Mary Shirejian’s Best-Selling Lentil Soup

Mary Shirejian’s Best-Selling Lentil Soup

My obsession with Armenian food stems from my Aunt Mary and Uncle Jack Sherijian’s restaurant, The Peach Tree. I loved going there as a child and (like to many Fresnans at the time) always started with the lentil soup. Mary passed away in December of 2021. During our...
Jul’s Best Aram Sandwiches

Jul’s Best Aram Sandwiches

These are often marketed as pinwheels or caravan sandwiches; Armenians call them Aram sandwiches. And here in Fresno, we refer to them as Hye Rollers. Made with softened lahvosh bread and your choice of fillings, these spiral sandwiches are a real treat, savory or...
Zarouhie Bedrossian’s Best Chicken Kebabs

Zarouhie Bedrossian’s Best Chicken Kebabs

I’ve eaten my share of chicken kebabs around town, and I honestly cannot think of a single restaurant that rivals Zee’s marinade. The sour cream makes them so rich, while the vegetable spread brings a very nice flavor and color. Don’t have to worry if you can’t find...
Pilaf 4 Peace

Pilaf 4 Peace

This piece originally appeared on my Instagram page (@julsarmeniankitchen) in 2022. Before my parents got married, their church required a counseling session with the reverend, or Badveli, as we called him. “There’s more than one way to make pilaf” was the key...
Zarouhie Bedrossian’s Classic Bulgur Pilaf

Zarouhie Bedrossian’s Classic Bulgur Pilaf

My mom is a bulgur pilaf fanatic: she could eat it every day, and often she does! I have several recipes at hand, but this version – taught by Zarouhie (aka “Z”) Bedrossian during my 2019 Acta Apprenticeship – is the real classic. It rivals anything you...
Kesh-Gaggle

Kesh-Gaggle

I wrote this in 2017 for my now-retired blog, The Stranger in Your Kitchen, about an Armenian porridge called “keshkeg,” where I conflated the phonetics of “keg” in with the English word “gag,” while reflecting on the state of American politics at the time. There’s a...
Hungry Kids

Hungry Kids

This piece originally appeared as a post on The Stranger in Your Kitchen, my now-retired blog, in 2016. I’ve been standing here for hours, prepping food for the busy week ahead. Cleaning greens. Cooking grains. Overnight oats. Jenny Rosentrach’s ‘Basic...
Heart(h)

Heart(h)

I wrote this in July 2019, during my Armenian home cooking apprenticeship with the Alliance for California Traditional Arts as a tribute to my mentor’s late husband, Raffi Bedrossian. Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) Apprenticeship Program It was...
Grapefruits of Wrath

Grapefruits of Wrath

This piece originally appeared in The Fresno Bee on January 31, 2020. Citrus season is here, and I’m gazing at my grapefruit tree with the usual angst. Twice a year it produces an excessive amount of fruit, rendering my yard a microcosm for the Valley – an...
Full Circle with a Bowl of Soup

Full Circle with a Bowl of Soup

A reflection on childhood meals at The Peach Tree, my Uncle Jack and Aunt Mary Shirejian’s iconic Fresno Armenian restaurant. I arrived at Zee’s home in early January, eager to begin my Alliance for California Traditional Arts apprenticeship and quickly deflated when...
Laura Folland’s Cinnamon Paklava

Laura Folland’s Cinnamon Paklava

I was intimidated by phyllo dough until I got a tutorial from my friend Laura Folland (née Karabian). This recipe was inspired by Laura’s aunt Carol, who was my dad’s BFF growing up. Laura substitutes vanilla for the lemon juice, which pairs really nicely with the...
Geoff Dervishian’s Preserved Olives

Geoff Dervishian’s Preserved Olives

Like his grandmother before him, my friend Geoff loves to preserve the yearly olive haul that can be found throughout Fresno each November. A viticulture researcher and instructor at Fresno State, Geoff’s got street creds when it comes to this stuff, but even so, he...
Jeanne Andelman’s Cheese Boreg Casserole

Jeanne Andelman’s Cheese Boreg Casserole

Aunt Jeanne was my late grandma Florence’s niece; we share Beatrice and Harry as ancestors. Beatrice was born in Aintab, Turkey in 1897. She married Harry Shirejian at age 13 and survived unimaginable circumstances before reuniting with him in America. Jeanne’s mom,...
Jamee Moltini’s Stove-Top Dolma

Jamee Moltini’s Stove-Top Dolma

Jamee Moltini (née Ashjian) and I grew up together in Fresno. Our fathers were great friends in their youth, and remain so to this day. Another commonality? Jamee’s dad’s mom and my dad’s mom were both named Florence, excellent cooks, and joyful conveners of their...
Richard Hagopian’s Preserved Grape Leaves

Richard Hagopian’s Preserved Grape Leaves

Perhaps you know renowned oud player Richard Hagopian from his days as a member of the Kef Time Band, but Central Valley friends know him as a real Renaissance man — restauranteur, farmer and even historian, as well as musical virtuoso. Richard and my dad were raised...
Lisa Marashian’s Weeknight Fasulia

Lisa Marashian’s Weeknight Fasulia

Fasulia – green bean and tomato stew – is one of my favorite Armenian dishes from childhood. The pronunciation reminds me of facile (French for “easy”), and thus it seems aptly named. My cousin Lisa converts this vegetable side dish into a complete meal with ground...
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