Author: Chmshkian Vicken

“ONE NATION, ONE CULTURE” SECOND ALL ARMENIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL STARTS
Noyan Tapan
Jun 26 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The solemn opening ceremony of the
“One Nation, One Culture” second All Armenian cultural festival took
place in the K.Demirchian Sports and Concert Complex on June 23. RA
National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian, Culture and Youth Issues
Minister Hasmik Poghosian were present at the ceremony. Numerous
cultural figures arrived from France, Austria, U.S., Syria, Lebanon,
Iran participated in the opening ceremony.
Welcoming the festival participants, Tigran Torosian mentioned that
this festival which has become traditional, is one of the best displays
of development and presentation of national culture. He expressed
confidence that owing to the festival, the cultural cooperation will
more develop between the Fatherland and Diaspora. According to the
NA Speaker, everybody’s debt is to do its best for making closer
cultural relations between Diaspora and Armenia.
The State Dance and “Berd” ensembles of Armenia as well as a number
of folk groups performed at the festive concert followed the opening
ceremony.
According to the festival participants, the festival strengthened
the consience and feeling of being one nation, newly revealed variety
and deepness of our national culture.

press scanner
TDN
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Greek Cypriot diplomat’s misadventures in Baku:
The misadventures of a Greek Cypriot diplomat who showed up in
the Azeri capital of Baku hoping to interfere with decisions at the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers, who met
to express full support for northern Cyprus, are covered in yesterday’s
Hürriyet. Hürriyet reports that southern Cyprus’ ambassador to Moscow,
Leonidas Pantelides, arrived in Baku on June 19 hoping to get into
the OIC meeting. Following his arrival, however, Azeri authorities,
who had apparently been informed by Ankara of the Greek Cypriots’
intentions of sending someone to the meeting, told Pantelides that
he was “not accredited” as a diplomat for the meeting and added that
there were no hotel rooms available for him, either.
Hürriyet reports: “The Azeri authorities, after telling the
Greek Cypriot diplomat that they would not be able to extend him
accreditation, told him all the hotels in the city were full and
that he could not get a room. They did however tell Pantelides that
his coming to Baku as a ‘tourist’ was not a problem. … The Azeri
authorities then proceeded to keep the Greek Cypriot ambassador under
observation through the night of June 19 until the morning of June 20,
noting that Pantelides spent the entire night going between open bars
and restaurants, and the streets.”
On the trail of the 70 kilo, six-meter python:
The story of the python that went missing from Ankara’s zoo is given
generous coverage in yesterday’s Vatan daily, which says: “Though
many are saying that the snake escaped when the doors to its cage
were left open, the possibility that it was stolen is looking more
and more realistic. The belief that it was kidnapped is supported by
the fact that the snake’s skin is very valuable and that it could be
used for circus performances.” The Environment Ministry is reportedly
scanning the area around the zoo with thermal cameras to see if it can
pick up a trace of the 70 kilo, six-meter snake, while the Turkish
Veterinary Association is telling residents what they should do if
they happen to come across the python. “If you see it, the best idea
is to run/get away from it.”
The association notes that the python can open its mouth much wider
than its own body and that, as such, it could attack and swallow even
a goat or a deer. The Vatan article reports on Ankara Mayor Melih
Gokcek’s reaction to the story of the missing animal: “The python is
not a fast-moving creature. I think for this reason we will find it.
It seems to me that someone put the python in a bag and left the
zoo with it.” In response to a reporter’s question about whether he
thought the python had been eaten, Gokcek said: “What part of the
python could be eaten? Who would eat it? Not in Turkey, it would not
be eaten here. It would be eaten in China. I don’t think it became
a kebab or anything.”
Karekin II, worldwide leader of Armenian Orthodoxy, visits Istanbul:
Sabah daily yesterday covered the visit by the head of the worldwide
Armenian Orthodox Church, Karekin II, to Istanbul. Karekin II took
a trip to the small island of Heybeliada off Istanbul on Thursday,
where he stopped by both the Heybeliada seminary (which has been
the focus of much controversy over past years), and the Aya Triada
Monastery. Sabah reports that Karekin II’s visit to the island was
met with very high security, so much so that two people holding a
sign that asked “Did Karekin come to kiss the hand of Bartolomeos?”
100 meters from the monastery on Heybeliada were arrested by security
forces. Karekin II was accompanied on his Heybeliada visit by both
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartolomeos and the Patriarch of Turkish
Armenians, Mesrob II.
Sabah reports that the three religious leaders “got into a police
escort” and drove to the Heybeliada seminary and were met by various
school and monastery authorities there that presented him with gifts.
“The three leaders then walked around the garden of the seminary
for a while, collecting flowers as they did so, and then posed for
press with flowers in their hands.” In a brief sidebar to news of
Karekin II’s visit, the Sabah report notes that the visit by the
religious delegation to Heybeliada was protested by a group of 30 or
so people headed by nationalist lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz. Kerincsiz was
reportedly first allowed and then stopped from making statements to
the press in front of the Heybeliada seminary, after which he yelled
“Arrest me!” to the police.
Football frenzy spills over into flag attacks:
A human interest story which captures one of the most passionate
subjects in Istanbul and across Turkey is covered in yesterday’s
Radikal daily: the tale of the giant Galatasaray flag that has been
hung on the Bosporus Bridge, and attacked three times in six days.
Radikal reports that the Galatasaray authorities are planning to hang
a new giant flag for their team on Friday, this after the two previous
flags were thrown into the Bosporus by attackers. The article explains:
“The first 100×30 meter flag was hung on June 16.
Four days later, a group calling themselves the ‘Young Fenerbahçe fans’
cut the ropes hanging the flag, dropping it into the Bosporus.
The group of five was arrested for their crime, and then set free the
next morning, while the Galatasaray leadership prepared to hang the
second flag.” Radikal reports the second flag didn’t fair much better,
with an attempt to cut its ropes failing because of the small size
of the knives the attackers were using. Another attempt to burn the
flag on Thursday morning was recorded by a pro-Fenerbahçe Web site,
which used music to accompany its message to Galatasaray fans that
“You hang it, we will cut it or burn it…”
–Boundary_(ID_iCaA7xL8t9FOHFOnXRvcEQ )–

The Nation, Kenya
June 23 2006
Port acts on Artur containers
Story by PATRICK MAYOYO
Publication Date: 06/23/2006
CID and Customs officers are compiling a list of all cargo linked to
the deported Armenian brothers which has arrived at the Mombasa port.
At the same time, the verification of two other containers linked to
Mr Artur Margaryan and Mr Artur Sargsyan have been suspended until
the inventory is ready.
A Kenya Revenue Authority official told the Nation yesterday that
details of 29 containers linked to the Armenians had been found.
“Manifests filed by clearing and forwarding agents with us show
that there are 29 containers which have been imported by Kensington
International Ltd, some of whose directors are the Artur brothers,”
he said.
Once the inventory is ready, he noted, KPA would carry out “a 100
per cent verification” to establish if the containers had contraband
goods and if there were cases of undervaluation and false declarations.
“Once the inventory exercise is over, we are going to involve all
government agencies in the verification exercise so as to eradicate
inconsistencies,” he added.
On Friday, Trade ministry officials complained about what they termed
exclusion from the verification of a container linked to the deported
Arturs.
The officials said the department of weights and measures was not
involved in the verification although their department handled false
declaration cases.
“All matters related to false entries on import declaration forms
are dealt with under the Trade Descriptions Act, and this was not
the case with the Artur brothers’ container,” they said.
Besides KRA, government agencies supposed to be involved in the
check are the weights and measures department and the Kenya Bureau
of Standards.
Other government officials have questioned why the brothers’
container opened on Friday was not subjected to total verification
as is required.
“A 100 per cent verification requires that all goods being subjected to
such an exercise are removed from a container and a stock taken before
being returned into the container, but this is not what happened,”
one of them said.
During the verification, all the goods were removed, but they were not
checked item by item, or stock-taking done before they were returned
into the container, he added.
But KRA defended itself, saying that it was not compulsory for all
goods to be verified and an inventory done.
Questions were raised also over why the container bottom was not
inspected as there were suspicions that it had a false compartment.
In a separate development, port detectives said they were waiting
for instructions to start investigating a firm supplying goods to the
Nakumatt supermarkets chain following reports of massive tax evasion.
“We’re yet to get instructions to commence the investigations following
the disclosure in Parliament of rampant tax evasion,” one said.

Nagorno Karabakh FM: Granting autonomy to Nagorno Karabakh is out of Baku competence
Regnum, Russia
June 22 2006
Recently, Azerbaijani Republic FM Elmar Mammadyarov claimed readiness
to grant Nagorno Karabakh the highest status of autonomy adopted in
the world, including the one equal to Tatarstan’s status within the
Russian Federation.
Nagorno Karabakh Republic FM Georgy Petrosyan commented on the issue,
REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert reported.
“The statement, unless it is another propagandistic ploy, means
that the Azerbaijani leadership is ready for their country’s
federalization. From this viewpoint, one would hope that the
above-mentioned status will be granted to Lezgins, Talyshes, and
other nations residing in Azerbaijan. As for the NKR, with which the
Azerbaijani leadership avoids any contacts, it should be underscored
that official Baku cannot grant any status to Nagorno Karabakh, as the
issue is out of Azerbaijan’s competence. Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s
status is determined within the legal framework by the nation residing
here. The essence of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict is that the
Azerbaijani party failed to resolve issues of the kind and resorted
to armed aggression.”
“Official Baku continues to ignore the reality where the NKR’s
independence is the greatest value of the Republic’s people that
has been declared at a nation-wide referendum on state independence
December 10, 1991. The NKR people not only protected their right to
be in charge of their own fate in the course of the imposed war, but,
for the last 15 years, at least 7 times reaffirmed their will via
democratic nation-wide presidential and parliamentary elections, when
they voted for programs of both individual candidates and political
parties that spoke up for the Republic’s state independence.”

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
THRUSDAY JUNE 22, 2006
x/article_1188838.php
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Under the Armenian sun
Cathy Thomas explores cuisine and culture in Armenia
with local chef-restaurateur Zov Karamardian.
Click here to go to recipes
By CATHY THOMAS
Register Food Editor
The midmorning sun burns through an intense turquoise
sky. The greenish-blue color startles me and I take
off my sunglasses to assure myself that it really is
the same shade as the semiprecious stone.
Perhaps it’s the lush green blanket of vegetation
covering the Armenian countryside that creates such a
brilliant celestial hue. Hills, ridges, canyons, open
fields, even jagged outcroppings of rocks, are the
verdant green of an elf’s shoe.
Our private bus travels northeast from Yerevan, the
capital of Armenia. We’re headed for the Garni Temple,
built in the first century, and the Geghard Monastery,
a medieval complex carved into the mountainside.
With me is Zov Karamardian, cookbook author and
chef-owner of Zov’s Bistro and Bakery in Tustin, along
with her daughter Taleene, my daughter Christy, and
nine other culinary enthusiasts.
Zov sees Armenia through a colorful prism formed by
lifelong exposure to the food, music and stories of
her Armenian ancestors. My eyes take it in through a
squeaky-clean prism. Not one drop of Armenian blood
runs through my veins. Hers is 100 percent.
I want to see and taste Armenia with her, a desire
kindled when she returned from her first visit two
years ago. Zov doesn’t keep her passion for life,
people and food closed in her heart. She openly shares
her enthusiasm, a trait that endears her to friends,
customers and strangers alike.
Reaching the path to the monastery, we pass a row of
women selling homemade goodies – baked goods, canned
goods and candies that make our stomachs growl. Many
hold up large disks of their golden-brown bread
personalized in some artistic manner that makes each
unique. Some bakers have loaves topped with
bread-dough cutouts of leaves and tendrils. Some have
the names of people and places created by lining up
tiny elevated circles of dough side by side to form
the letters. Some surfaces display comical faces.
Called ghata, these delectable breads are like
coffeecake. The sweetened yeast dough has a filling
made of walnuts that have been cooked in butter and
sugar.
Some cooks hold up jars of honey or preserves made
with cherries, plums, apricots or mulberries. Other
cooks offer curled fruit leathers, as well as ropes of
candy-covered walnuts called rojig.
Rojig’s fruity, paste-like exterior is made by cooking
fresh grape juice to condense it, and then adding
cornstarch to further thicken it. The walnut halves
are strung on cotton string, then dipped in the juice
mixture and placed in the sun to dry. The
dipping-drying process is repeated daily for about a
week, or until the nuts are topped with a generous
coating – enough fruity paste to make it chewy, yet
not so much that it overpowers the taste of the
crunchy nuts.
We return to the bus to find Zov breaking rojig into
bite-size pieces and insisting that everyone has a
sample. She declares it a “superfood,” and says that
even one bite is enough to make everyone feel great.
But the biggest feast was yet to come, an alfresco
barbecue at the home of Sergei Gabrielyan on the
outskirts of Garni. Sergei is a professional
photographer, but today he demonstrates the fine art
of Armenian kebabs and grilled vegetables. Two
sisters-in-law will show us how to make fresh lahvosh,
the paper-thin bread that is served at most Armenian
meals.
As with all our lunches and dinners, the first course
is on the table before we sit down. A variety of
ingredients are available for each diner to prepare
lahvosh-wrapped delicacies to suit their own tastes.
This isn’t an eat-it-fast nibble. Designed to be a
convivial, chatty process, Armenian appetizers aren’t
to be rushed. Communal platters of deep-red tomatoes
and robust cucumbers are cut into chunks and placed
next to plates of raw vegetables and herbs (slender
green onions, long green chilies, radishes, parsley
and cilantro). The tomatoes smell like warm summer
grass; as with all the tomatoes we encountered in
Armenia, they’re dead ripe and promise maximum flavor.
There are plates topped with firm, white cheese, and
plates of warm green beans. There are bowls of
enormous black olives, plus bottles of beer, as well
as jugs of wine. And, yes, tempting mulberry vodka.
We sit on rustic benches draped with colorful ethnic
rugs and practice stuffing and rolling Armenian
“burritos.” Zov says her favorite filling is a
combination of feta or string cheese, fresh mint,
tomato wedges, cucumbers slices and lebni, a yogurt
cheese spread made with strained yogurt, herbs and
Aleppo pepper. She says there is something very
appealing about the combination: the sweet juiciness
of the tomato, the crunchy texture of the cucumber,
the slightly salty nature of the cheese and the thin
bread (that she describes as “without heaviness –
bread without bulk”).
After some debate about the years Armenia spent under
Soviet rule, some joke telling and belly laughs, we’re
invited into the outdoor stone kitchen where the
lahvosh is made.
We watch as the two-person team turns out the
quintessential bread, the element that ties every meal
together. The baking takes place in the wood-fired
tonir, a cylindrical, brick-lined ground-level oven
that’s about 3 feet deep. The first woman rolls a ball
of dough into an oval sheet and the second stretches
that dough over a large cushion with a handle on the
back.
Bam! The dough-covered cushion is slammed against the
hot wall of the oven. The dough sticks and quickly
cooks. After it cools a few minutes, stacks of the
bread are placed onto the arms of Sergei’s costumed
daughters, who carry it to our table. The oven has
formed sporadic dark-mahogany spots on one side,
sending the smell of warm yeast and caramelized flour
over the yard. We tear them into manageable pieces and
use them to wrap grilled eggplant and elongated green
peppers.
Already, the bread is cool enough to be cracker-y
crisp. It’s the perfect consistency and taste to
showcase the soft texture and smoky taste of the
vegetables.
Irina Astvatsatouryants, our guide, explains that a
large quantity of lahvosh is made at one time. In a
village, cooking is often a group project, she said,
often with several women participating in the work.
After the lahvosh is baked, it’s dried and stored.
Before it’s served, it’s sprinkled with a little water
to soften it and make it pliable.
Recalling her childhood visits to Syria to see her
grandparents, Zov mentions the older ladies in the
village of Kessab preparing lahvosh. She says they
would give her a warm piece of very thin lahvosh and
she would top it with a sliver of cheese. Plain, she
says, but absolutely delicious.
Years later, after moving to the U.S. from Iraq at age
14, she watched the process at bakeries in Fresno.
There, she says, it wasn’t as thin. A different
technique was used to create it, and rather than a
tonir, Fresno bakers used traditional ovens.
Meanwhile, Sergei lowers a grid – attached to a chain
with a horizontal rod-like handle – into the tonir.
The grid is topped with peeled baking potatoes that
have been cut in half and rubbed with oil and paprika.
Once the grid is in place, the rod rests over the top
of the tonir, holding the potatoes at a just-right
spot close to the fire. Sword-like skewers filled with
pork, lamb and onion halves are suspended vertically
from the rod.
He covers the opening with a thick red carpet. We
smell the aroma of wood smoke that fills the oven, and
imagine the taste of potatoes below as they absorb the
gentle drip-drip-drip of meat juices from above. In
minutes we eat the kebabs and spuds with joy, our
enthusiasm intensified by the effect of cool mulberry
vodka.
Now the prism through which my mind’s eye views the
world includes that day spent around the homey
backyard table in Garni. A day that ended with a
gentle rain, and plenty of treasured memories of
friendly hosts and irresistible food.
Where is Armenia?
Armenia is in Asia, situated in the southern Caucasus,
sometimes referred to as Transcaucasia. It is
landlocked, bordered to the north by Georgia, to the
east by Azerbaijan, to the south by Iran and to the
west by Turkey.
[PICTURE]
[CAPTION] ARTISTIC: A woman at Geghard Monastery sells
freshly made ghata, a sweetened bread similar to
coffeecake that is personalized with letters formed by
the dough.
TALEENE KARAMARDIAN, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
RECIPES
GRILLED LAMB AND VEGETABLE KEBABS
Yield: 6 large servings, 12 smaller servings
For lamb kebabs:
12 lamb loin chops (about 4 1/2 pounds); see cook’s
notes
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon salt
For vegetable kebabs:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 large white mushrooms
4 small red bell peppers, cored, seeded, cut into 6
chunks each
2 large Japanese eggplants, each cut crosswise into 6
pieces
2 large zucchini, each cut crosswise into 6 pieces
Optional for serving: Feta cheese, cilantro, mint,
olives, cucumber slices, tomato wedges, walnuts,
lahvosh; seek cook’s notes
Cook’s notes: If you prefer, leg of lamb can be
substituted for the loin chops. Be sure to remove as
much gristle and fat as possible; cut into 1-inch
chunks. If desired, serve skewers on platter
accompanied by feta cheese, cilantro, fresh mint,
olives, cucumber slices, tomato wedges, walnuts and
lahvosh.
Procedure:
1.Prepare lamb kebabs: Using sharp knife, cut 2 pieces
of meat from each chop. Trim away fat and sinew. Cut
larger pieces crosswise in half. Toss onions, lemon
slices, oil, pepper, soy sauce and salt in large bowl.
Add meat. Using hands, massage marinade into meat.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to 2
days, stirring occasionally.
2.Thread up to 6 pieces of lamb onto each of 6
skewers, spacing meat 1/2 inch apart. Cover and
refrigerate until ready to grill. (If you prefer, make
smaller kebabs using half as much meat on each of 12
skewers.)
3.Prepare vegetable kebabs: Whisk oil, rosemary,
pepper and salt in large bowl. Add vegetables and toss
to coat. Let stand up to 1 hour at room temperature,
tossing occasionally. Thread 2 mushrooms, 4 pieces
bell pepper, 2 pieces eggplant, and 2 pieces of
zucchini alternately onto each of 6 skewers. (If you
prefer, make smaller kebabs using half as many
vegetables on each of 12 skewers.)
4.Prepare barbecue for high heat. Grill lamb until
crisp and brown on outside but pink in center, turning
occasionally, about 8 minutes. Grill vegetable kebabs
until tender and beginning to get nice grill marks,
turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Arrange on
plates and serve, if desired, accompanied by lahvosh.
Nutritional information(for smaller servings):
Calories 330 (62 percent from fat), protein 20 g,
carbohydrates 11.2 g, fat 22.8 g (saturated 10.8 g),
cholesterol 105 mg, sodium 143 mg, fiber 0.5 g
Source: “Zov: Recipes and Memories From the Heart” by
Zov Karamardian (Zov’s Publishing, $35)
LEBNI (YOGURT CHEESE SPREAD)
Yield: 1 cup
1 cup yogurt cheese; see cook’s notes
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus more for garnish; see
cook’s notes
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
For garnish: Italian parsley, fresh mint
For serving: Lahvosh, sliced cucumbers, tomato wedges,
fresh mint, string cheese or feta cheese
Cook’s notes:To make yogurt cheese, line colander with
4 layers of cheesecloth and place in bowl (there
should be at least 1 inch between the bottom of the
colander and the bottom of the bowl). Add 4 cups plain
yogurt (not low-fat or nonfat) to colander. Place in
refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours. Once
strained, yogurt cheese will have a consistency that
is thicker than sour cream. Aleppo pepper, a
coarse-ground, deep red pepper, is found in Middle
Eastern markets and at (1.9-ounce jar
is $3.49).
Procedure:
1.In medium bowl, stir yogurt cheese, dried mint,
garlic powder, Aleppo pepper and salt until
well-combined. Transfer to serving bowl. Drizzle with
oil and sprinkle with Aleppo pepper. Garnish with
parsley sprigs and mint sprigs.
2.Spread each piece of lahvosh (about 6-by-6-inch
piece) with layer of lebni (cheese spread). Top with
cucumber, tomato, mint and cheese. Roll up “burrito
style” and serve.
Nutritional information(per teaspoon): Calories 74 (80
percent from fat), protein 2.8 g, carbohydrates 1.1 g,
fat 6.6 g (saturated 4.2 g), cholesterol 22 mg, sodium
113 mg, no fiber
Source: Adapted from “Zov: Recipes and Memories From
the Heart” by Zov Karamardian (Zov’s Publishing, $35)
PAPER-THIN LAHVOSH
Lahvosh, also spelled lavash or lavosh, is sold at
many supermarkets, Middle Eastern markets and Trader
Joe’s. A 1-pound package of Trader Joe’s lahvosh is
$1.59. A 1-pound package of Babylon Bakery’s lahvosh,
available at Ralphs, is $2.19. The following recipe
uses an upside-down wok to cook the dough over a gas
flame. The sheets cook quickly, but are much smaller
than those we saw in Armenia.
Yield: 8 thin flat breads
1 tablespoon mild honey (or brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 1/2 to 3 cups hard unbleached white flour; see
cook’s notes
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil
Cook’s notes: “Hard” wheats have an endosperm with a
higher proportion of hard protein molecules and
produce a flour containing more protein particles.
Arrowhead Mills Organic Unbleached White Flour is one
example. It can be ordered at
Procedure:
1. Stir honey and yeast into warm water in medium bowl
until dissolved. Gradually add 2 cups flour, stirring
constantly in the same direction. Then stir 100 times,
about 1 minute, in same direction to help develop
gluten. Sprinkle on salt and gradually add more flour
until dough is too stiff to mix. Turn onto lightly
floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5
to 7 minutes, adding flour only as needed.
2.Clean and lightly oil bowl. Place dough in bowl and
cover with plastic wrap. Let rise about 3 hours in
warm location, or until doubled in volume. Or you can
let dough rise overnight in cool place; the slower
rise will give more flavor. Punch down dough and let
rest 10 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each
piece between floured palms. To roll out, work on 2
pieces at a time, leaving remaining dough covered.
Roll out 1 piece to a round 5 to 6 inches in diameter,
then switch to the other piece. In rolling out yeasted
dough, it is important to roll them out only so far
and then let them rest. Alternate between 2 pieces of
dough until each is a very thin round about 13 to 14
inches in diameter.
4. To cook lahvosh, turn wok upside down over high
heat. Lightly oil top surface with paper towel, and
let it get hot before putting on bread. The rolled-out
bread is a little fragile at this point and may tear
while being transferred to wok. To carry it, roll it
halfway up onto rolling pin. Then lay 1 edge on hot
wok and gradually unroll bread over wok.
5.Cook 15 seconds and delicately turn with wooden
spatula. Cook 30-40 seconds, then turn again and cook
about 30 seconds. Remove and place on clean kitchen
towel. Fold lahvosh in half and wrap it in towel to
keep warm. Continue in same manner for remaining
rounds.
Nutritional information(per lahvosh): Calories 98 (3
percent from fat), protein 3.7 g, carbohydrates 22.1
g, fat 0.4 g (saturated 0.1 g), cholesterol 0.1 mg,
sodium 23 mg, fiber 1.8 g
Source: “Flatbreads and Flavors” by Jeffrey Alford and
Naomi Duguid (Morrow, $35.95)
SAVORY MINCED BEEF KEBABS WITH ONION-SUMAC RELISH
Yield: 8 servings
For beef kebabs:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 small onion, finely minced, about 3/4 cup
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 jalapeño, seeded, finely minced; see cook’s notes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For relish:
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons ground sumac; see cook’s notes
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
For serving: Lahvosh, cucumber slices, cilantro, mint,
tomato wedges, thinly sliced cabbage
Cook’s notes: Sumac is sold at Middle Eastern markets
and at Use caution when handling
chilies, keeping hands away from face and eyes and
washing carefully afterward.
Procedure:
1.Prepare kebabs: Using your hands, mix beef, onion,
cilantro, parsley, mint, jalapeño, salt, pepper,
allspice and cinnamon in large bowl until
well-combined. Divide into 8 equal portions. Shape
each into sausage-shaped patty. Insert a metal skewer
at 1 end and push it through to opposite end of each
patty.
2.Prepare relish: Toss onion with sumac in medium bowl
to coat. Squeeze mixture to extract as much juice as
possible from the onion. Discard juice. Stir in
parsley and mint.
3.Prepare barbecue for high heat. Grill kebabs until
just cooked through, turning occasionally, about 10
minutes. Transfer kebabs to platter. Fold lahvosh
around patty and pull meat off skewer. Add ingredients
to taste, such as cucumber, tomato, cabbage, fresh
herbs and Onion-Sumac Relish. Roll up each or fold in
half like taco.
Nutritional information(per serving): Calories 316 (14
percent from fat), protein 52.4 g, carbohydrates 15.3
g, fat 5 g (saturated 2.5 g), cholesterol 37 mg,
sodium 230 mg, fiber 2.5 g
Source: “Zov: Recipes and Memories From the Heart” by
Zov Karamardian (Zov’s Publishing, $35)
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JAVAKHETI CANNOT BE TURNED INTO KARABAKH
Lragir.am
23 June 06
All Armenia should do about the issue of Javakheti is to establish
a dialogue between the Armenians of Javakheti and the Georgian
government, said Member of Parliament Shavarsh Kocharyan, the leader
of the National Democratic Party on June 23. He told news reporters
at the Pastark Club that it is unacceptable to manipulate the problem
of Javakheti in the electoral campaign in 2007 in Armenia. The leader
of the National Democratic Party says the tendency “to make Karabakh
out of Javakheti” is unacceptable. He believes that it can be very
dangerous. Shavarsh Kocharyan thinks that the only acceptable way
is the enable the relation between the population of Javakheti and
official Tbilisi to settle the problems of Armenians of Javakheti as
soon as possible. If the problems are not solved, they may give rise
to undesirable developments, says Shavarsh Kocharyan.

CRISIS-MONITORING IN THE ZONE NEAR THE BORDER BETWEEN NKR AND AZERBAIJAN
A1+
[03:16 pm] 21 June, 2006
On June 28, the OSCE Mission plans to conduct a monitoring in the zone
near the border between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the Agdam
direction. This information is given by the website of the Foreign
Ministry of the Republic of Karabakh.
Let us remind you that on June 15, 2006, the NKR Ministry of Foreign
Affairs turned to the Office of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office with a
demand to conduct a crisis-monitoring in the zone near Azerbaijan for
evaluating the real situation on the spot and denying the strained
accusations of the Azerbaijani party on false ignition of settlements
on the territories controlled by the NKR.

SOME FORCES IN TURKEY SEEM TO TRY TO INFLAME INTER-RELIGIOUS SCANDAL
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.06.2006 16:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The clothes of people in a TV advertisement of Turkey
corresponds to that of dervishes of Mavlavi Turkish order. According
to newspaper of Armenians of Russia Yerkramas, the official response
of Director of State Museum of History of Religion Kuchinsky to the
request of St. Petersburg Lawyer College of Naryshkins. After 1925
activities of dervish orders was banned in Turkey and zikr dance of
dervishes, which symbolizes movement of spheres of the universe was
preserved only as an element of people’s art.
We remind that a group of Armenian activists in St. Petersburg laid a
suit against a TV channel, which broadcast an advertisement. The 22nd
channel, which demonstrated Christian culture monuments that are on
the territory of modern Turkey, presented these as sunken cities,
where mermaids swim, while Turkish dervishes dance on Christ’s
image. The goal of the advertisement is to attract tourists in Turkey.
Experts’ conclusion says that “fragments of the video, where dervishes
dance on the nimbus of Jesus Christ humiliate Christians.” This
conclusion was made by a judicial expertise body of the Russian
Ministry of Justice. One of Armenian activists, Artak Aleksanyan, is
outraged by Turkey inviting guests “by demonstrating architectural
monuments, it gained by extermination of neighbors and seizing
territories.”
Against the background of the latest scandal over cartoons of Muhammad
prophet in European newspapers, an impression is formed that some
forces in Turkey are trying to artificially inflame an inter-religious
scandal, Aleksanyan said.

ARMENIAN MINE RENDERED HARMLESS IN WEST AZERBAIJAN
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 19 2006
Baku, June 16, AssA-Irada
Armenians have brought a mine to Azerbaijan’s western Terter District
through the Khachin River.
The BM-62 mine, discovered by local residents near an electricity line
20 meters away from a sowing area in Shahri village that is crossed
by the river, was rendered harmless by employees of the Azerbaijan
National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA).

KARABAKH ISSUE TO BE SETTLED AFTER “COLLAPSE OF RUSSIAN EMPIRE”, AZERI POLITICAL SCIENTIST CONSIDERS
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.06.2006 13:56 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “International structures with undisguised
assurance reiterated the year of 2006 will become the year of
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem. They attempt to force
Azerbaijan to concessions, that is cede Nagorno Karabakh, Lachin
and Kelbajar to Armenia,” Azerbaijani ex-President Heydar Aliyev’s
former advisor for external political affairs Vafa Guluzade told
Zerkalo Baku-based newspaper. In his words, all these attempts are
absolutely fruitless. “Azerbaijan’s position is precisely outlined. It
means that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is not a subject
of discussion and our state is guided by the fulfillment of the U.N.
Security Council Resolution on withdrawal of all occupying troops
form the Azerbaijani territory,” he remarked.
As for Armenia, the Azeri political scientist considers that this
state sounds the position of its “elder brother” – Russia. “The core of
Armenia’s position is that it has no intention to renounce Karabakh’s
independence supported by Russia. Russia prohibited Armenia from
signing any peaceful document with Azerbaijan. I have stated many
times that we should wait for the collapse of the Russia Empire. I
foretell it will happen in 10 years. All my forecasts have proved
true so far,” the Azeri political scientist said.