Tag Archives: flatbread recipe

Armenian Pizza — Why Don’tcha?

Get a taste of Armenian pizza -- topped with a flavorful lamb-tomato mixture.
Get a taste of Armenian pizza — topped with a flavorful lamb-tomato mixture.

When California’s shelter-in-place mandate first went into effect during this pandemic, my husband peered into the fridge and cupboards with increasing anxiousness.

Like a good wife, I merely patted him on the shoulder reassuringly and said, “I got this.”

And I did.

As I told him, even if all we had was flour and water, we would still be fine. Because if bread is the staff of life, then flour is life, itself.

After all, that’s all you need to make some basic flat breads, sourdough, dumplings, pasta, and pancakes.

Throw in eggs and some oil, and you really have it made.

And of course, at this point, we still had plenty more than that.

That’s why I thought it the perfect time to try my hand at “Lahmajo,” otherwise known as Armenian pizza. I mean, how good does that sound, right?

It’s from the marvelous cookbook, “Lavash: The Bread That Launched 1,000 Meals, Plus Salads, Stews, and Other Recipes From Armenia” (Chronicle Books, 2019) by San Francisco cookbook author Kate Leahy, San Francisco photographer John Lee, and Los Angeles chef and recipe writer Ara Zada.

The book, of which I received a review copy, is the perfect escape now, too, because it transports you through words, photos and dishes to Armenia, a tiny country in the mountain Caucus region between Asia and Europe.

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Get the Kids Cooking With Pan-Fried Flatbreads with Spiced Butter

Easy home-made flatbreads with a flavorful butter you won't be able to get enough of.

Easy home-made flatbreads with a flavorful butter you won’t be able to get enough of.

 

Every child, teenager and young adult should be taught how to cook. Period.

It empowers them, allows them to lead healthier lives, and makes them more resourceful, independent, and appreciative, not to mention even more popular with their friends.

If you can cook a meal for yourself, no matter how simple, you have a leg up on life.

I know some of my most cherished memories still revolve around stirring up scrambled eggs in a frying pan with my Dad when I could barely peer over the stovetop; and thumbing through cookbooks with my older brother to figure out which cookie recipe we would try out as he baby-sat me during summer afternoons.

Carolyn Federman of Berkeley knows the power and importance of such a life skill. She is the founder of the Charlie Cart Project, a nonprofit that provides resources for food education in schools through the use of a mobile kitchen. She previously led efforts by Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard Project and consulted on program development for the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation.

NewFavoritesForNewCooks

Her new cookbook, “New Favorites for New Cooks: 50 Delicious Recipes for Kids to Make” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy, will inspire you to get in the kitchen with your kids, nieces or nephews to get cooking.

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Tear Into Meyer Lemon & Thyme Hearth Bread

Here's what to do with all those Meyer lemons.

Here’s what to do with all those Meyer lemons.

 

These days, cutting back on carbs is such a thing.

In that regard, I am decidedly unhip.

Because I love bread, pasta and rice — and would never give them up unless I absolutely was forced to do so.

After all, few things are as blissful as tearing into a rustic slab of warm bread drizzled with good olive oil.

That’s why “Meyer Lemon & Thyme Hearth Bread” caught my eye.

It’s from the new cookbook, “Citrus: Sweet and Savory Sun-Kissed Recipes” (Ten Speed Press) by Valerie Aikman-Smith and Victoria Pearson, of which I received a review copy.

Aikman-Smith is a former cook at Greens restaurant in San Francisco, and Pearson is a food photographer, whose images have graced Food & Wine and Martha Stewart Living magazines.

CitrusCookbook

The book is all about what to make with citrus, which is at its prime in winter. Enjoy everything from “Rosemary Lemonade” and “Tropical Granola with Candied Lime” to “Grilled Sardines with Orange Polenta” and “Pomelo & Basil Granita.”

With a dwarf Meyer lemon tree in my yard, I’m always looking for ways to use its fragrant fruit, which is a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin, rendering it less sharp tasting. In this recipe, the lemons get sliced thinly and fanned over the top of the bread.

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