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INGREDIENTS:
8 cups grape juice
1 cup flour
Cornstarch

PREPARATION:
Heat 2 cups of the grape juice until lukewarm. Add the flour to the warm grape juice and mix well. Bring the rest of the grape juice to a boil and add the flour mixture slowly and stirring constantly until the mixture begins to bubble. Spread a sheet of muslin or plastic wrap on a flat surface and pour the mixture out evenly to a layer of about 1/8 inch. Let this dry for about 12 hours. Peel the muslin or plastic wrap off the surface and hang like a sheet from a line and let dry for 24 more hours. Spray the backside of the muslin [not plastic wrap] lightly with water to release the bastegh from the muslin. Powder the bastegh with cornstarch, cut into strips and roll up and store in a jar.
NOTE: This can be made with other fruit juices.

All Credit for these recipes goes to: http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/armenian.html

A Middle Eastern dip for crudités, pita crisps or romaine lettuce leaves!
INGREDIENTS:
1 large head garlic, roasted* [see below]
3 large eggplants, whole with skin on
1 medium Vidalia, red or other sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped [optional]
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce [optional]
Salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:
On a gas or preferably charcoal barbecue, roast the whole eggplant evenly on all sides until the skin is charred or the eggplant is soft. Set aside and let cool. Peel off charred skin, or scoop out the soft insides of the eggplant and place in a large bowl. Add Garlic, olive oil, onion, parsley, basil, Tabasco® Sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a canapé’, or serve with Armenian cracker bread, as a vegetable dip, or as a vegetable side dish. Can be served hot or cold.
ROASTED GARLIC:* Peel outer skin layer from head of fresh garlic, leaving cloves and head intact. Place head on double thickness of foil; top with 1 teaspoon butter and a sprig of fresh rosemary or oregano [or 1/4 teaspoon dried]. Fold up and seal. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 55-60 minutes. Squeeze cloves from skins and set aside. Discard skins.

INGREDIENTS:

TOPPING:….

1 lb. ground lean lamb….
1 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped fine….
1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped fine….
1/2 cup chopped Armenian or Italian parsley….
1 teaspoon chopped garlic….
1 teaspoon of fresh sweet basil chopped….
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves chopped….
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin….
1 can diced tomatoes….
1 small can tomato paste….
Cayenne pepper to taste [optinal]….
Salt and pepper to taste….
PREPARATION:
•Brown off the ground lamb and add the other ingredients and saute until onions….
and peppers are tender.  Refrigerate overnight to marry the flavors…..
.. ..

DOUGH:
2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour….
1 pkg. Fleishman’s dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water….
1/2 teaspoon salt….
1/2 teaspoon sugar….
1/4 cup Crisco shortening [melted]….
1/2 cup warm water….

Mix the sugar and salt with the yeast to dissolve, and in a large bowl add sifted flour, shortening, and the yeast mixture.  Knead into smooth soft dough
Add a little more four or water if necessary to dough is not too dry or too
sticky moist.  Divide the dough into a dozen balls and roll out into tortilla
sized rounds [about 8 inches in diameter].  Place on lightly greased baking sheets.
Makes 12
Spoon the topping mixture on to the dough rounds spreading evenly to the edges
of the lahmahjoons.  Bake in preheated 450 degree oven about 20 minutes.
Place the lahmahjoons on a large piece of foil separating each one by stacking
the meat side to meat side and dough side to dough side and then bring the
edges of the large piece of foil over the whole stack.  This will prevent them
from drying out.  Serve hot or cold.  Cut the lahmahjoon into small pie wedges
and serve as appetizers or snacks,  or fill the whole lahmahjoon with a  little
green garden salad and fold over and eat like a taco

NOTE:  For a quick version you may use fluffy flour tortillas instead of the ….
above lahmahjoon dough.  Tortillas must also be placed on greased pans for baking