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ARMENIAN FOOD FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND
Richmond.com
Sept 18 2012
What started as two ladies cooking cheese boregs and Armenian pastries
for church has turned into a 54 year tradition with the Armenian
Food Festival which returns this Thursday, Sept. 20 for four days of
Armenian food, drinks and dancing.
Now more than 35 ladies from St. James Armenian church spend the summer
whipping up authentic Armenian dishes like stuffed grape leaves,
bulghur salad and Armenian green beans, as well as their signature
Armenian pastries such as simit (a tea cookie), bourma (rolled philo
filled with walnuts) and khourabia (a sweet cookie).
"Everything that you get here [at the Armenian Food Festival] is
hand-made," says organizer Chuck Ashjian. "You can buy grape leaves
at Whole Foods, but they don't taste like this. Everything is homemade.
Each strand of our cheese boregs has a whisk of butter on it. And
our stuffed grape leaves - I just tried them - they're fantastic."
Beside cheese and spinach boregs, the Armenian Food Festival also
serves up chicken and pork kebabs, Armenian rice pilaf, lamajoon (an
Armenian meat pie that also has a vegetarian option), plus hummus,
pita and the infamous hye burger - a blend of beef, lamb, onions,
parsley and various spices that was recently named one of the Top
Five Best Burgers by Richmond Magazine.
There will also be Armenian beer and wine, plus music and dancing -
both of the rock and roll variety, as well as traditional Armenian
dance.
"It's just a party atmosphere," Ashjian says. "It's a great chance
for friends, family, everybody to come out and relax."
The festival was held indoors for years - with lines snaking outside
down the block. But eight years ago, organizers decided to move the
event outside, adding a stage for music, tables with umbrellas and
a festive atmosphere.
The festival raises roughly $90,000 for the church every year -
which has an 80 member congregation.
"Our people rally around it," Ashjian says. "It creates a real
camaraderie for our church. Everybody's here working."
Including John Boranian, an 87-year-old church member whose mother
was one of the two women who began cooking for the first Armenian
Food Festival over 54 years ago.
"He's amazing. He's right here with us, getting ready for the festival,
lifting boxes of canned tomatoes," Ashijian says.
The festival opens Thursday, Sept. 20 at 11:30 a.m. - just in time
for lunch - and keeps going through Sunday, Sept. 23.
Armenian Food Festival Thursday through Sunday St. James Armenian
Church on Pepper Avenue.
Thursday to Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday noon to 7 p.m.
Free entry.
http://www2.richmond.com/entertainment/2012/sep/19/armenian-food-festival-weekend-ar-2214769/
Richmond.com
Sept 18 2012
What started as two ladies cooking cheese boregs and Armenian pastries
for church has turned into a 54 year tradition with the Armenian
Food Festival which returns this Thursday, Sept. 20 for four days of
Armenian food, drinks and dancing.
Now more than 35 ladies from St. James Armenian church spend the summer
whipping up authentic Armenian dishes like stuffed grape leaves,
bulghur salad and Armenian green beans, as well as their signature
Armenian pastries such as simit (a tea cookie), bourma (rolled philo
filled with walnuts) and khourabia (a sweet cookie).
"Everything that you get here [at the Armenian Food Festival] is
hand-made," says organizer Chuck Ashjian. "You can buy grape leaves
at Whole Foods, but they don't taste like this. Everything is homemade.
Each strand of our cheese boregs has a whisk of butter on it. And
our stuffed grape leaves - I just tried them - they're fantastic."
Beside cheese and spinach boregs, the Armenian Food Festival also
serves up chicken and pork kebabs, Armenian rice pilaf, lamajoon (an
Armenian meat pie that also has a vegetarian option), plus hummus,
pita and the infamous hye burger - a blend of beef, lamb, onions,
parsley and various spices that was recently named one of the Top
Five Best Burgers by Richmond Magazine.
There will also be Armenian beer and wine, plus music and dancing -
both of the rock and roll variety, as well as traditional Armenian
dance.
"It's just a party atmosphere," Ashjian says. "It's a great chance
for friends, family, everybody to come out and relax."
The festival was held indoors for years - with lines snaking outside
down the block. But eight years ago, organizers decided to move the
event outside, adding a stage for music, tables with umbrellas and
a festive atmosphere.
The festival raises roughly $90,000 for the church every year -
which has an 80 member congregation.
"Our people rally around it," Ashjian says. "It creates a real
camaraderie for our church. Everybody's here working."
Including John Boranian, an 87-year-old church member whose mother
was one of the two women who began cooking for the first Armenian
Food Festival over 54 years ago.
"He's amazing. He's right here with us, getting ready for the festival,
lifting boxes of canned tomatoes," Ashijian says.
The festival opens Thursday, Sept. 20 at 11:30 a.m. - just in time
for lunch - and keeps going through Sunday, Sept. 23.
Armenian Food Festival Thursday through Sunday St. James Armenian
Church on Pepper Avenue.
Thursday to Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday noon to 7 p.m.
Free entry.
http://www2.richmond.com/entertainment/2012/sep/19/armenian-food-festival-weekend-ar-2214769/