Our little melting pot in the Coachella Valley keeps expanding, bringing more foods of the world to our patch of the desert.

And that can be a very tasty experience.

For example, check out this weekend's third annual Armenian Cultural Festival at the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Desert in Rancho Mirage.

On Saturday, the church grounds will be filled with vendors and entertainment.

And food.

Paklava, filo dough filled with a nut mixture and drizzled with honey; kufta, a lamb/bulgar wheat dough filled with ground lamb, herbs and cinnamon mixture; derevi sarma, grape leaves filled with a savory onion filling; and kadayif with cream filling, a shredded filo and cream dessert with a light lemon syrup.

“The ladies are making 20 trays of kadayif,” said Lillie Merigian, a member of the church and owner of Manhattan in the Desert. “There are many different varieties, but this one is made with clotted cream and nuts. It's very good.”

Armenians, Merigian said, dispersed pretty much all over the globe “after the genocide in 1915 in Turkey.”

As it turns out, California — especially Glendale — has a large population of Armenians.

The Armenian population here in the desert now has enough members to support a church, which is under construction (where the festival will be held) and a full-time parish priest.

“It's a culture,” Merigian noted, “that is very rich in art, literature — especially poetry, architecture.”

And then we're back to the food.

Ancient Armenia stretched from the areas of lands that are now in Russian hands to what is now modern Turkey and other Middle East countries.

“Because of this, we have a lot of different influences on our culture and our foods,” Merigian said.

Take the paklava. It's cousin is the more well-known Greek baklava. Both are made with light, flaky filo dough, chopped nuts, spices and a sweet, sticky syrup.

“They're very similar,” Merigian said. “But they taste a little different.”

For now, to find out just how tasty the food is and to get a taste of the music, dance and crafts, we have to depend on the yearly Armenian Cultural Festival to get another taste of the world.

“It's a chance,” Merigian said, “for us to share our culture with everyone.”

Kadayif with Cream Filling

2 pounds kadayif dough (shredded filo dough may be purchased at Armenian and Middle Eastern markets and some high-end food stores)

1 pound unsalted butter (clarified)

1 pint heavy cream

1 pint light cream

3 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup milk

Syrup

3 cups sugar

11/2 cups water

11/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Syrup: On stovetop, place sugar and water in two quart sauce pan. Bring mixture to boil over medium high heat and allow to boil for 10 minutes. After mixture finishes boiling, add lemon juice; stir and set aside.

Butter: To clarify butter, melt in top of double boiler. When melted, strain through cheesecloth to remove solids.

Dough: Mix 1 pound of kadayif dough with 1/2 pound clarified butter by hand until well mixed; set aside.

Place pound of dough and butter in a separate bowl and set aside.

Filling: Place heavy and light creams in a 2-quart saucepan. Add sugar and cook over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Mix cornstarch in cold milk and add slowly to cream mixture. Stir until thickened and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.

Spread 1 pound of the buttered kadayif dough in a shallow 13-by-17-inch pan. Pour filling and spread evenly to inch of edge of pan.

Spread the remaining kadayif dough on top, pressing down lightly.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake kadayif on center rack until lightly browned for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and pour cooled syrup over the top.

Cover with aluminum foil for 30 minutes to soften. Cut into 2-inch-by-2 -inch squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 48 squares.