Thanksgivings in Armenia

A fellow volunteer called a few weeks before Thanksgiving and asked for help on Thanksgiving Day when he wanted to serve turkey (hundkahav in Armenian) and all the trimmings to his school. Mike works in a village at a school that serves about eighty children with disabilities and those who have issues at home; absent, abusive, or addictive parents. Some children live at the school Monday though Friday. Mike assured me that the school had everything necessary to prepare the meal. But I asked him to double-check. It turned out that the school had no way to roast three turkeys. So after many phone calls back and forth, talk about volunteers cooking the turkeys (though no one had a large enough oven), using a restaurant, etc., Mike left the cooking to the school. He went to check out the situation the morning of, and there were big pots of boiling water in which they were about to drop the turkeys. He left.

I made four pumpkin pies at my apartment. I bought a pumpkin from a lady on the street who told me to cut the top off, clean it out, fill it with rice, raisins, nuts, salt, and water, and then bake until soft. She had never heard of pumpkin pie. The pies were wonderful even though I had to make all kinds of ingredient substitutions. I also made a big pan of stuffing. Then a friend and I headed off to this village.

The turkeys had been cut up, boiled, and then roasted over a fire with a delicious basting sauce. They were wonderful; moist and tasty. I made gravy. The school made a grain pilaf. And after a few words we sat down to eat. It truly was a wonderful feast.
This was a combined Thanksgiving Day and monthly birthday celebration.
Note dessert plate: Slice of pumpkin pie, chocolate cake, candy, and an orange and apple. Very typical! The guys passed out the stuffing and gravy individually to each child and convinced them to eat it. Miraculously, they did.
Danny and Mike cutting up the turkeys. Literally, cutting (see scissors).
Kitchen crew, Mike, and staff. This group was wonderful to us.
Teacher, Mike, and Judy with students.

The second Thanksgiving dinner was held on Monday the 29th in Yerevan at a hotel. I was in-charge of the All-Vol(unteer) Dinner for 120 people. It was weeks of work, the food was ordered early, a lot of prep work was done before we got there, and it turned out to be wonderful. I had a decorations committee, a pie group (they made 25; pumpkin, lemon meringue, walnut, and apple), a turkey duo, who brined the six birds (Norbest from Minnesota) for a night, and a side-dish trio (carrot soufflé, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes). I made the stuffing and gravy. Throughout the night before and day of, volunteers kept coming into the kitchen to help where they could. People were amazingly helpful. I overheard a woman say she found sweet potatoes in Armenia, and tracked down the only source in the whole country. One volunteer brought back four cans of cranberry sauce from the US and a staff member bought four more at the Embassy. Another staff member loaned us his wife’s food processor. The hotel prepared the mashed potatoes. My daughter sent critical foil pans, spices, Karo syrup, and a whisk. Parents sent spices. We only had three ovens so timing was the most critical factor. The turkeys had to be roasted in two shifts. Then we had to take turns with baking everything else. Somehow, someway, it all came together and was a wonderful celebration.
Making gravy for 120 people. Note whisk, courtesy of St John Vianney kitchen. My daughter got carried away when she picked the "right" size.
The Side-Dish Trio; Danya, Amanda, and Rani at an AIDS Day event, the day after our dinner.