i was holding my breath during the events in Georgia and i am glad that it seems to be a step to stabilization, that no blood was shed. what i can say about the georgians is that they are belong to the most hospitable and generous people i ever met.
their ancient folk music belongs to the most beautiful musical experiences you can encounter on this planet. the tradition of three-part-singing has been conserved even during the soviet decades. if you can find georgian music, maybe the recordings of the Rustavi choir, be prepared to meet someting completely new, incredibly energetic. the beauty of Georgian chants is multiplied by the beautiful sound of the language itself.
then there is the georgian kitchen. if you meet someone from georgia, ask him to prepare something for you. but i guess you won't have to ask...just make sure you are not a vegetarian, sorry. my very favourite meal is a georgian recipe, sacivi. i mentioned it in antenna, but as i was rather drunk (and noel refused the chicken in it
, i failed to give a description of this unbelievably yummy mess consisting of chicken, ground walnuts, onions and spices.
if you want to go "for something completely different", then i strongly advise you to taste this!!
i found a recipe on the web, it's pretty authentic, but i had to remix it a little. and yes, this was once supposed to be running around a yard, picking up maggots:
- SACIVI recipe, enhanced fandorin remix -
Cuisine: Georgian, Yield: Serves 6 people or 4 Georgians
Ingredients:
a good-sized chicken, trimmed and cut into pieces
about three handfuls of shelled, fresh walnuts
5-7 medium-sized cloves of garlic
3-4 onions~bay leaves
about 2 spoonfuls of khmeli suneli*
about 1 spoonful of kviteli qvavili*
salt and black pepper to taste.
vinegar
*Note to the spices: khmeli suneli and kviteli qvavili are traditional Georgian spice blends. Without them, the dish will lack its characteristic flavour. There is no one recipe for making them since every region will have its own speciality.
*Note: If some of the units or abbreviations look unfamiliar to you, click here.
Method
What you do: Place the chicken pieces in a good sized stock pot, cover with fresh, cold water and bring to a boil. Add some salt, black pepper and two or three bay leaves to the pot. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer until the chicken is done.
Meanwhile, grind the walnuts, garlic cloves and onions through the finest blade of a meat grinder and place in a large pan or pot. Season the mixture with the khmeli suneli and kviteli qvavili, mix well to incorporate all the flavours and set aside.
When the chicken is done, remove from the pot and separate the meat from the skin and bones. Set aside. Do not discard the bouillon. Gradually add the hot bouillon (which has been strained and skimmed) into the walnut mixture, stirring well to make a smooth sauce. Typically, this takes about 4-6 cups of bouillon in order to make a sauce which is neither too thin nor too thick. Check for seasonings, adding salt and black pepper as required. Finally, add the chicken pieces to the sauce and mix well. keep it hot. add an egg and stir! now you should add some spoonful of vinegar!!!
sacivi is eaten warm or at room temperature, never hot. Make sure you have plenty of good bread for dipping in the sauce. If you really want to impress your guests, you can give your sacivi an authentic Georgian touch as follows. Save some of the ground and seasoned walnuts, take them in your hand and squeeze them over top of the completed dish. Drops of yellow, seasoned walnut oil will fall in big polka dots over the top. Your whole table will be impressed!
fandorin's advise: you can emulate the seasoning of khmelisuneli etc. by mixing coriander, parsley, curcuma, pepper, basilicum, saffron...
you can also try to find a russian shop in your area. they should sell khmeli suneli, and you can mix it with curcuma or curry
but if you REALLY want to try it, i'd be glad to send you a package of that unique georgian spice. i have loads of it, because i am addicted to sacivi and georgian cuisine. really! kitchen aficionados, feel free to ask!
of course, georgians would serve gallons of red wine with this. but each glass would be accompagned by a toast; georgian toast use to be real short stories....
facts about Georgia
their ancient folk music belongs to the most beautiful musical experiences you can encounter on this planet. the tradition of three-part-singing has been conserved even during the soviet decades. if you can find georgian music, maybe the recordings of the Rustavi choir, be prepared to meet someting completely new, incredibly energetic. the beauty of Georgian chants is multiplied by the beautiful sound of the language itself.
then there is the georgian kitchen. if you meet someone from georgia, ask him to prepare something for you. but i guess you won't have to ask...just make sure you are not a vegetarian, sorry. my very favourite meal is a georgian recipe, sacivi. i mentioned it in antenna, but as i was rather drunk (and noel refused the chicken in it
if you want to go "for something completely different", then i strongly advise you to taste this!!
i found a recipe on the web, it's pretty authentic, but i had to remix it a little. and yes, this was once supposed to be running around a yard, picking up maggots:
- SACIVI recipe, enhanced fandorin remix -
Cuisine: Georgian, Yield: Serves 6 people or 4 Georgians
Ingredients:
a good-sized chicken, trimmed and cut into pieces
about three handfuls of shelled, fresh walnuts
5-7 medium-sized cloves of garlic
3-4 onions~bay leaves
about 2 spoonfuls of khmeli suneli*
about 1 spoonful of kviteli qvavili*
salt and black pepper to taste.
vinegar
*Note to the spices: khmeli suneli and kviteli qvavili are traditional Georgian spice blends. Without them, the dish will lack its characteristic flavour. There is no one recipe for making them since every region will have its own speciality.
*Note: If some of the units or abbreviations look unfamiliar to you, click here.
Method
What you do: Place the chicken pieces in a good sized stock pot, cover with fresh, cold water and bring to a boil. Add some salt, black pepper and two or three bay leaves to the pot. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer until the chicken is done.
Meanwhile, grind the walnuts, garlic cloves and onions through the finest blade of a meat grinder and place in a large pan or pot. Season the mixture with the khmeli suneli and kviteli qvavili, mix well to incorporate all the flavours and set aside.
When the chicken is done, remove from the pot and separate the meat from the skin and bones. Set aside. Do not discard the bouillon. Gradually add the hot bouillon (which has been strained and skimmed) into the walnut mixture, stirring well to make a smooth sauce. Typically, this takes about 4-6 cups of bouillon in order to make a sauce which is neither too thin nor too thick. Check for seasonings, adding salt and black pepper as required. Finally, add the chicken pieces to the sauce and mix well. keep it hot. add an egg and stir! now you should add some spoonful of vinegar!!!
sacivi is eaten warm or at room temperature, never hot. Make sure you have plenty of good bread for dipping in the sauce. If you really want to impress your guests, you can give your sacivi an authentic Georgian touch as follows. Save some of the ground and seasoned walnuts, take them in your hand and squeeze them over top of the completed dish. Drops of yellow, seasoned walnut oil will fall in big polka dots over the top. Your whole table will be impressed!
fandorin's advise: you can emulate the seasoning of khmelisuneli etc. by mixing coriander, parsley, curcuma, pepper, basilicum, saffron...
you can also try to find a russian shop in your area. they should sell khmeli suneli, and you can mix it with curcuma or curry
but if you REALLY want to try it, i'd be glad to send you a package of that unique georgian spice. i have loads of it, because i am addicted to sacivi and georgian cuisine. really! kitchen aficionados, feel free to ask!
of course, georgians would serve gallons of red wine with this. but each glass would be accompagned by a toast; georgian toast use to be real short stories....
facts about Georgia
"You're an undiscovered wonder in a desolated place"
