New Year's Dinner, 2009...

I've been itching to try my hand at the food of Georgia. The former Soviet Republic, that is. The problem is my wife's rather vicious sensitivity to walnuts. Walnuts pop up all over the Georgian cuisine. The stars finally lined up though, the auguries were favorable, and I managed to put together a menu I was happy with. So...this is what we ate for New Year's Dinner:

basturma

(marinated, garlicky beef kebabs)

narshrab

(a somewhat fiery, spiced pomegranate sauce)

khachapuri

(yeasted flat breads filled with three cheeses and fresh herbs)

anor va pioz salati

(an Uzbek salad of red onions, tomatoes, pomegranate seeds and cilantro)

Dinner turned out very tasty. The beef kebabs ended up a little more done than I would have liked, but were still tender and good, the spicy, tart sauce a great foil for the meat. The flatbreads were divine! The directions for completing the breads, in the book I was looking at, left a lot to be desired. By the time I was done making them we had figured out what the author probably meant. Next time I make khachapuri, I'll do things differently, get a neater appearance. During my time in Iraq, I developed a huge liking for the vegetable salads of the Islamic world. This was one of our all-time favorites, and went perfectly with the basturma and narshrab.

We have enough leftovers for all three of us to have the meal again tomorrow for lunch. I am going to take a bit extra with me to work for a couple of friends. One of my coworkers grew up in Georgia, and I want to get my "report card" from her (hopefully she's working Friday). I definitely put my own spin on the dishes, so I may not be totally authentic. We'll see.

I also made a big batch of my "refried" beans (I never fry them...they don't need it). The last few times I've made them, I have been flavoring them a bit more aggressively and we both like them better this way.

Anyway...we are sated now, and heading for bed. I count the dinner as a successful start to the new year.