The Hartford Courant
DINING
Harvest Fare
October 17, 2002
By LINDA GIUCA, Courant Food Editor
`Every Armenian family has memories of hot choreg coming out of the oven,”
says Barbara Zakarian of the braided sweet rolls served for breakfast in
Armenian homes.
Sesame seeds and nigella, a tiny black seed with a faint anise flavor,
decorate the tops of the rolls. The dough’s sweetness is enhanced with “the
wonderful flavoring of mahleb, made from the pits of sour cherries,” says
Andrea Karanian, who provided the recipe that her fellow churchwomen used to
bake choreg for an upcoming harvest fair.
Zakarian, Karanian and other members of St. George Armenian Church in
Hartford have spent the past few weeks baking hundreds of choreg, along with
a variety of Armenian specialties, for Autumnfest 2002. The festival will
take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the church, at the corner of Broad
and White streets in Hartford.
“Armenian bakeries do make [choreg], but it is more the custom to make them
at home,” says Zakarian, one of the organizers of the festival. The lack of
Armenian bakeries in the Hartford area is another reason why cooks bake
these rolls at home. “We make them at Easter and for the fair.
“They are delicious warm from the oven or reheated in the microwave.
Sometimes, I split and toast them.”
Traditionally, the rolls are served with black kalamata olives and string
cheese. But “you can up the cholesterol by serving them with butter and
jam,” Karanian says.
“No matter how much we make, we can sell,” Zakarian says. “We ration [the
Armenian specialties] at the harvest festival, but people come back begging
to buy more.” The women must limit the amounts that fair-goers buy so that
everyone, not just a few, have the chance to purchase the foods.
Among the foods for sale will be the choreg; manti, a baked boat-shaped
dough filled with seasoned beef; dolma, vegetables such as tomatoes, green
peppers and eggplant stuffed with beef and onions; yalanchee, rice- and
onion-stuffed grape leaves; and kufta, an Armenian lamb, beef and bulgur
meatball whose center is filled with seasoned ground beef and onions.
Desserts will include boorma, rolled filo pastry filled with cinnamon- and
sugar-seasoned ground walnuts; and kaydayif, shredded filo dough filled with
either cream pudding or chopped nuts and drizzled with melted butter.
Dinners to be served Friday and Saturday include lamb shish kebab, chicken
kebab and a vegetarian platter. Sunday’s blue plate special will be Armenian
pizza, a ground beef, red pepper and onion topping on a pita-like crust.
“By keeping the food traditions alive, it keeps the culture alive for our
children and grandchildren,” Zakarian says. “What our church does for the
Armenian community every week reaffirms the bond.”
* * *
Secrets to Success
The weather can affect the yeast dough. The dough is easier to work with on
a dry day.
The amount of mahleb can be adjusted according to taste. But a little goes a
long way. Mahleb can be very strong, says Dora Garabadian, another baker at
the church, and too much will overpower the flavor of the roll.
* * *
Autumnfest 2002 will take place at St. George Armenian Church, 22 White St.,
at Broad and White streets, Hartford. The fair opens Friday, Oct. 18 from 5
to 8 p.m. and continues Saturday, Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and
Sunday, Oct. 20 from noon to 2 p.m.
* * *
CHOREG
(Armenian Sweet Roll)
7 cups flour
2 to 3 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon mahleb (see note)
1-1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 packages rapid-rise yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 large eggs
Sesame and black seeds for garnish
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and mahleb.
In a medium saucepan, heat milk until hot. Add butter, shortening and sugar,
and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add a bit of sugar to activate the
yeast. The mixture should become foamy.
Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the eggs and the milk mixture to
the flour. Pour in the activated yeast. Stir to blend well.
Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is
smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly sticky, not dry.
Place the dough in a large greased bowl. Pat top of dough with a bit of oil
to prevent sticking to aluminum foil. Cover the bowl with foil and then a
dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
Break off a small amount of dough and shape into pretzels or braids.
Put rolls on a baking sheet and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Brush with egg
wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or nigella (black seeds, see note).
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Note: Mahleb is a spice made from ground cherry pits. Sev gundeegs are tiny
black seeds that have a faint anise flavor.
Both are available in grocery stores that sell Middle Eastern or Greek
foods.
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