Georgian Cheese House

Another awesome find over the last few weeks is Georgian Cheese House. It's a relatively new store, located on Nutsubidze str. # 177.

It is a unique shop, where even as a Georgian you'll be blown away by the choice of local and foreign (but most notably local) varieties.

By now I have personally tried over 8 different kinds that I had never before heard of and it is hard to choose a favorite. And there are well over 25 different ones. Some of the memorable flavors were sulguni with mint inside it, Megrelian guda - which was like a cheese spread with spices and a unique flavor to it, one named Kalakuri - which is smoked sulguni baked in honey and covered with cream.... you get the idea. As I write, I find that these words will never be able to describe the taste. Oh, yes, there is also smoked and spiced alpine cheese with a distinct smoky flavor which is a perfect appetizer with some bread sticks or freshly baked Georgian Shoti bread. Did I mention the endless supply of country fresh sour cream, butter, matsoni, and nadugi (all dairy products)? Yes, you can find something for everyone.

The store also offers wines to go with your choice of the dairy, so you can be set for a wonderful evening, or lunch, or breakfast. It's up to you!

The shop can be found virtually on facebook - where they offer some photos and descriptions of the cheeses, but trust me, it's better to try it once for yourself then see it a thousand times online.

Possibly the best pizza in Tbilisi

Looks good, doesn't it? Tastes even better. A real Italian taste. Wood burning oven baked, fresh DELICIOUS pizza that we discovered just this weekend in the Karvasla shopping mall on the 5th floor. - Pizzeria Pomodorissimo - With beautiful indoor panorama and outdoor seating, smoking and non-smoking sections. Friendly service, DELICIOUS homemade lemonade with mint, more than 15 kinds of pizza and salads, potatoes and other dishes. Pizza prices are from 8,50 to 19.00 GEL. Compared to other places in Tbilisi, you'd agree that you can't beat that. And trust me, the taste will not disappoint.

The "pizza makers" as my kids aptly named them are real professionals. As I found out, they had been sent to Italy to learn how to do their tricks - swiftly throwing the dough up in the air and spinning it just like you see it on TV :) All ingredients for the real Italian tasting pizza are actually imported from Italy. AND, they even put fresh Basil leaves on your Margarita.

In short, it's definitely worth checking out. Apparently they are also on facebook - which is where the photo came from.

Try it out and let us know what you thought.

Georgian products on Amazon ქართული პროდუქცია ამაზონზე

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_grocery?_encoding=UTF8&node=16310101&field-brandtextbin=MARIKO

Dinner ideas - Ajapsandali - Georgian eggplant stew

Sorry for so much delay on updating the recipes, but here it comes. A nice hearty vegetable stew. You'll need:
4 eggplants, peeled and cubed
1 large onion diced
3 bell peppers (any color) cut up in chunks
2-3 large fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped (or canned tomatoes blended)
fresh herbs (coriander, parsley) a bunch (to your taste) I like a lot of herbs.
about 2/3 of a cup oil (sunflower or olive to your preference)
salt (to taste)
crushed red peppers (to taste)

To make:
1. Prepare the vegetables and layer them in a deep saucepan starting with a bit of oil, then eggplant, then onion, then tomatoes.
2. cover with the bell peppers and pour oil over it all.
3. Cover with a lid and let simmer on medium heat until the vegetables get soft.
4. Remove the lid, add fresh herbs and salt and pepper and cover. Do not mix.
5. Continue to simmer until eggplants feel soft and mushy.
6. Remove from heat, mix well and serve with home fried or baked potatoes or plain.
It's also good after it's been refrigerated and you can eat it cold.

Some people add diced potatoes from the beginning, and it's also very tasty but takes longer to cook, since in that case your indicator for readiness is the potatoes - not the eggplant.
Enjoy and share your photos!

Dinner ideas - Chakhokhbili - Georgian chicken "stew"

This is a nice fall meal, although you could cook it pretty much any time of the year. All you need is:
1 chicken cut into large pieces (or 4 chicken breasts cut in quarters)
Oil - about 1/2 cup - sunflower or olive - up to you.
2 large onions cut into squares (not too big, not too small)
4-5 medium tomatoes skinned and diced (or 1- 8 ounce jar of tomatoes blended or chunked)
1,5 tablespoon of tomato paste (you can add more to taste up to 2,5 tablespoons)
Water - 1 1/2 cups
fresh coriander - about 1/2 cup after cut up small
fresh parsley - about 1/2 cup after cut up small
3 cloves of garlic - minced
salt and red pepper (paprika) to taste.

So, basically, you put the oil and heat it in a saucepan. Add onions, let them get soft and add the chicken pieces. Keep stirring every once in a while, to make sure the chicken gets mostly cooked from all sides. When you're not stirring, keep a lid on the pan. This will make sure the meat gets cooked all the way through.
When the meat looks mostly cooked (no pink parts visible) add fresh tomatoes, tomato paste and water and let boil for about 15 minutes with the lid on. Add garlic and herbs, salt and pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Enjoy and don't forget to serve with lots of bread, because the sauce is so tasty, you won't want to waste any of it!

Mokhevis Kalo Tinao in New York მოხევის ქალო თინაო ნიუ იორკში

Sponge cake recipe ტორტის რეცეპტი

So, finally, the basic recipe for sponge cake. depending the size of the springform cake that you use, you're gonna have to change the amount of ingredients. I'll write typical for a small cake.
you'll need:
5 eggs
5 tablespoons of sugar
5 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Wax paper cut out to the size of your springform cake pan bottom, greased

Directions
separate egg whites and yolks. Beat egg whites until foamy, add lemon juice (to stabilize) beat until it's thick and peaks form.
continue beating and add 1 tablespoon of sugar at a time.
Continue beating and add 1 yolk at a time.
Stop the mixer and add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time, mixing slowly with a spoon until all flour is dissolved.
Pour into the springform pan and put in the oven to bake at 170 C for about 30 minutes or until the top is dry. If you take it out and it feels like the middle is still moving, keep it in, until the top of the middle looks dry. you can also stick a toothpick to test it.
Frost to your desire and enjoy.

*I'll put the frosting recipes up separately.


ესეიგი, აი ტორტის რეცეპტიც. თქვენ ფორმის მიხედვით მოგიწევთ რაოდენობების შეცვლა, მე 5 კვერცხიანი პატარა ბისკვიტის რეცეპტს შემოგთავაზებთ.
რა დაგჭირდებათ:
5 კვერცხი
5 სუფრის კოვზი შაქარი
5 სუფრის კოვზი ფქვილი
1 ჩაის კოვზი ლიმონის წვენი
ტორტის ფორმა
ტორტის ფორმის ძირის ზომაზე გამოჭრილი და ცხიმწასმული კალკა

მომზადების წესი:
გააცაკლევეთ კვერცხის გული და ცილა. ცილა ათქვიფეთ და როდესაც ცოტა აქაფდება, დაამატეთ ლიმონის წვენი (ეს ბისკვიტის ჩავარდნის შანსებს შეამცირებს). გააგრძელეთ თქვეფა, სანამ ცილა კარგად არ გასქელდება (დაახლოებით 15 წუთი). გააგრძელეთ თქვეფა და დაამატეთ სათითაოდ თითო სუფრის კოვზი შაქარი, გააგრძელეთ თქვეფა და დაამატეთ თითო გული ნელნელა. გამორთეთ მიქსერი და შეურიეთ თითო კოვზი ფქვილი და ნელა ურიეთ კოვზით. როდესაც ფქვილი სულ გაიხსნება, ჩაასხით ფორმაში და გამოაცხვეთ ღუმელში 175 გრადუსზე დაახლოებით 30 წუთი ან სანამ შუაგული არ გაშრება. თუ გამოიღებთ და გული რბილია (ანუ თხელია და მოძრაობს) დატოვეთ, სანამ არ გამზადდება. შეგიძლიათ ასანთის ღერითაც გასინჯოთ.
მორთავთ სურვილისამებრ კრემით და მიირთმევთ.
ისიამოვნეთ.