Nowadays you can buy factory-produced hummus and stuffed grape leaves in most supermarkets, but homemade? It’s hard to find—unless you visit Armenian Fest this Sunday at 7825 W. Layton Ave.
Armenian food belongs to the family of cuisine found across the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. The menu at this year’s Armenian Fest draws from old family recipes and includes chicken or beef kebob dinners and such side orders as cheese and spinach boreg (an open-face version of the Greek spanakopita), lahmajoon (think “Armenian pizza”) and—yes!—hummus and yalanjee (bulghur-stuffed grape leaves). There will also be desserts, including paklava and other pastries.
Armenian Fest runs Sunday, July 23, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine. Live music will be provided by The Mid-East Beat, a Racine-based band specializing in traditional Armenian music. There will be performances by Chicago’s Hamazkayin Sardarabad Dance Ensemble. CDs, books, artifacts and Armenian beer and pomegranate wine will be on sale.
Admission and parking are free. Visit armenianfest.com for more information about the festival.
