How to make çig᷃kofte. (pronounced chikofta, I think)

1. Take 2 lbs of hamburger.

2. Grate 3 onions and kneed into the hamburger mixture.

3. Add 1 lb (or more) bulgur and knead into the meat.

4. Add oil until it feels right.

5. Add 1 cup of red chili paste and pomegranate sauce. Knead

6. Add 1 cup of mixed spices and 1 cup of black pepper and lots of salt. (They like salt here and buy it like we buy sugar)

7. Grate and add 10 cloves of garlic and 2 tomatoes.

8. Knead together.

9. Wipe the sweat off your brow. This is hard work.. almost 2 hours of kneading at this point.

9. Quarter one lemon and knead into the mixture.

10. Roll mixture into little cigars.

11. Pray that the onion juice and the lemon juice cooked the hamburger. Hopefully this is not my last blog entry.