1995_10 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper October 1995

              4—A&E
Hye Sharzhoom
October 1995
Cooking Class Once Again a Delicious Success
By Tina Attashian
Culture is defined by characteristics such as language, music,
fashion, religion, art, and foods.
They are all components that distinguish one culture from the other.
This semester the university offered its students an opportunity to
take an Armenian cooking class
which in turn helps them learn the
distinctions about the Armenian
heritage. A student at California
State University, Fresno, David
Esajian, reinforces the idea of delicacies being an important part of
the Armenian culture when he
states, "Part of being Armenian is
eating the food, so when I had the
opportunity to take the Armenian
Cooking class I did."
I rarely get the chance to make
the traditional Armenian dishes
which are regularly seen on our
dinner table. Therefore, when I
saw thatacourse in Armenian cooking was being offered this semester
I jumped at the chance to refresh
my knowledge in the recipes my
mother once taught me.
The class began at 5:10 p.m.
on Friday, September 29 and as I
entered the Family and Food Science building I heard the familiar
sounds of Armenian music coming
from the other end of the hallway I
followed the melody until I found
myself in the assigned room. Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian
greeted me with a friendly "parev"
as I took a seat at one of the tables.
As I waited for the class to begin I
enjoyed listening to the music, conversed with classmates, and examined the room.
In the center of the room was a
long table which ended up being
our (the students) work table for
the two days we went to class.
Professor Der Mugrdechian began
class discussing the origin of Armenian foods, then he introduced
his mother, our cooking coordinator, Mrs. NormaDer Mugrdechian.
She continued his introduction with
a discussion on grape vines which
led us into our first project of the
evening, Yalanchi.
We gathered around the long
table and all got to work. My
classmate, CandreaBalekian stated,
"I've eaten Yalanchi so often and
my family always eats it. I've
always wanted to make it." After
completing our first task we prepared the Cheese Borag, which was
put into the oven as we make a
Turkey and Cheese Valley Wrap
and a Fruit Valley Wrap. To complete the cooking session that night
we made Kurabia, which became a
creative project as we all could
make the cookies any shape we
wanted. The evening came to an
end when we were able to eat the
food we prepared and David
Emerzian, a sophomore at CSUF,
commented, "The Turkey and
Cheese Valley Wrap was the best.
We should have made more." Professor Der Mugrdechian finished
class bv saving. "Bring vour aprje-
•\
The Armenian Studies Program
California State University, Fresno
The Sarkis and Meline Kalfayan Center for Armenian
Studies
cordially invite you to its
Tenth Annual Banquet
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Harold H. Haak
Trustee Professor, President Emeritus (1980-1991)
California State University Fresno
"An Educator's Reflections
on Armenia"
&
Recognizing the Recipients of Armenian
Studies Scholarships
Sunday, October 22, 1995
Reception- 5p.m. • Banquet- 6p.m.
Residence Dining Facility
CSU Fresno
• $35 per person •
• Faculty and Staff $20 •
• Students $10*
Please respond by October 16,1995
tites with you tomorrow we are
going to eat plenty of food." In
response to this comment David
Esajian said,"Fve never eaten that
much Armenian food in two days
in my whole life-it was great,"
The next morning began with
Professor Der Mugrdechian introducing our special guest Knar
Guekguezian who showed us how
to make Damascus Sweets. Then,
throughout the rest of the day our
dedicated cooking coordinator
guided us through the making of a
variety of dishes. Tabouli, Kadaif,
Lahmajoon, Bulghur, Pilaf,
Chorag, Bourma,Dolma, Harpoot
Kufta, and Vospov Kufta. Talking
to students in class I wasn't the
only one who had fun making the
food. However, everyone had their
preference. Manuel Momjian, a
freshman at CSUF, said "Sprinkling the walnut mixture and rolling the Bourma with the rod was
the most fun. I did it fast and the
. pastry didn't rip."
Making theHarpootKufta was
one of my favorites. Shaping a
hollow ball without tearing it looks
easier than it really is. But I took
the challenge and in the end accomplished making perfect balls
stuffed with meat filling which
made me happy.
After spending time preparing
and making the various dishes, eating time usually created a silence in
the room. At one point Mrs. Der
Mugrdechian commented, "The
food must be reallv good since it is
The Armenian Cooking met the weekend of September 29 and
cooked traditional Armenian main courses as well as desserts
so quiet." She was right, the food
was rewarding to the days hard
work the food was delicious.
Conversing with my classmates I found that their statements
about the class were filled with
confidence and enthusiasm to cook
again, and appreciation for not only
the work that goes into Armenian
food, but an appreciation to an experience that connected them to
their Armenian culture.
Garo Nakashian, a junior at
CSUF, stated, "It was fun making
the food, I'm actually going to make
Bourma with my mom tomorrow."
Then David Emerzian said, "After
spending the weekend cooking
Armenian food I now realize and
appreciate all the hard work it takes
to prepare Armenian food. Also
I'm happy I took the class because
it gave me another link to my Armenian heritage and I feel my
Yalanchi is as good as anyone
else's."
Through delicacies and styles
of cooking we are in part essentially what we eat. Learning and
teaching others how to cook is important in that it is a way of passing
traditions and heritage to one another from generation to generation in a collaborative effort in
maintaining the existence of a culture. B3
Books and Gifts to ASP
Gifts to the Armenian Studies
Program Sahatdjian
Library and Avedian
Archives
Prof. Wayne Snyder formerly of
Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan an
now of Aix-en Provence,
France has donated a major
collection of all of William
Saroyan's published book
length works (details will be
presented in a future Hye
Sharzhoom article).
Elizabeth Nahabedian of
Kingsburg, CA has donated
a collection of 18 Armenian
books on various subjects.
Mrs. Alice Peters of Fresno has
donated a collection of books
and periodicals on Armenian
subjects.
Mr. Martin Torigian of Drexel
Hill, PA has a number of his
painting to the Armenian
Studies archives. Earlier he
had donated the original
scores of a number of his
Armenian songs.
Carl H. Mahakian of Palm
Springs has once again
donated a number of articles
on Armenian American
artists.
Professor Dickran Kouymjian
and the Sahatdjian Library of
the Armenian Studies Program
would like to thank the authors
and publishers for the following
books and periodicals.
Books
Ajamian, S. and M. E. Stone,
editors, Text and
Context. Studies in the
Armenian New Testament,^Papers Presented
to the Conference on the
Armenia New Testament, May 22-28,1992,
University of Pennsylvania Armenian Texts and
Studies, vol. 13, Atlanta:
Scholars Press, 1995,
with an article by
Dickran Kouymjian,
"Armenian Gospel
Illumination and the
Classical Tradition," pp.
59-73 with 6 figs.
Babayan, Aramashot, Be Nice,
I'm Dead, An Armenian
Comedy in Three Acts,
English version by
Nishan Parlakian, N.Y.:
St. Vartan's Press, 1990,
donated by the translator.
Babayan, Yervant, General
Editor, Armenian
History of Aintab, vol.
Ill, Los Angeles, 1994,
in Armenian. 1151
pages, illustrated, kindly
donated Dr. Sarkis
Karayan.
Burchard, Christoph, editor,
Armenian and the Bible,
Atlanta: Scholars Press,
1993, with an article by
Dickran Kouymjian"The
Evolution of Armenian
Gospel Illumination:
The Formative Period
(9th-l lth Centuries),"
pp. 84-100.
Chorbajian, Levon, Patrick
Donabedian, Claude
Mutafian, The Caucasian Knot: The History
and Geo-Politics of
Nagorno-Karabagh,
London: Zed Books,
1995,198 pages, index,
bibliography, maps.
Translation with a new
introduction of Artsakh:
Histoire du Karabagh,
Paris: Sevig Press, 1991.
Giragossiantz, Roxana, Armenian
Senior Scenes, Oakland,
[1995], 250 pages, large
format. Presents the
history of the founding
of the California
Armenian Home in
Fresno.
Hammoudi, Abdellah and Stuart
Schaar, editors,
Algeria's Impasse,
Center of International
Studies, Princeton,
1995.
Keoseyan, Varujan, Commemorative Volume, The
160th Anniversary of
See BOOKS, page 6