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Newsday, NY
Aug 14 2005
WHO'S COOKING
NANCY
KHACHADURIAN
Office manager for her husband's orthopedic surgery practice. Lives
in Old Westbury and East Hampton with her husband, Varvartkes. They
have three adult children, Peter, Jennifer and Lori.
What is your ethnic heritage?
My husband and I were both born in Cuba. The Armenians migrated there
in the '20s, since they couldn't come into this country. My parents
lived in a small Armenian community in Santiago for about 25 years. I
came to the U.S. in 1943, when I was 3 weeks old. My husband,
coincidentally, was also Armenian and grew up on the other end of
Cuba in Victoria de las Tunas. He came here in 1948, when he was 13.
When my husband went to medical school in Italy, he met my brother
there. It so happens they were both Armenian and from Cuba. Talk
about fate. We've been married 39 years.
How has your ethnic heritage influenced your cooking?
We had two cultures growing up - the Cuban and the Armenian cultures.
Our Christmases are always celebrated in the Cuban style. We have
fresh ham with black beans, white rice, fried bananas, yuca with
garlic, lemon and olive oil. Some of the Armenian dishes my husband
and I make are shish kebab and pilaf for Easter, tabbouleh, bulgur
and baba ghanoush, which we make from eggplant we get at the
farmstand. We grew up with yogurt and cucumbers mixed with fresh
garlic, which also was good. We make baklava a little different from
the Greeks. We use walnuts and ours is not as sweet. Something else
that you won't find in the recipe books that we were brought up with
is yaglee. It's got many layers of phyllo on top and curd cheese in
the center. You have to eat it warm and sprinkle it with granulated
sugar.
When you're not cooking, where do you like to go out to eat?
Radici in Carle Place. I've been there at least six times, and it's
been great. I had the swordfish last night and my husband had the cod
with black beans on the side and julienne lettuce on top. They come
around with a complimentary tablespoon of soup and sorbet. The
presentation there is always beautiful. Out East, we go to Bostwick's
in East Hampton and Dave's Grill in Montauk, when we can get
reservations. We like fish; nothing fancy.
What's your favorite sandwich?
I love panini sandwiches. We have a panini machine and we make them
with the ciabatta bread and olive oil. My husband likes to buy
expensive olive oil. He's a simple person and never buys himself
anything, but when it comes to buying oils, he likes that. We make
our panini with mozzarella, tomato and some nice basil from the
garden.
What do you like to nosh on?
I love pretzels, French fries, pasta, rice and potatoes. I'm a carbo
nut.
Yalanche
(Stuffed Grape Leaves)
1 cup olive oil
3 pounds onions, coarsely chopped
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, stemmed, washed and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
3/4 cup pignoli nuts
Juice of 3 lemons, divided
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jar grape leaves, rinsed, drained and stems removed
Sliced lemon for garnish
1. In large heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium. Saute onions until
translucent, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. To pot, add rice, parsley, dill, pignoli nuts, juice of 2 lemons,
tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix well. Allow to cool.
Place in refrigerator.
3. Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, shiny side down. Put 1
teaspoon of cooled filling and wrap like cigar, folding ends in and
rolling. Repeat with 40 to 50 leaves, about half the jar.
4. Line bottom of pot with unused leaves to cover. Neatly place layer
of rolled leaves on top. Repeat, making neat layers until all leaves
are used up. Pour about 3 cups water mixed with remaining lemon juice
over leaves. Place heavy plate on top. Cover pot.
5. Cook over medium heat slowly for 30 to 40 minutes, until rice
is cooked. Allow to cool. Remove plate and place leaves on platter.
Garnish with lemons. May be refrigerated several days. Makes about
20 appetizer servings.
Aug 14 2005
WHO'S COOKING
NANCY
KHACHADURIAN
Office manager for her husband's orthopedic surgery practice. Lives
in Old Westbury and East Hampton with her husband, Varvartkes. They
have three adult children, Peter, Jennifer and Lori.
What is your ethnic heritage?
My husband and I were both born in Cuba. The Armenians migrated there
in the '20s, since they couldn't come into this country. My parents
lived in a small Armenian community in Santiago for about 25 years. I
came to the U.S. in 1943, when I was 3 weeks old. My husband,
coincidentally, was also Armenian and grew up on the other end of
Cuba in Victoria de las Tunas. He came here in 1948, when he was 13.
When my husband went to medical school in Italy, he met my brother
there. It so happens they were both Armenian and from Cuba. Talk
about fate. We've been married 39 years.
How has your ethnic heritage influenced your cooking?
We had two cultures growing up - the Cuban and the Armenian cultures.
Our Christmases are always celebrated in the Cuban style. We have
fresh ham with black beans, white rice, fried bananas, yuca with
garlic, lemon and olive oil. Some of the Armenian dishes my husband
and I make are shish kebab and pilaf for Easter, tabbouleh, bulgur
and baba ghanoush, which we make from eggplant we get at the
farmstand. We grew up with yogurt and cucumbers mixed with fresh
garlic, which also was good. We make baklava a little different from
the Greeks. We use walnuts and ours is not as sweet. Something else
that you won't find in the recipe books that we were brought up with
is yaglee. It's got many layers of phyllo on top and curd cheese in
the center. You have to eat it warm and sprinkle it with granulated
sugar.
When you're not cooking, where do you like to go out to eat?
Radici in Carle Place. I've been there at least six times, and it's
been great. I had the swordfish last night and my husband had the cod
with black beans on the side and julienne lettuce on top. They come
around with a complimentary tablespoon of soup and sorbet. The
presentation there is always beautiful. Out East, we go to Bostwick's
in East Hampton and Dave's Grill in Montauk, when we can get
reservations. We like fish; nothing fancy.
What's your favorite sandwich?
I love panini sandwiches. We have a panini machine and we make them
with the ciabatta bread and olive oil. My husband likes to buy
expensive olive oil. He's a simple person and never buys himself
anything, but when it comes to buying oils, he likes that. We make
our panini with mozzarella, tomato and some nice basil from the
garden.
What do you like to nosh on?
I love pretzels, French fries, pasta, rice and potatoes. I'm a carbo
nut.
Yalanche
(Stuffed Grape Leaves)
1 cup olive oil
3 pounds onions, coarsely chopped
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, stemmed, washed and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
3/4 cup pignoli nuts
Juice of 3 lemons, divided
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jar grape leaves, rinsed, drained and stems removed
Sliced lemon for garnish
1. In large heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium. Saute onions until
translucent, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. To pot, add rice, parsley, dill, pignoli nuts, juice of 2 lemons,
tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix well. Allow to cool.
Place in refrigerator.
3. Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, shiny side down. Put 1
teaspoon of cooled filling and wrap like cigar, folding ends in and
rolling. Repeat with 40 to 50 leaves, about half the jar.
4. Line bottom of pot with unused leaves to cover. Neatly place layer
of rolled leaves on top. Repeat, making neat layers until all leaves
are used up. Pour about 3 cups water mixed with remaining lemon juice
over leaves. Place heavy plate on top. Cover pot.
5. Cook over medium heat slowly for 30 to 40 minutes, until rice
is cooked. Allow to cool. Remove plate and place leaves on platter.
Garnish with lemons. May be refrigerated several days. Makes about
20 appetizer servings.