These are some easy recipes for the iskender kebab recipes, which is named after Alexander the great...
the name alexander is Iskender in turkish and persian.
here is a recipe for beef, followed by a recipe for chicken which is the healthier alternative...
2 pieces of beef tenderloin, each 200 gr
200 gr regular ground beef
4 pieces of Asian Nan Pita bread or plain pita bread (pide)
Salt
Pepper
Garnish:
Yogurt
tomatoe sauce (recipe follows)
2 tbsp butter
Add the salt and pepper to the ground beef. Knead and give it a round shape, then place in the middle of the two pieces of tenderloin.
Cover in plastic wrap and leave in the freezer overnight. The next day remove from the fridge 45 minutes before cutting. Use a knife, electric knife or meat cutter to shred it .Then fry in a large pan (be careful not to over-fry).
Cut the pitas in bite size diagonal shapes and place on the plates .Spread the beef over the pita bread pieces. Pour the tomato sauce on top and place a few spoons of yogurt on the side. Lastly, melt the butter in a small pan. When it starts bubbling, pour over the tomato sauce .
tomatoe sauce.
1 large onion chopped fine or grated
5=6 tomatoes (grated)
2-3 cloves garlic
olive oil
dash of vinegar
sautee the onions till they are transluscnet, then add the tomatoes and garlic, cook till it is thick, then add just a dash of vinegar, salt n pepper to taste.
Serve Iskender Kebab while still hot. This recipe makes 4 servings.
and here is the chicken recipe
• 4 pita bread rounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - chopped
• 2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups of the tomatoe sauce from above recipe
• ground cumin to taste
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange pita bread on a baking sheet, and lightly toast in the oven. Cut pita bread into bite-size pieces, and keep warm.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, onion, and garlic, and cook until chicken juices run clear.. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking 10 minutes.
3. Arrange pita pieces in a serving dish. Drizzle with butter, add the chicken, then add the tomatoe sauce. Garnish with yogurt and parsley to serve.
accompanying dishes:
Tomatoe dip (ezme)
5 tomatoes, discard the seeds, very finely chopped
1 red or white onion, very finely chopped
1 cup parsley, very finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp pomegranate paste or Granadine syrup
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cayenne pepper, crushed
1 tsp sumac
Salt
Crush the onion with sumac and salt with your hands. Mix all the ingredients in a service bowl. Put aside for at least an hour (tastes better this way), then serve with any kind of Kebab.
Ok, the way I do it is just throw everything into the cuisineart and chop it all up, then add the oil and lemon juice, let it sit for an hour or so for all the flavors to meld…….
Sumac comes from the berries of a wild bush which grows in the Mediterranean. The berries are dried and crushed to form purple-red powder. The flavour is sour and fruity. It's mostly used with Kebabs, preferred to lemon for sourness
Eggplant salad
1 eggplant
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 medium-sized tomato, seeds discarded and diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice or 1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
Salt
Pepper
Before putting in the oven, make holes on the eggplant with a fork so that it will soften and cook better. Then place on an oven tray and roast for about 35 minutes on broil. Alternatively, you can barbecue it until softened. Then peel it, remove any seeds and place in 2 cups of water with 1/2 lemon juice. Leave in for about 10-15 minutes. After draining, cut into small pieces with a knife. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spoon. Place in service plate and keep refrigerated. (or just zap it in the cuisineart til it’s a pulp)
If you don't want to bother with roasting the eggplant, you can skip the step above and instead just use approximately 350 gr of Roasted Eggplants in a jar. Just mix all the ingredients together and you're good to go.
This recipe goes well with any kind of meat, Kofte or Kebap on the side.
And here is a pilaf recipe that we eat all the time…..
1 cup rice
2 cups hot water (or stock – I use knorr bouillion cubes)
3 tbsp orzo (check the pasta aisle)
1 tbsp butter
Salt
Place the orzo in a medium sized pot. Stir continously on medium-low heat, without water, until the colour turns light brown. Then add the butter, salt, hot water and rice. Stir and put the lid half on. Cook on low heat until the rice is done (when all the liquid has evaporated). Make sure to stir a few times when you start seeing holes in between the rice towards the end.
9.26.2010
9.19.2010
Cauliflower Moussaka Recipe
Ingredients
1 small head of Cauliflower (stems leaves peeled off, florets separated)
4 glasses water with salt
150 g medium ground beef
1 medium sized carrot (cut in cubes)
1 onion (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (sliced)
1/2 cubanelle pepper (cut in medium sized chunks)
1/2 red pepper (cut in medium sized chunks)
3 fresh green onions (cut in medium sized chunks)
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 glass warm water mixed with 3 tablespoons crushed tomato in can
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cooking Instructions
First boil the florets for almost two minutes in the water with salt in a medium sized pot. Drain and place them in a shallow cooking pan. In the meantime, cook the ground beef with salt and pepper over medium heat in a separate pan. Stir constantly. Add 1/2 glass of the warm water mixed with crushed tomato, carrots, onion and garlic, and cook for almost five more minutes. Pour this all over the cauliflowers with the rest of the warm water. Arrange cubanelle peppers, red peppers and fresh green onions on top. Pour olive oil all over. Cover the lid halfway and cook for almost twenty minutes over medium heat. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle crushed pepper at the end. Serve hot.
1 small head of Cauliflower (stems leaves peeled off, florets separated)
4 glasses water with salt
150 g medium ground beef
1 medium sized carrot (cut in cubes)
1 onion (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (sliced)
1/2 cubanelle pepper (cut in medium sized chunks)
1/2 red pepper (cut in medium sized chunks)
3 fresh green onions (cut in medium sized chunks)
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 glass warm water mixed with 3 tablespoons crushed tomato in can
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cooking Instructions
First boil the florets for almost two minutes in the water with salt in a medium sized pot. Drain and place them in a shallow cooking pan. In the meantime, cook the ground beef with salt and pepper over medium heat in a separate pan. Stir constantly. Add 1/2 glass of the warm water mixed with crushed tomato, carrots, onion and garlic, and cook for almost five more minutes. Pour this all over the cauliflowers with the rest of the warm water. Arrange cubanelle peppers, red peppers and fresh green onions on top. Pour olive oil all over. Cover the lid halfway and cook for almost twenty minutes over medium heat. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle crushed pepper at the end. Serve hot.
Macaroni With Mushrooms Recipe
Ingredients
1 glass meat broth
1 onion
1/2 glass tomato sauce
2 glasses grated cheese (gruyere)
2 glasses water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
300 g beef
500 g macaroni
500 g mushrooms
6 tablespoons butter
pepper
salt
Cooking Instructions
Pour one glass of meat broth into a saucepan. Add a tablespoon of butter, the lemon juice and the cleaned mushrooms. Boil for ten minutes, later drain, but save the cooking water. Melt a tablespoon of butter in another saucepan. Cut the meat into small pieces and add it to the butter. Add the onion, a little pepper and cook five minutes on a high heat. Add the tomato sauce, two glasses of water, and the liquid in which the mushrooms were cooked. Cover and cook until the meat is very tender. Add the mushrooms, cook a few moments, later put aside.
Boil the noodles in salted water. Drain them well, place in a serving dish, pour four tablespoons of melted butter over them, later the prepared sauce. Blend and serve.
1 glass meat broth
1 onion
1/2 glass tomato sauce
2 glasses grated cheese (gruyere)
2 glasses water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
300 g beef
500 g macaroni
500 g mushrooms
6 tablespoons butter
pepper
salt
Cooking Instructions
Pour one glass of meat broth into a saucepan. Add a tablespoon of butter, the lemon juice and the cleaned mushrooms. Boil for ten minutes, later drain, but save the cooking water. Melt a tablespoon of butter in another saucepan. Cut the meat into small pieces and add it to the butter. Add the onion, a little pepper and cook five minutes on a high heat. Add the tomato sauce, two glasses of water, and the liquid in which the mushrooms were cooked. Cover and cook until the meat is very tender. Add the mushrooms, cook a few moments, later put aside.
Boil the noodles in salted water. Drain them well, place in a serving dish, pour four tablespoons of melted butter over them, later the prepared sauce. Blend and serve.
Fish Soup Recipe
Ingredients
250 g small size fish (frozen, cleaned)
1/2 lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
pepper
salt
3 glasses hot water
3 tomatoes (peeled and diced)
1 celery stick (cut in bite sizes)
2 medium onions (chopped)
1 medium potato (cut in bite sizes)
For garnish:
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano (chopped)
5 slices of French baton bread
Cooking Instructions
First cut off the heads of the fish and bone. Place them on a plate and sprinkle lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper on top. Put aside. In a medium sized pot, cook the onion, potato, celery and tomato with water on medium-low heat for almost fifteen minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the fish and cook for another fifteen minutes. Turn the heat off when the fish are cooked and sprinkle parsley and oregano on top. Place a slice of bread on each plate. Pour one ladle of soup over each. Serve while still hot. Enjoy.
250 g small size fish (frozen, cleaned)
1/2 lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
pepper
salt
3 glasses hot water
3 tomatoes (peeled and diced)
1 celery stick (cut in bite sizes)
2 medium onions (chopped)
1 medium potato (cut in bite sizes)
For garnish:
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano (chopped)
5 slices of French baton bread
Cooking Instructions
First cut off the heads of the fish and bone. Place them on a plate and sprinkle lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper on top. Put aside. In a medium sized pot, cook the onion, potato, celery and tomato with water on medium-low heat for almost fifteen minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the fish and cook for another fifteen minutes. Turn the heat off when the fish are cooked and sprinkle parsley and oregano on top. Place a slice of bread on each plate. Pour one ladle of soup over each. Serve while still hot. Enjoy.
iskender kebab recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs lamb (cubes)
4 onions (large)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 round pita breads
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 large tomatoes
2 glasses plain yoghurt
4 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons butter
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 chili peppers (large)
olive oil
Cooking Instructions
First make marinade the meat. Place onions in a food processor and process till liquid, discard any remaining onion pulp. Blend pepper, salt, olive oil, and onion juice in a bowl. Add cubed lamb pieces and marinade one day. Place marinaded lamb pieces onto a skewer and cook on grill, basting with more marinade fifteen minutes. While the meat is cooking you could prepare the Iskender plate. Warm pita on the grill on both sides and keep warm. When everything is ready later slice the pita into squares, divide into four portions and place as a layer on each plate. Crush garlic with the salt and add into yoghurt, blend well, add again salt to taste. Spoon onto the pita squares just before adding hot lamb kebabs. Cut tomatoes in half and grill slowly until hot, don't overcook, as they would become too soft and soggy. Repeat with the chilli peppers. Blend tomato puree with olive oil and pepper and heat in a small saucepan, add salt to taste, and drizzle over kebabs as it is the meat sauce. Garnish with the grilled tomatoes and chili peppers, and sprigs of fresh dark green parsley. serve with ayran optional cola.
2 lbs lamb (cubes)
4 onions (large)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 round pita breads
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 large tomatoes
2 glasses plain yoghurt
4 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons butter
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 chili peppers (large)
olive oil
Cooking Instructions
First make marinade the meat. Place onions in a food processor and process till liquid, discard any remaining onion pulp. Blend pepper, salt, olive oil, and onion juice in a bowl. Add cubed lamb pieces and marinade one day. Place marinaded lamb pieces onto a skewer and cook on grill, basting with more marinade fifteen minutes. While the meat is cooking you could prepare the Iskender plate. Warm pita on the grill on both sides and keep warm. When everything is ready later slice the pita into squares, divide into four portions and place as a layer on each plate. Crush garlic with the salt and add into yoghurt, blend well, add again salt to taste. Spoon onto the pita squares just before adding hot lamb kebabs. Cut tomatoes in half and grill slowly until hot, don't overcook, as they would become too soft and soggy. Repeat with the chilli peppers. Blend tomato puree with olive oil and pepper and heat in a small saucepan, add salt to taste, and drizzle over kebabs as it is the meat sauce. Garnish with the grilled tomatoes and chili peppers, and sprigs of fresh dark green parsley. serve with ayran optional cola.
Sea Bass In Aluminium Foil
Ingredients4 sea bass fillets (approx. 200 grams each)
200 grams of finely chopped onions
1 kilo of tomatoes (peeled and pitted)
Cinnamon stick (approx. 1.25 cm long)
100 grams of butter
3 cloves1 bay leaf
Salt
DirectionsPreheat the oven to 200º C. Fry the onions in the butter for three minutes and add the tomatoes, salt and spices as well as the bay leaf. Put the lid on the pan and bring everything to the boil. Reduce the heat after boiling and leave to simmer for another ten minutes. Puree the sauce through a sieve. Prepare 4 sheets of aluminium foil and put a sea bass fillet on each sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Pour a little of the sauce over the fillets, fold every sheet of aluminium into a small parcel and place the parcels on an oven tray. Put the oven tray in the preheated oven (200º C) and bake the fillets for approximately 10 minutes. Serve the dish as soon as it leaves the oven and open the sea bass parcels once they are served.
200 grams of finely chopped onions
1 kilo of tomatoes (peeled and pitted)
Cinnamon stick (approx. 1.25 cm long)
100 grams of butter
3 cloves1 bay leaf
Salt
DirectionsPreheat the oven to 200º C. Fry the onions in the butter for three minutes and add the tomatoes, salt and spices as well as the bay leaf. Put the lid on the pan and bring everything to the boil. Reduce the heat after boiling and leave to simmer for another ten minutes. Puree the sauce through a sieve. Prepare 4 sheets of aluminium foil and put a sea bass fillet on each sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Pour a little of the sauce over the fillets, fold every sheet of aluminium into a small parcel and place the parcels on an oven tray. Put the oven tray in the preheated oven (200º C) and bake the fillets for approximately 10 minutes. Serve the dish as soon as it leaves the oven and open the sea bass parcels once they are served.
Artichoke with Beans
Ingredients 4 Globe Artichokes2 large Onions, finely chopped225g/8oz shelled young Broad Beans240ml/8fl.oz. Water1 teasp Salt120ml/4fl.oz. Olive Oil3 tbsp freshly chopped DillLiquid Mix: 720ml/24fl.oz. Cold Water, 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, 2 teasp SaltDirections 1. Place all the ingredients for the Liquid Mix in a large bowl, mix well and set aside.2. Remove the stalks from the base of the artichokes, trim the outer leaves with a sharp knife just leaving 2 layers and rub the cut surfaces with lemon and salt.3. Remove the hairs from the inside of the artichokes with a spoon and submerge in the liquid mix. Set aside. 3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the chopped onion and sauté over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.4. Drain the artichokes well then add to the onion mixture together with the broad beans and water, season with salt, cover and cook for 20 minutes.5. Sprinkle the dill over the artichokes, re cover and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes or until the artichokes are tender.6. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool in the pan.7. To serve - place the artichokes on a serving platter and fill the centres with the beans . Serve cold.
Turkish Sausage And Fried Eggs
Ingredients500 grams Turkish sausage
6 eggs100
grams of margarine
Salt and pepper
Directions: Cut the sausage into tiny slices. Melt the margarine in a frying pan, add the sliced sausage and fry. Add the eggs as well as salt and pepper to taste. Close the lid on the pan and leave everything to simmer for five minutes on medium heat until the eggs are done.
6 eggs100
grams of margarine
Salt and pepper
Directions: Cut the sausage into tiny slices. Melt the margarine in a frying pan, add the sliced sausage and fry. Add the eggs as well as salt and pepper to taste. Close the lid on the pan and leave everything to simmer for five minutes on medium heat until the eggs are done.
5.31.2010
Israel Intercepts Gaza Flotilla; Violence Reported
JERUSALEM — The Israeli Navy made its first contact with a flotilla carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists and thousands of tons of supplies for Gaza shortly before midnight on Sunday, surprising the boats in international waters, according to activists on one vessel.
Israel has vowed not to let the flotilla reach the shores of Gaza, where the Islamic militant group Hamas holds sway, putting the activists and the Israelis on a public relations collision course.
Named the Freedom Flotilla, and led by the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement and a Turkish organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, the convoy of six cargo and passenger boats is the most ambitious attempt yet to break Israel’s three-year blockade of Gaza.
Two television stations reported early Monday that Israeli warships had attacked the ships, killing at least two and wounding an unknown number of people on board, according to The Associated Press. The Israeli military refused to comment on the reports.
Three Israeli Navy missile boats left the Haifa naval base in northern Israel a few minutes after 9 p.m. Sunday, planning to intercept the flotilla.
Speaking by satellite phone early Sunday from the Challenger 1 boat, which has foreign legislators and other high-profile figures on board, a Free Gaza Movement leader, Huwaida Arraf, said: “We communicated to them clearly that we are unarmed civilians. We asked them not to use violence.”
Earlier Sunday, Ms. Arraf said the boats would keep trying to move forward “until they either disable our boats or jump on board.”
Organizers of the flotilla had said they expected to confront the Israelis on Monday morning, in an effort to avoid an encounter in the dark.
Israel has vowed not to let the flotilla reach the shores of Gaza, where the Islamic militant group Hamas holds sway, putting the activists and the Israelis on a public relations collision course.
Named the Freedom Flotilla, and led by the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement and a Turkish organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, the convoy of six cargo and passenger boats is the most ambitious attempt yet to break Israel’s three-year blockade of Gaza.
Two television stations reported early Monday that Israeli warships had attacked the ships, killing at least two and wounding an unknown number of people on board, according to The Associated Press. The Israeli military refused to comment on the reports.
Three Israeli Navy missile boats left the Haifa naval base in northern Israel a few minutes after 9 p.m. Sunday, planning to intercept the flotilla.
Speaking by satellite phone early Sunday from the Challenger 1 boat, which has foreign legislators and other high-profile figures on board, a Free Gaza Movement leader, Huwaida Arraf, said: “We communicated to them clearly that we are unarmed civilians. We asked them not to use violence.”
Earlier Sunday, Ms. Arraf said the boats would keep trying to move forward “until they either disable our boats or jump on board.”
Organizers of the flotilla had said they expected to confront the Israelis on Monday morning, in an effort to avoid an encounter in the dark.
Raid Jeopardizes Turkey Relations
ISTANBUL — The Israeli commando raid Monday on an aid flotilla, which left at least nine people dead, has dragged relations between Israel and Turkey to a new low, political experts here say, threatening to derail diplomatic relations between two close American allies.
Turkey, a NATO member, has long been Israel’s closest friend in the Muslim world, with $3 billion in trade and strong ties between the countries’ militaries and governments. But relations began to deteriorate during Israel’s war in Gaza, when Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, publicly sparred with Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Monday’s raid prompted street protests in Turkey and a strong official reaction, with Ankara recalling its ambassador from Israel, summoning Israel’s ambassador and canceling planned joint military exercises. That was enough to raise alarms among analysts here, who said it could seriously jeopardize already battered diplomatic relations between the countries.
“This will be perceived as a kind of declaration of war on Turkey,” said Cengiz Candar, a columnist for Radikal, a Turkish daily. “Political dialogue will cease. It’s not possible to contain the deterioration in relations anymore.”
But it was not yet clear how broad the implications would be. As of Monday evening, Israel’s Ambassador to Turkey had not been asked to leave the country, and Turkey’s foreign minister spoke by phone to Israel’s defense minister — evidence that, at least at some level, diplomatic channels remained open. The leaders of the two countries’ militaries also spoke by telephone, the Turkish military said.
A senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said it was possible that Turkey would cut off diplomatic relations, but that it would depend on Israel’s next steps. Turkey expects the immediate release of the activists, the official said, as well as a strong apology from the Israeli government. Neither have been forthcoming, and there were reports late Monday that Israel had arrested some people from the ship.
A senior Israeli official said that it had tried for two weeks to persuade Turkey to stop the flotilla, but that Turkey said it was a non-governmental action that it was powerless to stop. Israel’s ambassador in Turkey, Gabi Levy, did not return a call for comment.
One wild card is Mr. Erdogan, a strong-willed former Islamist who is the driving force behind Turkey’s criticism of Israel and its policy toward the Palestinians. He has pushed a new foreign policy that has taken a more active role in the region, serving as mediator between Israel and Syria. But not all his efforts have been appreciated by the United States, like his recent attempt with Brazil to broker a nuclear deal with Iran.
In a press conference in Santiago, Chile, where he cut short a trip to return to Turkey, he called the raid “inhumane state terrorism,” and said that Israel’s contentions that there had been weapons on the ship were “lies.”
“This attack has clearly shown that Israeli government has no desire for peace in the region,” he said in remarks that were broadcast on Turkish television. But he also called for calm, saying that Jews in Turkey “are our citizens,” and adding that “I want my people to be very sensitive about this.”
The situation is difficult for the United States, which has close relations with both countries and is now in the awkward position of crafting a reaction that avoids alienating either side. Both the United States and Israel use Turkish air space for military exercises. The United States supplies the majority of its Iraq effort from a military base in southern Turkey.
Asli Aydintasbas, a columnist at the Turkish Daily Milliyet, argues that the episode was a dramatic failure in diplomacy, for both the United States and Turkey. The new foreign policy pursued by Turkey’s government has given it a confidence that sometimes results in overreaching. For example, Turkey believed it could change Israeli policies towards Gaza.
“This was a disaster waiting to happen,” said Ms. Aydintasbas. “Both Turkish and American officials could have stopped the boats from moving forward. It’s clear they didn’t try hard enough.”
Mr. Erdogan is seen favorably by many in Turkey’s small Jewish community. He encouraged the relationship with Israel, visiting in 2005 with a group of Turkish businessmen and becoming the first Turkish prime minister to visit the office of Turkey’s chief rabbi after a synagogue was bombed in 2003.
But when it comes to Hamas, which controls Gaza, they disagree. Israel views it as a terrorist group and focuses on its doctrinal commitment to destroy the Zionist state. Mr. Erdogan sees other aspects: Hamas began as a grass-roots Islamic movement, and like his own Justice and Development party, also Islamic-inspired, was democratically elected against overwhelming odds.
One Turkish tactic will be to try to garner international condemnation in order to change Israel policies toward Gaza, namely its blockade, Turkish analysts said. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, flew to New York to spearhead Turkey’s efforts to call for a vote on the matter in the United Nations. Turkey became a member of the Security Council last year.
Mr. Candar views the future of relations grimly. The raid provoked outrage among the Turkish public, who thronged Istanbul’s Taksim square and the Israeli consulate, sentiment that Mr. Erdogan could capitalize on in national elections next year. The current governments in Israel and Turkey seem stuck in a cycle of hostility, and Mr. Candar does not see that changing.
“As long as this government is in power and the one in Israel is in power, it will be a hostile relationship, not even a neutral one,” Mr. Candar said.
Turkey, a NATO member, has long been Israel’s closest friend in the Muslim world, with $3 billion in trade and strong ties between the countries’ militaries and governments. But relations began to deteriorate during Israel’s war in Gaza, when Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, publicly sparred with Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Monday’s raid prompted street protests in Turkey and a strong official reaction, with Ankara recalling its ambassador from Israel, summoning Israel’s ambassador and canceling planned joint military exercises. That was enough to raise alarms among analysts here, who said it could seriously jeopardize already battered diplomatic relations between the countries.
“This will be perceived as a kind of declaration of war on Turkey,” said Cengiz Candar, a columnist for Radikal, a Turkish daily. “Political dialogue will cease. It’s not possible to contain the deterioration in relations anymore.”
But it was not yet clear how broad the implications would be. As of Monday evening, Israel’s Ambassador to Turkey had not been asked to leave the country, and Turkey’s foreign minister spoke by phone to Israel’s defense minister — evidence that, at least at some level, diplomatic channels remained open. The leaders of the two countries’ militaries also spoke by telephone, the Turkish military said.
A senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said it was possible that Turkey would cut off diplomatic relations, but that it would depend on Israel’s next steps. Turkey expects the immediate release of the activists, the official said, as well as a strong apology from the Israeli government. Neither have been forthcoming, and there were reports late Monday that Israel had arrested some people from the ship.
A senior Israeli official said that it had tried for two weeks to persuade Turkey to stop the flotilla, but that Turkey said it was a non-governmental action that it was powerless to stop. Israel’s ambassador in Turkey, Gabi Levy, did not return a call for comment.
One wild card is Mr. Erdogan, a strong-willed former Islamist who is the driving force behind Turkey’s criticism of Israel and its policy toward the Palestinians. He has pushed a new foreign policy that has taken a more active role in the region, serving as mediator between Israel and Syria. But not all his efforts have been appreciated by the United States, like his recent attempt with Brazil to broker a nuclear deal with Iran.
In a press conference in Santiago, Chile, where he cut short a trip to return to Turkey, he called the raid “inhumane state terrorism,” and said that Israel’s contentions that there had been weapons on the ship were “lies.”
“This attack has clearly shown that Israeli government has no desire for peace in the region,” he said in remarks that were broadcast on Turkish television. But he also called for calm, saying that Jews in Turkey “are our citizens,” and adding that “I want my people to be very sensitive about this.”
The situation is difficult for the United States, which has close relations with both countries and is now in the awkward position of crafting a reaction that avoids alienating either side. Both the United States and Israel use Turkish air space for military exercises. The United States supplies the majority of its Iraq effort from a military base in southern Turkey.
Asli Aydintasbas, a columnist at the Turkish Daily Milliyet, argues that the episode was a dramatic failure in diplomacy, for both the United States and Turkey. The new foreign policy pursued by Turkey’s government has given it a confidence that sometimes results in overreaching. For example, Turkey believed it could change Israeli policies towards Gaza.
“This was a disaster waiting to happen,” said Ms. Aydintasbas. “Both Turkish and American officials could have stopped the boats from moving forward. It’s clear they didn’t try hard enough.”
Mr. Erdogan is seen favorably by many in Turkey’s small Jewish community. He encouraged the relationship with Israel, visiting in 2005 with a group of Turkish businessmen and becoming the first Turkish prime minister to visit the office of Turkey’s chief rabbi after a synagogue was bombed in 2003.
But when it comes to Hamas, which controls Gaza, they disagree. Israel views it as a terrorist group and focuses on its doctrinal commitment to destroy the Zionist state. Mr. Erdogan sees other aspects: Hamas began as a grass-roots Islamic movement, and like his own Justice and Development party, also Islamic-inspired, was democratically elected against overwhelming odds.
One Turkish tactic will be to try to garner international condemnation in order to change Israel policies toward Gaza, namely its blockade, Turkish analysts said. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, flew to New York to spearhead Turkey’s efforts to call for a vote on the matter in the United Nations. Turkey became a member of the Security Council last year.
Mr. Candar views the future of relations grimly. The raid provoked outrage among the Turkish public, who thronged Istanbul’s Taksim square and the Israeli consulate, sentiment that Mr. Erdogan could capitalize on in national elections next year. The current governments in Israel and Turkey seem stuck in a cycle of hostility, and Mr. Candar does not see that changing.
“As long as this government is in power and the one in Israel is in power, it will be a hostile relationship, not even a neutral one,” Mr. Candar said.
5.29.2010
3 Great Flat Stomach Workouts You Should Try Out
It is not enough to lose the fat around your abdominal region. You also need to make sure the muscles around your stomach and every part of the body are toned and firmed. What I am trying to pass across to you is that rather than concentrate on flattening your tummy from the surface, you should make effort to give your inner muscles the works.
To do this you need the three great flat stomach workouts, I have chosen to discuss in this article. If there are any workouts that should help you develop the core muscles in your mid region, here they are.
1. Scissor kicks - This is a routine workout that involves the person doing the exercise raising and lowering his or her legs one after the other. The individual must be in a sleeping position with is back to the ground and their face looking up. The hands must be properly secured under the buttocks to make the exercise effective.
2. Torso toning - This workout is performed with the individual hands and knees on the floor. Just as in a crawling position. The stomach should be held backwards as if reaching to the spine from the inside. This means the tummy should not be allowed to relax. While in this position, stretched out your left hand and your right leg to opposite direction. Your hand to the front and you leg to the back. Repeat this process by giving the other hand and leg a similar treatment.
3. Crunches - For many people this workout is simple while for other it is difficult. If you ask me, I will say it is one of the simplest workouts you can ever engage in. The exercise is mostly done in order to burn stomach fat while the performer is laying on the ground, with the stomach to the floor. Once you are in that position, the next thing to do is to calm your body and attempt to move the button of your tummy inwards towards your spine. It is the lower abdominal muscles that should do this. Remain in this position for fifteen minutes and release yourself from the position if your muscles can no longer hold.
These are simple flat stomach workouts, six pack stomach that should cost you nothing but the will and determination to learn more about them and perform them properly as it should be. You owe yourself the duty to stick to any flat stomach exercise regimen you decide on and how to get a flat tummy.
To do this you need the three great flat stomach workouts, I have chosen to discuss in this article. If there are any workouts that should help you develop the core muscles in your mid region, here they are.
1. Scissor kicks - This is a routine workout that involves the person doing the exercise raising and lowering his or her legs one after the other. The individual must be in a sleeping position with is back to the ground and their face looking up. The hands must be properly secured under the buttocks to make the exercise effective.
2. Torso toning - This workout is performed with the individual hands and knees on the floor. Just as in a crawling position. The stomach should be held backwards as if reaching to the spine from the inside. This means the tummy should not be allowed to relax. While in this position, stretched out your left hand and your right leg to opposite direction. Your hand to the front and you leg to the back. Repeat this process by giving the other hand and leg a similar treatment.
3. Crunches - For many people this workout is simple while for other it is difficult. If you ask me, I will say it is one of the simplest workouts you can ever engage in. The exercise is mostly done in order to burn stomach fat while the performer is laying on the ground, with the stomach to the floor. Once you are in that position, the next thing to do is to calm your body and attempt to move the button of your tummy inwards towards your spine. It is the lower abdominal muscles that should do this. Remain in this position for fifteen minutes and release yourself from the position if your muscles can no longer hold.
These are simple flat stomach workouts, six pack stomach that should cost you nothing but the will and determination to learn more about them and perform them properly as it should be. You owe yourself the duty to stick to any flat stomach exercise regimen you decide on and how to get a flat tummy.
Do You Think Burning Calories to Lose Weight is the Only Way?
A lot of people think that cutting calories to lose weight is the only reliable way in losing those unwanted fats on our body, or do you think there is still another way of losing weight which utilizes available biological studies. Diet like Atkin's Diet is proven to be effective to our body and because of that they gain the recognition they need on many well known individuals. Though, what other people failed to do was that they tended to lose a lot of weight because they are losing muscle tissues instead of fats which make it a dangerous and unhealthy diet.
One of the major problems in the world today is that we want to drink as many sweetened drinks as we can and we appreciate the much easier and less effort way on our life. But whatever drinking products available in the market today, there is still no product that can substitute eating at least 8 glasses of water per day. Extra calories can also be found on the sugar component of sweetened drinks and that is enough reason to avoid.
Following the scheduled time to eat your meal well help you prevent on becoming very hungry and you tend to eat more when you are very hungry which will make you gain the weight you loss then make your step back from the very beginning. That is the reason why we should not let ourselves get hungry before we eat to avoid wasting our time.
We need to burn calories to lose weight but not the extent that we will not eat adequate meals which help supply the needed nutrients for our body to work properly. We need to put in mind also that with regular exercise we will help our body to pick up the pace on losing weight.
Download Your Free Report Here. 7 Tips to Weight Loss. Learn what so-called health foods are making you gain weight!
One of the major problems in the world today is that we want to drink as many sweetened drinks as we can and we appreciate the much easier and less effort way on our life. But whatever drinking products available in the market today, there is still no product that can substitute eating at least 8 glasses of water per day. Extra calories can also be found on the sugar component of sweetened drinks and that is enough reason to avoid.
Following the scheduled time to eat your meal well help you prevent on becoming very hungry and you tend to eat more when you are very hungry which will make you gain the weight you loss then make your step back from the very beginning. That is the reason why we should not let ourselves get hungry before we eat to avoid wasting our time.
We need to burn calories to lose weight but not the extent that we will not eat adequate meals which help supply the needed nutrients for our body to work properly. We need to put in mind also that with regular exercise we will help our body to pick up the pace on losing weight.
Download Your Free Report Here. 7 Tips to Weight Loss. Learn what so-called health foods are making you gain weight!
Reduce Thigh Fat With Calorie Shifting
A great way to reduce thigh fat is through diet and exercise, but you already knew that and you probably felt like rolling your eyes when you read it. The truth is if your goal is to reduce thigh fat then you have likely tried diets and exercise programs with little success. Dieting for long periods of time means you set yourself up for long periods of deprivation. To stick with a low-calorie or low-carbohydrate you will have to give up all your favorite foods. But what if there was a better way? A way that you could learn very quickly that would allow you to drop pounds faster than you ever did before AND allow you to routinely eat your favorite treats? Well there is a better way and it is called calorie shifting. Read on to learn how it works to help you burn fat off your thighs faster.
Reduce thigh fat using calorie shifting diet strategies
Thigh fat is particularly tough to lose because your body has a propensity to deposit fat in this area of your body. The classic pear-shaped body naturally stores more fat in the hips, butt and thighs and that means this is the first place fat gets stored and the last place it burns off. Frustration!
Well, that is a reality, yet the good news is that the fat will burn off, you will just need to lose it all over your body and really that is what you want anyway, a slim, lean body.
Calorie shifting is a dieting strategy that is far from a fad...even if you have never heard of it before. It originated in doctor's offices for patients that were facing surgery. What the doctors knew was that patients that were overweight or obese would not recover as well and recovery time would be very long. So they wanted to create a way for patients to shed excess pounds quickly, before surgery. What they developed was calorie shifting and because it worked so well the concept moved into the public arena quite quickly.
The key to why calorie shifting works and why you would want to use it to reduce thigh fat is because it keeps your fat-burning metabolism high. The reason this is important is because your body has less of a chance of hitting a weight loss plateau.
You see, traditional diets had you cut calories and keep them low forever, what happened however, was that your body adapted to the low calorie intake by slowing the fat-burning metabolism. So you continued to suffer through your low-calorie days and your fat-burning ability got slower and slower. Ugh!
And now think about that, if thigh fat is the last place you lose, and traditional diets always cause fat loss to slow down...when will the fat burn off your thighs? The answer is never with traditional diet strategies; however, with calorie shifting diets you eat fewer calories for a few days and follow that up with high-calorie days that boost your metabolism and keep you satisfied.
The result is that people find calorie shifting much easier to stick with and you keep your fat-burning metabolism going so you are able to reduce thigh fat.
You now know that Calorie Shifting is an effective and livable way to reduce thigh fat but that is not the whole story. For information on the most in-demand Calorie Shifting diet and how you can lose up to 9 pounds in just 11 days visit Reduce Thigh Fat with Calorie Shifting.
Reduce thigh fat using calorie shifting diet strategies
Thigh fat is particularly tough to lose because your body has a propensity to deposit fat in this area of your body. The classic pear-shaped body naturally stores more fat in the hips, butt and thighs and that means this is the first place fat gets stored and the last place it burns off. Frustration!
Well, that is a reality, yet the good news is that the fat will burn off, you will just need to lose it all over your body and really that is what you want anyway, a slim, lean body.
Calorie shifting is a dieting strategy that is far from a fad...even if you have never heard of it before. It originated in doctor's offices for patients that were facing surgery. What the doctors knew was that patients that were overweight or obese would not recover as well and recovery time would be very long. So they wanted to create a way for patients to shed excess pounds quickly, before surgery. What they developed was calorie shifting and because it worked so well the concept moved into the public arena quite quickly.
The key to why calorie shifting works and why you would want to use it to reduce thigh fat is because it keeps your fat-burning metabolism high. The reason this is important is because your body has less of a chance of hitting a weight loss plateau.
You see, traditional diets had you cut calories and keep them low forever, what happened however, was that your body adapted to the low calorie intake by slowing the fat-burning metabolism. So you continued to suffer through your low-calorie days and your fat-burning ability got slower and slower. Ugh!
And now think about that, if thigh fat is the last place you lose, and traditional diets always cause fat loss to slow down...when will the fat burn off your thighs? The answer is never with traditional diet strategies; however, with calorie shifting diets you eat fewer calories for a few days and follow that up with high-calorie days that boost your metabolism and keep you satisfied.
The result is that people find calorie shifting much easier to stick with and you keep your fat-burning metabolism going so you are able to reduce thigh fat.
You now know that Calorie Shifting is an effective and livable way to reduce thigh fat but that is not the whole story. For information on the most in-demand Calorie Shifting diet and how you can lose up to 9 pounds in just 11 days visit Reduce Thigh Fat with Calorie Shifting.
The Secret New Way to Lose Weight
With all the "light" and fat free foods available, all the diet and exercise programs that you can find for free or cheap and all the support groups available, obesity is still on the rise. At the same time, we are told all you have to do to lose weight is eat right and exercise. Really? If it is so easy, why is it so hard for so many?
This is a big secret that many in the food and drug industry do not want you to know. Health gurus do not need it because they are some of the few that have been able to overcome the obstacles that you do not know about.
The truth is that not everyone can just eat right and exercise. We have become a world of convenience foods, fast foods and processed foods with a desire for instant gratification. When we try to eat right, most are overcome by the intense desire for the foods they enjoy. It is very much like an addiction. And you do not have to be obese or a compulsive eater to experience this.
Instant gratification is not a result you will get from eating right and exercising. In fact, results are slow to the point of seeming like your hard work is not paying off. Eating right may give you some sense of feeling better or more energy, but these alternate with mood swings, cravings and crankiness because we miss our food.
There are real, physical reasons why this is happening. Our foods are full of chemicals; some mimic hormones so throw our natural ones off balance, some are known to inhibit thyroid, and some interfere with our natural appetite controls. The imbalance in hormones along with excessive toxin burden on the body creates unexplained weight gain, inability to lose weight and sluggish metabolism.
At the same time, the fat free revolution has caused a majority of people who are trying to lose weight to become deficient in the healthy fats that are necessary. These fats are needed so your body can metabolize and eliminate bad fats. These healthy fats maintain happy and healthy moods and ward off food cravings. These fats help our digestion, nourish our brain, keep cholesterol low, and protect our hearts and arteries.
With all this going on, it is no wonder we are having a hard time. When you add all of the above together and put that burden on one person, which is not uncommon, you will find it hard to eat right because your appetite control is out of whack, your cravings are physically addictions and you probably feel overworked, overstressed and just too darn tired to exercise. So how do you overcome all of these obstacles?
There is one answer that will help with all of these issues mentioned; a whole body cleanse. If you find a good body cleansing program, you will learn what foods can help your body's natural cleansing process.
A whole body cleanse also uses herbs that can chelate, or remove, toxins from your body including those from the environment and processed foods. Other supplements are designed to help your body get the waste out faster, which means more balance for you.
When done right, a whole body cleanse can help you eliminate food cravings so you can stay on track for your weight loss goals. When you get the junk out of your body, you have more energy to live. A huge side-effect of cleansing that people report is the ability to deal with stress better.
If you decide to try a program like this, do your homework and use common sense. Most programs will work if you follow them. You cannot cleanse your body if you eat junk food, no matter what anyone tells you. A fast will work but you have to do it right. So, again, no matter which body cleanse you choose, read, research and learn so you can take care of your body and lose weight safely.
This is a big secret that many in the food and drug industry do not want you to know. Health gurus do not need it because they are some of the few that have been able to overcome the obstacles that you do not know about.
The truth is that not everyone can just eat right and exercise. We have become a world of convenience foods, fast foods and processed foods with a desire for instant gratification. When we try to eat right, most are overcome by the intense desire for the foods they enjoy. It is very much like an addiction. And you do not have to be obese or a compulsive eater to experience this.
Instant gratification is not a result you will get from eating right and exercising. In fact, results are slow to the point of seeming like your hard work is not paying off. Eating right may give you some sense of feeling better or more energy, but these alternate with mood swings, cravings and crankiness because we miss our food.
There are real, physical reasons why this is happening. Our foods are full of chemicals; some mimic hormones so throw our natural ones off balance, some are known to inhibit thyroid, and some interfere with our natural appetite controls. The imbalance in hormones along with excessive toxin burden on the body creates unexplained weight gain, inability to lose weight and sluggish metabolism.
At the same time, the fat free revolution has caused a majority of people who are trying to lose weight to become deficient in the healthy fats that are necessary. These fats are needed so your body can metabolize and eliminate bad fats. These healthy fats maintain happy and healthy moods and ward off food cravings. These fats help our digestion, nourish our brain, keep cholesterol low, and protect our hearts and arteries.
With all this going on, it is no wonder we are having a hard time. When you add all of the above together and put that burden on one person, which is not uncommon, you will find it hard to eat right because your appetite control is out of whack, your cravings are physically addictions and you probably feel overworked, overstressed and just too darn tired to exercise. So how do you overcome all of these obstacles?
There is one answer that will help with all of these issues mentioned; a whole body cleanse. If you find a good body cleansing program, you will learn what foods can help your body's natural cleansing process.
A whole body cleanse also uses herbs that can chelate, or remove, toxins from your body including those from the environment and processed foods. Other supplements are designed to help your body get the waste out faster, which means more balance for you.
When done right, a whole body cleanse can help you eliminate food cravings so you can stay on track for your weight loss goals. When you get the junk out of your body, you have more energy to live. A huge side-effect of cleansing that people report is the ability to deal with stress better.
If you decide to try a program like this, do your homework and use common sense. Most programs will work if you follow them. You cannot cleanse your body if you eat junk food, no matter what anyone tells you. A fast will work but you have to do it right. So, again, no matter which body cleanse you choose, read, research and learn so you can take care of your body and lose weight safely.
5.18.2010
Sultan's Jello Turkish Dessert
4 cups orange juice, no pulp
1/3 cup corn starch
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp sesame, roasted
Melt the corn starch in 1 cup of orange juice. Then add the sugar and 3 cups orange juice and put in a medium-sized pot. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. When you see bubbles on the surface, cook for one more minute. Then pour into small cups. Let them cool. Sprinkle the roasted sesame on top. Put them in the fridge and serve when cold.
If the orange juice is sweet, you don't need as much sugar. If you use orange juice sold in stores, don't add sugar.
1/3 cup corn starch
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp sesame, roasted
Melt the corn starch in 1 cup of orange juice. Then add the sugar and 3 cups orange juice and put in a medium-sized pot. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. When you see bubbles on the surface, cook for one more minute. Then pour into small cups. Let them cool. Sprinkle the roasted sesame on top. Put them in the fridge and serve when cold.
If the orange juice is sweet, you don't need as much sugar. If you use orange juice sold in stores, don't add sugar.
roasted turkey recipe
roasted turkey recipe below. thanks.
Ingredients
1 young turkey
1 glass of water
5 tablespoons of margarine
1 big carrot
2 medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
salt
Preparation :
Choose a good quality, quick roasting bird. Peel the onions and carrot, and cut them into 4 pieces each.
Put the Turkey in a pan with the onios, carrot, margarine, peeled garlic and water. Cover and put on heat. When the water starts boiling, remove the pan from heat and put in a hot oven. Some time later, turn the turkey over and cook until it becomes tender. When the turkey is tender remove the cover. Baste the turkey occasionaly.
When cooked, take the turkey out of the oven, put in on a serving dish and separate the different sections (breasts, legs, wings etc.) Puree the sauce remaining in the saucepan and serve the roasted turkey either topped with the sauce, or serve the sauce separately
Ingredients
1 young turkey
1 glass of water
5 tablespoons of margarine
1 big carrot
2 medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
salt
Preparation :
Choose a good quality, quick roasting bird. Peel the onions and carrot, and cut them into 4 pieces each.
Put the Turkey in a pan with the onios, carrot, margarine, peeled garlic and water. Cover and put on heat. When the water starts boiling, remove the pan from heat and put in a hot oven. Some time later, turn the turkey over and cook until it becomes tender. When the turkey is tender remove the cover. Baste the turkey occasionaly.
When cooked, take the turkey out of the oven, put in on a serving dish and separate the different sections (breasts, legs, wings etc.) Puree the sauce remaining in the saucepan and serve the roasted turkey either topped with the sauce, or serve the sauce separately
Turkish goose stew recipe
Goose stew with tomatoe is very delicious and special food. You will like it. recipes
Ingredients
1 goose (2 kg.)
10 ripe tomatoes
1 large onion.
30 gibsons (small onios)
20 small fresh potatoes
4 tablespoons of buter
3 tablespoons of flour
salt to taste
black pepper
1 glass stock
Preparation :
Cut the goose into sections. Put into a saucepan with enough water to cover and boil. Strain and set the goose aside. Chop the onion and tomatoes. Pell the gibsons. Peel the potatoes and fry in 2 tablespoons of butter. Put the goose and onions in the saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and saute, constantly stirring untill the onions turn golden. Sift some flour into the saucepan and fry the goose over a moderate heat. Put the tomatoes and a glass of stock into a saucepan and boil, then simmer lightly. Add the tomatoes and stock to the goose with the gibsons. Season to taste. Stew and check occasionaly with a fork. Add the potatoes 2-3 minutes berfore cooking is over.
Ingredients
1 goose (2 kg.)
10 ripe tomatoes
1 large onion.
30 gibsons (small onios)
20 small fresh potatoes
4 tablespoons of buter
3 tablespoons of flour
salt to taste
black pepper
1 glass stock
Preparation :
Cut the goose into sections. Put into a saucepan with enough water to cover and boil. Strain and set the goose aside. Chop the onion and tomatoes. Pell the gibsons. Peel the potatoes and fry in 2 tablespoons of butter. Put the goose and onions in the saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and saute, constantly stirring untill the onions turn golden. Sift some flour into the saucepan and fry the goose over a moderate heat. Put the tomatoes and a glass of stock into a saucepan and boil, then simmer lightly. Add the tomatoes and stock to the goose with the gibsons. Season to taste. Stew and check occasionaly with a fork. Add the potatoes 2-3 minutes berfore cooking is over.
Chicken with beans recipe
chicken with beans recipe
Posted on 4:04 AM under turkish recipes | Be the first to comment · edit
this is another delicious taste .. nice and easy to prepare food:
1 lb. Dry beans (Soaked in water overnight)
7 1/2 oz Chicken breast
3 tablespoons margarin or butter
2 medium size onions (chopped)
2 medium size tomatoes (chopped)
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups chicken stock
Preparation :
Cut the chicken breast in cubes. Boil the beans for 30 minutes. Drain the water and let it cool. In a deep sauce pan melt the butter. Saute the chicken breast for 5 minutes, then add chopped onions. Saute the onions for another 5 minutes with chicken, then add the chopped tomatoes and continue sauteing until tomatoes are soft. Add the salt and the chicken stock to the saute pan. Boil everything for about 15 minutes. Transfer everything with the cooled beans to a casserole dish. Bake in a preheated oven until the beans are soft. 350F for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve with rice.
Posted on 4:04 AM under turkish recipes | Be the first to comment · edit
this is another delicious taste .. nice and easy to prepare food:
1 lb. Dry beans (Soaked in water overnight)
7 1/2 oz Chicken breast
3 tablespoons margarin or butter
2 medium size onions (chopped)
2 medium size tomatoes (chopped)
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups chicken stock
Preparation :
Cut the chicken breast in cubes. Boil the beans for 30 minutes. Drain the water and let it cool. In a deep sauce pan melt the butter. Saute the chicken breast for 5 minutes, then add chopped onions. Saute the onions for another 5 minutes with chicken, then add the chopped tomatoes and continue sauteing until tomatoes are soft. Add the salt and the chicken stock to the saute pan. Boil everything for about 15 minutes. Transfer everything with the cooled beans to a casserole dish. Bake in a preheated oven until the beans are soft. 350F for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve with rice.
Turkish Airlines
Facts & Figures
* Number of aircraft: 131
* Number of employees: 12,397
* Passengers per year: 26.5 million
* Sales Revenue (in US$): 3.09 billion
* Number of scheduled destinations: 159
* Daily departures: 460
* Date of entry: April 2008
* Frequent flyer programme: Miles & Smiles
* Hubs: Istanbul, Ankara
* Aircraft types: A340-300, A330, A321, A320, A319, B737-400, B737-800, B777-300ER
Turkish Airlines aircraft
Turkish Airlines, Turkey’s national flag carrier, was founded in Ankara on 20 May 1933 as “State Airlines Administration,” under the direction of the Ministry of Defence. In 1955, it was restructured into “Turkish Airlines.” 25% of the company was sold via an SPO under a privatisation programme in 2005, and today, 50.9% of the company shares are public, while the rest remain state-owned.
In 2008, Turkish Airlines has kept his position ranked as one of the fastest-growing airlines among European Carriers in terms of capacity and traffic growth. When considering the economical crisis affecting many European Carriers and leading them to decrease their operations; TK has increased its annual passenger and the Available Seat Kilometer’S (ASK s ) by 15% and 11,3% respectively. TK is also proud of conserving its position by handling fewest pieces of lost luggage in 2008. With its fleet of 127 aircraft, last year THY carried 22,5 million passengers and the number of transit passengers has increased by 41,3 % across a network comprised of 112 International and 36 domestic destinations.
Turkish Airlines exhibited a similar success in cargo transport. Taking first place with 8.1% growth in freight ton kilometres (FTK) in the AEA group, it nudged out its closest competitor by a scant 0.1%. Turkish Airlines Cargo sustained its growth by carrying some 200,000 tons of cargo during the year.
Turkish Airlines continues to offer more services and destinations to its passengers by joining the Star Alliance team.
* Number of aircraft: 131
* Number of employees: 12,397
* Passengers per year: 26.5 million
* Sales Revenue (in US$): 3.09 billion
* Number of scheduled destinations: 159
* Daily departures: 460
* Date of entry: April 2008
* Frequent flyer programme: Miles & Smiles
* Hubs: Istanbul, Ankara
* Aircraft types: A340-300, A330, A321, A320, A319, B737-400, B737-800, B777-300ER
Turkish Airlines aircraft
Turkish Airlines, Turkey’s national flag carrier, was founded in Ankara on 20 May 1933 as “State Airlines Administration,” under the direction of the Ministry of Defence. In 1955, it was restructured into “Turkish Airlines.” 25% of the company was sold via an SPO under a privatisation programme in 2005, and today, 50.9% of the company shares are public, while the rest remain state-owned.
In 2008, Turkish Airlines has kept his position ranked as one of the fastest-growing airlines among European Carriers in terms of capacity and traffic growth. When considering the economical crisis affecting many European Carriers and leading them to decrease their operations; TK has increased its annual passenger and the Available Seat Kilometer’S (ASK s ) by 15% and 11,3% respectively. TK is also proud of conserving its position by handling fewest pieces of lost luggage in 2008. With its fleet of 127 aircraft, last year THY carried 22,5 million passengers and the number of transit passengers has increased by 41,3 % across a network comprised of 112 International and 36 domestic destinations.
Turkish Airlines exhibited a similar success in cargo transport. Taking first place with 8.1% growth in freight ton kilometres (FTK) in the AEA group, it nudged out its closest competitor by a scant 0.1%. Turkish Airlines Cargo sustained its growth by carrying some 200,000 tons of cargo during the year.
Turkish Airlines continues to offer more services and destinations to its passengers by joining the Star Alliance team.
Cheap Turkish Airlines Flights
if you are loking for cheap airline flight to go turkey it is here;
http://travel.kelkoo.co.uk/172201/a_Turkish+Airlines.html
http://travel.kelkoo.co.uk/172201/a_Turkish+Airlines.html
Pilaf with Ground Beef Turkish
150 gr medium ground beef
1 small onion, sliced
2-3 tbsp crushed tomato, in can
1/2 cup rice, rinsed, drained
3/4 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, kernel corn, green beans, sweet beans), frozen
1/2 cup warm water or beef broth
1 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup Yogurt, room temperature
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
Saute the onion, ground beef, salt and pepper in a medium sized skillet at medium heat until the colour of ground beef turns light brown. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir.
Turn the heat to low and put the lid on. Cook until the rice absorbs all the water.
Place the dish in a service plate and put a couple of spoons of Garlic Yogurt Sauce over the top.
2 servings.
1 small onion, sliced
2-3 tbsp crushed tomato, in can
1/2 cup rice, rinsed, drained
3/4 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, kernel corn, green beans, sweet beans), frozen
1/2 cup warm water or beef broth
1 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup Yogurt, room temperature
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
Saute the onion, ground beef, salt and pepper in a medium sized skillet at medium heat until the colour of ground beef turns light brown. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir.
Turn the heat to low and put the lid on. Cook until the rice absorbs all the water.
Place the dish in a service plate and put a couple of spoons of Garlic Yogurt Sauce over the top.
2 servings.
Iskender Kebab with Meatballs
inergol kofte made from 500 gr medium ground veal
4 pieces of Asian Nan Pita bread or plain pide
or:
6 slice of Turkish or French bread, cut in bite size cubes
Garnish:
1 cup tomato paste, heated up with a few tbs of water
(or use canned crushed tomatoes)
2 tbsp butter
Turkish yogurt, plain, room temperature
First, fry the meatballs in a Teflon pan without oil. Then, place them over the pita or bread bread pieces. Pour the tomato sauce on top and place a few spoons of yogurt on the side. Lastly, melt the butter in a small pan. When it starts bubbling, pour over the tomato sauce.
Serve Iskender Kebab while still hot with roasted and peeled Cubanelle peppers by the side.
4 servings.
4 pieces of Asian Nan Pita bread or plain pide
or:
6 slice of Turkish or French bread, cut in bite size cubes
Garnish:
1 cup tomato paste, heated up with a few tbs of water
(or use canned crushed tomatoes)
2 tbsp butter
Turkish yogurt, plain, room temperature
First, fry the meatballs in a Teflon pan without oil. Then, place them over the pita or bread bread pieces. Pour the tomato sauce on top and place a few spoons of yogurt on the side. Lastly, melt the butter in a small pan. When it starts bubbling, pour over the tomato sauce.
Serve Iskender Kebab while still hot with roasted and peeled Cubanelle peppers by the side.
4 servings.
Shakshuka Turkish
1 medium size eggplant. peeled, diced
1 large potato, peeled, diced
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in bite size
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves , mashed with salt
3 medium size tomato, peeled, diced
Garnish:
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Soak the eggplants in a salty water for 20 minutes. Squeeze and dry with the paper towel. Pour 1/2 cup of sunflower oil into the pan, fry potato, green pepper and eggplants. Put them on a paper towel to soak extra oil.
Meantime, suttee the mashed garlic with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat until the smell of garlic comes out. Pour the tomatoes in it and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the fried vegetables in it, cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Place Shakshuka in a service plate. Pour the rest of the olive oil (2 tbsp) and sprinkle fresh parsley all over it. Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled.
*You may also serve this dish with Yogurt Sauce with Garlic by the side.
1 large potato, peeled, diced
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in bite size
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves , mashed with salt
3 medium size tomato, peeled, diced
Garnish:
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Soak the eggplants in a salty water for 20 minutes. Squeeze and dry with the paper towel. Pour 1/2 cup of sunflower oil into the pan, fry potato, green pepper and eggplants. Put them on a paper towel to soak extra oil.
Meantime, suttee the mashed garlic with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat until the smell of garlic comes out. Pour the tomatoes in it and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the fried vegetables in it, cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Place Shakshuka in a service plate. Pour the rest of the olive oil (2 tbsp) and sprinkle fresh parsley all over it. Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled.
*You may also serve this dish with Yogurt Sauce with Garlic by the side.
Ricotta Cheese with Green Pepper
1 sweet or hot long green pepper or Cubanelle pepper, discard the seeds, sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup salted Ricotta Cheese (Making Ricotta Cheese from Yogurt)
Soften the peppers with olive oil for about 2-3 minutes, do not over cook! Turn the heat off, put the ricotta cheese in it, toss.
Serve Peppered Ricotta Cheese as a breakfast with freshly baked Turkish bread, Turkish black olive and tomato slices.
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup salted Ricotta Cheese (Making Ricotta Cheese from Yogurt)
Soften the peppers with olive oil for about 2-3 minutes, do not over cook! Turn the heat off, put the ricotta cheese in it, toss.
Serve Peppered Ricotta Cheese as a breakfast with freshly baked Turkish bread, Turkish black olive and tomato slices.
Hoshmerim Turkish
500 gr ricotta cheese
2 egg yolk
1 tbsp flour, all purpose
2 tbsp semolina - I used Turkish semolina
2/3 cup sugar - first add 1/2 cup sugar, if you want more you can go up to a total of 2/3 cup of sugar
1 tbsp Thick Turkish Cream or English Devon Cream or very thick cream or %40 Double Cream-(President's Choice-Loblaws in Toronto)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Mix the egg yolks with ricotta cheese and place the mixture in a large pan. Cook at low heat until its juice is evaporated for about an hour. Stir occasionally.
Add the flour, semolina, sugar, vanilla extract, cream into the cheese. Cook until the sugar dissolves while stirring occasionally with low-medium heat. Turn the heat off. Cover it with the lid. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. Then, place in separate small bowls. Serve Hoşmerim while still warm.
4 servings.
2 egg yolk
1 tbsp flour, all purpose
2 tbsp semolina - I used Turkish semolina
2/3 cup sugar - first add 1/2 cup sugar, if you want more you can go up to a total of 2/3 cup of sugar
1 tbsp Thick Turkish Cream or English Devon Cream or very thick cream or %40 Double Cream-(President's Choice-Loblaws in Toronto)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Mix the egg yolks with ricotta cheese and place the mixture in a large pan. Cook at low heat until its juice is evaporated for about an hour. Stir occasionally.
Add the flour, semolina, sugar, vanilla extract, cream into the cheese. Cook until the sugar dissolves while stirring occasionally with low-medium heat. Turn the heat off. Cover it with the lid. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. Then, place in separate small bowls. Serve Hoşmerim while still warm.
4 servings.
Brussels Sprout
300 gr Brussels sprout, stem side cut off, remove few outer leaves
2 + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
7-8 pearl onion, cut in half
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp crushed tomato, in can
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in bite size
1 tomato, peeled, diced
10 small size mushrooms, cut in half
1/3 cup water
1 tsp basil
1 pinch sugar
Salt
Pepper
Bring the water with salt to boil in a medium sized cooking pot at medium heat. Then add in the Brussels sprout, stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, drain.
Saute the onion with 2 tbsp olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic. When the smell of garlic comes out, add the rest of the ingredients, stir. Cook for about 15-20 minutes at medium heat. If it necessary you can add a little bit more hot water.
Let it cool down first. Pour the rest of the olive oil. Then, place it in a service plate.
2 + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
7-8 pearl onion, cut in half
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp crushed tomato, in can
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in bite size
1 tomato, peeled, diced
10 small size mushrooms, cut in half
1/3 cup water
1 tsp basil
1 pinch sugar
Salt
Pepper
Bring the water with salt to boil in a medium sized cooking pot at medium heat. Then add in the Brussels sprout, stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, drain.
Saute the onion with 2 tbsp olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic. When the smell of garlic comes out, add the rest of the ingredients, stir. Cook for about 15-20 minutes at medium heat. If it necessary you can add a little bit more hot water.
Let it cool down first. Pour the rest of the olive oil. Then, place it in a service plate.
Turkish Scrambled Eggs with Sujuk
7-8 slice of sujuk, the skin removed
2 eggs
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in bite size
1 medium sized tomato, diced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt
Pepper
Place the sujuk slices on the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes over low heat, don't dry them! Then turn each slice over quickly with a fork. Put them in a small plate.
Place the olive oil and cubanelle peppers in the same pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Then add the tomatoes, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for another 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally over low-medium heat.
Mix the eggs in a bowl, and pour into the pan. Then add the cooked sujuks. Keep stirring periodically until the eggs are done. Make sure you don't overcook, otherwise it will be dry. Serve with bread as a breakfast or lunch.
2 servings.
2 eggs
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in bite size
1 medium sized tomato, diced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt
Pepper
Place the sujuk slices on the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes over low heat, don't dry them! Then turn each slice over quickly with a fork. Put them in a small plate.
Place the olive oil and cubanelle peppers in the same pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Then add the tomatoes, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for another 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally over low-medium heat.
Mix the eggs in a bowl, and pour into the pan. Then add the cooked sujuks. Keep stirring periodically until the eggs are done. Make sure you don't overcook, otherwise it will be dry. Serve with bread as a breakfast or lunch.
2 servings.
Steamed Haddock
250-300 gr Haddock (or Sole etc.) fillets
1-2 Romain leaves
1 small tomato, sliced
1 cubanelle pepper, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp butter
2-3 slices of lemon
1/2 cup water
Salt
Pepper
Place the Romain leaves bottom of the medium sized pan. Place the fillets on them. Arrange tomato, green pepper, green onion, butter and lemon slices over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the water edge of the pan. Put the lid on and cook for about 20 minutes at low-medium heat.
Serve while still warm.
1-2 Romain leaves
1 small tomato, sliced
1 cubanelle pepper, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp butter
2-3 slices of lemon
1/2 cup water
Salt
Pepper
Place the Romain leaves bottom of the medium sized pan. Place the fillets on them. Arrange tomato, green pepper, green onion, butter and lemon slices over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the water edge of the pan. Put the lid on and cook for about 20 minutes at low-medium heat.
Serve while still warm.
5.16.2010
Turkish Coffee Recipe
Turkish coffee is famed for the way it is made. It is prepared in an ibrik, a small coffee pot that is heated. Sugar is added during the brewing process, not after, so the need for a serving spoon is eliminated. Cream or milk is never added to Turkish coffee, and sugar is optional. It is always served in demitasse cups.
In some regions, your fortune is told by the placement of the coffee grinds left in the cup!
Ingredients:
* 1 cup water
* 1 tablespoon of extra finely ground coffee (powder consistency)
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, or 1 cardamom pod
* sugar (optional)
Preparation:
Bring water and sugar to a boil in ibrik. If you do not have an ibrik, a small saucepan will work.
Remove from heat and add coffee and cardamom.
Return saucepan to heat and allow to come to a boil. Remove from heat when coffee foams.
Again, return to heat, allowing to foam and remove from heat.
Pour into cup, and allow to sit for a few minutes for the grounds to settle to the bottom of the cup.[nt][nt]Cardamom pod may be served in cup for added flavor.
Turkish Coffee Tips
* Turkish coffee must always be served with foam on top.
* If you can't find finely ground Arabic coffee, you can purchase a bag of coffee at any coffeehouse and ask them to grind it for Turkish coffee. You need to have a powder-like consistency.
* Do not stir after pouring into cups; the foam will collapse.
* Always use cold water. And bitter chocolate
In some regions, your fortune is told by the placement of the coffee grinds left in the cup!
Ingredients:
* 1 cup water
* 1 tablespoon of extra finely ground coffee (powder consistency)
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, or 1 cardamom pod
* sugar (optional)
Preparation:
Bring water and sugar to a boil in ibrik. If you do not have an ibrik, a small saucepan will work.
Remove from heat and add coffee and cardamom.
Return saucepan to heat and allow to come to a boil. Remove from heat when coffee foams.
Again, return to heat, allowing to foam and remove from heat.
Pour into cup, and allow to sit for a few minutes for the grounds to settle to the bottom of the cup.[nt][nt]Cardamom pod may be served in cup for added flavor.
Turkish Coffee Tips
* Turkish coffee must always be served with foam on top.
* If you can't find finely ground Arabic coffee, you can purchase a bag of coffee at any coffeehouse and ask them to grind it for Turkish coffee. You need to have a powder-like consistency.
* Do not stir after pouring into cups; the foam will collapse.
* Always use cold water. And bitter chocolate
Turkish Coffee Cups
Finally, the experience of Turkish coffee is not complete without the proper cups. About the size of espresso cups, Turkish coffee cups nowadays have a handle and their designs have a narrower bottom. In the past Turkish coffee cups had no handles, and were put in beautiful filigree or jeweled holders. Even the coffee trays are specially designed for the purpose, having an arched handle by which the tray is suspended. Porcelain coffee cups were produced at the Iznik or Kutahya potteries for the Turkish market. Sets of Turkish coffee cups were subsequently produced for local European markets and known as "a la turque" coffee sets. Carved wooden containers for cooling the roasted coffee beans and others for storing them were once part of the equipment in every household, as were the decorated wooden coffee grinders made in Istanbul. Each household in Turkey is likely to have at least one coffee set and one can buy anything from garden variety, inexpensive porcelain cups, to gold-rimmed and very expensive or antique coffee cups in Turkey.
How to Make Turkish Coffee
Centuries ago, when people devoted more time to attend to the demands of their earthly pleasures and less time to the demands of business and corporate life, coffee making developed some rituals that exist in ‘lite’ versions in our days. In old times, connoisseurs expected their coffee to be heated slowly over charcoal embers for 15 to 20 minutes, the copper coffee pot being frequently taken away from the fire to prevent overheating.
A connoisseur can easily tell the difference between a properly made Turkish coffee and one prepared the way cheap restaurants would do, basically boiling the coffee quickly, degrading thus the taste and producing little if any froth that needs to cover the cup of coffee.
Although to this day there are still a few people who either do or at least know the days when coffee was heated on charcoal, for all practical purposes modern electric or gas stove tops became the heating equipment of choice. To make proper Turkish coffee you need Turkish coffee beans, a Turkish coffee pot (“cezve”), and Turkish coffee cups (“fincan”), and optionally, if you want to grind the beans, a Turkish coffee grinder (“kahve degirmeni”). Note that Turkish coffee requires extra fine ground coffee which some electrical grinders fail to produce. To make Turkish coffee:
1. Pour in cold water in the coffee pot. You should use one cup of cold water for each cup you are making and then add an extra half cup “for the pot”. Add a teaspoonful of the ground Turkish coffee per cup in the water while the water is cold and stir. The amount of coffee may be varied to taste, but do not forget, there will be a thick layer of coffee grounds left at the bottom of your cup for properly made Turkish coffee. Don’t fill the pot too much. If you need to add sugar this is the time to do it.
2. Heat the pot as slowly as you can. The slower the heat the better it is. Make sure you watch it to prevent overflowing when the coffee boils.
3. When the water boils pour some (not all) of the coffee equally between the cups, filling each cup about a quarter to a third of the way. This will make sure that everybody gets a fair share of the foam forming on top of the pot, without which coffee loses much of its taste. Continue heating until coffee boils again (which will be very short now that it has already boiled). Then distribute the rest of the coffee between the cups.
Since there is no filtering of coffee at any time during this process, you should wait for a few minutes before drinking your delicious Turkish coffee while the coffee grounds settle at the bottom of the cup.
A connoisseur can easily tell the difference between a properly made Turkish coffee and one prepared the way cheap restaurants would do, basically boiling the coffee quickly, degrading thus the taste and producing little if any froth that needs to cover the cup of coffee.
Although to this day there are still a few people who either do or at least know the days when coffee was heated on charcoal, for all practical purposes modern electric or gas stove tops became the heating equipment of choice. To make proper Turkish coffee you need Turkish coffee beans, a Turkish coffee pot (“cezve”), and Turkish coffee cups (“fincan”), and optionally, if you want to grind the beans, a Turkish coffee grinder (“kahve degirmeni”). Note that Turkish coffee requires extra fine ground coffee which some electrical grinders fail to produce. To make Turkish coffee:
1. Pour in cold water in the coffee pot. You should use one cup of cold water for each cup you are making and then add an extra half cup “for the pot”. Add a teaspoonful of the ground Turkish coffee per cup in the water while the water is cold and stir. The amount of coffee may be varied to taste, but do not forget, there will be a thick layer of coffee grounds left at the bottom of your cup for properly made Turkish coffee. Don’t fill the pot too much. If you need to add sugar this is the time to do it.
2. Heat the pot as slowly as you can. The slower the heat the better it is. Make sure you watch it to prevent overflowing when the coffee boils.
3. When the water boils pour some (not all) of the coffee equally between the cups, filling each cup about a quarter to a third of the way. This will make sure that everybody gets a fair share of the foam forming on top of the pot, without which coffee loses much of its taste. Continue heating until coffee boils again (which will be very short now that it has already boiled). Then distribute the rest of the coffee between the cups.
Since there is no filtering of coffee at any time during this process, you should wait for a few minutes before drinking your delicious Turkish coffee while the coffee grounds settle at the bottom of the cup.
Turkish Coffee
World-famous Turkish coffee (Türk kahvesi) is made by pulverizing freshly-roasted medium-roast beans in a mortar and pestle, or grinding them very fine in a cylindrical brass coffee mill (kahve değirmeni).
Here's how to order Türk kahvesi when you're in Turkey:
Sade (sah-DEH) - plain, no sugar (fairly bitter)
Az şekerli (AHZ sheh-kehr-lee) - with a little sugar (takes off the bitter edge; less than a teaspoon per cup)
Orta şekerli (ohr-TAH sheh-kehr-lee) - with medium sugar (sweetish; about a teaspoon of sugar for each cup)
Çok şekerli (CHOK sheh-kehr-lee) - with lots of sugar (quite sweet; two teaspoons of sugar or more)
Here's how to make your own Turkish coffee:
Put the coffee powder (about one teaspoon per demi-tasse cup of coffee) into a cezve (JEZZ-veh), a special pot with a wide bottom, narrower neck, a spout, and a long handle. Add sugar and a Turkish coffee cup (fıncan) of cold water for each cup of coffee you're making, then heat the brew to frothing three times. (When the froth reaches the cezve's narrow neck, it's a sign to remove the pot from the heat and let the froth recede.)
After the third froth-up, pour a bit of the froth into each cup. Bring the liquid still in the cezve to the froth-point once more, then pour it immediately, muddy grounds and all, into the Turkish coffee cups, which are smaller than demi-tasse cups.
Wait at least a minute for the grounds to settle before you pick up the tiny cup and sip. Enjoy the rich, thick flavor, but stop sipping when you taste the grounds coming through. Leave the “mud” in the bottom of the cup.
(Fortune-tellers turn the cup over on the saucer, lift off the cup, and read your future in the sloppy grounds.)
European- and American-style coffees are readily available in Turkey, and it's now possible to get a good cup of French-style or Starbucks-style brew, as well as Italianate espresso and cappuccino. Instant coffee such as Nescafé is everywhere as well.
Occasionally you may encounter the older, disappointing style of non-Turkish coffee. You may want to add milk and make it sütlü kahve (coffee-with-milk).
On the other hand, you may be better off drinking Turkish tea.
Here's how to order Türk kahvesi when you're in Turkey:
Sade (sah-DEH) - plain, no sugar (fairly bitter)
Az şekerli (AHZ sheh-kehr-lee) - with a little sugar (takes off the bitter edge; less than a teaspoon per cup)
Orta şekerli (ohr-TAH sheh-kehr-lee) - with medium sugar (sweetish; about a teaspoon of sugar for each cup)
Çok şekerli (CHOK sheh-kehr-lee) - with lots of sugar (quite sweet; two teaspoons of sugar or more)
Here's how to make your own Turkish coffee:
Put the coffee powder (about one teaspoon per demi-tasse cup of coffee) into a cezve (JEZZ-veh), a special pot with a wide bottom, narrower neck, a spout, and a long handle. Add sugar and a Turkish coffee cup (fıncan) of cold water for each cup of coffee you're making, then heat the brew to frothing three times. (When the froth reaches the cezve's narrow neck, it's a sign to remove the pot from the heat and let the froth recede.)
After the third froth-up, pour a bit of the froth into each cup. Bring the liquid still in the cezve to the froth-point once more, then pour it immediately, muddy grounds and all, into the Turkish coffee cups, which are smaller than demi-tasse cups.
Wait at least a minute for the grounds to settle before you pick up the tiny cup and sip. Enjoy the rich, thick flavor, but stop sipping when you taste the grounds coming through. Leave the “mud” in the bottom of the cup.
(Fortune-tellers turn the cup over on the saucer, lift off the cup, and read your future in the sloppy grounds.)
European- and American-style coffees are readily available in Turkey, and it's now possible to get a good cup of French-style or Starbucks-style brew, as well as Italianate espresso and cappuccino. Instant coffee such as Nescafé is everywhere as well.
Occasionally you may encounter the older, disappointing style of non-Turkish coffee. You may want to add milk and make it sütlü kahve (coffee-with-milk).
On the other hand, you may be better off drinking Turkish tea.
ALMOND AND RICE FLOUR CUSTARD(KESKUL)
Ingredients
2 Cups Light Cream
2 Cups Milk
1 Cup Blanched Almonds, Pulverized In A Blender Or With A Nut Grinder
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
1/4 Cup Rice Flour
1 Tablespoon Fresh Pomegranate Seeds
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Almonds
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Unsalted Pistachio Nuts
In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, combine the cream, 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the ground almonds, sugar and almond extract. Bring to boil, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the almonds steep for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing down hard on the almonds with the back of a spoon to extract their moisture before discarding them. Return the almond-flavored liquid to the saucepan. Dissolve the rice flour in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, stir it into the liquid and set the pan over low heat. Stirring frequently, simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the custard thickens enough to coat the spoon lightly. Strain through a fine sieve and spoon the custard at once into 6 individual desert bowls. Chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Before serving, garnish with pomegranate seeds ringed with circles of chopped almonds and pistachio nuts.
2 Cups Light Cream
2 Cups Milk
1 Cup Blanched Almonds, Pulverized In A Blender Or With A Nut Grinder
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
1/4 Cup Rice Flour
1 Tablespoon Fresh Pomegranate Seeds
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Almonds
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Unsalted Pistachio Nuts
In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, combine the cream, 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the ground almonds, sugar and almond extract. Bring to boil, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the almonds steep for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing down hard on the almonds with the back of a spoon to extract their moisture before discarding them. Return the almond-flavored liquid to the saucepan. Dissolve the rice flour in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, stir it into the liquid and set the pan over low heat. Stirring frequently, simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the custard thickens enough to coat the spoon lightly. Strain through a fine sieve and spoon the custard at once into 6 individual desert bowls. Chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Before serving, garnish with pomegranate seeds ringed with circles of chopped almonds and pistachio nuts.
SAFFRON FLAVORED RICE PUDDING (ZERDE)
Ingredients
2 Quarts Water
1 Cup Uncooked Long-Grain White Rice, Washed And Soaked
2 Cups Sugar
8 Tablespoons Butter, Cut Into 1/2-Inch Pieces
1 1/2 Teaspoons Saffron Threads, Pulverized With A Mortar And Pestle And Dissolved In 1 Tablespoon Water
6 Tablespoons Slivered Blanched Almonds
4 Tablespoons Slivered Or Finely Chopped Unsalted Pistachios
1/2 Cup Bottled Rose Water
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
8 Whole Blanched Almonds
In a heavy 4- to 5-quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Stirring constantly, pour in the rice in a slow thin stream. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible point and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in the sugar, then add the butter and the saffron mixture and continue stirring over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, the butter has melted, and the rice is bright yellow. Stir in the slivered almonds, and 1 tablespoon of the pistachios and, stirring frequently, cook for 30 minutes more, or until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape almost solidly in the spoon. Stir in the rose water and ladle the mixture into a large heatproof serving bowl, spread it out evenly with a spatula and sprinkle the top with two thin crossing lines of cinnamon to divide it into quarters. Sprinkle each quarter with the remaining 3 tablespoons of pistachio nuts and decorate with the whole almonds. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the pudding is thoroughly chilled and firm. Serve directly from the bowl.
2 Quarts Water
1 Cup Uncooked Long-Grain White Rice, Washed And Soaked
2 Cups Sugar
8 Tablespoons Butter, Cut Into 1/2-Inch Pieces
1 1/2 Teaspoons Saffron Threads, Pulverized With A Mortar And Pestle And Dissolved In 1 Tablespoon Water
6 Tablespoons Slivered Blanched Almonds
4 Tablespoons Slivered Or Finely Chopped Unsalted Pistachios
1/2 Cup Bottled Rose Water
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
8 Whole Blanched Almonds
In a heavy 4- to 5-quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Stirring constantly, pour in the rice in a slow thin stream. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible point and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in the sugar, then add the butter and the saffron mixture and continue stirring over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, the butter has melted, and the rice is bright yellow. Stir in the slivered almonds, and 1 tablespoon of the pistachios and, stirring frequently, cook for 30 minutes more, or until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape almost solidly in the spoon. Stir in the rose water and ladle the mixture into a large heatproof serving bowl, spread it out evenly with a spatula and sprinkle the top with two thin crossing lines of cinnamon to divide it into quarters. Sprinkle each quarter with the remaining 3 tablespoons of pistachio nuts and decorate with the whole almonds. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the pudding is thoroughly chilled and firm. Serve directly from the bowl.
Turkish Baklava 2
Ingredients
3/4 Pound Butter (3 Quarter-Pound Sticks) Cut Into 1/4.Inch Bits
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
40 Sheets File Pastry, Each About 16 inches Long And 12 Inches Wide, Thoroughly Defrosted If Frozen
4 Cups Shelled Pistachio Pulverized In A Blender Or With A Nut Grinder
Clarify the butter in a heavy saucepan or skillet in the following fashion: Melt the butter slowly over low heat without letting it get brown, skimming off the foam as it rises to the surface. Remove the pan from the heat, let it rest for 2 or 3 minutes, then spoon off the clear butter and discard the milky solids at the bottom of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degree and stir the vegetable oil into the clarified butter. Using a pastry brush coat the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-by-2 1/2inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the mixture.
Fold a sheet of filo in half crosswise, lift it up gently and unfold it into the prepared dish. Press the pastry flat, fold down the excess around the sides and flatten it against the bottom. Brush the entire surface of the pastry lightly with the butter and oil mixture, and lay another sheet of filo on top, folding it down and buttering it in similar fashion. Sprinkle the pastry evenly with about 3 tablespoons of pistachio.
Repeat the same procedure using two sheets of buttered file and 3 tablespoons of the pulverized pistachio each time to make 19 layers in all. Spread remaining 2 sheets of filo on top and brush the baklava with all of the remaining butter and oil mixture.
With a small, sharp knife score the top of the pastry with parallel diagonal lines about 1/2 inch deep and 2 inches apart, then cross them diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degree and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the top is crisp and golden brown.
SYRUP :
1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon honey. Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan and, stirring constantly, cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and, timing it from the moment the syrup boils, cook briskly, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, or until the syrup reaches a temperature of 220 degree on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the honey. Pour the syrup into a bowl or pitcher and set it aside.
When the baklava is done, remove it from the oven and pour the syrup over it. Cool to room temperature, and just before serving, cut the baklava into diamond-shaped serving pieces
3/4 Pound Butter (3 Quarter-Pound Sticks) Cut Into 1/4.Inch Bits
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
40 Sheets File Pastry, Each About 16 inches Long And 12 Inches Wide, Thoroughly Defrosted If Frozen
4 Cups Shelled Pistachio Pulverized In A Blender Or With A Nut Grinder
Clarify the butter in a heavy saucepan or skillet in the following fashion: Melt the butter slowly over low heat without letting it get brown, skimming off the foam as it rises to the surface. Remove the pan from the heat, let it rest for 2 or 3 minutes, then spoon off the clear butter and discard the milky solids at the bottom of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degree and stir the vegetable oil into the clarified butter. Using a pastry brush coat the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-by-2 1/2inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the mixture.
Fold a sheet of filo in half crosswise, lift it up gently and unfold it into the prepared dish. Press the pastry flat, fold down the excess around the sides and flatten it against the bottom. Brush the entire surface of the pastry lightly with the butter and oil mixture, and lay another sheet of filo on top, folding it down and buttering it in similar fashion. Sprinkle the pastry evenly with about 3 tablespoons of pistachio.
Repeat the same procedure using two sheets of buttered file and 3 tablespoons of the pulverized pistachio each time to make 19 layers in all. Spread remaining 2 sheets of filo on top and brush the baklava with all of the remaining butter and oil mixture.
With a small, sharp knife score the top of the pastry with parallel diagonal lines about 1/2 inch deep and 2 inches apart, then cross them diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degree and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the top is crisp and golden brown.
SYRUP :
1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon honey. Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan and, stirring constantly, cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and, timing it from the moment the syrup boils, cook briskly, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, or until the syrup reaches a temperature of 220 degree on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the honey. Pour the syrup into a bowl or pitcher and set it aside.
When the baklava is done, remove it from the oven and pour the syrup over it. Cool to room temperature, and just before serving, cut the baklava into diamond-shaped serving pieces
Muhallebi
Ingredients
½ Cup Rice Flour
4 Cup Milk
6 Table Spoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract.
Dissolve rice flour in 1 cup of milk. In a 2-3 quart saucepan combine the remaining 3 cup of milk and sugar and bring to boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to low, add the dissolved rice flour , stirring constantly. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla then pour the Muhallebi into small individual dessert bowls. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
½ Cup Rice Flour
4 Cup Milk
6 Table Spoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract.
Dissolve rice flour in 1 cup of milk. In a 2-3 quart saucepan combine the remaining 3 cup of milk and sugar and bring to boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to low, add the dissolved rice flour , stirring constantly. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla then pour the Muhallebi into small individual dessert bowls. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Turkish iskender kebab recipe
Ingredients
* 4 pita bread rounds
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - chopped
* 2 medium onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato puree
* ground cumin to taste
* salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 cup Greek yogurt
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange pita bread on a baking sheet, and lightly toast in the oven. Cut pita bread into bite-size pieces, and keep warm.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, onion, and garlic, and cook until chicken juices run clear. Mix in tomato puree. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking 10 minutes.
3. Arrange pita pieces in a serving dish. Drizzle with butter, and top with the chicken mixture. Garnish with yogurt and parsley to serve.
* 4 pita bread rounds
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - chopped
* 2 medium onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato puree
* ground cumin to taste
* salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 cup Greek yogurt
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange pita bread on a baking sheet, and lightly toast in the oven. Cut pita bread into bite-size pieces, and keep warm.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, onion, and garlic, and cook until chicken juices run clear. Mix in tomato puree. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking 10 minutes.
3. Arrange pita pieces in a serving dish. Drizzle with butter, and top with the chicken mixture. Garnish with yogurt and parsley to serve.
Best Turkish Kebab Recipe
Ingredients
* 6 almonds
* 6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
* 8 cloves garlic
* 1 inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled
* 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* salt to taste
* 1 lemon, juiced
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons butter
Directions
1. Place almonds in a small bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak for 15 to 20 minutes; drain. Place almonds, peppers, garlic, ginger, and cilantro into the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth. Season with salt, and blend in lemon juice. Blend in cream.
2. Transfer mixture to a large, non metallic bowl. Place chicken in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in refrigerator for 24 hours.
3. Preheat grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate. Remove meat from marinade, and thread onto skewers.
4. Brush meat with butter, and arrange skewers on hot grate. Slowly cook the chicken until cooked through.
* 6 almonds
* 6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
* 8 cloves garlic
* 1 inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled
* 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* salt to taste
* 1 lemon, juiced
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons butter
Directions
1. Place almonds in a small bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak for 15 to 20 minutes; drain. Place almonds, peppers, garlic, ginger, and cilantro into the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth. Season with salt, and blend in lemon juice. Blend in cream.
2. Transfer mixture to a large, non metallic bowl. Place chicken in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in refrigerator for 24 hours.
3. Preheat grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate. Remove meat from marinade, and thread onto skewers.
4. Brush meat with butter, and arrange skewers on hot grate. Slowly cook the chicken until cooked through.
FLOUR SOUP
FLOUR SOUP
Ingredients
8 cups Meat Stock
6 tb Butter
3/4 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Salt
1/3 teaspoons Paprika
Melt 4 tbs of butter in a saucepan. Add flour and lightly brown it. Slowly add the meat stock, stirring constantly, to have a smooth cream. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.Heat 2 tbs of butter. Add paprika and pour over the soup.
Ingredients
8 cups Meat Stock
6 tb Butter
3/4 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Salt
1/3 teaspoons Paprika
Melt 4 tbs of butter in a saucepan. Add flour and lightly brown it. Slowly add the meat stock, stirring constantly, to have a smooth cream. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.Heat 2 tbs of butter. Add paprika and pour over the soup.
WHEAT SOUP
WHEAT SOUP
Ingredients
Tomato................4 small size
Green Pepper........3 medium size
Onion.....................2 medium size
Butter....................4 tablespoon
Tomatoe paste......1 tablespoon
Water.....................5 cups
Salt.........................2 teaspoon
Bulgur ....................3/4 cup
Saute chopped onions in butter for 7-8 minutes until tender crisp. Add tomato paste salt and water, stir. Bring to boil. Add peeled and cubed tomatoes, chopped green peppers and bulgur, mixing well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Ingredients
Tomato................4 small size
Green Pepper........3 medium size
Onion.....................2 medium size
Butter....................4 tablespoon
Tomatoe paste......1 tablespoon
Water.....................5 cups
Salt.........................2 teaspoon
Bulgur ....................3/4 cup
Saute chopped onions in butter for 7-8 minutes until tender crisp. Add tomato paste salt and water, stir. Bring to boil. Add peeled and cubed tomatoes, chopped green peppers and bulgur, mixing well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
STRING BEANS SOUP
Ingredients
String Beans....... 1 cup
Tomatoe.............. 1 medium size
Onion................... 1 medium size
Butter .................. 4 tablespoon
Water................... 4 cup
Salt........................2 teaspoon
Flour......................5 tablespoon
Yogurt...................1 1/2 cup
Egg........................1 ea
Saute chopped onion in melted margarine for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced tomato stirring well. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add water; stir. Season with salt. Bring to boil. Stir in diced or chopped beans. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until beans are tender. Combine yogurt, flour and slightly beaten egg in a bowl mixing well. Blend in soup gradually, stirring constantly. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
String Beans....... 1 cup
Tomatoe.............. 1 medium size
Onion................... 1 medium size
Butter .................. 4 tablespoon
Water................... 4 cup
Salt........................2 teaspoon
Flour......................5 tablespoon
Yogurt...................1 1/2 cup
Egg........................1 ea
Saute chopped onion in melted margarine for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced tomato stirring well. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add water; stir. Season with salt. Bring to boil. Stir in diced or chopped beans. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until beans are tender. Combine yogurt, flour and slightly beaten egg in a bowl mixing well. Blend in soup gradually, stirring constantly. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
FARMER'S SOUP
Ingredients
Chicken wing......... 2 pieces
Chicken neck.........1 piece
Water..................... 6 cups
Salt..........................2 teaspoon
Leek........................1 medium size
Potatoe....................2 medium size
Celery......................1 small size
Carrot......................1 medium size
Turnip......................1 small size
Flour.........................1 tablespoon
Margarine................3 tablespoons
Black Pepper............1 teaspoon
Simmer chicken parts in water for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from liquid; drain. Bone and dice. Set aside. Pare carrots and potatoes. Dice all vegetables. Saute in melted margarine for 10 minutes, until tender, in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and mix well. Add broth and diced chicken stirring thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Chicken wing......... 2 pieces
Chicken neck.........1 piece
Water..................... 6 cups
Salt..........................2 teaspoon
Leek........................1 medium size
Potatoe....................2 medium size
Celery......................1 small size
Carrot......................1 medium size
Turnip......................1 small size
Flour.........................1 tablespoon
Margarine................3 tablespoons
Black Pepper............1 teaspoon
Simmer chicken parts in water for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from liquid; drain. Bone and dice. Set aside. Pare carrots and potatoes. Dice all vegetables. Saute in melted margarine for 10 minutes, until tender, in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and mix well. Add broth and diced chicken stirring thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
MUSHROOM SOUP WITH YOGHURT
Ingredients
Mushrooms.........8-12 pieces
Water...................4 1/2 cup
Salt.......................2 teaspoon
Flour.....................1/2 cup
Yogurt...................1 1/2 cup
Garlic....................2 cloves
Butter ..................4 tablespoon
Red pepper..........1/2 teaspoon
Cut mushrooms into quarters. Place water in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Add mushrooms into boiling water. Reduce heat. Simmer for 30-35 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Combine yogurt and flour blending well. Stir in mushrooms gradually and stirring constantly. Reduce heat.Season with salt. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add crushed garlic; mix. Melt margarine in a skillet. Stir in red pepper; mix. Sprinkle over soup. Serve hot.
Mushrooms.........8-12 pieces
Water...................4 1/2 cup
Salt.......................2 teaspoon
Flour.....................1/2 cup
Yogurt...................1 1/2 cup
Garlic....................2 cloves
Butter ..................4 tablespoon
Red pepper..........1/2 teaspoon
Cut mushrooms into quarters. Place water in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Add mushrooms into boiling water. Reduce heat. Simmer for 30-35 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Combine yogurt and flour blending well. Stir in mushrooms gradually and stirring constantly. Reduce heat.Season with salt. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add crushed garlic; mix. Melt margarine in a skillet. Stir in red pepper; mix. Sprinkle over soup. Serve hot.
POTATO SOUP
Ingredients
Potato................ 6 small size
Tomatoe paste....1 tablespoon
Water..................6 cups
Salt......................2 teaspoon
Butter .................4 tablespoon
Mint....................1 tablespoon
Red pepper.........1/2 teaspoon
Boil potatoes until tender. Peel and mash while still hot .Combine tomato paste and mashed potatoes. Add water gradually stirring well. Season with salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Melt butter in a skillet. Add crushed mint and red pepper; stir. Sprinkle over soup. Serve hot.
Potato................ 6 small size
Tomatoe paste....1 tablespoon
Water..................6 cups
Salt......................2 teaspoon
Butter .................4 tablespoon
Mint....................1 tablespoon
Red pepper.........1/2 teaspoon
Boil potatoes until tender. Peel and mash while still hot .Combine tomato paste and mashed potatoes. Add water gradually stirring well. Season with salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Melt butter in a skillet. Add crushed mint and red pepper; stir. Sprinkle over soup. Serve hot.
CHICKEN SOUP WITH VERMICELLI
Ingredients
Chicken breast (cooked ).......... 1 cup
Chicken broth............................ 1 cup
Water......................................... 5 cups
Margarine.................................. 3 tablespoon
Tomatoe paste........................... 1 tablespoon
Salt............................................. 2 teaspoon
Vermicelli................................... 1/2 cup
Parsley ....................................... 3-4 sprigs
Lemon juice................................. 3 tablespoon
Combine thinly minced chicken breasts, broth, water,tomato paste, salt and margarine in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Add vermicelli to boiling mixture. Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until vermicelli is tender. Stir in minced parsley and lemon juice before serving. Serve hot.
Chicken breast (cooked ).......... 1 cup
Chicken broth............................ 1 cup
Water......................................... 5 cups
Margarine.................................. 3 tablespoon
Tomatoe paste........................... 1 tablespoon
Salt............................................. 2 teaspoon
Vermicelli................................... 1/2 cup
Parsley ....................................... 3-4 sprigs
Lemon juice................................. 3 tablespoon
Combine thinly minced chicken breasts, broth, water,tomato paste, salt and margarine in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Add vermicelli to boiling mixture. Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until vermicelli is tender. Stir in minced parsley and lemon juice before serving. Serve hot.
THIMBLE SOUP
Ingredients
Chickpeas.......... 1/3 cup
Water................. 7 cup
Flour................... 1 cup
Salt..................... 2 1/2 teaspoon
Egg..................... 1/2 piece
Ground Meat...... 1/2 cup
Black Pepper.......1/4 teaspoon
Oil.........................1 tablespoon
Tomatoe paste......2 tablespoon
Margarine.............3 tablespoon
Mint.......................1 tablespoon
Lemon juice............3 tablespoon
Soak chickpeas overnight with 1 cup of water. Cook in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water for 40 minutes, or until tender. Set aside. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of flour. Sift rest with salt. Make a hole in center. Add egg and 3 tablespoons of water to make a medium stiff dough. Knead for 2-3 minutes shaping into a ball. Let stand for 5 minutes. Roll out into 1 mm thick circle. Cut into small circles 1 1/2 cm (3/4 inch) in diameter with a thimble. Cover and set aside. Combine ground meat, salt and black pepper mixing well. Shape into marble sized balls. Brown in heated oil on both sides in a non-stick pan, shaking occasionally. Heat chickpeas over low heat. Add diluted tomato paste, salt and hot water mixing well. Bring to boil. Stir in round noodles blending well. Reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender but firm. Add meat balls and lemon juice, stirring well. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Melt margarine in a skillet. Stir in crushed mint; mix. Sprinkle over soup before serving. Serve hot.
Chickpeas.......... 1/3 cup
Water................. 7 cup
Flour................... 1 cup
Salt..................... 2 1/2 teaspoon
Egg..................... 1/2 piece
Ground Meat...... 1/2 cup
Black Pepper.......1/4 teaspoon
Oil.........................1 tablespoon
Tomatoe paste......2 tablespoon
Margarine.............3 tablespoon
Mint.......................1 tablespoon
Lemon juice............3 tablespoon
Soak chickpeas overnight with 1 cup of water. Cook in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water for 40 minutes, or until tender. Set aside. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of flour. Sift rest with salt. Make a hole in center. Add egg and 3 tablespoons of water to make a medium stiff dough. Knead for 2-3 minutes shaping into a ball. Let stand for 5 minutes. Roll out into 1 mm thick circle. Cut into small circles 1 1/2 cm (3/4 inch) in diameter with a thimble. Cover and set aside. Combine ground meat, salt and black pepper mixing well. Shape into marble sized balls. Brown in heated oil on both sides in a non-stick pan, shaking occasionally. Heat chickpeas over low heat. Add diluted tomato paste, salt and hot water mixing well. Bring to boil. Stir in round noodles blending well. Reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender but firm. Add meat balls and lemon juice, stirring well. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Melt margarine in a skillet. Stir in crushed mint; mix. Sprinkle over soup before serving. Serve hot.
TRIPE SOUP
Ingredients
Flour.................3 tablespoons
Margarine........3 tablespoons
Water................6 cups
Salt....................2 teaspoons
Tripe .................1 cup (cleaned and pre-cooked)
Vinegar..............½ cup
Garlic.................4 cloves
Put flour in a saucepan and lightly brown with the margarine, add water and salt, stir and leave to boil. Chop the tripe into 1 centimeter cubes, add to the boiling mixture and cook for 10 minutes. Peel, wash and crush garlic, mix with vinegar and either add to the soup or serve seperately.
Flour.................3 tablespoons
Margarine........3 tablespoons
Water................6 cups
Salt....................2 teaspoons
Tripe .................1 cup (cleaned and pre-cooked)
Vinegar..............½ cup
Garlic.................4 cloves
Put flour in a saucepan and lightly brown with the margarine, add water and salt, stir and leave to boil. Chop the tripe into 1 centimeter cubes, add to the boiling mixture and cook for 10 minutes. Peel, wash and crush garlic, mix with vinegar and either add to the soup or serve seperately.
VEGETABLE SOUP
Ingredients
Water (hot)......... 5 cups
Celery leaves...... 3 - 4
Chard leaves....... 1 ea.
Parsley............... 3 - 4 sprigs
Potatoes............. 2 small size
Carrots................ 1 small size
Rice.................... 1/8 cup
Salt..................... 2 teaspoons
Black pepper........1/3 teaspoon
Flour.................... 2 tablespoons
Butter ..................2 tablespoons
Onion................... 1 medium size
Egg...................... 1 ea.
Milk......................1 cup
Peel the onion, wash and chop finely and place in a saucepan together with the butter or margarine, cover and sautè for 3-4 minutes over low heat, stirring. Add the flour and brown lightly. Add water, blend well and leave to boil. Wash the other vegetables, chop them finely. Pare and grate the potatoes and carrot. Wash the rice. Add vegetables, rice and salt to the boiling mixture. Simmer for 35 - 40 minutes until really tender. Pass through sieve or food processor, add black pepper, stir and replace over the heat. In a seperate dish beat the egg well with milk, add a couple of spoons from the hot soup to warm it and very gradually add this egg-milk mixture to the pot, stirring constantly, bring to boil and turn off the heat.
Water (hot)......... 5 cups
Celery leaves...... 3 - 4
Chard leaves....... 1 ea.
Parsley............... 3 - 4 sprigs
Potatoes............. 2 small size
Carrots................ 1 small size
Rice.................... 1/8 cup
Salt..................... 2 teaspoons
Black pepper........1/3 teaspoon
Flour.................... 2 tablespoons
Butter ..................2 tablespoons
Onion................... 1 medium size
Egg...................... 1 ea.
Milk......................1 cup
Peel the onion, wash and chop finely and place in a saucepan together with the butter or margarine, cover and sautè for 3-4 minutes over low heat, stirring. Add the flour and brown lightly. Add water, blend well and leave to boil. Wash the other vegetables, chop them finely. Pare and grate the potatoes and carrot. Wash the rice. Add vegetables, rice and salt to the boiling mixture. Simmer for 35 - 40 minutes until really tender. Pass through sieve or food processor, add black pepper, stir and replace over the heat. In a seperate dish beat the egg well with milk, add a couple of spoons from the hot soup to warm it and very gradually add this egg-milk mixture to the pot, stirring constantly, bring to boil and turn off the heat.
YOGHURT SOUP
YOGHURT SOUP
Ingredients
Rice......... 1/3 cup
Water...... .4 cups
Salt.......... 2 teaspoons
Flour......... 3 tablespoons
Yogurt.......1 2/3 cups
Egg........... 1 ea.
Butter........4 tablespoons
Mint...........1 ½ tablespoons
Wash the rice and place in a saucepan together with water and salt and cook for about 30 minutes, until tender. Blend the flour into yogurt in a seperate dish, break in the egg, mix and warm the mixture by adding a couple of spoonfulls of the hot soup. Gradually add the yogurt mix to the saucepan, stirring continously and keep stirring until it comes to boil and then cook for 10 minutes. Melt butter or margarine in a pan, add mint, stir a couple of times and remove from heat and slowly sprinkle over the soup.
Ingredients
Rice......... 1/3 cup
Water...... .4 cups
Salt.......... 2 teaspoons
Flour......... 3 tablespoons
Yogurt.......1 2/3 cups
Egg........... 1 ea.
Butter........4 tablespoons
Mint...........1 ½ tablespoons
Wash the rice and place in a saucepan together with water and salt and cook for about 30 minutes, until tender. Blend the flour into yogurt in a seperate dish, break in the egg, mix and warm the mixture by adding a couple of spoonfulls of the hot soup. Gradually add the yogurt mix to the saucepan, stirring continously and keep stirring until it comes to boil and then cook for 10 minutes. Melt butter or margarine in a pan, add mint, stir a couple of times and remove from heat and slowly sprinkle over the soup.
ADANA SOUP
ADANA SOUP
Ingredients:
5 glasses of Meat Broth
150 gr. Minced Meat
50 gr. Chick Peas
1 large Tomato(or 1 tablespoon salt-free tomato paste)
2 tablespoons Vinegar
2 tablespoons Thyme
1 tablespoon Salt- Black Pepper
Soak chick peas in water overnight and boil them next morning. Peel and grate the tomato. Put chick peas, meat broth, grated tomato(or the tomato paste) and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the saucepan and bring to boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to minced meat and knead it. Make small meatballs ,add them to the boiling soup. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes more. Remove saucepan from heat, add vinegar and, if desired, thyme, and stir before serving.
Ingredients:
5 glasses of Meat Broth
150 gr. Minced Meat
50 gr. Chick Peas
1 large Tomato(or 1 tablespoon salt-free tomato paste)
2 tablespoons Vinegar
2 tablespoons Thyme
1 tablespoon Salt- Black Pepper
Soak chick peas in water overnight and boil them next morning. Peel and grate the tomato. Put chick peas, meat broth, grated tomato(or the tomato paste) and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the saucepan and bring to boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to minced meat and knead it. Make small meatballs ,add them to the boiling soup. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes more. Remove saucepan from heat, add vinegar and, if desired, thyme, and stir before serving.
RED LENTIL SOUP
RED LENTIL SOUP
Ingredients:
1 glass of Red Lentils
4 glasses of Broth
1 glass of Water
1 tablespoon of Flour
1 Onion -1 Carrot
1 tablespoon Butter
4 slices of White Bread
2 Egg Yolks -1 Glass of Milk
Salt
Chop the onion, put into a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of butter and saute. When onion is almost sauteed add flour and mix well. Wash the lentils, chop the carrot and put them in the saucepan. Pour the broth and water into the saucepan, add salt to taste and boil the soup for 30 minutes until the lentils are softened. Strain the soup and pour it back into the same saucepan. Bring to boil. Meanwhile blend egg yolks and milk well in a bowl and add to the soup. Remove saucepan from heat after a couple of minutes. The soup is now ready to serve.
Cut 4 slices of white bread into cubes. Fry bread in a pan with 2 tablespoons of butter. Drain off the butter and put the bread cubes (croutons) on the soup.
Ingredients:
1 glass of Red Lentils
4 glasses of Broth
1 glass of Water
1 tablespoon of Flour
1 Onion -1 Carrot
1 tablespoon Butter
4 slices of White Bread
2 Egg Yolks -1 Glass of Milk
Salt
Chop the onion, put into a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of butter and saute. When onion is almost sauteed add flour and mix well. Wash the lentils, chop the carrot and put them in the saucepan. Pour the broth and water into the saucepan, add salt to taste and boil the soup for 30 minutes until the lentils are softened. Strain the soup and pour it back into the same saucepan. Bring to boil. Meanwhile blend egg yolks and milk well in a bowl and add to the soup. Remove saucepan from heat after a couple of minutes. The soup is now ready to serve.
Cut 4 slices of white bread into cubes. Fry bread in a pan with 2 tablespoons of butter. Drain off the butter and put the bread cubes (croutons) on the soup.
4.18.2010
FRIED EGGPLANTS, ZUCCHINI AND GREEN PEPPERS WITH YOGHURT
Ingredients
1250 gr. eggplants
3 small tomatoes
1500 gr. zucchini
6 fat green peppers
1 1/2 glasses flour
1 glass water
salt
Sauce
250 gr. yoghurt
2 tablespoons salt
4 cloves of garlic
salt
Preparation :
Peel the eggplants in lengthwise strips at 1 1/2 cm intervals, then cut either in circles or in long slices. Sprinkle salt over and place the eggplants in salted water for half an hour to drain off theri bitter juices. Squeeze each eggplant before putting into hot oil. Fry bith sides, drain away excess oil and place on a serving plate. Cut the tomatoes accross into halves, and place them in the frying pan along with the whole peppers.
Cook for about 2 minutes until they are sauteed, remove from the pan and arrange around the eggplants on the plate. Scrape the skin of the punpkins until their green parts can be seen, sprinkle with salt and leave aside for 1.5 hours. Put flour and water into a bowl and blend together. First place the zuccini in flour-water mixture and then into th ehot oil.
Fry until both sides are golden. Place them with the eggplants and peppers. Mix water and yoghurt, pour over the fried vegetables ( if desired, crushed garlic can be added to the yoghurt).
BOZA (a beverage made of fermented millet)
Ingredients :
2 kg. bulgur (boiled and pounded wheat)
250 gr. bread yeast
1/2 kg. granulated sugar
Preparation :
Boza is the favourite drink of particularly cold winter nights, and is sold by the boza sellers as they walk around the streets. Boza sellers who frighten the children with their deep voices are traditional characters of old Istanbul.
Clean the stalks and stones from the bulgur, wash several times and cook in plenty of water until it becomes a mush. Remove from heat, cover with a piece of cloth to keep warm and let it stand overnight. Strain the mush which is almost solidified through the strainer. In another bowl dissolve the bread yeast in warm water, strain and add to the bulgur. Add the sugar and put in a glass jar or glazed pan, close to lid tightly. Once in a while stir with a scoop. After 3-4 days a not too sour boza will be obtained.Put the boza in glasses, sprinkle cinnamon over and serve along with roasted yellow chick peas (leblebi).
TURKISH COFFEE, RICH IN FLAVOUR AND TRADITION
From the days of the Ottoman Empire through to the present, coffee has played an important role in Turkish lifestyle and culture. The serving and drinking of coffee has had a profound effect on betrothal and gender customs, political and social interaction, prayer, and hospitality traditions throughout the centuries. Although many of the coffee rituals are not prevalent in today's society, coffee has remained an integral part of Turkish culture.
First brought to Istanbul in 1555 by two Syrian traders, coffee became known as the "milk of chess players and thinkers." By the mid-17th century, Turkish coffee became part of elaborate ceremonies involving the Ottoman court. Coffee makers with the help of over forty assistants, ceremoniously prepared and served coffee for the sultan. Marriage customs and gender roles also became defined through coffee rituals. In ancient times, women received intensive training in the harem on the proper technique of preparing Turkish coffee. Prospective husbands would judge a woman's merits based on the taste of her coffee. Even today, when a young man's family calls to ask a girl's parents for her hand in marriage, a formal coffee is served even in the most modern households.
For both men and women, coffee has been at the center of political and social interaction. During the Ottoman period, women socialized with each other over coffee and sweets. Men socialized in coffee houses to discuss politics and to play backgammon. In the early 16th century, these coffee houses played host to a new form of satirical political and social criticism called "shadow theatre" in which puppets were the main characters. Over the years, Turkish coffee houses have become social institutions providing a place to meet and talk. Today, Turkish coffee houses continue their role in society as a meeting place for both the cultured citizen and the inquisitive traveler. Istanbul offers many new and delightful cafe-restaurants where friends and family meet to discuss topics of the day over a cup of traditional Turkish coffee.
Derived from the Arabica bean, Turkish coffee is a very fine, powder-like grind. An aromatic spice called cardamom is sometimes added to the coffee while it is being ground. One can also boil whole seeds with the coffee and let them float to the top when served. Turkish coffee has various levels of sweetness ranging from bitter to very sweet. Because sugar is not added to the coffee after it is served, spoons are not needed. As the coffee begins to heat, it begins to foam. A rule of the Turkish coffee ceremony dictates that if the foam is absent from the surface of the coffee, the host loses face. Turkish coffee is served hot from a special coffee pot called a cezve. Tradition states that after the guest has consumed the coffee and the cup is turned upside down on the saucer and allowed to cool, the hostess then performs a fortune reading from the coffee grounds remaining in the cup. Rich in tradition and flavour, Turkish coffee remains a favourite today, not only in Turkey, but also among discriminating coffee drinkers around the world.
First brought to Istanbul in 1555 by two Syrian traders, coffee became known as the "milk of chess players and thinkers." By the mid-17th century, Turkish coffee became part of elaborate ceremonies involving the Ottoman court. Coffee makers with the help of over forty assistants, ceremoniously prepared and served coffee for the sultan. Marriage customs and gender roles also became defined through coffee rituals. In ancient times, women received intensive training in the harem on the proper technique of preparing Turkish coffee. Prospective husbands would judge a woman's merits based on the taste of her coffee. Even today, when a young man's family calls to ask a girl's parents for her hand in marriage, a formal coffee is served even in the most modern households.
For both men and women, coffee has been at the center of political and social interaction. During the Ottoman period, women socialized with each other over coffee and sweets. Men socialized in coffee houses to discuss politics and to play backgammon. In the early 16th century, these coffee houses played host to a new form of satirical political and social criticism called "shadow theatre" in which puppets were the main characters. Over the years, Turkish coffee houses have become social institutions providing a place to meet and talk. Today, Turkish coffee houses continue their role in society as a meeting place for both the cultured citizen and the inquisitive traveler. Istanbul offers many new and delightful cafe-restaurants where friends and family meet to discuss topics of the day over a cup of traditional Turkish coffee.
Derived from the Arabica bean, Turkish coffee is a very fine, powder-like grind. An aromatic spice called cardamom is sometimes added to the coffee while it is being ground. One can also boil whole seeds with the coffee and let them float to the top when served. Turkish coffee has various levels of sweetness ranging from bitter to very sweet. Because sugar is not added to the coffee after it is served, spoons are not needed. As the coffee begins to heat, it begins to foam. A rule of the Turkish coffee ceremony dictates that if the foam is absent from the surface of the coffee, the host loses face. Turkish coffee is served hot from a special coffee pot called a cezve. Tradition states that after the guest has consumed the coffee and the cup is turned upside down on the saucer and allowed to cool, the hostess then performs a fortune reading from the coffee grounds remaining in the cup. Rich in tradition and flavour, Turkish coffee remains a favourite today, not only in Turkey, but also among discriminating coffee drinkers around the world.
The Story of Turkish Foods
For those who travel in culinary pursuits, the Turkish Cuisine is a very curious one. The variety of dishes that make up the Cuisine, the ways they all come together in feast-like meals, and the evident intricacy of each craft offer enough material for life-long study and enjoyment. It is not easy to discern a basic element or a single dominant feature, like the Italian "pasta" or the French "sauce". Whether in a humble home, at a famous restaurant, or at a dinner in a Bey's mansion, familiar patterns of this rich and diverse Cuisine are always present. It is a rare art which satisfies your senses while reconfirming the higher order of society, community and culture.
A practical-minded child watching Mother cook "cabbage dolma" on a lazy, gray winter day is bound to wonder: who on earth discovered this peculiar combination of sautéed rice, pine-nuts, currants, spices, herbs and all tightly wrapped in translucent leaves of cabbage all exactly half an inch thick and stacked-up on an oval serving plate decorated with lemon wedges? How was it possible to transform this humble vegetable to such heights of fashion and delicacy with so few additional ingredients? And, how can such a yummy dish possibly also be good for one?
The modern mind, in a moment of contemplation, has similar thoughts upon entering a modest sweets shop in Turkey where "baklava" is the generic cousin of a dozen or so sophisticated sweet pastries with names like: twisted turban, sultan, saray (palace), lady's navel, nightingale's nest... The same experience awaits you at a "muhallebi" (pudding shop) with a dozen different types of milk puddings.
One can only conclude that the evolution of this glorious Cuisine was not an accident. Similar to other grand Cuisines of the world, it is a result of the combination of three key elements. A nurturing environment is irreplaceable. Turkey is known for an abundance and diversity of foodstuff due to its rich flora, fauna and regional differentiation. And the legacy of an Imperial Kitchen is inescapable. Hundreds of cooks specializing in different types of dishes, all eager to please the royal palate, no doubt had their influence in perfecting the Cuisine as we know it today. The Palace Kitchen, supported by a complex social organization, a vibrant urban life, specialization of labor, trade, and total control of the Spice Road, reflected the culmination of wealth and the flourishing of culture in the capital of a mighty Empire. And the influence of the longevity of social organization should not be taken lightly either. The Turkish State of Anatolia is a millennium old and so, naturally, is the Cuisine. Time is of the essence; as Ibn'i Haldun wrote, "the religion of the King, in time, becomes that of the People", which also holds for the King's food. Thus, the reign of the Ottoman Dynasty during 600 years, and a seamless cultural transition into the present day of modern Turkey, led to the evolution of a grand Cuisine through differentiation, refinement and perfection of dishes, as well as their sequence and combination of the meals.
It is quite rare that all the three conditions above are met, as they are in the French, the Chinese and the Turkish Cuisine. The Turkish Cuisine has the extra privilege of being at the cross-roads of the Far-East and the Mediterranean, which mirrors a long and complex history of Turkish migration from the steppes of Central Asia (where they mingled with the Chinese) to Europe (where they exerted influence all the way to Vienna).
All these unique characteristics and history have bestowed upon the Turkish Cuisine a rich and varied number of dishes, which can be prepared and combined with other dishes in meals of almost infinite variety, but always in a non-arbitrary way. This led to a Cuisine that is open to improvisation through development of regional styles, while retaining its deep structure, as all great works of art do. The Cuisine is also an integral aspect of culture. It is a part of the rituals of everyday life events. It reflects spirituality, in forms that are specific to it, through symbolism and practice.
Anyone who visits Turkey or has had a meal in a Turkish home, regardless of the success of the particular cook, is sure to notice how unique the Cuisine is. Our intention here is to help the uninitiated to enjoy Turkish food by achieving a higher level of understanding of the repertoire of dishes, related cultural practices and their spiritual meaning.
A Nurturing Environment
Early historical documents show that the basic structure of the Turkish Cuisine was already established during the Nomadic Period and in the first settled Turkish States of Asia. Culinary attitudes towards meat, dairy, vegetables and grains that characterized this early period still make up the core of Turkish Cuisine . Turks cultivated wheat and used it liberally in several types of leavened and unleavened breads baked in clay ovens, on the griddle, or buried in ember. "Manti" (dumpling), and "bugra" (attributed to Bugra Khan of Turkestan, the ancestor of "börek" or dough with fillings), were already among the much-coveted dishes at this time. Stuffing the pasta, as well as all kinds of vegetables, was also common practice, and still is, as evidenced by dozens of different types of "dolma". Skewering meat as well as other ways of grilling, later known to us as varieties of "kebap" and dairy products such as cheeses and yogurt were convenient and staple foods of the pastoral Turks. They introduced these attitudes and practices to Anatolia in the 11th century. In return they were introduced to rice, the fruits and the vegetables native to the Region, and the hundreds varieties of fish in the three seas surrounding the Anatolian Peninsula. These new and wonderful ingredients were assimilated into the basic Cuisine in the millennia that followed.
Anatolia is a Region coined as the "bread basket of the world". Turkey, even now, is one of the seven countries in the world which produces enough food to feed everyone and then some to export. The Turkish landscape encompasses such a wide variety of geographic zones, that for every two to four hours of driving, you will find yourself in a different zone with all the accompanying changes in scenery, temperature, altitude, humidity, vegetation and weather conditions. The Turkish landscape has the combined characteristics of the three old continents of the world : Europe, Africa and Asia, and an ecological diversity surpassing any other place along the 40th latitude. Thus, the diversity of the Cuisine has come to reflect that of the landscape and its regional variations.
In the Eastern Region, you will encounter the rugged, snow-capped mountains where the winters are long and cold, and the highlands where the spring season with its rich wild flowers and rushing creeks extends into the long and cool summer. Livestock farming is prevalent. Butter, yogurt, cheeses, honey, meat and cereals are the local food. Long winters are best endured with the help of yogurt soup and meatballs flavored with aromatic herbs found in the mountains, and endless servings of tea.
The heartland is dry steppes with rolling hills, endless stretches of wheat fields and barren bedrock that takes on the most incredible shades of gold, violet, cool and warm grays, as the sun travels the sky. Ancient cities were located on the trade routes with lush cultivated orchards and gardens. Among these, Konya, the capital of the Seljuk Empire (the first Turkish State in Anatolia), distinguished itself as the center of a culture that attracted scholars, mystics, and poets from throughout the world during the 13th century. The lavish Cuisine that is enjoyed in Konya today, with its clay-oven (tandir) kebaps, böreks, mcat and vegetable dishes and helva desserts, dates back to the feasts given by Sultan Alaaddin Keykubad in 1237 A.D.
Towards the west, one eventually reaches warm, fertile valleys between cultivated mountainsides, and the lace-like shores of the Aegean where nature is friendly and life has always been easy. Fruits and vegetables of all kinds are abundant, including the best of all sea food! Here, olive oil becomes a staple and is used both in hot and cold dishes.
The temperature zone of the Black Sea Coast, well-protected by the high Caucasian Mountains, is abundant with hazelnuts, corn and tea. The Black Sea people are fishermen and identify themselves with their ecological companion, the shimmering "hamsi", a small fish similar to anchovy. There are at least forty different dishes made with hamsi! Many poems, anecdotes and folk dances are inspired by this delicious fish.
The south-eastern part of Turkey is hot and desert-like and offers the greatest variety of kebabs and sweet pastries. Dishes here are more spicy compared to all other regions, possibly to retard spoilage in hot weather, or as the natives say, to equalize the heat inside the body to that of the outside!
The culinary centre of the country is the Marmara Region which includes Thrace, with Istanbul as its Queen City. This temperate, fertile Region boasts a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and the most delicately flavored lamb. The variety of fish that travel the Bosphorus surpasses those in other seas.
Bolu, a city on the mountains, supplied the greatest cooks for the Sultan's Palace, and even now, the best chefs in the country come from Bolu. Istanbul, of course, has been the epicenter of the Cuisine, and an understanding of Turkish Cuisine will never be complete without a survey of the Sultan's kitchen...
Kitchen of the Imperial Palace
The importance of culinary art for the Ottoman Sultans is evident to every visitor of Topkapi Palace. The huge kitchens were housed in several buildings under ten domes. By the 17th century, some thirteen hundred kitchen staff were housed in the Palace. Hundreds of cooks, specializing in different categories of dishes such as soups, pilafs, kebaps, vegetables, fish, breads, pastries, candy and helva, syrup and jams and beverages, fed as much as ten thousand people a day, and in addition, sent trays of food to others in the City as a royal favor.
The importance of food has been also evident in the structure of the Ottoman military elite, the Janissaries. The commanders of the main divisions were known as the Soupmen, other high ranking officers were the Chief Cook, Scullion, Baker, and Pancake Maker, though their function had little to do with these titles. The huge cauldron used to make pilaf had a special symbolic significance for the Janissaries, as the central focus of each division. The kitchen was also the centre of politics, for whenever the Janissaries demanded a change in the Sultan's Cabinet, or the head of a grand vizier, they would overturn their pilaf cauldron. "Overturning the cauldron," is an expression still used today to indicate a rebellion in the ranks.
It was in this environment that hundreds of the Sultans' chefs, who dedicated their lives to their profession, developed and perfected the dishes of the Turkish Cuisine, which was then adopted by the kitchens of the provinces ranging from the Balkans to Southern Russia, reaching Northern Africa. Istanbul was the capital of the world and had all the prestige, so that its ways were imitated. At the same time, it was supported by an enormous organization and infrastructure which enabled all the treasures of the world to flow into it. The provinces of the vast Empire were integrated by a system of trade routes with refreshing caravanserais for the weary merchants and security forces. The Spice Road, the most important factor in culinary history, was under the full control of the Sultan. Only the best ingredients were allowed to be traded under the strict standards established by the courts.
Guilds played an important role in the development and sustenance of the Cuisine. These included the hunters, the fishermen, the cooks, the kebab cooks, bakers, butchers, cheese makers and yogurt merchants, pastry chefs, pickle makers and sausage merchants. All of the principal trades were believed to be sacred, and each guild traced its patronage to the Prophets and Saints. The guilds prevailed in pricing and quality control. They displayed their products and talents in spectacular floats driven through Istanbul streets during special occasions, such as the circumcision festivities for the Crown Prince or religious holidays.
Following the example of the Palace, all of the grand Ottoman houses boasted elaborate kitchens and competed in preparing feasts for each other as well as the general public. In fact, in each neighbourhood, at least one household would open its doors to anyone who happened to stop by for dinner during the holy month of Ramadan, or during other festive occasions. And this is how the traditional Cuisine evolved and spread, even to the most modest corners of the country.
A Repertory Of Food At The Great - Good Places
A survey of types dishes according to their ingredients, may be helpful to explain the basic structure of the Turkish Cuisine. Otherwise it may appear to have an overwhelming variety of dishes, each with a unique combination of ingredients, way of preparation and presentation. All dishes can be conveniently categorized into: grain-based, grilled meats, vegetables, fish and sea-food, desserts and beverages.
Before describing each of these categories, some general comments are necessary. The foundation of the Cuisine is based on grains (rice and wheat) and vegetables. Each category of dishes contains only one or two types of main ingredients. Turks are purists in their culinary taste; the dishes are supposed to bring out the flavour of the main ingredient rather than hiding it behind sauces or spices. Thus, the eggplant should taste like eggplant, lamb like lamb, pumpkin like pumpkin. Contrary to the prevalent Western impression of Turkish food , spices and herbs are used with zucchini, parsley with eggplant, a few cloves of garlic has its place in some cold vegetable dishes, cumin is sprinkled over red lentil soup or mixed in ground meat when making "köfte". Lemon and yogurt are used to complement both meat and vegetable dishes, to balance the taste of olive oil or meat. Most desserts and fruit dishes do not call for any spices. So their flavours are refined and subtle.
There are major classes of meatless dishes. When meat is used, it is used sparingly. Even with the meat kebabs, the "pide" or the flat bread occupies the largest part of the portion along with vegetables or yogurt. The Turkish Cuisine also boasts a variety of authentic contributions in the desserts and beverage categories.
For the Turks, the setting is as important as the food itself. Therefore, food-related places need to be surveyed, as well as the dishes and the eating-protocol. Among the "great-good places" where you can find the ingredients for the Cuisine, are the weekly neighbourhood markets- "pazar", and the permanent markets. The most famous one of the latter type is the Spice Market in Istanbul. This is a place where every conceivable type of food item can be found, as it has always been since pre-Ottoman times. This is a truly exotic place, with hundreds of scents rising from stalls located within an ancient domed building, which was the terminal for the Spice Road. More modest markets can be found in every city centre, with permanent stalls of fish and vegetables.
The weekly markets are where sleepy neighbourhoods come to life, with the villagers setting up their stalls before dawn at a designated area, to sell their products. These days, handicrafts, textiles, glassware and other household items are also among the displays at the most affordable prices. What makes these places unique is the cacophony of sights, smells, sounds and activity, as well as the high quality of fresh food, which can only be obtained in the pazar. There is a lot of haggling and jostling, as people make their way through the narrow isles while the vendors compete for attention. One way to purify body and soul would be to rent an inexpensive flat by the seaside for a month every year, and live on fresh fruit and vegetables from the "pazar". However, since the more likely scenario will be restaurant-hopping, here are some tips to learn the proper terminology so that you can navigate through both, the Cuisine (just in case you get the urge to cook a la Turca), and the streets of Turkish cities, where it is just as important to locate the eating places as the museums and the archaeological wonders.
Grains: Bread to Börek
The foundation of Turkish food is, if anything, the dough made of wheat flour. Besides "ekmek" - the ordinary white bread, "pide" - flat bread, "simit" - sesame seed rings, "manti" - dumplings, a whole family of food made up thin sheets of pastry called "börek" falls into this category.
The bakers of the Ottoman period believed that Adam, the Patron Saint of Bakers, learned how to make bread from the Archangel Gabriel, after his expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Obviously, the secret is still held dearly by the present day Turkish bakers; no other bread tastes as good as the even the everyday Turkish bread. One realizes the wonderful luxury of the Turkish bread upon leaving the country. This blessed food is enjoyed in large quantities and is respected by all, rich and poor, simple and sophisticated. Every neighbourhood has a bread-bakery that produces the golden crisp loaves twice a day, morning and afternoon, filling the streets with their irresistible and wholesome aroma. People pick up a few loaves on their way home from work, and end up eating the crisp ends by the time they get there. After a hard day's work, holding the warm loaf is the best reward, convincing one that all is well.
Ekmek, pide and simit are meant to be eaten the same day they are baked, and they usually are. The leftover ekmek goes into a variety of dishes, becomes chicken feed, or is mixed with milk for the neighbourhood cats.
Manti, dumplings of dough filled with a special met mix, are eaten with generous servings of garlic yogurt and a dash of melted butter with paprika. This is a meal in itself as a Sunday lunch affair for the whole family, to be followed by an afternoon nap.
Börek is a special-occasion food which requires great skill and patience, unless you have thin sheets of dough already rolled out from your corner grocery store. Anyone who can accomplish this delicate task using the rolling pin , becomes the most sought-out person in their circle of family and friends. The sheets are then layered or folded into various shapes before being filled with cheese or meat mixes and baked or fried. Every household enjoys at least five different varieties of börek as a regular part of its menu.
Next to bread, "pilav" is another staple in the Turkish kitchen. The most common versions are the cracked-wheat pilaf and the rice pilaf. A good cracked-wheat pilaf made with whole onions, sliced tomatoes, green peppers sautéed in butter, and boiled in beef stock is a meal itself. Many versions of the rice pilaf accompany vegetable and meat dishes. The distinguishing feature of the Turkish pilaf is its soft buttery morsels of rice which readily roll out from your spoon, rather than sticking together in a mushy clumps.
Grilled Meats
"Kebap" is another category of food which, like the börek, is typically Turkish dating back to the times when the nomadic Turks learned to grill and roast their meat over their camp fires. Given the numerous types of kebabs, it helps to realize that you categorize them by the way the meat is cooked. The Western World knows the "sis kebab" and the "döner" introduced to them mostly by Greek entrepreneurs, who have a good nose for what will sell! Sis kebab is grilled cubes of skewered meat. Döner kebab is made by stacking alternating layers of ground meat and sliced leg of lamb on a large upright skewer, which is slowly rotated in front of a vertical grills. As the outer layer of the meat is roasted, thin slices are shaved to be served.
There are numerous other grilled kebabs beside those cooked in a clay oven. It should be noted that the unique taste of kebabs are due more to the breeds of sheep and cattle, which are raised in open pastures by loving shepherds, than to special marinades and a way of cooking. Therefore, you should stop at a kebab restaurant in Turkey to taste the authentic item. "Kebabci" is by far the most common and the least expensive type of restaurant, ranging from a hole in the wall to large and lavish establishments. Kebab is the traditional Turkish response to fast food that is at the same time not especially bad for you. A generic kebabci will have "lahmacun" (meat pide) and "Adana" (spicy skewered ground meat, named-after the southern city where the dish was born), salad greens with red onions and baklava to top it all off. Beyond that the menu will tell you the specialty of the kebabci. The best plan is to seek out the well-known ones and to try the less spicy types if you are not used to kebab. Once you develop a taste for it, you can have inexpensive feasts by going to the neighbourhood kebabci anywhere in Anatolia.
"Izgara"-mixed grilled meat, it is how main course meat dishes are prepared at a meat restaurant. Mixed grills are likely to include lamb chops, "köfte", or "sis" (select cubes of meat). The way of preparing ground meat will be the "köfte". These are grilled, fried, oven-cooked or boiled, after being mixed with special spices, eggs, and grated onions and carefully shaped into balls, oblongs, round or long patties. Another popular dish, inspired by the nomadic Turks who carried spiced, raw meat in their saddles, and known to Europeans as "steak Tartar", is the raw köfte. Here, it is made of raw, double ground meat, by kneading it with thin bulgur and hot spices vigorously for a few hours. Then bite-sized patties are made, and served with cilantro, known for its stomach-protecting qualities.
Some restaurants specialize only in grilled meats, in which case they are called meat restaurants. The fare will be a constant stream of grilled meats served hot in portions off the grill, until you tell the waiter that you are full. The best one is Beyti in Florya, Istanbul, and the best way to get there is to take the commuter train from Sirkeci, the main train station on the European side, rather than negotiating the highway traffic. This way you can also see the local folks, especially the kids who seem to use the train to the fullest, carrying out their summer holiday adventures involving fishing and possibly a variety of other mischief.
Vegetables
Along with grains, vegetables are also consumed in large quantities in the Turkish diet. The simplest and most basic type of vegetable dish is prepared by slicing a main vegetable such as zucchini or eggplant, combining it with tomatoes, green peppers and onions, and cooking it slowly in butter and its own juices. Since the vegetables that are cultivated in Turkey are truly delicious, a simple dish like this, eaten with a sizeable chunk of fresh bread, is a satisfying meal for many people.
A whole class of vegetables is cooked in olive oil. These dishes would be third in a five-course meal, following the soup and a main course such as rice or börek and vegetable/meat, and before dessert and fruit. Practically all vegetables, such as fresh string-beans, artichokes, root celery, eggplants, pinto beans, or zucchini can be cooked in olive oil, and are typically eaten at room-temperature. So they are a staple part of the menu with variations depending on the season. Then there are the fried vegetables, such as eggplant, peppers or zucchinis, that are eaten with a tomato or a yogurt sauce.
"Dolma" is the generic term for stuffed vegetables, being a derivative of the verb "doldurmak" or to fill; it actually means "stuffed" in Turkish. There are two categories of dolmas: those filled with a meat mix or with a rice mix. The latter are cooked in olive oil and eaten at room-temperature. The meat dolma is a main-course dish eaten with a yogurt sauce, and very frequent one in the average household. Any vegetable which can be filled with or wrapped around these mixes can be used in a dolma, including zucchini, eggplants, tomatoes, cabbage, and grapevine leaves. However, the green pepper dolma with the rice stuffing, has to be the queen of all dolmas. A royal feast to the eye and the palate...
In addition to these general categories, there are numerous meat and vegetable dishes which feature unique recipes. When talking vegetables, it is important to know that the eggplant (or aubergine) has a special place in the Turkish Cuisine. This handsome vegetable with its brown-green cap, velvety purple, firm and slim body, has a richer flavour than that of its relatives found elsewhere. At a party, a frustrating question to ask a Turk would be "How do you usually cook your eggplant?". A proper answer to this question would require hours! Here, too, it will have to suffice to mention two eggplant dishes that are a must to taste. In one, the eggplant is split lengthwise and filled with a meat mix. This is a common summer dish, eaten with white rice pilaf. The other one is "Her Majesty's Favourite", a delicate formal dish that is not easy to make but well worth trying. The name refers to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, who fell in love with it on her visit to Sultan Abdülaziz.
To taste these dishes, look for a "Lokanta". Borrowed from the Italian "Locanda", this type of establishment traditional cooking prepared most usually for those who work nearby. The best examples are the Borsa, Hacı, Konyalı Istanbul and Liman and Ciftlik in Ankara. The tables are covered with white linen, and the menu comprises soups, traditional main dishes and desserts, including fresh fruit. Businessmen and politicians frequent visit these places for lunch.
"Meze" Dishes to Accompany the Spirits
In Turkey, despite the Islamic prohibition against wine and anything alcoholic, there is a rich tradition associated with liquor. Drinking alcoholic beverages in the company of family and friends at home and in taverns, and restaurants, is a part of special occasions. Similar to the Spanish tapas, "meze" is the general category of dishes that are brought in small quantities to start the meal off. These are eaten, along with wine or more likely with "rakı";, the anise-flavoured national drink of Turks sometimes referred to as "lion's milk", for a few hours until the main course is served.
The bare minimum meze for raki are slices of honeydew melons and creamy feta cheese with freshly baked bread. Beyond these, a typical meze menu includes dried and marinated mackerel, fresh salad greens in thick yogurt sauce with garlic, plates of cold vegetable dishes cooked or fried in olive oil, fried crispy savoury pastry, deep fried mussels and calamaris served in sauce, tomato and cucumber salad, and fish eggs in sauce. The main course that follows such a meze spread will be fish or grilled meat.
When the main course is kebab, then the meze spread is different. In this case, several plates different types of minced salad green and tomatoes in spicy olive oil, mixed with yogurt or cheese, "humus" chick peas mashed in tahini, bulgur and red lentil balls, "raw köfte", marinated stuffed eggplant, peppers with spices and nuts, and pickles, are likely to be served.
Fish and other Sea-Food
Four seas (the Black Sea, Marmara Sea, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean) surround the Turkish landscape, and residents of the coastal cities are experts in preparing their fish. However, the best of the day's catch is also immediately transported to Ankara, where some of the finest fish restaurants are located. Winter is the premium season for eating fish. That is the time when many species of fish migrate from the Black Sea to the warmer waters and when most fish reach their mature sizes. So, the lack of summer vegetables is compensated by the abundance of fish at this time. Every month has its own preferred fish along, with certain vegetables which complement the taste. For example, the best bonito is eaten with arugula and red onions, blue fish with lettuce, turbot with cos lettuce. Large bonito may be poached with celery root. Mackerel is stuffed with chopped onion before grilling, and summer fish, which are younger and drier, will be poached with tomatoes and green peppers, or fried. Bay leaves always accompany both poached and grilled fish.
Grilling fish over charcoal, where the fish juices hit the embers and envelope the fish with the smoke, is perhaps the most delicious way of eating mature fish, since this method brings out the delicate flavour. This is also why the grilled fish and bread sold by vendors right on their boats are so testy.
"Hamsi" is the prince of all fish known to Turks: the Black Sea people know forty one ways of making hamsi, including hamsi börek, hamsi pilaf and hamsi dessert! Another common seafood is the mussel-eaten deep fried, poached, or as a mussel dolma and mussel pilaf. Along the Aegean, octupus and calamary are added to the meze spread.
The places to taste fish are fish restaurants and taverns. Not all taverns are fish restaurants, but most fish restaurants are taverns and these are usually found on the harbours overlooking the sea. The Bosphorus is famous for its fisherman's taverns, large and small, from Rumeli Kavagi to Kumkapi. The modest ones are small with wooden tables and rickety wooden chairs, nevertheless they offer delicious grilled fish. Then there are elaborate, fashionable ones in Tarabya and Bebek. The fish restaurants have always an open-air section taking up space right by the sea; the waiters run back and forth between the kitchen, perhaps located within the restaurant across the street, and the tables on the seaside. After being seated, it is customary to visit the kitchen or the display to pick your fish and discussed the way you want it to be prepared. The price of the fish is also disclosed at this time. Then you swing by the meze display and order the ones you want. So the evening begins, sipping raki in between samplings of meze, watching the sunset, and slowly setting the pace for conversation that will continue hours into the night. Drinking is never a hurried, loud, boisterous, or a lonely affair. It is a communal, gently festive and cultured way of entertainment. In these fish restaurants, a couple of families may spend an evening with their children running around the restaurant after they are fed, while the teenagers sit at the table patiently listening to the conversation and occasionally participating, when the topic is soccer or rock music.
The Real Story of Sweets : Beyond the Baklava
The most well known sweets associated with the Turkish Cuisine are the Turkish Delight, and the "baklava", giving the impression that these may be the typical desserts eaten after meals. This is not true. First, the family of desserts is much richer than these two. Secondly, these are not typical desserts as part of a main meal. For example, baklava and its relatives are eaten usually with coffee, as a snack or after a kebab dish. Let us now look at the main categories of sweets in the Turkish Cuisine.
By far, the most common dessert after a meal is fresh seasonal fruit that acquire their unique taste from an abundance of sun and old-fashioned ways of cultivation and transportation. Spring will start with strawberries, followed by green cherries and apricots. Summer is marked by peaches, watermelons and melons; then, all kinds of grapes ripen in late summer, followed by green and purple figs, plums, apples, pears and quince. Oranges, mandarin oranges, and bananas are among the winter fruits. For most of the spring and summer, fruit is eaten fresh. Later, it may be used fresh or dried, in compotes, or made into jams and preserves. Among the preserves, the unique ones to taste are the quince marmalade, the sour cherry preserve, and the rose preserve (made of rose petal).
The most wonderful contribution of the Turkish Cuisine to the family of desserts, that can easily be missed by casual explorers, are the milk desserts - the "muhallebi" family. These are among the rare types of guilt-free puddings made with starch and rice flour, and, originally without any eggs or butter. When the occasion calls for even a lighter dessert, the milk can also be omitted; instead, the pudding may be flavoured with citrus fruits, such as lemon and orange. The milk desserts include a variety of puddings, ranging from the very light and subtle pudding with rose-water to the milk pudding with strands of chicken breast.
Grain-based desserts include baked pastries, fried yeast dough pastries and the pan-sautéed desserts. The baked pastries can also be referred to as the baklava family. These are paper-thin pastry sheets that are brushed with butter and folded, layered, or rolled after being filled with ground pistachios, walnuts or heavy cream, and baked. Then a syrup is poured over the baked pastries. The various types, such as the sultan, the nightingale's nest, twisted turban differ according to the amount and placement of nuts, size and shape of the individual pieces, and the dryness of the final product.
The "lokma" family is made by frying soft pieces of yeast dough in oil and dipping them in a syrup. Lady's lips, lady's navel, vizier finger are fine examples.
"Helva" is made by pan-sautéeing flour or semolina and pine nuts in butter before adding sugar, milk or water, and briefly cooking until these are absorbed. The preparation of helva is conducive to communal cooking. People are invited for "helva conversations" to pass the long winter nights. The more familiar tahini helva is sold in blocks at a corner grocery shop.
Another dessert that should be mentioned is a piece of special bread cooked in syrup, topped with lots of walnuts and heavy cream. This is possibly the queen of all desserts, so plan to taste it at the Ikbal Restaurant on the Ankara-Izmir highway at Afyon.
There are shops where baklava, börek, or muhallebi are sold, exclusively or in combination. People come to these places for take-away or to sit down at one of the few tables tucked in a corner of the store. The baklava stores usually feature also "water börek", an especially difficult börek to make. Most börek shops also make milk puddings. These are excellent places to eat breakfast or lunch at any time of the day, since the regular restaurants may stop serving at two o'clock in the afternoon. Many pudding shops also serve chicken soup. In any event, it is possible to feast on börek and milk pudding for an entire holiday, if on a tight budget. Perhaps the most well-known shop of this type is Saray on Istiklal street in Beyoglu-Istanbul, in addition to the entire village of Sariyer on the Bosphorus.
You have to be in Turkey to get the real and the best taste of the above desserts. However, in addition to the variety of Turkish Delights, there is a lesser-known type of dessert that can be taken back home in a sweet box. These are nut pastes-marzipan made of almonds and pistachios. The best marzipan is sold at the tiny, unassuming shop at Bebek in Istanbul. A few boxes usually will last for a month or so and bring delight after dinners. Finally, candied chestnuts, a specialty of Bursa, are among the most wonderful nutty desserts.
Beverages : Knowing beyond the Turkish Coffee and "Ayran"
Volumes have been written about the Turkish coffee; its history, significance in social life, and the ambiance of the ubiquitous coffee houses. Without some understanding of this background, it is easy to be disappointed by the tiny brew with the annoying grounds on which an uninitiated traveler (like Mark Twain) may accidently end up chewing. A few words of caution will have to suffice for the purposes of this brief primer. First, the grounds are not to be swallowed; so, sip the coffee gingerly. Secondly, don't expect a caffeine surge with one shot of Turkish coffee, it is not "strong", just thick. Third, remember that it is the setting and the company that matters-the coffee is just an excuse for the occasion... Wooden coffee mills
Tea, on the other hand, is the main source of caffeine for the Turks. It is prepared in a special way, by brewing it over boiling water and served in delicate, small clear glasses to show the deep red colour and to keep it hot. Drinking tea is such an essential part of a working day, that any disruption of the constant supply of fresh tea is a sure way to sacrifice productivity. Once upon a time, so the story goes, a lion escaped from the Ankara Zoo and took up residence in the basement of an office building. It began devouring public servants and executives. It even ate up a few ministers of state and nobody took notice. It is said that a posse was immediately formed when the lion caught and ate the "tea-man", the person responsible for the supply of fresh tea!
A park without tea and coffee is inconceivable in Turkey. Thus, every spot with a view has a tea-house or a tea-garden. These places may be under a plane tree looking into the village or town square, on top of hills with majestic views of a valley or the sea, by the harbour, in the market, on a road-side with a scenic overview, by a waterfall or in the woods. Among the typical tea-gardens in Istanbul : the Emirgan on the European side, Camlica on the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus, the famous Pierre Loti cafe, and the tea-garden in Üsküdar. (Nargile) But the traditional tea-houses are beginning to disappear from the more tourist-oriented seaside locations, in favour of "pubs" and "Biergarten"...
Among the beverages worth mentioning are excellent bottled fruit juices. But, perhaps the most interesting drink is "boza", traditionally sold in neighbourhood streets by mobile vendors on a winter night. This is a thick, fermentated drink made of wheat berries, to be enjoyed with a dash of cinnamon and a handful of roasted chick-peas. Boza can also be found year-round at certain cafes or dessert shops. Finally, "sahlep" is a hot drink made milk and sahlep powder. It is a good remedy for sore throats and colds, in addition to being delicious.
Reference: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey
A practical-minded child watching Mother cook "cabbage dolma" on a lazy, gray winter day is bound to wonder: who on earth discovered this peculiar combination of sautéed rice, pine-nuts, currants, spices, herbs and all tightly wrapped in translucent leaves of cabbage all exactly half an inch thick and stacked-up on an oval serving plate decorated with lemon wedges? How was it possible to transform this humble vegetable to such heights of fashion and delicacy with so few additional ingredients? And, how can such a yummy dish possibly also be good for one?
The modern mind, in a moment of contemplation, has similar thoughts upon entering a modest sweets shop in Turkey where "baklava" is the generic cousin of a dozen or so sophisticated sweet pastries with names like: twisted turban, sultan, saray (palace), lady's navel, nightingale's nest... The same experience awaits you at a "muhallebi" (pudding shop) with a dozen different types of milk puddings.
One can only conclude that the evolution of this glorious Cuisine was not an accident. Similar to other grand Cuisines of the world, it is a result of the combination of three key elements. A nurturing environment is irreplaceable. Turkey is known for an abundance and diversity of foodstuff due to its rich flora, fauna and regional differentiation. And the legacy of an Imperial Kitchen is inescapable. Hundreds of cooks specializing in different types of dishes, all eager to please the royal palate, no doubt had their influence in perfecting the Cuisine as we know it today. The Palace Kitchen, supported by a complex social organization, a vibrant urban life, specialization of labor, trade, and total control of the Spice Road, reflected the culmination of wealth and the flourishing of culture in the capital of a mighty Empire. And the influence of the longevity of social organization should not be taken lightly either. The Turkish State of Anatolia is a millennium old and so, naturally, is the Cuisine. Time is of the essence; as Ibn'i Haldun wrote, "the religion of the King, in time, becomes that of the People", which also holds for the King's food. Thus, the reign of the Ottoman Dynasty during 600 years, and a seamless cultural transition into the present day of modern Turkey, led to the evolution of a grand Cuisine through differentiation, refinement and perfection of dishes, as well as their sequence and combination of the meals.
It is quite rare that all the three conditions above are met, as they are in the French, the Chinese and the Turkish Cuisine. The Turkish Cuisine has the extra privilege of being at the cross-roads of the Far-East and the Mediterranean, which mirrors a long and complex history of Turkish migration from the steppes of Central Asia (where they mingled with the Chinese) to Europe (where they exerted influence all the way to Vienna).
All these unique characteristics and history have bestowed upon the Turkish Cuisine a rich and varied number of dishes, which can be prepared and combined with other dishes in meals of almost infinite variety, but always in a non-arbitrary way. This led to a Cuisine that is open to improvisation through development of regional styles, while retaining its deep structure, as all great works of art do. The Cuisine is also an integral aspect of culture. It is a part of the rituals of everyday life events. It reflects spirituality, in forms that are specific to it, through symbolism and practice.
Anyone who visits Turkey or has had a meal in a Turkish home, regardless of the success of the particular cook, is sure to notice how unique the Cuisine is. Our intention here is to help the uninitiated to enjoy Turkish food by achieving a higher level of understanding of the repertoire of dishes, related cultural practices and their spiritual meaning.
A Nurturing Environment
Early historical documents show that the basic structure of the Turkish Cuisine was already established during the Nomadic Period and in the first settled Turkish States of Asia. Culinary attitudes towards meat, dairy, vegetables and grains that characterized this early period still make up the core of Turkish Cuisine . Turks cultivated wheat and used it liberally in several types of leavened and unleavened breads baked in clay ovens, on the griddle, or buried in ember. "Manti" (dumpling), and "bugra" (attributed to Bugra Khan of Turkestan, the ancestor of "börek" or dough with fillings), were already among the much-coveted dishes at this time. Stuffing the pasta, as well as all kinds of vegetables, was also common practice, and still is, as evidenced by dozens of different types of "dolma". Skewering meat as well as other ways of grilling, later known to us as varieties of "kebap" and dairy products such as cheeses and yogurt were convenient and staple foods of the pastoral Turks. They introduced these attitudes and practices to Anatolia in the 11th century. In return they were introduced to rice, the fruits and the vegetables native to the Region, and the hundreds varieties of fish in the three seas surrounding the Anatolian Peninsula. These new and wonderful ingredients were assimilated into the basic Cuisine in the millennia that followed.
Anatolia is a Region coined as the "bread basket of the world". Turkey, even now, is one of the seven countries in the world which produces enough food to feed everyone and then some to export. The Turkish landscape encompasses such a wide variety of geographic zones, that for every two to four hours of driving, you will find yourself in a different zone with all the accompanying changes in scenery, temperature, altitude, humidity, vegetation and weather conditions. The Turkish landscape has the combined characteristics of the three old continents of the world : Europe, Africa and Asia, and an ecological diversity surpassing any other place along the 40th latitude. Thus, the diversity of the Cuisine has come to reflect that of the landscape and its regional variations.
In the Eastern Region, you will encounter the rugged, snow-capped mountains where the winters are long and cold, and the highlands where the spring season with its rich wild flowers and rushing creeks extends into the long and cool summer. Livestock farming is prevalent. Butter, yogurt, cheeses, honey, meat and cereals are the local food. Long winters are best endured with the help of yogurt soup and meatballs flavored with aromatic herbs found in the mountains, and endless servings of tea.
The heartland is dry steppes with rolling hills, endless stretches of wheat fields and barren bedrock that takes on the most incredible shades of gold, violet, cool and warm grays, as the sun travels the sky. Ancient cities were located on the trade routes with lush cultivated orchards and gardens. Among these, Konya, the capital of the Seljuk Empire (the first Turkish State in Anatolia), distinguished itself as the center of a culture that attracted scholars, mystics, and poets from throughout the world during the 13th century. The lavish Cuisine that is enjoyed in Konya today, with its clay-oven (tandir) kebaps, böreks, mcat and vegetable dishes and helva desserts, dates back to the feasts given by Sultan Alaaddin Keykubad in 1237 A.D.
Towards the west, one eventually reaches warm, fertile valleys between cultivated mountainsides, and the lace-like shores of the Aegean where nature is friendly and life has always been easy. Fruits and vegetables of all kinds are abundant, including the best of all sea food! Here, olive oil becomes a staple and is used both in hot and cold dishes.
The temperature zone of the Black Sea Coast, well-protected by the high Caucasian Mountains, is abundant with hazelnuts, corn and tea. The Black Sea people are fishermen and identify themselves with their ecological companion, the shimmering "hamsi", a small fish similar to anchovy. There are at least forty different dishes made with hamsi! Many poems, anecdotes and folk dances are inspired by this delicious fish.
The south-eastern part of Turkey is hot and desert-like and offers the greatest variety of kebabs and sweet pastries. Dishes here are more spicy compared to all other regions, possibly to retard spoilage in hot weather, or as the natives say, to equalize the heat inside the body to that of the outside!
The culinary centre of the country is the Marmara Region which includes Thrace, with Istanbul as its Queen City. This temperate, fertile Region boasts a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and the most delicately flavored lamb. The variety of fish that travel the Bosphorus surpasses those in other seas.
Bolu, a city on the mountains, supplied the greatest cooks for the Sultan's Palace, and even now, the best chefs in the country come from Bolu. Istanbul, of course, has been the epicenter of the Cuisine, and an understanding of Turkish Cuisine will never be complete without a survey of the Sultan's kitchen...
Kitchen of the Imperial Palace
The importance of culinary art for the Ottoman Sultans is evident to every visitor of Topkapi Palace. The huge kitchens were housed in several buildings under ten domes. By the 17th century, some thirteen hundred kitchen staff were housed in the Palace. Hundreds of cooks, specializing in different categories of dishes such as soups, pilafs, kebaps, vegetables, fish, breads, pastries, candy and helva, syrup and jams and beverages, fed as much as ten thousand people a day, and in addition, sent trays of food to others in the City as a royal favor.
The importance of food has been also evident in the structure of the Ottoman military elite, the Janissaries. The commanders of the main divisions were known as the Soupmen, other high ranking officers were the Chief Cook, Scullion, Baker, and Pancake Maker, though their function had little to do with these titles. The huge cauldron used to make pilaf had a special symbolic significance for the Janissaries, as the central focus of each division. The kitchen was also the centre of politics, for whenever the Janissaries demanded a change in the Sultan's Cabinet, or the head of a grand vizier, they would overturn their pilaf cauldron. "Overturning the cauldron," is an expression still used today to indicate a rebellion in the ranks.
It was in this environment that hundreds of the Sultans' chefs, who dedicated their lives to their profession, developed and perfected the dishes of the Turkish Cuisine, which was then adopted by the kitchens of the provinces ranging from the Balkans to Southern Russia, reaching Northern Africa. Istanbul was the capital of the world and had all the prestige, so that its ways were imitated. At the same time, it was supported by an enormous organization and infrastructure which enabled all the treasures of the world to flow into it. The provinces of the vast Empire were integrated by a system of trade routes with refreshing caravanserais for the weary merchants and security forces. The Spice Road, the most important factor in culinary history, was under the full control of the Sultan. Only the best ingredients were allowed to be traded under the strict standards established by the courts.
Guilds played an important role in the development and sustenance of the Cuisine. These included the hunters, the fishermen, the cooks, the kebab cooks, bakers, butchers, cheese makers and yogurt merchants, pastry chefs, pickle makers and sausage merchants. All of the principal trades were believed to be sacred, and each guild traced its patronage to the Prophets and Saints. The guilds prevailed in pricing and quality control. They displayed their products and talents in spectacular floats driven through Istanbul streets during special occasions, such as the circumcision festivities for the Crown Prince or religious holidays.
Following the example of the Palace, all of the grand Ottoman houses boasted elaborate kitchens and competed in preparing feasts for each other as well as the general public. In fact, in each neighbourhood, at least one household would open its doors to anyone who happened to stop by for dinner during the holy month of Ramadan, or during other festive occasions. And this is how the traditional Cuisine evolved and spread, even to the most modest corners of the country.
A Repertory Of Food At The Great - Good Places
A survey of types dishes according to their ingredients, may be helpful to explain the basic structure of the Turkish Cuisine. Otherwise it may appear to have an overwhelming variety of dishes, each with a unique combination of ingredients, way of preparation and presentation. All dishes can be conveniently categorized into: grain-based, grilled meats, vegetables, fish and sea-food, desserts and beverages.
Before describing each of these categories, some general comments are necessary. The foundation of the Cuisine is based on grains (rice and wheat) and vegetables. Each category of dishes contains only one or two types of main ingredients. Turks are purists in their culinary taste; the dishes are supposed to bring out the flavour of the main ingredient rather than hiding it behind sauces or spices. Thus, the eggplant should taste like eggplant, lamb like lamb, pumpkin like pumpkin. Contrary to the prevalent Western impression of Turkish food , spices and herbs are used with zucchini, parsley with eggplant, a few cloves of garlic has its place in some cold vegetable dishes, cumin is sprinkled over red lentil soup or mixed in ground meat when making "köfte". Lemon and yogurt are used to complement both meat and vegetable dishes, to balance the taste of olive oil or meat. Most desserts and fruit dishes do not call for any spices. So their flavours are refined and subtle.
There are major classes of meatless dishes. When meat is used, it is used sparingly. Even with the meat kebabs, the "pide" or the flat bread occupies the largest part of the portion along with vegetables or yogurt. The Turkish Cuisine also boasts a variety of authentic contributions in the desserts and beverage categories.
For the Turks, the setting is as important as the food itself. Therefore, food-related places need to be surveyed, as well as the dishes and the eating-protocol. Among the "great-good places" where you can find the ingredients for the Cuisine, are the weekly neighbourhood markets- "pazar", and the permanent markets. The most famous one of the latter type is the Spice Market in Istanbul. This is a place where every conceivable type of food item can be found, as it has always been since pre-Ottoman times. This is a truly exotic place, with hundreds of scents rising from stalls located within an ancient domed building, which was the terminal for the Spice Road. More modest markets can be found in every city centre, with permanent stalls of fish and vegetables.
The weekly markets are where sleepy neighbourhoods come to life, with the villagers setting up their stalls before dawn at a designated area, to sell their products. These days, handicrafts, textiles, glassware and other household items are also among the displays at the most affordable prices. What makes these places unique is the cacophony of sights, smells, sounds and activity, as well as the high quality of fresh food, which can only be obtained in the pazar. There is a lot of haggling and jostling, as people make their way through the narrow isles while the vendors compete for attention. One way to purify body and soul would be to rent an inexpensive flat by the seaside for a month every year, and live on fresh fruit and vegetables from the "pazar". However, since the more likely scenario will be restaurant-hopping, here are some tips to learn the proper terminology so that you can navigate through both, the Cuisine (just in case you get the urge to cook a la Turca), and the streets of Turkish cities, where it is just as important to locate the eating places as the museums and the archaeological wonders.
Grains: Bread to Börek
The foundation of Turkish food is, if anything, the dough made of wheat flour. Besides "ekmek" - the ordinary white bread, "pide" - flat bread, "simit" - sesame seed rings, "manti" - dumplings, a whole family of food made up thin sheets of pastry called "börek" falls into this category.
The bakers of the Ottoman period believed that Adam, the Patron Saint of Bakers, learned how to make bread from the Archangel Gabriel, after his expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Obviously, the secret is still held dearly by the present day Turkish bakers; no other bread tastes as good as the even the everyday Turkish bread. One realizes the wonderful luxury of the Turkish bread upon leaving the country. This blessed food is enjoyed in large quantities and is respected by all, rich and poor, simple and sophisticated. Every neighbourhood has a bread-bakery that produces the golden crisp loaves twice a day, morning and afternoon, filling the streets with their irresistible and wholesome aroma. People pick up a few loaves on their way home from work, and end up eating the crisp ends by the time they get there. After a hard day's work, holding the warm loaf is the best reward, convincing one that all is well.
Ekmek, pide and simit are meant to be eaten the same day they are baked, and they usually are. The leftover ekmek goes into a variety of dishes, becomes chicken feed, or is mixed with milk for the neighbourhood cats.
Manti, dumplings of dough filled with a special met mix, are eaten with generous servings of garlic yogurt and a dash of melted butter with paprika. This is a meal in itself as a Sunday lunch affair for the whole family, to be followed by an afternoon nap.
Börek is a special-occasion food which requires great skill and patience, unless you have thin sheets of dough already rolled out from your corner grocery store. Anyone who can accomplish this delicate task using the rolling pin , becomes the most sought-out person in their circle of family and friends. The sheets are then layered or folded into various shapes before being filled with cheese or meat mixes and baked or fried. Every household enjoys at least five different varieties of börek as a regular part of its menu.
Next to bread, "pilav" is another staple in the Turkish kitchen. The most common versions are the cracked-wheat pilaf and the rice pilaf. A good cracked-wheat pilaf made with whole onions, sliced tomatoes, green peppers sautéed in butter, and boiled in beef stock is a meal itself. Many versions of the rice pilaf accompany vegetable and meat dishes. The distinguishing feature of the Turkish pilaf is its soft buttery morsels of rice which readily roll out from your spoon, rather than sticking together in a mushy clumps.
Grilled Meats
"Kebap" is another category of food which, like the börek, is typically Turkish dating back to the times when the nomadic Turks learned to grill and roast their meat over their camp fires. Given the numerous types of kebabs, it helps to realize that you categorize them by the way the meat is cooked. The Western World knows the "sis kebab" and the "döner" introduced to them mostly by Greek entrepreneurs, who have a good nose for what will sell! Sis kebab is grilled cubes of skewered meat. Döner kebab is made by stacking alternating layers of ground meat and sliced leg of lamb on a large upright skewer, which is slowly rotated in front of a vertical grills. As the outer layer of the meat is roasted, thin slices are shaved to be served.
There are numerous other grilled kebabs beside those cooked in a clay oven. It should be noted that the unique taste of kebabs are due more to the breeds of sheep and cattle, which are raised in open pastures by loving shepherds, than to special marinades and a way of cooking. Therefore, you should stop at a kebab restaurant in Turkey to taste the authentic item. "Kebabci" is by far the most common and the least expensive type of restaurant, ranging from a hole in the wall to large and lavish establishments. Kebab is the traditional Turkish response to fast food that is at the same time not especially bad for you. A generic kebabci will have "lahmacun" (meat pide) and "Adana" (spicy skewered ground meat, named-after the southern city where the dish was born), salad greens with red onions and baklava to top it all off. Beyond that the menu will tell you the specialty of the kebabci. The best plan is to seek out the well-known ones and to try the less spicy types if you are not used to kebab. Once you develop a taste for it, you can have inexpensive feasts by going to the neighbourhood kebabci anywhere in Anatolia.
"Izgara"-mixed grilled meat, it is how main course meat dishes are prepared at a meat restaurant. Mixed grills are likely to include lamb chops, "köfte", or "sis" (select cubes of meat). The way of preparing ground meat will be the "köfte". These are grilled, fried, oven-cooked or boiled, after being mixed with special spices, eggs, and grated onions and carefully shaped into balls, oblongs, round or long patties. Another popular dish, inspired by the nomadic Turks who carried spiced, raw meat in their saddles, and known to Europeans as "steak Tartar", is the raw köfte. Here, it is made of raw, double ground meat, by kneading it with thin bulgur and hot spices vigorously for a few hours. Then bite-sized patties are made, and served with cilantro, known for its stomach-protecting qualities.
Some restaurants specialize only in grilled meats, in which case they are called meat restaurants. The fare will be a constant stream of grilled meats served hot in portions off the grill, until you tell the waiter that you are full. The best one is Beyti in Florya, Istanbul, and the best way to get there is to take the commuter train from Sirkeci, the main train station on the European side, rather than negotiating the highway traffic. This way you can also see the local folks, especially the kids who seem to use the train to the fullest, carrying out their summer holiday adventures involving fishing and possibly a variety of other mischief.
Vegetables
Along with grains, vegetables are also consumed in large quantities in the Turkish diet. The simplest and most basic type of vegetable dish is prepared by slicing a main vegetable such as zucchini or eggplant, combining it with tomatoes, green peppers and onions, and cooking it slowly in butter and its own juices. Since the vegetables that are cultivated in Turkey are truly delicious, a simple dish like this, eaten with a sizeable chunk of fresh bread, is a satisfying meal for many people.
A whole class of vegetables is cooked in olive oil. These dishes would be third in a five-course meal, following the soup and a main course such as rice or börek and vegetable/meat, and before dessert and fruit. Practically all vegetables, such as fresh string-beans, artichokes, root celery, eggplants, pinto beans, or zucchini can be cooked in olive oil, and are typically eaten at room-temperature. So they are a staple part of the menu with variations depending on the season. Then there are the fried vegetables, such as eggplant, peppers or zucchinis, that are eaten with a tomato or a yogurt sauce.
"Dolma" is the generic term for stuffed vegetables, being a derivative of the verb "doldurmak" or to fill; it actually means "stuffed" in Turkish. There are two categories of dolmas: those filled with a meat mix or with a rice mix. The latter are cooked in olive oil and eaten at room-temperature. The meat dolma is a main-course dish eaten with a yogurt sauce, and very frequent one in the average household. Any vegetable which can be filled with or wrapped around these mixes can be used in a dolma, including zucchini, eggplants, tomatoes, cabbage, and grapevine leaves. However, the green pepper dolma with the rice stuffing, has to be the queen of all dolmas. A royal feast to the eye and the palate...
In addition to these general categories, there are numerous meat and vegetable dishes which feature unique recipes. When talking vegetables, it is important to know that the eggplant (or aubergine) has a special place in the Turkish Cuisine. This handsome vegetable with its brown-green cap, velvety purple, firm and slim body, has a richer flavour than that of its relatives found elsewhere. At a party, a frustrating question to ask a Turk would be "How do you usually cook your eggplant?". A proper answer to this question would require hours! Here, too, it will have to suffice to mention two eggplant dishes that are a must to taste. In one, the eggplant is split lengthwise and filled with a meat mix. This is a common summer dish, eaten with white rice pilaf. The other one is "Her Majesty's Favourite", a delicate formal dish that is not easy to make but well worth trying. The name refers to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, who fell in love with it on her visit to Sultan Abdülaziz.
To taste these dishes, look for a "Lokanta". Borrowed from the Italian "Locanda", this type of establishment traditional cooking prepared most usually for those who work nearby. The best examples are the Borsa, Hacı, Konyalı Istanbul and Liman and Ciftlik in Ankara. The tables are covered with white linen, and the menu comprises soups, traditional main dishes and desserts, including fresh fruit. Businessmen and politicians frequent visit these places for lunch.
"Meze" Dishes to Accompany the Spirits
In Turkey, despite the Islamic prohibition against wine and anything alcoholic, there is a rich tradition associated with liquor. Drinking alcoholic beverages in the company of family and friends at home and in taverns, and restaurants, is a part of special occasions. Similar to the Spanish tapas, "meze" is the general category of dishes that are brought in small quantities to start the meal off. These are eaten, along with wine or more likely with "rakı";, the anise-flavoured national drink of Turks sometimes referred to as "lion's milk", for a few hours until the main course is served.
The bare minimum meze for raki are slices of honeydew melons and creamy feta cheese with freshly baked bread. Beyond these, a typical meze menu includes dried and marinated mackerel, fresh salad greens in thick yogurt sauce with garlic, plates of cold vegetable dishes cooked or fried in olive oil, fried crispy savoury pastry, deep fried mussels and calamaris served in sauce, tomato and cucumber salad, and fish eggs in sauce. The main course that follows such a meze spread will be fish or grilled meat.
When the main course is kebab, then the meze spread is different. In this case, several plates different types of minced salad green and tomatoes in spicy olive oil, mixed with yogurt or cheese, "humus" chick peas mashed in tahini, bulgur and red lentil balls, "raw köfte", marinated stuffed eggplant, peppers with spices and nuts, and pickles, are likely to be served.
Fish and other Sea-Food
Four seas (the Black Sea, Marmara Sea, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean) surround the Turkish landscape, and residents of the coastal cities are experts in preparing their fish. However, the best of the day's catch is also immediately transported to Ankara, where some of the finest fish restaurants are located. Winter is the premium season for eating fish. That is the time when many species of fish migrate from the Black Sea to the warmer waters and when most fish reach their mature sizes. So, the lack of summer vegetables is compensated by the abundance of fish at this time. Every month has its own preferred fish along, with certain vegetables which complement the taste. For example, the best bonito is eaten with arugula and red onions, blue fish with lettuce, turbot with cos lettuce. Large bonito may be poached with celery root. Mackerel is stuffed with chopped onion before grilling, and summer fish, which are younger and drier, will be poached with tomatoes and green peppers, or fried. Bay leaves always accompany both poached and grilled fish.
Grilling fish over charcoal, where the fish juices hit the embers and envelope the fish with the smoke, is perhaps the most delicious way of eating mature fish, since this method brings out the delicate flavour. This is also why the grilled fish and bread sold by vendors right on their boats are so testy.
"Hamsi" is the prince of all fish known to Turks: the Black Sea people know forty one ways of making hamsi, including hamsi börek, hamsi pilaf and hamsi dessert! Another common seafood is the mussel-eaten deep fried, poached, or as a mussel dolma and mussel pilaf. Along the Aegean, octupus and calamary are added to the meze spread.
The places to taste fish are fish restaurants and taverns. Not all taverns are fish restaurants, but most fish restaurants are taverns and these are usually found on the harbours overlooking the sea. The Bosphorus is famous for its fisherman's taverns, large and small, from Rumeli Kavagi to Kumkapi. The modest ones are small with wooden tables and rickety wooden chairs, nevertheless they offer delicious grilled fish. Then there are elaborate, fashionable ones in Tarabya and Bebek. The fish restaurants have always an open-air section taking up space right by the sea; the waiters run back and forth between the kitchen, perhaps located within the restaurant across the street, and the tables on the seaside. After being seated, it is customary to visit the kitchen or the display to pick your fish and discussed the way you want it to be prepared. The price of the fish is also disclosed at this time. Then you swing by the meze display and order the ones you want. So the evening begins, sipping raki in between samplings of meze, watching the sunset, and slowly setting the pace for conversation that will continue hours into the night. Drinking is never a hurried, loud, boisterous, or a lonely affair. It is a communal, gently festive and cultured way of entertainment. In these fish restaurants, a couple of families may spend an evening with their children running around the restaurant after they are fed, while the teenagers sit at the table patiently listening to the conversation and occasionally participating, when the topic is soccer or rock music.
The Real Story of Sweets : Beyond the Baklava
The most well known sweets associated with the Turkish Cuisine are the Turkish Delight, and the "baklava", giving the impression that these may be the typical desserts eaten after meals. This is not true. First, the family of desserts is much richer than these two. Secondly, these are not typical desserts as part of a main meal. For example, baklava and its relatives are eaten usually with coffee, as a snack or after a kebab dish. Let us now look at the main categories of sweets in the Turkish Cuisine.
By far, the most common dessert after a meal is fresh seasonal fruit that acquire their unique taste from an abundance of sun and old-fashioned ways of cultivation and transportation. Spring will start with strawberries, followed by green cherries and apricots. Summer is marked by peaches, watermelons and melons; then, all kinds of grapes ripen in late summer, followed by green and purple figs, plums, apples, pears and quince. Oranges, mandarin oranges, and bananas are among the winter fruits. For most of the spring and summer, fruit is eaten fresh. Later, it may be used fresh or dried, in compotes, or made into jams and preserves. Among the preserves, the unique ones to taste are the quince marmalade, the sour cherry preserve, and the rose preserve (made of rose petal).
The most wonderful contribution of the Turkish Cuisine to the family of desserts, that can easily be missed by casual explorers, are the milk desserts - the "muhallebi" family. These are among the rare types of guilt-free puddings made with starch and rice flour, and, originally without any eggs or butter. When the occasion calls for even a lighter dessert, the milk can also be omitted; instead, the pudding may be flavoured with citrus fruits, such as lemon and orange. The milk desserts include a variety of puddings, ranging from the very light and subtle pudding with rose-water to the milk pudding with strands of chicken breast.
Grain-based desserts include baked pastries, fried yeast dough pastries and the pan-sautéed desserts. The baked pastries can also be referred to as the baklava family. These are paper-thin pastry sheets that are brushed with butter and folded, layered, or rolled after being filled with ground pistachios, walnuts or heavy cream, and baked. Then a syrup is poured over the baked pastries. The various types, such as the sultan, the nightingale's nest, twisted turban differ according to the amount and placement of nuts, size and shape of the individual pieces, and the dryness of the final product.
The "lokma" family is made by frying soft pieces of yeast dough in oil and dipping them in a syrup. Lady's lips, lady's navel, vizier finger are fine examples.
"Helva" is made by pan-sautéeing flour or semolina and pine nuts in butter before adding sugar, milk or water, and briefly cooking until these are absorbed. The preparation of helva is conducive to communal cooking. People are invited for "helva conversations" to pass the long winter nights. The more familiar tahini helva is sold in blocks at a corner grocery shop.
Another dessert that should be mentioned is a piece of special bread cooked in syrup, topped with lots of walnuts and heavy cream. This is possibly the queen of all desserts, so plan to taste it at the Ikbal Restaurant on the Ankara-Izmir highway at Afyon.
There are shops where baklava, börek, or muhallebi are sold, exclusively or in combination. People come to these places for take-away or to sit down at one of the few tables tucked in a corner of the store. The baklava stores usually feature also "water börek", an especially difficult börek to make. Most börek shops also make milk puddings. These are excellent places to eat breakfast or lunch at any time of the day, since the regular restaurants may stop serving at two o'clock in the afternoon. Many pudding shops also serve chicken soup. In any event, it is possible to feast on börek and milk pudding for an entire holiday, if on a tight budget. Perhaps the most well-known shop of this type is Saray on Istiklal street in Beyoglu-Istanbul, in addition to the entire village of Sariyer on the Bosphorus.
You have to be in Turkey to get the real and the best taste of the above desserts. However, in addition to the variety of Turkish Delights, there is a lesser-known type of dessert that can be taken back home in a sweet box. These are nut pastes-marzipan made of almonds and pistachios. The best marzipan is sold at the tiny, unassuming shop at Bebek in Istanbul. A few boxes usually will last for a month or so and bring delight after dinners. Finally, candied chestnuts, a specialty of Bursa, are among the most wonderful nutty desserts.
Beverages : Knowing beyond the Turkish Coffee and "Ayran"
Volumes have been written about the Turkish coffee; its history, significance in social life, and the ambiance of the ubiquitous coffee houses. Without some understanding of this background, it is easy to be disappointed by the tiny brew with the annoying grounds on which an uninitiated traveler (like Mark Twain) may accidently end up chewing. A few words of caution will have to suffice for the purposes of this brief primer. First, the grounds are not to be swallowed; so, sip the coffee gingerly. Secondly, don't expect a caffeine surge with one shot of Turkish coffee, it is not "strong", just thick. Third, remember that it is the setting and the company that matters-the coffee is just an excuse for the occasion... Wooden coffee mills
Tea, on the other hand, is the main source of caffeine for the Turks. It is prepared in a special way, by brewing it over boiling water and served in delicate, small clear glasses to show the deep red colour and to keep it hot. Drinking tea is such an essential part of a working day, that any disruption of the constant supply of fresh tea is a sure way to sacrifice productivity. Once upon a time, so the story goes, a lion escaped from the Ankara Zoo and took up residence in the basement of an office building. It began devouring public servants and executives. It even ate up a few ministers of state and nobody took notice. It is said that a posse was immediately formed when the lion caught and ate the "tea-man", the person responsible for the supply of fresh tea!
A park without tea and coffee is inconceivable in Turkey. Thus, every spot with a view has a tea-house or a tea-garden. These places may be under a plane tree looking into the village or town square, on top of hills with majestic views of a valley or the sea, by the harbour, in the market, on a road-side with a scenic overview, by a waterfall or in the woods. Among the typical tea-gardens in Istanbul : the Emirgan on the European side, Camlica on the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus, the famous Pierre Loti cafe, and the tea-garden in Üsküdar. (Nargile) But the traditional tea-houses are beginning to disappear from the more tourist-oriented seaside locations, in favour of "pubs" and "Biergarten"...
Among the beverages worth mentioning are excellent bottled fruit juices. But, perhaps the most interesting drink is "boza", traditionally sold in neighbourhood streets by mobile vendors on a winter night. This is a thick, fermentated drink made of wheat berries, to be enjoyed with a dash of cinnamon and a handful of roasted chick-peas. Boza can also be found year-round at certain cafes or dessert shops. Finally, "sahlep" is a hot drink made milk and sahlep powder. It is a good remedy for sore throats and colds, in addition to being delicious.
Reference: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey
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