Talin’s — Favourite Sweet Tahini Bread Swirls

Many Years ago, I was at my Armenian Community Center and there was a Bazaar like a flea market type of event, and a couple of days before I went and assisted the Armenian Women’s Guild Group to make Sweet Tahini Bread Swirls to sell, So I learned how to make it from the Armenian Ladies and perfected it. So, I decided to write down the recipe to make it at home. I was so glad I did. It is incredibly tasty, and I enjoy making this. Although I have not made it in over a year, but I was thinking about it today, so I want to make it again this week, and Sweet Tahini Swirls are good anytime, any day. You can serve this with Coffee, Tea, Armenian Coffee, or at anytime. You can have it for Breakfast, or for a snack, whenever your heart desires. Well, Here is the recipe for this delicious dessert.

This is counted as 4 Bread Swirls of 16 Cm’s, but you can play around with the amounts according to how many you are making.

CREDITS: http://www.blago.net/baking/bread/lebanese-sweet-tahini-swirls/

Made some modifications, but full credit goes to the site above

Dough:

• 1 tsp dry yeast
• 120 ml lukewarm water
• 200 gr all purpose flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Filling:

• 4 small tbsp tahini
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 4x tsp olive oil
• 4x tsp cinnamon

Use Flour on countertop or big cutting board to work with the dough and filling.

Make the dough

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, and add the sugar and oil. Add the flour, a handful at a time. Quickly knead into a floppy, flexible dough that does not stick to the hands anymore. Leave covered in a bowl for about 2 or 3 hours, to rise. As all the air will be rolled out of it later, the stretchiness of the dough is more important than the amount of air in it.

Follow the Following Steps.

When the dough has had some time to rise, divide it into four balls. Roll out one ball at a time, into a rough rectangle of “pizza thickness” – about 2 or 3 mm (1). Scatter the teaspoon of olive oil over it. I combined the tahin with the sugar, added a teaspoon of finely ground lemon rind (packet) to that, and scattered the somewhat dryer tahin mixture, like crumbs, over the dough surface (2). Dust the tahin-sugar layer with cinnamon. Gently press it flat with the back of a spoon. You’re now ready to roll.

Pre-heat the oven to 190° C. If you use a baking stone, put it in the middle rack.

Dust the worktop with a bit of castor sugar and flour to help with the rolling. Cut squares of baking parchment of about 17 x 17 cm. Roll up the dough rectangle, starting at the longest edge. Roll and pull and gently twist a bit, and the resulting sausage will be much longer, about 40 to 50 cm (4). Taking one end as the center, now turn the sausage in on itself, forming a rolled bun (5). Gently press it flat with your hand, then transfer onto a piece of parchment, and use the rolling pin again to gently roll the bun into a 15cm wide flat circle, about a cm in thickness (6). Prepare as much swirls as your oven can hold in one go, leave the rest covered up.

Using a pizza peel or an extra-wide spatula to support the flat tahini swirls sitting on their separate parchment, quickly transfer them into the oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or till parts of the surface have turned a deep golden brown. Get them out and leave them to cool and get nice and crispy on a wire rack.

Have some apple tea to go with that. Their taste is not overly sweet; and I love the combination of crunchiness with that slightly caramelized sesame filling. Roll over Swedish cinnamon buns, these tahini swirls are awesome!

CREDITS: http://www.blago.net/baking/bread/lebanese-sweet-tahini-swirls/

Not Everyone Will Be Your Friend, Find Ones That Will Be

Out of everything I have been through in my life, and trying to make sense of who are my true friends or not and among everything else, It is a hard thing to for some to make sense of it all. In life you will encounter so many different types of people and you will meet all sorts of people, but not everyone will be your friend. You just talk to people, not knowing their name or where they come from. It happens in spontaneous moments when your out in public, when you are traveling and people in school, work, or other places. Some people come into your life for a few minutes, you will meet and talk to someone for an hour or half an hour or whatever the case maybe, and then you part your ways. Its happened to me a lot and it is pretty cool that way too. You talk to someone and then you never see them again, but I remember once talking to someone at a coffee shop and then I saw that same person again 3 weeks later. We ended up coming in at the same time. I am a person who never forgets faces and who never forgets whom I have spoken with in person. She remembered me too. We had a few minutes conversation and that was it, and we parted our ways. We haven’t seen each other since, but maybe we will again. It is incredible how things happen in such a way where people who can relate to things end up meeting and talking, bu then never really become friends. I love spontaneity and things that just happen without planning. I feel that is one of the best ways to go.

You sort of have a gut instinct in you when the time is right and when the person is right to make friends with them. People have this feeling all the time when a person is right to ask their name and have a friendship with them. It has happened to me. I remember many times at my Armenian community center or when I am on my travels somewhere, you automatically feel, that person is appealing and you take a look in someones eyes and you see fake or real, and when you can really understand each other and relate, that is the type of friends you need. When you can relate to each other and when you can be there for each other in good times and in the bad, when you can have many things in common, share each others feelings, confide into each other. It the best type of friendships to have. Not so much the quantity of friends, but the quality of the relationship you have with your best friend or your closest friends. Its one special thing you all have in common together that nobody else will really understand your inside jokes, your humorous personalities, your outlook on life, the common interests, and finding a solid foundation to build your trust among your friends. it is always a good idea to really analyze and to really get to know people before you really jump into friendships quickly. Give it time to become best friends, or very close friends.

The worst thing you can do to someone is replace them, and feeling replaced by others and tossed to the side. Some people find good friends for a year or 2 or 3, and then you become an old part of their life, so then they jump into new friendships and toss you like yesterdays newspaper in the recycling bin. That is how I feel sometimes and it is not a good feeling. Find someone who will be by your side to understand you and your feelings and who will stay friends with you forever and ever and not leave your side after a year to 3 years of friendship. It is a crummy thing you can do to someone and that is not a good trait. Unless that person is not who you thought you knew and if things happen that are not good, then that is okay, but when you know you have not done anything to hurt someone and when you know you haven’t ever said a mean thing to that person or people, and get shafted, it is not a good thing. People need to realize that doing this is not good.

Be faithful and loyal with friendship, that will strengthen yourself and good habits will always be remembered. Do yourself a favour and choose friends wisely who will go to the ends of the earth for you and then naturally people will help each other and everything will fall into place. Just believe and do it. All the best in everything.

The 2013 Armenian Toronto ACC Summerfest Was A Great Success

This year from July 12, until the 14th, 2013 The Armenian Community Center of Toronto held a huge party under the tent for the Armenian community and this year was the 17th season. This year like from the year our Summerfest have begun, they have become a great success from bringing many known Armenian and International Performers from Dancers, to Singers, Comedians, Radio Broadcasters and so many more surprises that occur each year. The Armenian Summerfest is held at the Armenian Community Youth Center Parking lot.

This year many Armenian singers from Los Angeles, Lebanon, Cambridge Ontario, Montreal, and other places attended and sang at our Summerfest and they are Ararad Aharonian, Khoren Mouradian, Onnig Dinkjian our folk Traditional Singer, Kevork Artinian, Armenchik, and Andy Madadian with their bands that graced our stage with their incredible and beautiful talent in our Armenian Culture singing a variety of songs from slow to fast and while the crowd was dancing traditional Armenian Dances as well as just dancing with family, friends and enjoying our time with our Armenian community. Some of the performers also did a duet on stage as well which blew the crowd away and people were dancing like no tomorrow. We were then Broadcasted live from our Radio Station present and that is Setrak Garabedian who traveled from Montreal, and his radio station is called TrikTrak With Setrak and he updated and tuned those people who were unable to join at the Summerfest across the world so they too can enjoy with us.

The purpose of the Armenian Summerfest is to bring the Armenian community together, to strengthen our bonds, to make new friends, to reuniting people who have not seen each other in a while, and nowadays people meet each other on Facebook and make friends on the social networking site and people connect in person together for the first time or many times before and it makes Summerfest to be a smaller world when people reunite together. People of All ages were in attendance at the Summerfest which made us into one big happy family of our Community. a few thousand people were in attendance this year.

There were many vendors and traditional cultural Armenian and Middle Eastern Food and Desserts for people to enjoy while at the summerfest, there was also a Kids area where there was deflatable playing centers, Along with Cotton Candy, Ice Cream, and So many things to do for people of all ages.

I am glad that I attended all 3 nights and I got to reunite with my Friend whom I call a sister from Montreal, I got to see my friend from Boston who I had not seen since last year, and I saw all my facebook friends and some I met for the first time. It was so incredible and It was special time. I had such a great time and My face was always smiling and I was just so happy all around.

I would like to personally thank the Organizing committee of the Annual Summerfest and I appreciate all the hard work, commitment, dedication, nights and days that are put to pull of a huge event with renting of the big tent, organizing and planning the performers, the food, the communications, advertising committees and so many more things that go into planning an event. Thanks again and I am excited for the 18th year in 2014. Thanks for a fun weekend. Until next time.

That Beautiful Feeling When You Are In High Demand – Especially At My Community Center

In 2002, When I officially joined committees around the church and in the Armenian Community Center and did a lot of volunteer work since then, I started to write articles and my first one was about a camping trip we went to in 2003 and the first palm Sunday luncheon I participated in. Everyone came to enjoy and love my work and Soon I became a communications director and secretary for most of the committees I was part of, mostly to do with the youth. Then in 2007, I joined the world of attending Bible Studies twice a week in different churches with different priests. Then the priests knew about my writing and my commitment to the church, with communications, e-mailing people with updates, handling tasks, and just doing what I love to do with helping the community. Then recently since I have been going to Bible study a lot more, in front of everyone, my priest would announce to everyone that I do a great job with promoting the Bible Studies going on and I told him that everyone needs to promote going to bible study who attends and telling friends and family about it. He said yes I agree with you, but you are the Facebook Social Media queen and you really help us achieve things in our bible study and getting people to attend. Now a lot of people have been going to the bible studies because of my advertising. It is such a great feeling when you are in demand everywhere and people think highly of you when you are in a group or something. It felt totally great and that put a new perspective on my life and things I look forward to in the future. I thank the priest for praising me to everyone in the bible studies and I am so eternally grateful for the opportunities he has given me and put his trust on me, and that is something I will never forget. As long as I am not being used, then that is all that counts basically. Although sometimes he puts me on the spot about this subject and he shares things about me, but I know he does that in a good way and that is great. He has known me for many years now, and he knows he can count on me for anything. I have also told him, you can always count on me with everything. I am always here and put the needs of my family, friends, supporters, church, priest and everyone else who matters to me most. I know that they would never abuse my demand. I am thankful I came this far and that is a great thing to celebrate and that is a beautiful feeling I will never forget. Thank you to those who believe in me and who doesn’t take me for granted. I love you all.

 

Not Everyone Will Be Your Friend, But Find Ones That Will Be

Out of everything I have been through in my life, and trying to make sense of who are my true friends or not and among everything else, It is a hard thing to for some to make sense of it all. In life you will encounter so many different types of people and you will meet all sorts of people, but not everyone will be your friend. You just talk to people, not knowing their name or where they come from. It happens in spontaneous moments when your out in public, when you are traveling and people in school, work, or other places. Some people come into your life for a few minutes, you will meet and talk to someone for an hour or half an hour or whatever the case maybe, and then you part your ways. Its happened to me a lot and it is pretty cool that way too. You talk to someone and then you never see them again, but I remember once talking to someone at a coffee shop and then I saw that same person again 3 weeks later. We ended up coming in at the same time. I am a person who never forgets faces and who never forgets whom I have spoken with in person. She remembered me too. We had a few minutes conversation and that was it, and we parted our ways. We haven’t seen each other since, but maybe we will again. It is incredible how things happen in such a way where people who can relate to things end up meeting and talking, bu then never really become friends. I love spontaneity and things that just happen without planning. I feel that is one of the best ways to go.

You sort of have a gut instinct in you when the time is right and when the person is right to make friends with them. People have this feeling all the time when a person is right to ask their name and have a friendship with them. It has happened to me. I remember many times at my Armenian community center or when I am on my travels somewhere, you automatically feel, that person is appealing and you take a look in someones eyes and you see fake or real, and when you can really understand each other and relate, that is the type of friends you need. When you can relate to each other and when you can be there for each other in good times and in the bad, when you can have many things in common, share each others feelings, confide into each other. It the best type of friendships to have. Not so much the quantity of friends, but the quality of the relationship you have with your best friend or your closest friends. Its one special thing you all have in common together that nobody else will really understand your inside jokes, your humorous personalities, your outlook on life, the common interests, and finding a solid foundation to build your trust among your friends. it is always a good idea to really analyze and to really get to know people before you really jump into friendships quickly. Give it time to become best friends, or very close friends.

The worst thing you can do to someone is replace them, and feeling replaced by others and tossed to the side. Some people find good friends for a year or 2 or 3, and then you become an old part of their life, so then they jump into new friendships and toss you like yesterdays newspaper in the recycling bin. That is how I feel sometimes and it is not a good feeling. Find someone who will be by your side to understand you and your feelings and who will stay friends with you forever and ever and not leave your side after a year to 3 years of friendship. It is a crummy thing you can do to someone and that is not a good trait. Unless that person is not who you thought you knew and if things happen that are not good, then that is okay, but when you know you have not done anything to hurt someone and when you know you haven’t ever said a mean thing to that person or people, and get shafted, it is not a good thing. People need to realize that doing this is not good.

Be faithful and loyal with friendship, that will strengthen yourself and good habits will always be remembered. Do yourself a favour and choose friends wisely who will go to the ends of the earth for you and then naturally people will help each other and everything will fall into place. Just believe and do it. All the best in everything.

I Finally Went On Maid Of The Mist In Niagara Falls, Ontario – July, 14, 2012

On July 14, 2012, I embarked on my 4th trip to Niagara falls within 3 months and it was an experience I will never forget. This time went with great friends whom I have known for years from my Armenian Community center. I never would have expected that I would go on Maid Of The Mist. I have always come to Niagara, but I have never went on it. So this time I put my foot down and did it. I am so glad I did. People often take photos and look at the falls from above, but once you go on that boat with your blue poncho, and start heading toward the American and Horseshoe falls, you automatically feel the sense of amazement and it is so beautiful.  More beautiful than looking at it from above. I saw a rainbow on the American falls, and once we were getting toward the big one, the mist started to come onto all of us, and it was refreshing and at the same time the view, and the experience was unlike any other. I will never forget this experience for the rest of my life. I want to go on this again next time I go. It was an experience of a lifetime.

If you have not tried Maid of The Mist yet and if you have not yet visited Niagara Falls, you must do it. Everything is great in Niagara, but this one takes the cake out of everything else. God has created a beautiful earth and with amazing landmarks and everything else. God bless Niagara Falls… I was thinking to myself how Wallenda did it, with all that mist hitting up top and I was thinking to myself how the rope was put on and how everything took place. Wow, and the energy, the power of the water when it falls and all the white water going around like crazy, it was amazing. TOTALLY AMAZING. Do it!