INGREDIENTS:
• 8 Cups flour
• 2 cups melted Crisco®
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon frozen concentrated orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest [optional]
• Sesame seeds
• 1 egg and 2 tablespoons water, for egg wash

PREPARATION:
• In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and then combine the sugar, cinnamon, orange juice concentrate, orange zest, milk, Crisco® and baking powder. Gradually add flour to the mixture and knead into a smooth dough. Let stand to rise for 30 minutes in a covered bowl. Take pieces of dough the size of an apricot and roll in your hads until about 8 inches long and about the thickness of a pencil. Lay on a flat surface and circularly wrap it on itself like a pinwheel. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat this process until the dough is finished. Place on a non-stick or sprayed cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

>

INGREDIENTS:
• 4 cups flour
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 1/2 cup Crisco® shortening
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 pkg. dry yeast
• 1/4 cup Mahdzoon*
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds or poppy seeds

*See Making yogurt from scratch in "Soups" or use plain yogurt

PREPARATION:

• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  In a large mixing bowl,    mix together the flour butter salt and shortening.  Blend in the   mahdzoon and yeast and knead until you have a smooth, soft   dough.    Let dough rise for 1/2 hour.  Knead again,  then take a handful   of dough and roll into a 1/4 inch diameter and about 12 inches  long [Makes about 15-20]. Bend in half and crossover braid.    Flatten slightly. Place on a baking sheet.  Beat the egg in the   tablespoon of milk and brush the sticks.  Sprinkle sesame seeds   or poppy seeds on the sticks and bake in a preheated 350 degree   about 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool and serve.

INGREDIENTS:
* 1/2 cup whole wheat kernels {zezads}
* 2 cups water
* 1 tsp. salt
* Cook the zezads in the water until tender and set aside to cool.
*1 medium yellow onion
* 1/2 cube butter
* Saute the onions in the butter until golden brown, then set aside
*3-4 cups mahdzoon [See above for recipe]
* 1 egg [beaten]DO NOT USE IN COLD VERSION OF THE SOUP
* Heat the mahdzoon on a low heat and stir in the beaten egg. Bring the mahdzoon to a simmer and add the zezads, sauted onions and the following.(OMIT THIS STEP IN COLD SOUP)
*1/2 cup fresh mint leaves [chopped]
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Simmer for 2-3 minutes more and serve.

INGREDIENTS:

 Makes 8  1 lb. ground sirloin  1 lb ground lean lamb  2 medium yellow or red onions [chopped fine]  1/4 cup green bell pepper [chopped]  1/2 cup red wine  8 oz tomato sauce  1/4 cup Armenian or Italian parsley [chopped]  1 teaspoon fresh basil leaves [Chopped]  Salt and pepper to taste  1 teaspoon garlic [crushed]  1 teaspoon kimion [cumin]  PREPARATION:  Combine the above ingredients and then chill to firm up.  Press onto wooden skewers,  make into oblong patties,  or treat just as you would hamburger patties.  Barbeque  on a hot charcoal fire. [Do not use Mesquite or hickory]
     

Armenian Barbecue Ingredients:

2 pounds of pork meat
1 onion
Salt and Pepper (Black Pepper and Red Pepper)
Basil Leaves

Cut the pork meat into small pieces and add to it very small chopped onion. Add salt, pepper and some basil leaves. Mix all of them together very well and leave in the refrigerator for few hours so the taste of the salt, pepper and the basil leaves penetrates inside the meat.

Prepare the grill (can also be done inside the oven). As the grill is warming up, put the meat on skewers and line them up over the grill. The skewer is very much desired so you can equally turn the meat around and let all of it’s part cook well.

When ready, serve with tomato sauce and red wine.

Armenian Barbecue has been used in the region for long time as well as the red wine. The taste is great and this meal can be a great dish with good salads and other dishes on your table.

INGREDIENTS:
• 5 1/2 cups flour [sifted]
• 3 tablespoons Crisco®
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 pkgs. dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds

PREPARATION:
• In a large mixing bowl add warm water and dissolve yeast. Add sugar, salt and Crisco®. Gradually add flour and mix well. Cover dough and let rise until double it's size. Divide dough into four parts. Spray 4 pie tins with Pam® spray. With hands lubricated with oil, spread dough out evenly in each pan. Cover each pan and let dough rise again.

•Now make a wash with 1 tablespoon flour and 1/3 cup water and brush the tops with the wash. Sprinkle each with sesame seeds and then bake for 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven or until a dark golden brown

---

INGREDIENTS:
TUTOO:
2 lbs. of lean lamb stew meat cubed about 1 in. [all fat removed]
1 cup zezads, or whole wheat kernels *(cooked)** [FOUND IN MIDDLE-EASTERN MARKETS]
1 can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco® sauce or red pepper flakes(Optional)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
Juice of 2 lemons
2 cups water
1 quart drained sauerkraut (Not from a metal can)
PREPARATION:
Boil water, add lamb stew meat and boil for about 10 minutes, and then remove top scum. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. The soup will be tart. If too tart you may add water.
* Cook Zezads in boiling water until expanded and soft. Simmer for about 2 hours with water to cover. **Zezads are whole wheat kernels from which cracked wheat or bulghour is made. Cook them until they about the size of a small pea, and are tender. Then they can be used in the soup.

Baklava 1 (PAKLAVA / Tertanoush)

-Azniv Charkoudian

Dough:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. B.P.
½ cup milk
½ cup water
l egg
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1½ cups shortening, melted (set aside)
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp. sugar
½ to 1 cup cornstarch

Dough: Grease hands with a little shortening and knead. Make 10 small balls and let stand in bowl for one hour covered with damp cloth.

Take five balls and roll each ball to diameter of 5 inches. Lightly cover top of each one with cornstarch and place on top of each other. Take stack of 5 and roll out until paper thin - diameter at least 36 inches. While rolling, occasionally sprinkle cornstarch between layers to prevent sticking. Carefully fold each layer and set aside covering with dry cloth to prevent drying. Repeat procedure with remaining 5 balls.

Five pieces of 36" rolled out dough will be the bottom half and the remaining five pieces will be the top half. The walnut stuffing will be placed in the center.

Pan: 8"x12"

Take 2 pieces of rolled out dough from first set of five and evenly place over pan and cut to exact size of pan. Set aside. These will be used for final layers before placing walnut mixture. Repeat procedure with second set of five and set aside tray size pieces for top finishing layers

Grease bottom of pan with some of the melted shortening.

Carefully tear remaining pieces of first set to approximately 4"x6" pieces and arrange in tray. There will be a little overlapping, but try to arrange evenly. For every 2 layers sprinkle melted shortening. When all pieces are used from first set, arrange the 2 previously cut tray size pieces. Cover with walnut mixture.

Repeat same procedure with second set of rolled out dough for top half ending with the 2 tray size pieces.

Finish remaining melted shortening by generously sprinkling top layer with shortening.

Cut into diamond pieces or in squares.

Bake in 425F oven until golden pink. Drain shortening. Cut through layers again to separate squares. Gently add sugar syrup while warm.

Variation: Banirli

Follow same recipe as for paklava EXCEPT stuffing is sliced white American cheese instead of walnuts.

Cut in squares.

Pour syrup while Banirli is still warm and serve warm.

SHAKAR Choor
(Sugar syrup for paklava)

Place in saucepan:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp. lemon juice

Stir and boil for one minute. Gently pour over warm paklava when syrup is lukewarm.