Customer Reviews

The New Armenian Kitchen

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ever Since I got this book, I have been cooking up a storm for my husband that really missed his mother's Armenian cooking. But since she isn't around to teach me, I had to turn to books. I have tried several and was not as happy with them as I am with THE NEW ARMENIAN KITCHEN. He told me that his mother used to make homemade yogurt for him, so I tried the recipe on page 22. He was right, the store bought stuff cannot compare to the creamy homemade kind. It is like night and day. The homemade kind has a delicate flavor and is not so tart like the ones at the grocery store.

I tried the Eegra on page 5 and my husband was in heaven. It really has a barbecued flavor that adds to the creamy eggplant base. Just like his mom used to make he says, even though his mom used to use a lot of oil and this is a low cal. version.

The rice pilaf on page 76 is so easy to make, but oh, so good. The butter flavor really comes through with the chicken broth making mouthwatering rice that went well with a lamb kabob recipe on page 113.

I am enjoying my new adventure in cooking and have found this to be a most useful book. I had a Circulon `pan that I could not get clean. Now it is thanks to the household hints in the back of the book, that are very useful. There is also interesting Armenian information tucked in throughout the book. We especially liked the proverbs. My husband remembered his parents saying many of them to him years ago.

It is great that the book has several versions of the same recipe. That way you can choose the one that best fits your tastes. My husband says that Armenians from different countries cook in different ways. This book allows us to choose the one that is closest to the way "Mom used to cook." I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Armenian home cooking. You get a lot of recipes for $15.95

I received the cookbook as a gift from my grandma, and I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in the negative review posted below. I thought that the canned and already prepared foods that are called for in the recipes make the cookbook quite a bit more user-friendly (I thought that was the point of it being from the "new" Armenian Kitchen). I recently graduated from college and don't have some of the patience, the knowledge, or the time to cook some of the Armenian meals that were prepared for me when I was little. The recipes in this book actually give me the chance to make really good Armenian food myself, and the recipes taste great because they come from other families-so it's real home cooking! My parents have shelves filled with other Armenian cookbooks at home that have the detailed, lengthy recipes with ingredients that I've never even heard of before. This one is definitely different (we actually use it), and I'm definitely looking forward to trying out more of the recipes.

This book is the one that I always seem to take out for use while many others stay on the bookshelf unused. Together our family has made over 30 of the recipes and we have had only great results. I don't agree with the one negative reviewer. I fully enjoyed reading the many many historical quotes and proverbs throughout the book that I guess she missed. She said that some recipes used a lot of canned and ready made ingredients, well...welcome to the NEW Armenian world! Yes, we sinfully use frozen things and don't always use made from scratch sauces. Even those of us that stay home with our kids find that our cooking time is limited. Does she make her fillo dough from scratch? I would love a peak into her freezer. She was obviously an older woman that has nothing else to do but spend all day in the kitchen. Yes, I can say that as we speak I have most of those "horrible" ingredients she mentioned in my pantry, like canned pineapple, canned soup, and even (shudder) Coolwhip! I am glad to have a book that helps me use them in some interesting ways. She is insulting hundreds of Armenian cooks that felt their recipes warranted submission to this book. Yet she remains anonymous as do her credentials. Hundreds of Armenian cooks that submitted recipes to this book make it as diverse as the Armenian home of today. They are no less Armenian for using convenience foods or recipes when time is limited. The book is packed with several updated versions of each old traditional Armenian recipe, giving you a choice of prep. methods and ingredients that best suit your style. Other recipe books written by one author often have recipes that please only one palate. I loved the fact that there are many recipes that show the diversity of today's Armenian cook. Just as you wonder what is really American food (Would that be spaghetti?), when you study Armenian cuisine you find that other than "Herissah" there are arguments as to what foods are really authentic Armenian. Armenian food encompases many of the ingredients and flavors of the country where the family lives, or from where they emigrated. Lebonese Armenians make Pilaf, Iranian Armenians make Pollo, Russian Armenians make potatoes, and they all argue as to which is more Armenian. I find myself using the quick recipes that are missing in many books. They require fewer ingredients and many more of the things that the average kitchen has on hand. Do some Armenian kitchens make lasagna? You bet! My family raved about the Great Lasagna recipe on page 105 last night. I am so glad it was submitted by a cook that knew how good it was. Having several lasagna recipes to choose from, such as the meatless Eggplant Lasagna makes this book most practical. This book is titled "The New Armenian Kitchen," not "Old Armenian Recipes." With the majority (more than 300) of the recipes "old world Armenian" there are more than enough "Authentic Armenian" recipes from which to choose. I stumbled on a surprise joke recipe on page 177 (Fruit Cake)and couldn't stop laughing. I would highly recommend the purchase of this book. I also like the idea that the money for this book is going to a charitable non profit organization and not into the pocket of some rich author. This book will give you some new twists on some old recipes, like orange date baklava, and will not stay on your shelf collecting dust.

As an American married into an Armenian family, I found many dishes served at my mother-in-law's table both strange and delicious. Unfortunately her recipes included phrases like "mix until it feels right" or "throw in a couple handfuls of flour". This book is a lifesaver because the recipes use standardized measurements and easy to understand instructions. I recommend it as a wedding gift for every non-Armenian bride marrying into this wonderful culture. I plan to purchase one for each of my children.

What a simply delightful cookbook-jam-packed with a variety of ethnic and "ordinary" recipes, organized in an easy-to-use manner, especially fun to browse through not only to stimulate the palate but also the mind with interesting quips and quotes. An unexpected surprise was the back of the book, devoted to household hints. It's like getting two books in one-a practical reference book as well as a recipe collection that has obviously been selected to reflect modern-day concerns of calorie- and time-saving.

The details in some of the directions were fun (and helpful) to read, somewhat like being in the kitchen with your mom or grandma as she "walked" you through a process. And what a pleasant shock to stumble across a couple of outrageous "recipes," innocuously buried among the legitimate recipes, that reflect the obviously healthy sense of humor of the authors. Every recipe I have tried so far has been a first-time success with encores demanded by my family.

Try it; you'll love it, too.

I bought the book for my wife who was raised on Armenian food, but the recipes that she got from family were of the type, "a little of this, and a bit of that" and she isn't that type of cook. The book contains the typical Aremenian dishes you can find at Middle Eastern restaurants, but they also have those that you only find at Aremenian restaurants. In addition, the more popular dishes often have several variations. Often they have easy, short-cut versions, and then the more complex, traditional approaches. While my wife and I want to make traditional versions we generally don't have time and the short-cuts are appreciated.

I purchased this book thinking it was for a good cause and to support the Ladies Society and thier hard work. Little did I know it was to my own advantage!! I thought I knew how to make most Armenian dished but I was surprized on how much more there was to know! This cook book is one of my latest purchases and is the most worn out! I gave one to my sister too but her 17 yr old daughter "relocated" the book to her own room and she is experimenting with the receipes. I get a kick out of the proverbs too!! good job!! great book!!

Thank you St. Andrew Ladies Society for providing such delicious and user-friendly recipes. I won't blame you for the weight I am gaining!!!

I enjoy trying the different recipes for the basic dishes because I can always learn something. The recipes bring back memories of my mother's wonderful cooking. It is good to have a source to try my hand at producing food like hers. This cookbook represents me, born in the United States of Armenian heritage. I appreciate the "original" recipes and the "updated" ones to reflect the ingredients (and time) available to produce these dishes. The book is an ambitious effort that is done very well.

This has to be one of the best Armenian cookbooks I have read & USE! It's easy-to-use style and organization make finding and preparing dishes quick and efficient. Along with the recipes, there are comments, quotes and thoughts at the bottom of pages which give food for the brain as the meals are cooking.

Unique to this set of recipes, and lacking in other Armenian cookbooks, is the wide variety of styles and ingredients. Adapting from their host countries, Armenians use different herbs and spices to accent their food. This book presents a good variety to experiment and enjoy.

Very well done. Compliments to the chefs and publishers!