Thread: Ajvar!!!

In article <[email protected]>,
Gorio <[email protected]> wrote:

> Anyone know how to make this? I used to live in a city where I could
> always find it in the jar. Had about three different kinds. Love them
> all. It's a simple thing, I'm hoping.
>
> If anyone makes this delicious pepper condiment, I'd very much
> appreciate the love. I'm a decent cook, can roast the peppers and all,
> but would like alittle more detail before I move on and some small tips
> would be quite welcome. The one thing you can put on bread better than
> butter, IMHO.
>
> I can GOOGLE it but fear I'll find some recipe that doesn't measure up.
> I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
> Molto gracci!!!

So is that "Adj-var" or "Ai-var". Or something entirely different? I've
seen it (even that brand) in a little local store, but I don't know what
to do with it. Is it (spicy) hot, or savory, or what?

Isaac

On Oct 15, 7:17*pm, Gorio <Gorio.8dffe68.835...@foodbanter.com> wrote:
> Anyone know how to make this? I used to live in a city where I could
> always find it in the jar. Had about three different kinds. Love them
> all. It's a simple thing, I'm hoping.
>
> If anyone makes this delicious pepper condiment, I'd very much
> appreciate the love. I'm a decent cook, can roast the peppers and all,
> but would like alittle more detail before I move on and some small tips
> would be quite welcome. The one thing you can put on bread better than
> butter, IMHO.
>
> I can GOOGLE it but fear I'll find some recipe that doesn't measure up.
> I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
> Molto gracci!!!

The Middle Eastern store near my house carries it so I've never
bothered to make it. This story/recipe sounds good:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...430271&sc=emaf

I like the versions with more chili heat.

Gorio <[email protected]> wrote:

> If anyone makes this delicious pepper condiment, I'd very muchappreciate
> the love.

Your Foodbanter postings happen to be hardly readable on some
newsreaders. Why not use something better - which would be most
anything else, Google groups excepting?

Ajvar is sold in most every supermarket here. I personally detest it,
just as I do anything made with bell peppers, but below is a recipe from
_The Cooking of Vienna's Empire_ by the great Joseph Wechsberg.

I have to add that chile peppers are often added; yellow and red bell
peppers, as well as some Balkan or Hungarian paprika cultivars can be
used, too - and are to be preferred, as far as I am concerned; lemon
juice can be replaced with vinegar. Some tomatoes can be added, or they
can replace the aubergines, in which case it would be more like the
Hungarian lecsó. Instead of chopping, the vegetables can be put through
a meat mincer/grinder.

Victor

Srpski Ajvar
Serbian Vegetable Caviar
To serve 2 to 4

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 large green peppers (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 500°. Place the eggplant and green peppers on a
rack set in a baking pan. Bake the peppers for 25 minutes, then remove
them. Bake the eggplant 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until it is tender.
Wrap the eggplant in a damp towel and let it stand about 10 minutes to
loosen its skin. Peel the green peppers, remove and discard the seeds
and ribs, then chop the peppers very finely and transfer them to a glass
mixing bowl. Peel the eggplant, chop it very finely and squeeze it dry
in a kitchen towel.

Add the eggplant, the salt and a few grindings of black pepper to the
chopped peppers in the mixing bowl. Then, with a wooden spoon, stir in
the garlic, lemon juice and vegetable oil, mixing all the ingredients
together thoroughly. Taste for seasoning.

Chill and garnish with the parsley. Srpski ajvar is served as a relish.

On Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:17:35 +0000, Gorio
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Anyone know how to make this?

No. I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about either.

--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

sf replied to Gorio:

>> Anyone know how to make this?
>
> No. I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about either.

He's just talkin' 'bout Shaft.

Bob

On 2011-10-16, Gorio <Gorio.8dffe68.835092@f[email protected]> wrote:

> I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
> Molto gracci!!!

First time I ran across it was in Whole Foods. It was so amazing I
bought 2 cases and gave jars out fer Christmas. I've tried different
brands over the years, but that first was my favorite. Surprisingly,
it was the only one that listed carrots among the ingredients.

nb

On Oct 16, 1:29*am, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:17:35 +0000, Gorio
>
> <Gorio.8dffe68.835...@foodbanter.com> wrote:
> > Anyone know how to make this?
>
> No. *I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about either.
>

Goes great with cevapcici, as does kajmak.

On Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:17:35 +0000, Gorio
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Anyone know how to make this? I used to live in a city where I could
>always find it in the jar. Had about three different kinds. Love them
>all. It's a simple thing, I'm hoping.
>
>If anyone makes this delicious pepper condiment, I'd very much
>appreciate the love. I'm a decent cook, can roast the peppers and all,
>but would like alittle more detail before I move on and some small tips
>would be quite welcome. The one thing you can put on bread better than
>butter, IMHO.
>
>I can GOOGLE it but fear I'll find some recipe that doesn't measure up.
>I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
>Molto gracci!!!

It sounds delicious. I hadn't heard of it before. I'm going to look
for it in my food co-op.
Janet US

In article <[email protected]>,
Gorio <[email protected]> wrote:

> Anyone know how to make this? I used to live in a city where I could
> always find it in the jar. Had about three different kinds. Love them
> all. It's a simple thing, I'm hoping.
>
> If anyone makes this delicious pepper condiment, I'd very much
> appreciate the love. I'm a decent cook, can roast the peppers and all,
> but would like alittle more detail before I move on and some small tips
> would be quite welcome. The one thing you can put on bread better than
> butter, IMHO.
>
> I can GOOGLE it but fear I'll find some recipe that doesn't measure up.
> I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
> Molto gracci!!!

I buy it at Trader Joe's, Gorio. :-0)
--
Barb,
http://web.me.com/barbschaller September 5, 2011

notbob;1672025 Wrote:
> On 2011-10-16, Gorio [email protected] wrote:
> -
> I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
> Molto gracci!!!-
>
> First time I ran across it was in Whole Foods. It was so amazing I
> bought 2 cases and gave jars out fer Christmas. I've tried different
> brands over the years, but that first was my favorite. Surprisingly,
> it was the only one that listed carrots among the ingredients.
>
> nb

I just grew up with it as Sebian moms in my old neighborhood would make
it. They used that instead or with butter. I've had very hot and
pleasantly mild. Problem is, those Serbian moms aren't around and I'll
ask their sons, and they haven't a clue. One daughter rattled off the
ingredients; but I was looking for some technical support.

Thank you to those who ghelped out, and to those who offered insightful
commentary.

/aI-var/ is the pronunciation. You just put it on bread, like you would
bgetter; but is has a lovely chile taste that came become addicting;
provided you like the taste of roasted bell peppers.

I also spread it on the isides of the tortilla shells when I make
enchiladas. Adds a little depth of flavor.

Sorry if my computer savvy is lacking. I don't even know what a
newsreader is.

I just like good eats.

Thanks again; I'll choose one to try and give it a rip. I only asked,
really, becasue I got 10 lbs. of perfect red bells at an Amish auction
for $3. I immediately thought of this condiment.

I'm trying the one you posted Spamtrap. Just ahppen to have picked up
some perfect eggplant this morning. Got my grill going and will brush 10
peppers will oil for grilling.

Nice you you to reply. Don't know whether to use EVOO to finish or stick
with the cheaper stuff. Since I'm not cooking with the OO, I'm thinking
the better stuff will be the deal.




--
Gorio

On Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:18:02 +0000, Gorio
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I just grew up with it as Sebian moms in my old neighborhood would make
> it. They used that instead or with butter. I've had very hot and
> pleasantly mild. Problem is, those Serbian moms aren't around and I'll
> ask their sons, and they haven't a clue. One daughter rattled off the
> ingredients; but I was looking for some technical support.

Did you plug "Ajva recipes" into Google images? I'd never heard of it
before this thread, but I see it's an eggplant and pepper spread.
Looks interesting, I like eggplant.

--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

Melba's Jammin';1672087 Wrote:
> In article [email protected],
> Gorio [email protected] wrote:
> -
> Anyone know how to make this? I used to live in a city where I could
> always find it in the jar. Had about three different kinds. Love them
> all. It's a simple thing, I'm hoping.
>
> If anyone makes this delicious pepper condiment, I'd very much
> appreciate the love. I'm a decent cook, can roast the peppers and all,
> but would like alittle more detail before I move on and some small
> tips
> would be quite welcome. The one thing you can put on bread better than
> butter, IMHO.
>
> I can GOOGLE it but fear I'll find some recipe that doesn't measure
> up.
> I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
> Molto gracci!!!-
>
> I buy it at Trader Joe's, Gorio. :-0)
> --
> Barb,
> http://web.me.com/barbschaller September 5, 2011

Hour and a half is the closest jar of ajvar to me. I use grab a few when
I swing through there; but it's a hassle. Now, I have made ajvar. Pretty
easy. Takes a little time; but you can make a big mess of it if you
want. As the article suggested, grilling the peppers black (skin) is
key. Mine is pretty garlicky; but every bit as good as the store bought.
I bet it will improve in the fridge. Give it some body.




--
Gorio

In article <[email protected]>,
Gorio <[email protected]> wrote:

> Anyone know how to make this? I used to live in a city where I coul
> always find it in the jar. Had about three different kinds. Love the
> all. It's a simple thing, I'm hoping.
>
> If anyone makes this delicious pepper condiment, I'd very muc
> appreciate the love. I'm a decent cook, can roast the peppers and all
> but would like alittle more detail before I move on and some small tip
> would be quite welcome. The one thing you can put on bread better tha
> butter, IMHO.
>
> I can GOOGLE it but fear I'll find some recipe that doesn't measure up
> I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
> Molto gracci!!
>
>
> --
> Gorio

The Wechsberg recipe should work, but, I have never, ever seen it made
with green peppers- it's always been ripe red peppers. It is ubiquitous
in restaurants in Dalmatia (Croatia) where it is served with grilled
meats along with chopped raw onions. There is often a choice of hot or
mild. The ingredients are pretty consistent: eggplant and ripe red
peppers, cooked, peeled, deseeded, and chopped finely, mixed with
vegetable oil, lemon juice or wine vinegar, minced garlic and salt.

D.M.

On Oct 16, 6:19*pm, Don Martinich <dmartin...@att.net> wrote:

> The Wechsberg recipe should work, but, I have never, ever seen it made
> with green peppers- it's always been ripe red peppers. It is ubiquitous
> in restaurants in Dalmatia (Croatia) where it is served with grilled
> meats along with chopped raw onions. There is often a choice of hot or
> mild. The ingredients are pretty consistent: eggplant and ripe red
> peppers, cooked, peeled, deseeded, and chopped finely, mixed with
> vegetable oil, lemon juice or wine vinegar, minced garlic and salt.
>

West of the Rockies, the bell pepper is commonly referred to as the
green pepper. Maybe whoever translated Wechsberg's recipe was thinking
"bell pepper."

In article <[email protected]>,
Gorio <[email protected]> wrote:

> Melba's Jammin';1672087 Wrote:
> > In article [email protected],
> > Gorio [email protected] wrote:
> > -
> > Anyone know how to make this? I used to live in a city where I could
> > always find it in the jar. Had about three different kinds. Love them
> > all. It's a simple thing, I'm hoping.
> >
> > If anyone makes this delicious pepper condiment, I'd very much
> > appreciate the love. I'm a decent cook, can roast the peppers and all,
> > but would like alittle more detail before I move on and some small
> > tips
> > would be quite welcome. The one thing you can put on bread better than
> > butter, IMHO.
> >
> > I can GOOGLE it but fear I'll find some recipe that doesn't measure
> > up.
> > I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
> > Molto gracci!!!-
> >
> > I buy it at Trader Joe's, Gorio. :-0)
> > --
> > Barb,
> > http://web.me.com/barbschaller September 5, 2011
>
> Hour and a half is the closest jar of ajvar to me. I use grab a few when
> I swing through there; but it's a hassle. Now, I have made ajvar. Pretty
> easy. Takes a little time; but you can make a big mess of it if you
> want. As the article suggested, grilling the peppers black (skin) is
> key. Mine is pretty garlicky; but every bit as good as the store bought.
> I bet it will improve in the fridge. Give it some body.

Yum! Reminds me to check and see if I have a jar on the shelf in the
basement.

--
Barb,
http://web.me.com/barbschaller September 5, 2011

On Oct 16, 8:33*pm, spamtrap1888 <spamtrap1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Oct 16, 6:19*pm, Don Martinich <dmartin...@att.net> wrote:
>
> > The Wechsberg recipe should work, but, I have never, ever seen it made
> > with green peppers- it's always been ripe red peppers. It is ubiquitous
> > in restaurants in Dalmatia (Croatia) where it is served with grilled
> > meats along with chopped raw onions. There is often a choice of hot or
> > mild. The ingredients are pretty consistent: eggplant and ripe red
> > peppers, cooked, peeled, deseeded, and chopped finely, mixed with
> > vegetable oil, lemon juice or wine vinegar, minced garlic and salt.
>
> West of the Rockies, the bell pepper is commonly referred to as the
> green pepper. Maybe whoever translated Wechsberg's recipe was thinking
> "bell pepper."

I meant "East of the Rockies"..

Sorry.

On 15/10/11 19:17, Gorio wrote:
> > Anyone know how to make this? I used to live in a city where I could
> > always find it in the jar. Had about three different kinds. Love them
> > all. It's a simple thing, I'm hoping.
> >
> > If anyone makes this delicious pepper condiment, I'd very much
> > appreciate the love. I'm a decent cook, can roast the peppers and all,
> > but would like alittle more detail before I move on and some small tips
> > would be quite welcome. The one thing you can put on bread better than
> > butter, IMHO.
> >
> > I can GOOGLE it but fear I'll find some recipe that doesn't measure up.
> > I eat Zer Gut right now (from Hungary). Any help appreciated.
> > Molto gracci!!!


The recipe someone posted in the newsgroup is more of a paprika colored
eggplant spread. That's not ajvar. Ajvar is a paprika spread.

For ajvar there is a ratio of up to 1/3 of eggplant to red paprika, not
the other way around. And by weight, and only when paprikas are entirely
cleaned.
Pay attention: eggplant UP TO 1/3, maximum, and by weight. Ajvar can contain
less eggplant.

There are versions of ajvar with no eggplants at all, and it is
considered a true ajvar. Eggplant is used only to mellow the intense
flavor of a red paprika. Yes, there are people to whom a pure paprika
ajvar is too intense. Preferences are different.

I have never, ever seen ajvar made of bell peppers. For ajvar my family
and all neighbors, and all other ajvars I have ever seen around the
country were made of red elongated paprika with sharp tops. Its flavor
is quite different than of bell peppers we used to buy in stores in the
West. Those are the paprikas for ajvar:
http://www.reimerseeds.com/chervena-...t-peppers.aspx
Sweet peppers, long, sharp tops.

It doesn't need to be exactly this cultivar, but you got the idea. Find
them somewhere, long and sharp tops paprika. Not bell peppers.

In the western part of peninsula, some people use a shorter red paprika,
but again with sharp tops which are still not bell peppers, as bell
peppers are not of the same and intense flavor, and even do not look
like the same.
Like these ones:
http://www.amazon.com/Antohi-Romania.../dp/B0027RGID2
Again. they don't need to be exactly the same cultivar, but certainly no
bell peppers for ajvar. I think you'll be disappointed if using bell peppers
comparing it to the ajvar from a factory you already tasted.

From 100 paprikas and a moderate amount of eggplants you end up with
about 6kg (13.23lb) of ajvar.

Making ajvar is a highly demanding job. For about two large bags of
paprikas (imagine a large garbage bags) it begins in the morning and
ends in the evening.
After roasting them, a skin of each and every paprika has to be cleaned
off its seed, and skins peeled off. Than, ground them through a meat
grounding machine. Cook them for 3 hours of cooking (or longer, depends
of the amount of the ajvar in your big kettle) with constant stirring.
Constant stirring ! No cigarette breaks.

Industry uses steaming process, not roasting, in order to get their
skins peeled. The final aroma is slightly different, but still good.
However, when it comes to a flavor, it's all about the choice of
paprika, and amount of acid and eggplant.

Ajvar is completely cooked and ready to transfer into sterilized glass
jars when you see the bottom of a kettle when stirring the ajvar.

On Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:59:34 +0000 (UTC), [email protected] wrote:

>
> The recipe someone posted in the newsgroup is more of a paprika colored
> eggplant spread. That's not ajvar. Ajvar is a paprika spread.
>
> For ajvar there is a ratio of up to 1/3 of eggplant to red paprika, not
> the other way around. And by weight, and only when paprikas are entirely
> cleaned.
> Pay attention: eggplant UP TO 1/3, maximum, and by weight. Ajvar can contain
> less eggplant.
>
> There are versions of ajvar with no eggplants at all, and it is
> considered a true ajvar. Eggplant is used only to mellow the intense
> flavor of a red paprika. Yes, there are people to whom a pure paprika
> ajvar is too intense. Preferences are different.
>
> I have never, ever seen ajvar made of bell peppers. For ajvar my family
> and all neighbors, and all other ajvars I have ever seen around the
> country were made of red elongated paprika with sharp tops. Its flavor
> is quite different than of bell peppers we used to buy in stores in the
> West. Those are the paprikas for ajvar:
> http://www.reimerseeds.com/chervena-...t-peppers.aspx

Of course, the first recipe I googled called for bell pepper, but it
looks and sounds delicious anyway - maybe because the pepper you
describe doesn't exist here commercially (to my knowledge).
http://www.thekitchn.com/ajvar-serbi...licky-r-148666
Must look into this more now.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.