Mountain River in Masalli

Waterfall in Yardimli

Tandir ovens on the road side ready to serve you Lavangi from the oven

 Fish Lavangi stuffed with seasonal vegetables

Caspian sea (the biggest lake in the world) is very generous and feeds five different countries. Major rivers where sturgeons habitat are falling into Caspian sea and sturgeon travels upstream in rivers to spawn, so Caspian sturgeons besides having tasty meat, have so-cold “black gold” -black caviar – we say Caspian sea has two black golds – referring to caviar and oil. The price for the caviar was always relatively inexpensive but I was surprised to see that this time prices were almost as high as prices in the world. Kabob from sturgeon, I can say without hesitation my favorite fish dish. I remember, when I was younger, we would go with friends to one of the open air restaurants on Caspian shore and while we had some appetizers and couple of shots of iced cold vodka, fisherman would sale further into the sea, we still could see him though, would catch a sturgeon and sail back. Unbelievably juicy and tender kebab from very same fish we had for dinner. I was looking for those restaurants, not anymore I guess… unfortunately Sturgeon is critically endangered because of people’s abusive behavior towards them.

Elmar with his cousins Tungay and Hanlar tasting salty water of the Caspian Sea

Housemade picklings and jellies for sale on the road side

We did enjoy swimming in Caspian sea in Astara, had fish for dinner, nothing special – pan seared snapper. We bought the fish from a young man selling his catch on the side of the road. Gave the fish to the chef in the restaurant next to the hotel we were staying in and asked him to make – lavangi – stuffed fish or chicken – specialty of this area. Housewives from South east of Azerbaijan take pride in the way they stuff chicken or fish. Since fish in this area is very popular and easy to get – fish lavangi is the most offered food in local restaurants. Staffing is – caramelized onions, grounded walnut, plum puree, raisins. Leyla gets very creative with lavangi – she adds seasonal ingredients. Recently she made lavangi with pomegranate, hazelnut, and quince. It was sea bass and I still remember taste of it. Talking about quince – this very popular fruit in Azerbaijan but not widely known in California.. We made quince jelly and top our pancakes with it. Stop by to try them.

Fruit drink made of seasonal berries by Leylas Mom, Tamara

3 tbsp honey
2 tsp baking soda
4 oz butter
3 eggs
3 c flour
1 c sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In small pot combine honey and baking soda an cook until dark caramel color and thick in consistency. Add butter and set aside.  In a mixer, beat the eggs and the sugar until creamy.  Add the honey caramel to the eggs and mix until fully incorporated. Add the flour in batches untill dough forms.

Roll out the dough to pie crust thickness and bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Cool and set aside.

Marzcapone cream

1c marzcapone  cheese
1c sour cream
1c sugar

Mix  all ingredients together and done.

Layer honey cake and cream. Enjoy!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

8oz.  Cream cheese
2c blue cheese crumbled
1c sour cream
1tspn pepper
3 eggs
1/4c roasted walnuts
1/4c sour cream

1 pear
1 c water
1 c sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Beat cream cheese and blue cheese in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy–about 5 minutes. Mix in 1 cup sour cream and pepper. Add eggs – one at a time – mixing well after each addition.
Pour mixture into buttered 9 inch springform pan. Bake 60 – 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Carefully spread 1 1/4 cup sour cream over top. Return to oven 5 minutes.
Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Top with chopped walnuts and a pear chip.

For the pear:
Combine water and sugar in a pot and simmer Pre heat oven to 200 degrees.
Slice pear paper thin and add to the simple syrup.
Simmer for 5 min. Remove from heat and steep for 10 more minuets .
Place damp pear slices on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
Bake for 10 or until gold in color.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Once cold, carefully remove from wax papper.

Our second stop was to north of Azerbaijan – Sheki and Gabala. The Sheki khanate was founded in 1743 as a result of revolt led by Haji Chalabi Khan against Persian Empire. We actually went to his residence. He had two trees in his backyard that were almost 400 years old. It is amazing to think that powerful branches were execution tools while khan was in power. Special branches were chosen so khan didn’t have to go down to the first floor to see hanged protesters and could observe everything from the second floor. That was only sad thing we have heard in Sheki. The rest was pleasure for our eyes, mind and stomach.

We stayed in Sheki for two days at a beautiful resort in the foot of Great Caucasus – Marhal. With natural springs coming out from the underground. Marhal is a small lake surrounded by forest covered mountains. Just half a mile above sea level makes such a difference in air freshness and make stars seem so much closer. Just beautiful! I think what I am going to miss the most is absence of the noisy background that we have in the city. We stayed in a two story house in the woods. The second floor was for us. The first floor was for people who actually helped us enjoy gorgeous Marhal. If we were hungry or thirsty we would simply go to the first floor and tell them what we wanted. The service was great. First we ordered Piti – traditional stew Sheki style -  pieces of tender lamb, handfull of garbsnzo beans and couple of sour plums, braised in individual clay pots  for hours. It was interesting that when piti is served, you are offered to eat it as is or sheki style -first broth poured in you plate, then all 3 ingredients are mashed in front of your eyes and you eat them separately.  Then comes saj kebab. I am giving up Leyla’s secrets: we are thinking of serving our guests at cafe 21 both piti and saj meals. Saj is a shallow pan that is used from both sides. On the protuberant side things like kutab or lavash are made. However, if you turn saj up side down you can cook in it pretty much everything from vegetables to meat. The small coal holder under saj keeps the meal hot throughout the entire meal. Piti by itself would have been enough; we were stuffed. Everyone was waiting for samovar tea and famous sheki pahlava. Made of rice flour, this glutten free desert is found nowhere else in the world. A special tool made of cooper is required to make this dessert and guess what we did… buy that tool and brought it over! Leyla is working her magic to have this dessert for our customers who are on gluten free diet!

Check out some photos from this part of our trip:

HOUSE WE ALL STAYED IN MARHAL

SAMOVAR EXHIBITION IN SHEKI HISTORY MUSEUM

LEYLA WITH HER MOM NEXT TO ONE OF THE MOUNTAIN LAKES IN MARHAL

ROASTED VEGETABLES SERVED IN SAJ

PITI IS BEING SERVED

SHEPPARD ENJOYING THE SHADE

SAMOVAR TEA IN MARHAL

ENTRANCE TO SHEKI KHANATE PALACE. LIKED THE PICTURE SO MUCH THAT MADE IT BIGGER AND PLACED ON THE WALLS AT CAFE 21 ON ADAMS

ENTRANCE TO SHEKI KHANATE

Our long-awaited trip to Azerbaijan was over before we knew it. We return with tons of pictures and memories and we are ready to share the best and sweetest of them with you. Our trip was broken into four major pieces. Our journey to east of Azerbaijan – capital of the country Baku; north of Azerbaijan – Sheki, Gabala; south of Azerbaijan Salyan, Bilasuvar, Lankaran, Masalli, Yardimli, Astara; and west of Azerbaijan – Gadabay, Shamkir.

My story will be broken in four pieces as well because we tried specific food that represents the part of Azerbaijan we were in.  However, no matter where and when you eat, every meal starts with Tandir bread and ends with tea. We will talk about tea separately because we will need to talk about all the goodies it is served with. When we say lets eat, we say lets eat bread, so our story begins with the famous tandir bread.

Every time you bite into tandir bread, you get a taste of coal, salt, and flour. That is all. As soon as you leave city there are plenty of roadside tandoors that offer delicious bread to travelers. There are plenty places in city as well, so lets start with Baku.

We can write a book about this city because it is where we were born, spent best years of our lives, met each other and fell in love. The city is beautiful, and is on the shore of Caspian sea. Baku would probably remind you of San Diego by geographical position if you would have looked over the city from La Jolla Mesa heights.

We showed our son, Elmar, all the streets we walked while dating.We found our tree we left our initials on back in 1998 and we walked by every beloved Baku residence in Ichery Sheher – Inner city. Old Baku, where every wall reminds you how short life is, to remember every day and how important it is to enjoy every moment. We were all about enjoyment. How you can not enjoy people we haven’t seen for over 12 years?! The best way to bring back memories is at the table. Azerbaijanis are famous for their hospitality among the former Soviet Union republics and guests are the most important people in the house. We compare guests with the breaths we are taking. Guests, like a breath we take, we live because we inhale, but the same way we inhale we should be able to exhale. That is why a wise guest understands that if there is a time to come there is also a time to go. Now, as a guest, especially if it is your first time in our house, most likely you will be treated to something special.

Before I go there I would like to mention that there is a difference how a table is served between eastern and western cultures. We serve plenty of dishes at the same time. On an average table you are going to see 5-6 cold and 2-3 hot appetizers. I would like to mention my absolute favorite hot appetizer – Kutab. I have ordered kutab in every restaurant we have been to and whenever Leyla’s relatives would ask me what I want I would always say – KUTAB!!! Kutab is very thinly-opened dough. It reminds me of a tortilla but is much thinner. Now pretend that you fold the tortilla and put meat in the middle. Stuffing can be different – my two favorites are ground lamb stomach with pomegranate seeds sprinkled over with sumac – special sour spice, and a mix of greens (spinach, cilantro, green onions or whatever in the house) dipped in plain yogurt.

Now back to the specialty – almost always it is going to be lamb kabob (3-6 month old animal). Since the animal is young, and eaten as soon as it is killed, its meat doesn’t need to be marinated. Lamb tail (fat) makes the difference between lamb that we ate there and lamb that we used to eat here. As a kabob, lamb tail is believed to clean our gullet. It is enhances the broth texture and flavor when in stew. Kabob is the mens’ job so 99 out of 100 heads of households prepare the kabob for the guest. First, eggplant, bell pepper and tomato goes on the skewers. While the coal is burning it takes few minutes for them to cook. Then they are given to the kitchen so women can peel them and cut them in little pieces to make chunky kabob salad. All that is needed to be added is salt and chopped garlic. During this time, girls make salad and decorate the table. The meat is sizzling and cooking on the already decayed coal. What if I am not in kabob mood? Bakintsi (how residents of Baku refer to themselves) are proud of the specific way of making rice pilaf. It is called Baki Ashi because of the saffron yellow rice. What makes it different is “GARA” – separately cooked – pieces of lamb in sauteed onions mixed with dry fruits (prunes, apricots, raisins and chestnuts). Sooo good! Two main entrees for a night — man, I am stuffed. Whats for dessert?

My favorite desert is house-made jam. Women take pride in their baking and there is a little competition going on every year when seasonal fruits are ready to go to the boiling pot. Every hostess presents her unique way to prepare mountain strawberries or cherries stuffed with walnuts or almond, young walnut, watermelon, paradise apples, apricot, fig, sour cherry-you name it. Baku is famous for its sweetest figs. I remember using fig jelly made by my mom by putting on sliced bread with butter.

A cup of hot tea and that open-faced sandwich is probably one of the sweetest memories from my childhood. Everything compliments tea that is state of art considering that it is boiled in Samovar (literally means self-boiled). Made of brass and copper, this special device makes tea tastier. For some reason (we were told because of the brass and copper) water boiled in samovar keeps all the minerals and electrolytes that usually evaporate when boiled otherwise. This was just one of many tasty meals we got to try in Baku. But I think my story is already too long. So I will take a pause and come back with our second part about north of Azerbaijan – Sheki, Gabala.

Check out some photos from our trip:

ALEX AND LEYLA IN ICHERI SHEHER

KABOB IN RESTAURANT “SUMAC” SERVED IN SAJ ( GIVING OUT A SECRET – WE WILL BE SERVING FOOD IN SAJES IN OUR RESTAURANT PRETTY SOON)

KEBAB MADE IN LEYLA’S VISIT HONOR IN HER HOUSE

GREEN KUTABS IN ART GARDEN RESTAURANT

KEBAB IN THE RESTAURANT DARNAGYUL – MEETING WITH FRIENDS WHO ACTUALLY INTRODUCED ME TO LEYLA.

BAKI ASHI – RICE WITH GARA MADE IN MY UNCLE’S HOUSE

TANDIR BREAD WAITING TO BE PURCHASED BY TRAVELERS

SAMOVAR TEA MADE BY ALEX’S COUSIN, FUAD

FIGS FROM THE FIG TREE IN ALEX’S SUMMER HOUSE WHERE UNFORGETTABLE CHILDHOODS WERE SPENT

JELLY MADE OF MOUNTAIN STRAWBERRIES AT LEYLA’S HOUSE

ELMAR TRYING ON A TRADITIONAL SHEPHERD’S HAT

ELMAR IN KING SHIRVAN’S PALACE

ALEX AND ELMAR NEXT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMY THAT ALEX GRADUATED FROM IN 1994

LEYLA AND ELMAR NEXT TO THE NIZAMI MUSEUM OF LITERATURE

According to the article, regulations on organic produce require farmers to grow produce for 3 years without chemical fumigation. However, virtually all plants are chemically treated before they bear fruit. This leaves a loophole for chemically fumigated fruit to still be labeled organic.

Please read the rest of the article here.

This is all part of an attempt to overhaul the existing farm bill. While some farmers have converted to organic and free-range farming, the practice has not become widespread. Farmers and scientists plan on lobbying to one day make organic farming mandated.

For more information on the OFRF report click here.

For more information on the Farm Bill 2012 check out this quick read.