 |
|
|
|
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Sue Sevhonkian (left) and Annahis Kalpakian (right) prepare khadaiff, which consists of shredded dough, butter and either cream or a hot filling, for the upcoming Armenian Food Fair at St. Andrew Armenian Church.
Church serves kebabs at Armenian Food Fair
By Kelle Shilacci
The Ladies Society at St. Andrew Armenian Church is very busy this week. In fact, for more than 30 years, September has been a notoriously busy month for the parish as members prepare for their annual Armenian Food Fair.
Free to the public, this year's fair--featuring a large variety of homemade Armenian food and pastries-- is set for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the church hall.
There will be traditional items like the barbecued luleh kebab, rice pilaf, tabouleh and grape-leaf sarma. And if customers don't know the difference between their kufta and lahmajoon, the chefs and organizers will be happy to guide them through the delicacies.
"The cheese boureg is always a favorite," organizer H. Ronnie Henesian said. "We used to use phyllo dough, but now we use puff pastry, which makes the process faster, and more uniform. And it tastes just as good."
Henesian has been behind the scenes of this annual event for long enough to know. She's been there from the beginning, since the founding of the Armenian social group more than 40 years ago, back when Cupertino was known for its booming apricot and prune harvests rather than its Apple computers. The social group soon became a parish assembly, meeting in borrowed churches and private homes until finally settling into its very own acreage at 11370 S. Stelling Road on July 15, 1973.
If there's one thing that hasn't changed through all this growth and expansion, it's the effort put into the Society's biggest annual fundraiser.
"The Ladies Society does most of the cooking," Henesian said, "but it's really a collaborative effort. The youth groups help out, and the Parish Council likes to get behind the barbecue. Other members will donate food at the time of the event."
Henesian beams when discussing her parish, speaking very highly about the community and the warmth.
"Most of us are transplanted back-Easters," she explains, "but there have been a number of families who have come to the area from overseas just in the past 20 years, escaping their homelands in favor of more opportunity. They are all highly motivated, and education is paramount."
Which explains why, after over four decades, the ladies of St. Andrew's still make the time each September to gather together in the steamy church kitchen to churn out those kuftas (Armenian stuffed meatballs) and khadayifs (sesame-covered breakfast rolls.)
The Armenian Food Fair is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 at St. Andrew Armenian Church, 11370 S. Stelling Road. For more information, call (408) 257-6743.
|
|
|
|
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
