butter, 4c. shredded cabbage , 3/4c. sweet cream ,1/2c. fresh green pepper chopped , 2tbs. fresh or dried dill 1 celery chopped fine , 2/1/2 qts. water, 1/1/2c. diced potatoes, black pepper .
Method:
Put water to boil in large kettle.Add 1/2 c. canned tomatoes. When water is boiling drop in 5 or 6 med. size potatoes,chopped carrot and the beet. While this is cooking add 3 tbs butter in frying pan. When melted add chopped onion,cook tender but do not brown. Add 3c. canned tomatoes and let simmer with onion and butter until a thick sauce. Set to back of stove. Into a separate frying pan put 2-3 tbs. butter to melt. Add 2c. shredded cabbage and fry.Cook tender but do not brown.Shred another 2c. to add later to the borstch. When potatoes are tender remove them to a bowl.Add 2tbs. butter, mash well,then add 3/4c. sweet cream and mix well and set aside.
Add 1/1/2c. diced potatoes to the stock and the remainder of the shredded cabbage. When diced potatoes are tender, add the onion-tomato- sauce, then add the cooked cabbage,and the potato-cream mixture. Add 3 tbs. butter to the borstch. Stir well. Add fresh chopped fine green pepper. Add 3tbs fresh or dried dill. The more fresh dill the better the flavor..Remove beet, one hour later after borstch is ready. Borstch is ready to serve.Serve hot. Serve with chopped garlic in your soup bowl and a fresh piece of bread and butter... Yummy, enjoy...



American Cuisine-Mititei


These tasty sausages, also known as mici (pronounced "meech"), are a must-have item at a Romanian barbecue, or gratar. The story goes that mititei were created one night at a restaurant in Bucharest when the owner ran out of casings. He just formed the meat mixture into a sausage shape and cooked it directly on the grill. Patrons loved these "little ones," which is what their name means in Romanian, and mititei have been popular ever since.
Makes 20 to 25 sausages, or 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Ground beef or lamb -- 1 pound
Ground pork -- 1 pound
Garlic, minced -- 3 or 4 cloves
Paprika -- 1 tablespoon
Coriander -- 1 tablespoon
Caraway seeds -- 2 teaspoons
Baking soda -- 2 teaspoons
Salt and pepper -- to season
Olive oil -- 3 tablespoons
Lemon juice -- 1 tablespoon
Method
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and knead until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight, to allow flavors to meld.
Using wetted hands, form small sausages about 4 inches long and 1 inch thick with the meat mixture.
Grill the sausages over hot coals until browned on both sides and cooked through.
Serve with mustard and cold beer.
Mititei Variations
Other Cooking Methods: Mititei can also be grilled on the stove top in a grill pan or pan fried in a skillet or even baked in a 400°F oven.
Spices and Other Flavorings: While garlic, paprika and coriander are the most common spices for mititei, other flavorings can be used as well. Try minced onion, thyme, hot pepper flakes, dill, cloves, cumin or marjoram.
Mititei can also be formed into patties and cooked as burgers or rolled into balls for tasty meatballs.




American Cuisine-Seco de Chivo


Secos are thick Ecuadorian stews, usually served with yellow rice and fried plantains. Seco de chivo is goat stew and is special occasion food in Ecuador. Traditionally, seco de chivo was made with chicha, a fermented corn beverage favored by the Incas. Nowadays beer is more common. Tart fruit juices are often added as well for added flavor and to offset any gaminess.
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Goat stew meat, with bones -- 2 pounds
Oil -- 3 tablespoons
Achiote powder, or sweet paprika -- 2 teaspoons
Red onion, finely chopped -- 1
Green bell pepper, finely chopped -- 1
Tomatoes, seeded and chopped -- 2 cups
Chicha de jora or beer -- 2 cups
Stock, water or fruit juice (see variations) -- 2 cups
Grated piloncillo or brown sugar -- 2 tablespoons
Salt and pepper -- to season
Cilantro, chopped -- 1/2 bunch
Method
Wash the goat meat in cool water, drain and pat dry. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high flame. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides in the hot oil. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Add more oil to the pot if needed and stir the achoite powder or paprika to color the oil. Stir in the onion and bell pepper and saute for 3 or 4 minutes, or until the onions are cooked down and translucent. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.
Add back the reserved goat and stir in the chicha or beer, stock, water or juice, the piloncillo or brown sugar and the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. Add water as necessary to keep the seco stewlike.
Remove from heat, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve hot with a side of arroz amarillo (rice colored yellow with turmeric or achiote), platanos fritos (fried plantains) and slices of avocado.
Seco Variations
Meat: It's getting easier to find goat meat in the United States. Try your local Latin or Middle Eastern market. If you can't find goat, lamb works well for seco too.
Fruit Juice: In Ecuador, the juice most often added to seco de chivo is from a local fruit called the naranjilla with a green color and a tart flavor. You can also use other tart juices like bitter orange, tamarind or pineapple.
Seasonings: Add one or two minced aji or other chile peppers with the onions to give your seco a little heat. Stir in some cumin or oregano. Add a handfull of parsley to the simmering stew.
Seco de Pollo (Chicken stew): Substitute 2 pounds of cut-up chicken pieces for the goat. Reduce simmering time to about an hour or hour and a half.