Your trusted source

The National Museum of American History in Washington in partnership with the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage hosted on November 15 a cooking demonstration and discussion with the authors of the book Lavash: The bread that launched 1,000 meals, plus salads, stews, and other recipes from Armenia. The cookbook and travelogue dived into the foodways of Armenia and its traditions of bread, feasts, and foraging.

As Folklife Festival Armenia Program curator Halle Butvin told the Voice of America Armenian service the event came after the success at the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s Armenia: Creating Home program.

The special guests of the event were Kate Leahy - an award-winning food writer and recipe developer based in San Francisco, John Lee - a food and lifestyle photographer based in San Francisco and Ara Zada - a chef, recipe developer, and food writer based in Los Angeles. The guests shared stories from their work illuminating Armenian culture as well as their journey they took together as authors to write their cookbook. After the demonstration, the authors signed copies of the book.

To note, the new cookbook not only reveals how to make the ubiquitous and doable flatbread lavash, the UNESCO-recognized bread of Armenia, but also shares 60+ recipes of what to eat with it, from soups and salads to hearty stews paired with lots of fresh herbs. Stunning photography and essays provide an insider's look at Armenia.