KHORITZOV BAGHACH

This is a quick note to myself, because I've wanted this recipe for years and have finally got it - though it may need a little work.

If anyone is wondering, this is an Armenian pastry. Incredibly buttery and rich. My grandmother used to make it when I was little. This isn't exactly the same, but it's close. I plan to experiment to get it even closer.

Incidentally, this pastry is NOT sold in any Armenian store I know of, at least not in Watertown MA. It's probably too provincial; not even all Armenians know about it, and probably there were different recipes (and names) for it from village to village in the old country.

It's really good. The flavor of a croissant (a good croissant, from a real French bakery) but much denser and a bit crumbly. Mmmmm...

If anyone out there tries to make this, I'd very much like to hear how it goes for you. Also, fair warning, this is one of the most tiring recipes I've ever worked with. Physically there's a lot of manual labor involved, lots of muscle and back strain.

KHORITZOV BAGHACH

Filling:

• 1 & 1/2 sticks butter
  
• 1.5 cups King Arthur flour

Melt butter in saucepan. Mix in flour. Brown and stir over medium heat until the mixture is crumbly and starts to turn orange/pink. This takes 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

• Ingredients:
  
• 1 stick & 3 tbps butter, melted
  
• 1 package Fleischman's yeast (or 1.5 packages)
  
• 1/4 lukewarm water
  
• 1 cup milk, lukewarm
  
• 4 tsp sugar
  
• 3 tsp salt
  
• 1.5 tsp non-aluminum baking powder
  
• 5 cups flour
  
• 2 eggs
  
• more melted butter
  
• 1 egg, beaten

Combine yeast and warm water in a small bowl and set aside to allow the yeast to dissolve.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add eggs, melted butter, milk, & the dissolved yeast. Mix by hand and knead until the dough is smooth. Add more flour or warm milk as needed to make a firm but not too stiff dough. Place in bowl, cover with wax paper and towel. Place bowl in oven and allow to rise for 2-3 hours, until dough has doubled in size.

Divide dough into eight equal portions. Roll each portion out, and paint with melted butter. Allow to cool. Fold like an envelope into 5-inch square. Roll out a little, place filling in center, and fold around calzone-style, sealing edges carefully.

(Alternatively, I plan to try rolling out the buttered dough, painting it with butter again, folding, allowing to cool, and repeating this process as long as I have the strength to continue - five or six times at least. Then put in the filling and fold. I think that's why my grandmother's ones came out so much more flaky than this recipe).

Arange on baking sheet and brush surfaces with a beaten egg.

Bake in 400-degree oven for 20-25 minutes until brown. Watch carefully, they get done fast!

KHORITZOV BAGHACH

This is a quick note to myself, because I've wanted this recipe for years and have finally got it - though it may need a little work.

If anyone is wondering, this is an Armenian pastry. Incredibly buttery and rich. My grandmother used to make it when I was little. This isn't exactly the same, but it's close. I plan to experiment to get it even closer.

Incidentally, this pastry is NOT sold in any Armenian store I know of, at least not in Watertown MA. It's probably too provincial; not even all Armenians know about it, and probably there were different recipes (and names) for it from village to village in the old country.

It's really good. The flavor of a croissant (a good croissant, from a real French bakery) but much denser and a bit crumbly. Mmmmm...

If anyone out there tries to make this, I'd very much like to hear how it goes for you. Also, fair warning, this is one of the most tiring recipes I've ever worked with. Physically there's a lot of manual labor involved, lots of muscle and back strain.

KHORITZOV BAGHACH

Filling:

• 1 & 1/2 sticks butter
  
• 1.5 cups King Arthur flour

Melt butter in saucepan. Mix in flour. Brown and stir over medium heat until the mixture is crumbly and starts to turn orange/pink. This takes 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

• Ingredients:
  
• 1 stick & 3 tbps butter, melted
  
• 1 package Fleischman's yeast (or 1.5 packages)
  
• 1/4 lukewarm water
  
• 1 cup milk, lukewarm
  
• 4 tsp sugar
  
• 3 tsp salt
  
• 1.5 tsp non-aluminum baking powder
  
• 5 cups flour
  
• 2 eggs
  
• more melted butter
  
• 1 egg, beaten

Combine yeast and warm water in a small bowl and set aside to allow the yeast to dissolve.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add eggs, melted butter, milk, & the dissolved yeast. Mix by hand and knead until the dough is smooth. Add more flour or warm milk as needed to make a firm but not too stiff dough. Place in bowl, cover with wax paper and towel. Place bowl in oven and allow to rise for 2-3 hours, until dough has doubled in size.

Divide dough into eight equal portions. Roll each portion out, and paint with melted butter. Allow to cool. Fold like an envelope into 5-inch square. Roll out a little, place filling in center, and fold around calzone-style, sealing edges carefully.

(Alternatively, I plan to try rolling out the buttered dough, painting it with butter again, folding, allowing to cool, and repeating this process as long as I have the strength to continue - five or six times at least. Then put in the filling and fold. I think that's why my grandmother's ones came out so much more flaky than this recipe).

Arange on baking sheet and brush surfaces with a beaten egg.

Bake in 400-degree oven for 20-25 minutes until brown. Watch carefully, they get done fast!

(no subject)

Just a quick copy of my post on Scott Rosenberg's journal:

I have to point out that this movie was NOT originally written as an Asimov movie in any way - it was a robot action-mystery movie. Then the studio got the rights to "I, Robot" and decided to paste a few Asimovian figleafs into the script.

I loved Asimov's works when I was growing up (and damn it, they still read better than 94% of the crap that's published these days), and I was *very* impressed when I saw him speak at the University of Bridgeport in the early 1980's (he had to cope with several Christian fundamentalist hecklers, and did it magnificently), so I won't be seeing "I, Robot".

By the way, about Bradbury and "Fahrenheit 9/11" - isn't it a bit ironic for the author of "Something Wicked this Way Comes" and "I Sing the Body Electric!" to be whining about a title that *isn't* a complete steal? But Bradbury's a jerk anyway, and it's pretty clear what his motives are; after all, in his interview with Salon he professed his joy at the 2000 selection of George W. Bush:

"He's wonderful. We needed him. Clinton is a shithead and we're glad to be rid of him."

(no subject)

Just a quick copy of my post on Scott Rosenberg's journal:

I have to point out that this movie was NOT originally written as an Asimov movie in any way - it was a robot action-mystery movie. Then the studio got the rights to "I, Robot" and decided to paste a few Asimovian figleafs into the script.

I loved Asimov's works when I was growing up (and damn it, they still read better than 94% of the crap that's published these days), and I was *very* impressed when I saw him speak at the University of Bridgeport in the early 1980's (he had to cope with several Christian fundamentalist hecklers, and did it magnificently), so I won't be seeing "I, Robot".

By the way, about Bradbury and "Fahrenheit 9/11" - isn't it a bit ironic for the author of "Something Wicked this Way Comes" and "I Sing the Body Electric!" to be whining about a title that *isn't* a complete steal? But Bradbury's a jerk anyway, and it's pretty clear what his motives are; after all, in his interview with Salon he professed his joy at the 2000 selection of George W. Bush:

"He's wonderful. We needed him. Clinton is a shithead and we're glad to be rid of him."