“Serious Eats writes, “Yalanchi sarma, or just ‘yalanchi,’ is the Armenian version of vegetarian stuffed grape leaves. ‘Sarma’ means wrapped in Turkish, while ‘yalanchi’ means ‘liar,’ a humorous reference to the fact that this is a meat-free version of the more common sarma, which typically contains beef or lamb. Thanks to the Armenian Christian Church, which historically forbade meat consumption for nearly half the year, Armenians have become pros at meatless cooking, and yalanchi is a prime example of this talent.”
“The secret to my yalanchi to use a lot of lemon juice. My Armenian mother-in-law taught me to line the pot with carrot strips. Carrots add a subtle sweetness to the stuffed leaves, and once cooked, make a delicious bonus dish. Serve stuffed grape leaves when entertaining large numbers of family and friends. They’re also an important no-meat Lenten dish,” says food writer, chef, and author Barbara Ghazarian.
Barbara is the author of Simply Armenian and Simply Quince. At the turn of turn of the 20th century, Ghazarian’s Armenian immigrant family settled in the small mill town of Whitinsville, Mass. in the Blackstone Valley. Ghazarian’s great-grandfather came to work in the mill with thoughts of returning to his home of Pazmachen, in the Harput region of the Ottoman Empire.
“In Simply Armenian, home cooks can now try over 150 fail-proof Armenian favorites without investing lots of time and effort. The secrets of the Armenian table are revealed for North American home cooks. Simply Armenian draws on the ancient culinary traditions of the Tigris and Euphrates river basins to explore over 150 classic recipes ranging from inexpensive but tasty peasant fare to special occasion dishes. More than half are meat-free and all are delivered with the cheerful generosity of a neighbor.”
With a dash of history, a pinch of nostalgia, and a splash of wit, Ghazarian reveals the secrets of this naturally healthy, olive oil-based cuisine. Delicate line drawings accent clear, easy to follow instructions. Under “Appetizers” you will find recipes for Armenian staples, such as, Rice-Stuffed Grape Leaves (Yalanchi) and Pickle Fresh Vegetables (Tourshi) along with less traditional, but still Middle-Eastern influenced items, such as, Feta Cheese-Topped Eggplant Rounds and Toasted Pumpkin Seed and Pine Nuts. Under “Spreads” there are recipes for Hummus, Zesty White Bean Dip, and Black Olive and Yogurt Cheese Spread. This book captures the soul of this ancient yet astonishingly modern ethnic cuisine.
The quinces used to prepare the 70-recipe collection in Simply Quince were donated by the Kaprielian family of Fresno County, says Ghazarian, who planted quince on their family farm in 1919 and faithfully cultivated the ancestral fruit until the Great Recession in 2008. “The cookbook is dedicated to the Armenian people who, like quinces, are rooted in the same soil and have endured through the ages. Quince is one of the oldest cultivars in the world and is grown on five continents,” she says.
