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GEORGIA ON MY MIND…..

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TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 March 2018 at 11:22
Math was never my strong suit....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 March 2018 at 12:08
Originally posted by Brook Brook wrote:

SHEMTSVARI TSITSILA SUNELEBSHI
(Georgian Game Hens in Herb Sauce)

There’s no reason to not make this dish with regular chicken, if you prefer. If so, adjust the other ingredients to the weight of the bird.

2 game hens     
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup sour cream     
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp powdered marigold     
1 tsp dried coriander
¼ tsp cinnamon     
¼ tsp black pepper
Salt to taste     
Cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 400F. Roast the game hens for 35-40 minutes, basting often. Cut into serving pieces. Prepare the sauce by mixing the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, spices and salt together. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin the sauce if necessary.

Put the pieces of game hen (or chicken) into a shallow bowl and pour the herb sauce over it. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.


We were able to try this last night, with a couple of minor substitutions:

Instead of game hens, we roasted one whole roasting chicken, with nothing but basic seasonings and a little occasional basting, now and then.

Instead of cilantro, we garnished with a little parsley and chives.

We did not have any powdered marigold, so we substituted with Georgia's quintessential spice mix, Khmeli-Suneli; recipe can be found here:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=4946&PID=38519&title=georgia-on-my-mind#38519

The ingredients for this recipe, other than the poultry and the garnish, make up a sauce for the chicken. After consulting a bit with Brook, I decided to double the sauce recipe due to the fact that a chicken is bigger than two game hens. An important exception to the doubling of the sauce was the Khmeli-Suneli, which I left at the original amount; in effect, if one uses Khmeli-Suneli as a substitute for powdered marigold, use half the amount of Khmeli-Suneli that you would use if using powdered marigold, to keep things in balance.

This recipe was very easy to prepare, as you can see. When the chicken was just about finished, we prepared the sauce, which was reminiscent of (but completely unique from) Greek tzatziki; it reminded me of a combination of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing and tzatziki, but I must stress that it has its own flavor, completely independent from either of these condiments.

And what flavor! It was really tasty, fresh and memorable - simply outstanding. It went perfectly with the chicken, but I could easily see it being used for other applications, as well. We had some sauce left over, so I put it in a small container into the refrigerator, and will see what else it will work well with; off the top of my head, I think that it would be wonderful for almost any fish, lamb and probably grilled venison.

I can easily recommend this recipe, either as written or with the slight modifications that I made. I am confident that any who try this will enjoy it, very much, and plan to prepare it again.

Ron
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 March 2018 at 13:20
Glad it worked out for you, Ron.

You're right that it's simplicity itself to prepare, and flavorful as all get out.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 May 2018 at 11:55
Brook - I thought you might like this; a friend from France who is living in Ukraine posted this photo:



When I correctly identified the dish as a type of Georgian dumpling that I've read about, he said, "Exactly; here this would be called 'Kavkaz Xinkali and Smetana....' I prefer the Caucasus version and eat them with Ukrainian sour cream, like varenikis."
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 May 2018 at 15:44
Looks like a variation of Khinkali, Ron. And, allowing for differences in spelling (note the X vs KH) that, indeed, is what it is.

Look close and you can see the pleats that seal the dumpling. In some place, instead of leaving a "handle", they push the twisted knob of dough down into the dumpling. That appears to be the case here.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 May 2018 at 03:44

Brook, Historic Foodie,    

The beet, leek and spinach patès sound wonderful .. and would be quite lovely with crudities surely and some great Grossini bread sticks ..  

Thank you for posting such an exemplary feature on Georgian Cuisine .. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 February 2019 at 12:57
Originally posted by HistoricFoodie HistoricFoodie wrote:



Here’s the recipe and instructions:

TKEMALI
(Georgian Sour Plum Sauce)


2 cups water
½ lb sour prunes
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tbls cilantro, minced
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
2 tbls strained fresh lemon juice

Bring the water to boil in a 1-quart saucepan and drop in the prunes. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes. Bring back to boil over high heat and cook briskly, uncovered, 10-15 minutes, or until prunes are tender. Pour contents into a sieve set over a bowl and set liquid aside.

Cut out and discard prune pits and combine the prunes, garlic, and cilantro in a blender. Pour in ¼ cup of the prune liquid. The blended sauce should have the consistency of sour cream.

Transfer sauce to a 1 ½ -2 quart saucepan and stir in the salt and pepper. Bring to boil over high heat, then, off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.

I've finally gotten around to this and have ordered dried sour plums and a bottle of ready made green tkemali sauce from Bezos and Khmeli-suneli from World Spice Mkt.  I've seen more complicated  recipes for this sauce than the one posted above but I am really wanting the most authentic (whatever that means) of them.  Will this simple recipe do? 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 February 2019 at 17:52
All I can say, G-man, is that it's the one I used.  I suspect there are numerous "authentic" versions.

That said, the above recipe came from the Foods of the World series. And you know how I feel about those.  However, better recipes I have call for whole (that is, not dry) plums, which are unavailable to me.  F'rinstance, from "The Georgian Feast:" 

1 1/2 lbs plums (not too sweet or ripe)
11/4 cup water
3/4 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp fennel seed
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbls finely minced fresh mint
1/3 cup finely minced cilantro

It's been on my to-do list to try reconstituting the dried plums and using this recipe. Just haven't found the time.  

The long and the short of it: As with most traditional condiments, there are household-to-household, and cook to cook, differences.  But every one of them is right.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 February 2019 at 19:21
I guess what I mean by "authentic" is something that hasn't been westernized.  Something that would be served in the region it originates from.  I suspect the simplest recipe is what I'm after.  I ordered the ready made stuff as a comparison.

I must admit, I'm excited by the whole Georgian concept.  I've been immersing myself in it and can hardly wait to begin.

I knew this would happen when this thread began but as my sainted Mither would say "Big body's move slow"  Excellent thread!  And thanks for the new recipe!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 February 2019 at 07:01
I think you'll enjoy Georgian food, G-man.  I hate the use the word "unique," cuz very little is. But, overall, Georgian cuisine comes close.

Plus, as should be obvious, I'm fascinated by a people whose national identity is found in their foodways. I don't know of another culture for which that's true.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 February 2019 at 20:39
This hole runs deep!  I've been occupying myself with reading everything I can find online.  A dangerous thing for someone like me.  The more I learn, the more ingredients I must track down and order.  Herbs, spices and books have begun to appear on my doorstep.  Even an heirloom culture is on the way so I may culture matsoni yogurt.  And liquid rennet is coming so I can make Imeretian cheese, and from that, Sulguni cheese.   Wow! One Georgian cheese made from another.  

I haven't gone down a rabbit hole this deep since Ethiopian food.  I didn't know a thing about that when I started, but I had at least tasted it in Ethiopian restaurants.  I don't know a darned thing about the cuisine of Georgia. But I'm learning. In short, I'm having a blast.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 February 2019 at 01:18


Good luck Gracoman. 

Fascinating Project.   
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 February 2019 at 09:00
I know that you're going to love this journey, gMan - I was only able to dip my toe into the pool a little when I tried the Shemtsvari Tsitsila Sunelebshi, but it was simply wonderful, and I plan to enter the water more, this year.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 February 2019 at 17:52
Herbs and spices can get expensive.  Especially when several are required for a mix or blend.  For that reason, I'll usually go with a pre-made blend if I don't have most components on hand. 

Georgian specific ingredients tend to be on the upper end of the price scale and sold in rather small quantities. Many have been pre-ground and freshness becomes suspect.  I've found some Georgian imports sealed in mylar which helps but ground is ground.  Others, like coriander fer-instance can be found most places but these other ingredients are not going to be found in any grocery stores or even online Spice houses. 

I've read Thai basil is closest to the purple basil used in many Georgian dishes (except when green is used) but that can also be difficult to find. 

The best place I've found for a decent number of ingredients is the Georgian Deluxe Spice Bundle which includes:
-Dry Adjika
-Georgian Red Pepper
-A house take on Khmeli-Suneli
-Utsho Suneli (blue fenugreek)
-Marigold (Georgian saffron)
-Svanetian Salt
-Georgian Coriander
$41.00

There is a shipping delay as they await blue fenugreek restock.







 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 February 2019 at 18:17
That's a good hit, G-man.  Wish I had known about that company when I was doing my exploration.

You're right that Georgian spices seem to be on the high side of the scale.  But, as you experiment with recipes, you'll find that you don't use much of any of them at any one time. So they stretch pretty far.  I had shared both the khmeli-suneli and svanuri salt with several other members, when doing the project, and never felt the loss.  I'm still using both of them.

Of course, ordering special herbs and spices for many of my global explorations, has always been expensive.  But what can you do?  These are often the ones that distinguish the cuisine, so you have to bite the bullet.

The blue fenugreek is always difficult to come by.  If you get it, fine. If not, regular fenugreek can sub, but start by cutting the amount in half. Standard fenugreek is much stronger. 

I would add summer savory to that list.  It's absolutely required in Georgian cookery.  With that addition you should have things pretty well covered. 

A note on the marigold: There seems to be some confusion as to whether the marigold used in Georgian cooking is regular marigold, or pot marigold.  The latter is actually calendula.  Either of them works.  I used calendula because its something I always have on hand for other purposes.  It's easy to grow, btw, if you want to go that route.  

Georgian purple basil and Thai basil are, I'm convinced, the same plant. Or near enough to each other to make no never mind. 

I'm looking forward to your journey, and sharing it with you

 




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 February 2019 at 18:19
BTW, you mention that books have started to arrive.  What titles did you order?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 February 2019 at 19:45
I have in my possession Carla Capalbo's Tasting Georgia. A gorgeous book but I'm not sure I like her personal "takes" on recipes.  Still awaiting Goldstein's The Georgian Feast. These two will keep me busy for a few days.  I may or may not expand.  I'm getting antsy and there is a lot of excellent information available on the internet which, as far as I can tell, hasn't been personalized.  The more you read the easier it is to find the BS.

For example, Georgians insist traditional wet red adjika contains no tomatoes.  Carla Capalbo's recipe does.  I forget what she says about green adjika.  That said, the book is fantastic and not all of the recipes have been adulterated.

Yes, I bought French marigold which is correct,  I suppose.  I've seen recipes that require tablespoons of the stuff

Blue fenugreek "arrived" in an empty envelope today.  I was refunded and then I reordered. 

I have a boatload of standard fenugreek seeds.  It's cheap and plentiful.  Never been to an Asian or Indian mkt that didn't have it. I use it when home curing and smoking bacon.  It adds a wonderful maple flavor without dealing with the syrup.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 February 2019 at 19:47
Yes, summer savory.  But that is one of those things that is available everywhere.   Not a special order.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 February 2019 at 06:34
You're starting to sound like those celebrity chefs. Ya know: "Available in any market..."  Yeah, well, maybe any market in New York.  But not, necessarily in smaller cities and towns.

Unless I grow it myself, f'rinstance, summer savory isn't available.  I know McCormick used to bottle it. Maybe they still do? But it's not something found on the shelves 'round here. 

Fortunately, it's easy to grow.  The timing wasn't right for that when I did the major study, though, so I mail-ordered it.  Given what I spent on the other stuff it was merely an incremental cost.  

Frankly, when not concerned with authenticity, I generally prefer winter savory. It's got a much better depth of flavor. Plus, like basil, summer savory changes flavor when dried, whereas the winter variety doesn't.  But, as the old saying has it, when in Georgia........Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 February 2019 at 06:53
I agree, "Tasting Georgia" is drop-dead gorgeous.  I don't fully agree with you about the recipes, though. When you compare the "takes" to more traditional versions, it's more of an interpretation than a change. 

Overall, though, it's important to remember that the book is more of a travelogue with recipes than an actual cookbook in the traditional sense.

"The Georgian Feast" is pretty much the basic resource. Unfortunately, it didn't get the attention it deserved when first published. But here it is, a quarter century later, and it's still in print.

"Supra" is on my wish list. It was just coming out when I started the Georgian exploration. I got to read excerpts from it, but not the whole book.  I've wanted it since it was published, but, what with other projects, the budget only stretches so far. 

Interestingly, I see that there already are used copies available. So, maybe.......

As you're discovering, for an "unknown" cuisine, there is an incredible amount of information available.  




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