Food & Drink

Today I fulfilled another dream here in Turkey. Buying fresh hamsi, in season (winter), here at a local fish market (balik Pazar), and preparing a plate of this legendary pan-fried delight. Ingredients Balik pazar The last (only) time I’ve cooked (assisted actually) hamsi was many years … [Read more...] about It’s winter, and that means…hamsi days!!!

Künefe is a luxurious Turkish dessert of warm, shredded filo pastry layers filled with stringy cheese and soaked in a rich, sugary syrup with the tang of fresh lemons. Often served in a copper dish, it has the appearance of baked-golden shredded wheat, usually topped with ground pistachios and … [Read more...] about Künefe – melt-in-mouth, Hatay heaven

I could see from the body language of my Turkish hosts that this meal was something special – içli köfte. Clearly, hours had been spent in the kitchen preparing this mountain of meatballs ready for my visit. I was proudly lead into the kitchen by my hosts to witness the final preparations. A boiling … [Read more...] about İçli Köfte – how Turkish are you?

At first, I really didn’t get it. It’s just a skinny little silver fish. Why this incredible Turkish obsession with anchovies (hamsi)? For eleven months of the year, Turkish eyes will shine brightly as they reminisce with reverence about last year’s feasts of fresh hamsi. Then comes winter and the … [Read more...] about Hamsi heaven – it’s worth the wait

  There is something particularly evocative about sharing a plate of freshly made yaprak sarma with friends. It’s as much about the preparation and the appearance as it is about the taste. If I want to “feel Turkish” I make sarma.  I can recall strolling through the gardens of a National … [Read more...] about Yaprak Sarma – It’s all in the roll!