Rating: 
Summary: This book is "Odar" friendly
Review: As an American married into an Armenian family, I found many dishes served at my mother-in-law's table both strange and delicious. Unfortunately her recipes included phrases like "mix until it feels right" or "throw in a couple handfuls of flour". This book is a lifesaver because the recipes use standardized measurements and easy to understand instructions. I recommend it as a wedding gift for every non-Armenian bride marrying into this wonderful culture. I plan to purchase one for each of my children.
Rating:
Summary: This book is "Odar" friendly
Review: As an American married into an Armenian family, I found many dishes served at my mother-in-law's table both strange and delicious. Unfortunately her recipes included phrases like "mix until it feels right" or "throw in a couple handfuls of flour". This book is a lifesaver because the recipes use standardized measurements and easy to understand instructions. I recommend it as a wedding gift for every non-Armenian bride marrying into this wonderful culture. I plan to purchase one for each of my children.
Rating:
Summary: This book is "Odar" friendly
Review: As an American married into an Armenian family, I found many dishes served at my mother-in-law's table both strange and delicious. Unfortunately her recipes included phrases like "mix until it feels right" or "throw in a couple handfuls of flour". This book is a lifesaver because the recipes use standardized measurements and easy to understand instructions. I recommend it as a wedding gift for every non-Armenian bride marrying into this wonderful culture. I plan to purchase one for each of my children.
Rating:
Summary: Cooking The Way My Mother-in-Law Should Have Taught Me
Review: Ever Since I got this book, I have been cooking up a storm for my husband that really missed his mother's Armenian cooking. But since she isn't around to teach me, I had to turn to books. I have tried several and was not as happy with them as I am with THE NEW ARMENIAN KITCHEN. He told me that his mother used to make homemade yogurt for him, so I tried the recipe on page 22. He was right, the store bought stuff cannot compare to the creamy homemade kind. It is like night and day. The homemade kind has a delicate flavor and is not so tart like the ones at the grocery store. I tried the Eegra on page 5 and my husband was in heaven. It really has a barbecued flavor that adds to the creamy eggplant base. Just like his mom used to make he says, even though his mom used to use a lot of oil and this is a low cal. version. The rice pilaf on page 76 is so easy to make, but oh, so good. The butter flavor really comes through with the chicken broth making mouthwatering rice that went well with a lamb kabob recipe on page 113. I am enjoying my new adventure in cooking and have found this to be a most useful book. I had a Circulon `pan that I could not get clean. Now it is thanks to the household hints in the back of the book, that are very useful. There is also interesting Armenian information tucked in throughout the book. We especially liked the proverbs. My husband remembered his parents saying many of them to him years ago. It is great that the book has several versions of the same recipe. That way you can choose the one that best fits your tastes. My husband says that Armenians from different countries cook in different ways. This book allows us to choose the one that is closest to the way "Mom used to cook." I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Armenian home cooking. You get a lot of recipes for $15.95
Rating:
Summary: Never Go Hungry Again!
Review: I am a student and found this book to have many quick and easy recipes on classic middle eastern foods. The directions were all easy to follow, even for a bachelor like me! The helpful hints section was also great. With so many great recipes, I will not go hungry for a long time!
Rating: 
Summary: Americans want it the easy way
Review: I am Greek Italian. Yes, I have two kids, an elderly mother's home to run too, and a job. I welcome anyone to look into my freezer, it contains little else than icecubes. I do make pies from scratch, when normal, not so thin dough can be used; I do use frozen phyllo when only very thin is essential, as well kadajif, because I cannot roll it as thin myself, nor have the patience to bother with difficult kadajif making. And I agree with the only negative voice on this book that ethnic cookbooks should really present a true picture of the local cuisine, with fresh ingredients, because the result is not comparable at all. A compromise would be to put a note at the end, saying "you could also used canned or frozen" etc, for those who are hooked on convenience foods. I also appreciate it when authors don't step in too much to offer their interpretation or re-elaboration and "creative" recipes, (like in so many so-called Greek cookbooks, in which you see Greek ingredients used in a totally non-Greek way, sometimes ingredients that are not even present in the markets together because they belong to different seasons of the year!), and present us the authentic recipes only. Or, if they want, they could clearly state that this is not authentic, but an ethnic-American mix. Surely I don't expect to find marshmallows as an ingredient in a book of Armenian (or Greek, or Indian, or whatever...) recipes. You know, this is the problem of many compilation books. The bona fide compilers just trust the people who send them the recipes and print them as they are, with no editing and/or research to test their originality. They print the name of the contributor, thus passing on any responsibility. Too easy! The people contributing, sometimes second generation or third generation Armenians, often just incorporate ingredients and techniques from the country they are currently living in (the U.S.A.), their recipes therefore being much less authentic than would be the purpose. Of course most of the readers never know the difference, on the contrary, they are even more enthusiastic (as the reviews of the specific book show), because they welcome the sight of their familiar ingredients, which they can conveniently obtain in a supermarket. Not for me, thanks!
I think the solution to the dilemma is clear information, clearly stated principles, on the cover of the book itself. So that one knows BEFORE buying the book to which of the two categories it belongs: authentic recipes or adapted to modern-day American ready-made food lover? This way, everybody would get what they want, and everybody would be happy.
Rating:
Summary: Living in Two worlds
Review: I enjoy trying the different recipes for the basic dishes because I can always learn something. The recipes bring back memories of my mother's wonderful cooking. It is good to have a source to try my hand at producing food like hers. This cookbook represents me, born in the United States of Armenian heritage. I appreciate the "original" recipes and the "updated" ones to reflect the ingredients (and time) available to produce these dishes. The book is an ambitious effort that is done very well.
Rating: 
Summary: Please don't judge Armenian cuisine by this book!
Review: I purchased this book after reading the enthusiastic copy and customer reviews on Amazon.com. Frankly, I could not have been more appalled! This book is certainly not a true representation of Armenian food. It contains no information on the historical, cultural, and geographical background of the cuisine, nor does it convey its range and depth. Half of the recipes are not Armenian at all. As for the Armenian ones, many of great interest and importance are missing, and those that are included present only a limited view of what is a rich and imaginative culinary tradition. Among the remaining recipes (some of which read like a horror file) are such epicurean delights as Watergate Salad (with marshmallows, packaged instant pistachio pudding, canned crushed pineapple, and Cool Whip), Mercer Island Cabbage Salad (with packaged Ramen noodles and packaged Ramen seasoning), Cole Slaw (with canned pineapple and marshmallows), Mandarin Orange Salad (with canned Mandarin oranges), Molded Seafood Salad (with canned tomato soup), Taco Salad (with bottled French dressing), Cranberry Sauce/Salad (with canned cranberries), Japanese Restaurant Salad Dressing, Almond Tuna Ring (with canned mushroom soup, canned tuna, and canned chow mein noodles), Curried Tuna Casserole (with canned cream of celery soup and canned tuna), Pork Chops and Rice Bake (with shortening and dry onion soup mix), Bayou Sausage Jambalaya (with turkey kielbasa, bottled salsa, and Minute Rice), Eggplant Lasagna (with tofu and brown rice), Spinach and Corn Casserole (with canned creamed corn), Minestrone Soup, Hawaiian Meatballs, Cocktail Franks, Chicken à la King, Heart-Attack Lasagna, Quick Spanish Rice, Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake (with packaged caramels, packaged chocolate instant pudding mix, and fudge topping), Cherry Dump Cake (with canned crushed pineapple, canned cherry pie filling, and boxed white or yellow butter cake mix), and Zingerade (with frozen lemonade and Red Zinger tea)! Besides the ingredients enumerated above, others called for in this book include still more canned soups (cream of broccoli, cream of chicken, and onion), packaged vegetable soup mixes, canned mushrooms, canned mushroom sauce, canned potatoes, canned meatless tamales, canned chile con carne without beans, canned gravy, corn flakes, hickory sauce, celery salt, garlic salt, poultry seasoning, bell pepper flakes, packaged stuffing, Shake 'n Bake, bottled Italian dressing, corn chips, fruit-flavored jello (strawberry, raspberry, and lime), maraschino cherries, and lemon lime soda! Considering the magnificent time-honored cuisine that Armenians have inherited, it is truly shocking that any of them would choose to eat like this, let alone broadcast the fact to the world.
Rating:
Summary: Best Cook Book Ever
Review: I purchased this book thinking it was for a good cause and to support the Ladies Society and thier hard work. Little did I know it was to my own advantage!! I thought I knew how to make most Armenian dished but I was surprized on how much more there was to know! This cook book is one of my latest purchases and is the most worn out! I gave one to my sister too but her 17 yr old daughter "relocated" the book to her own room and she is experimenting with the receipes. I get a kick out of the proverbs too!! good job!! great book!!
Rating:
Summary: The New Armenian Kitchen is for Everyone!
Review: I received the cookbook as a gift from my grandma, and I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in the negative review posted below. I thought that the canned and already prepared foods that are called for in the recipes make the cookbook quite a bit more user-friendly (I thought that was the point of it being from the "new" Armenian Kitchen). I recently graduated from college and don't have some of the patience, the knowledge, or the time to cook some of the Armenian meals that were prepared for me when I was little. The recipes in this book actually give me the chance to make really good Armenian food myself, and the recipes taste great because they come from other families-so it's real home cooking! My parents have shelves filled with other Armenian cookbooks at home that have the detailed, lengthy recipes with ingredients that I've never even heard of before. This one is definitely different (we actually use it), and I'm definitely looking forward to trying out more of the recipes.
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