Armenian Green Beans a la Mother In Law

And on a slightly lighter note, here's a joke (and a recipe) popular in Armenia, courtesy of my Hayastantsi Friend.

Recently married, a young wife asks her new Armenian husband, "What's your favorite dish?"

"I like green beans," he answers, the way they cook them in Armenia.

"Okay. I'll cook you green beans," the young Armenian wife answers.

But every time she tries, she never gets it right

"They're tasty, but not the same as my mother used to make them," the husband answers.

As her mother-in-law was dead, the young wife was unable to find the secret to preparing her husband's favorite dish.

One day, as she was  cooking the green beans, they got a little bit burned.  Ashamed that she had burned the green beans, but not having anything else to serve for supper,  she tries to doctor the dish up with a little bit of olive oil and adds the eggs as she has always done.

"Oh!" says her husband with great joy.  "You finally figured it out!  You finally cooked the green beans the way my mother always did!  They're absolutely delicious!"

Here's the recipe from Armenia for preparing one pound of green beans, without the burn! Wash and trim green beans. Simmer green beans in water til tender. Then drain and add butter or olive oil. Beat 2 eggs and pour them over the green beans while the beans are still hot; stir till all green beans are coated with eggs and solidified.  Add seasoning.  Serve while hot.

N.B.  This is NOT the way we prepare green beans in Armenian families from Marash and Aintab.  That recipe will follow.