SUCCESS IN ARMENIA

After last week's fiasco with leg of lamb, I felt the need to exonerate myself. I am proud to say I did so rather nicely. I wisely chose a pound of lamb chop shoulder cuts. This was half the price of lamb chops.

In a bowl, I mixed a small can of tomato paste, about half a cup of diced onion, and a mixture of allspice, cayenne pepper, fennel seeds, a dab of maple syrup, and paprika. I also added a diced green pepper. All of this was mixed in a bowl, and applied to the washed and patted dry lamb. I preheated the broiler, put aluminum foil over a cookie sheet, sprayed it with Pam, and broiled the lamb.

I garnished this with stuffed grape leaves. I do admit that I went with canned grape leaves, as it was very late before I was able to start dinner. Generally, Armenian food does not rely on spices for its flavor, but, rather, fresh herbs. I learned my lesson, when it comes to spices. We do not like bland food. I tried a couple of dishes last week, cut the meat in half, so I cut the spices in half, as well. This was a big mistake. When I cut the meat in a recipe, I have found it is best to use the full dose of spices. I did not want to take a chance on another bland meal, so I went ahead and spiced this recipe up. If the tomato paste is too much, as it can cause heartburn, yogurt also makes a good base for lamb marinade. If yogurt is used, I would suggest using some minced garlic, some fresh parsley, and just a hint of lemon juice. Also, if you can find it, you can use fenugreek.

ARMENIAN LAMB:

1 pound Lamb Chops, or Shoulder Cut
1 can Tomato paste
1 cup mixed Minced Onion and Diced Green Pepper
equal parts: Allspice, Cayenne Pepper, Fennel Seeds, Cumin
2 parts paprika
a dab of Maple Syrup