Gözleme and Didim on the TV

Gözleme is usually translated as a Turkish-style pancake but from my world view I would compare it to a stuffed thin tortilla or crepe. The actual "bread" part is called a yufka and of course most delicious fresh made! We were lucky our neighbor was making some last Sunday...yum!




She rolls the dough out with a thin rolling pin until translucent on that little table made just for this. Then adds delicious things like spinach, cheese and herbs. She also made spicy ones with peppers added. Lots of good olive oil!



Spooning sweet tahini (sesame paste mixed with sugar and water) with olive oil...

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The final product cooked on a heated metal dome. Texture and taste are wonderful!

Also just as yesterday I was complaining that after 3 yrs the goverment has not lifted the ban on youtube- guess what today it is open! Finally!

So I happily watched House Hunters International's program on Didim...who knew...

You can watch parts 1,2,3 here (even if you live in Turkey now!)

Also I can find you a house:)!

Also here is Istanbul on the Bachelorette TV show...I'm just saying people I live in a cool place...come visit please...also the cistern is magical...

Squash or pumpkin?

This yummmmmy salad I made is a hybrid between the Farro and Butternut squash recipe from 101 cookbooks and the Warm butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad from Smitten Kitchen.
Both are awesome foodie/recipe blogs!

My hybrid consisted of roasting together:

- 2 kilo piece of squash or pumpkin cubed that I had bought at the pazaar(roast until kind of caramelized on browned on sides)
- Two white onions(didn't have red) cubed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil from Mehmet Amca's trees
- Sprinkling of thyme we gather from low lying bushes next to the sea (reminder to go get more to share!
- sea salt of course
Roast all together then when done add-

- Garbanzo beans(otherwise known as chick peas)
Didn't have any Farro (not sure what it is actually) or I was thinking wheat berries but then I found the smitten kitchen recipe so I used garbanzo beans(Also wonderfully nutty). Here in Turkey canned bean are kind of expensive. Fresh are better anyways but they take a long time to cook, especially chick peas. My mother-in-law will just make a big batch and freeze them. So I just pulled some out of the freezer.

Modified the dressing(had hoped for the tahini but we were out); pressed some fresh garlic,
2 lemons, more olive oil and of course salt on everything!

Serve a little warm but I bet it is great cold too! Yummy I really could eat the whole pan!

I must admit I think it becomes all the more delicious when I know that the lemons come from the tree out back, the olive oil is from the old man on the corner's trees and the thyme grows wild next to the sea!



































Good news that hubby is coming down from Eskisehir tonight! I am going to quick try to get some chocolate cookies made before baby girl wakes up from her nap!

Also thanks to Keryn for explaining how to get my pictures larger!

Avokado and school lunches...

I found some here and they are even grown in Turkey! I wonder where? Anyone know how to grow them? I want a tree for Didim! Will have to make some guacamole!

Does anyone know what wine is good here? Haven't found any I care for yet.

Makes me think of California. Avocados and good wine.

Always impressed by the TED website: Ideas worth spreading. These particular videos I have been watching are about food; particularly how out of touch many Americans are about where it comes from, how to make it and what it is doing...the rest of the world isn't far behind...

Sharing powerful stories from his anti-obesity project in Huntington, W. Va., TED Prize winner Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of food.

"renegade lunch lady" Ann Cooper talks about the coming revolution in the way kids eat at school -- local, sustainable, seasonal and even educational food.

In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk.



Very inspirational videos. I feel fortunate that I was always raised around gardens with an understanding of how to cook and what a good garden tomato tastes like, what the plant looks like, how they smell. But I still have tons to learn...When we go back to didim for the summer hope to plant a garden(one that thrives unlike last year..) and compost. Start to understand what organic gardening takes.

The above videos refer to the disgusting state of American school lunches. This is a topic that has greatly disturbed my darling sister as she researches it for her master in public health. I can say when I went to university in Turkey I was always impressed with the state schools and I experienced it in the hospitals when I had baby dear a decent lunch program-well balanced. Also it was so cheap like 1TL(75 cents) per day which is unheard of in USA...Ok some days were hit or miss but it was nice to have the option and I loved the metal trays and always gave you real silverware- not plastic throw away stuff that adds to the landfill problems...



P.S. mom thanks for making our school lunches everyday of our school lives.

Fall...

It is fall in MN. Normally in mine and I believe many Minnesotans opinion the best time of the year with squash, pumpkins, apples, crisp fresh air...













And of course the colorful leaves, reds, yellows, oranges and everything in between. The most gorgeous as the sun shines through warming the crisp air.

Minnesotans know that you really have to get ready for the long cold winter though. Unfortuanatly it might be coming earlier than normal this year but we hope to get another warm spell!

Mom and I readied the gardens. Picking the carrots and beets. Tearing out tomato plants. Harvesting the herbs and honey crisp apples(probably the best apples I have ever had!)all before the EARLY snow we are supposed to get.

Gardening and working outside is so therapeutic. The smells of the soil and the fresh crisp air in your lungs.

Most Minnesotans are busy canning or freezing their gardens right now. My aunties and sister made salsa. So much you can do to preserve the garden delights for winter; canning, freezing and pickling are a few.

I have previously written about Turkish Turşuci, The pickle man. They pickle anything and everything in Turkey and have whole fabulous shops dedicated to this art. I recently came across and article through Istanbul Eats from Today's Zaman about the best Turşu in Turkey and even how to make it yourself...so for those of you drooling over the thought of pickled everything check out the article here and make some yourself...


















We had our little Mavisu Pumpkin Lovely out for some sunshine and fresh air. My darling Turkish in-laws might be upset to think she was out in the cold but I promise she was bundled up tight and I am being a good mommy. I love her more everyday! We miss her Baba (Daddy) though!

Ramazan başlıdı

Ramazan in Turkish, Ramadan in other Muslim cultures started yesterday. This festival lasts a month where devotees fast from the first Azan, call to pray at sunrise to the last Azan, at sunset. Very strict Muslims fast food, drinks even water, cigarettes, sex, everything in excess and then are allowed food once the sun sets. Some even wake up before the sun rises to quick get a bite in before the long day of fasting.

My husband and family don't practice this tradition which I am happy for because it just seems so intense! There are lots of angry people driving around during these days; hot, hungry and not smoking cigarettes.

Often times more moderate Muslim people choose one thing to give up, similar to Lent in Catholicism. Our neighbor has given up alcohol for a month, a little detox. The fasting practice is to teach patience, modesty and spirituality...ok I can understand that.

But with Ramazan fasting happening all around me I want to talk food! There are tons of special breads and dishes only made around this time I need to learn more about.


















My previous post I described my creative hiatus. My lack of completing painting, drawing etc but I realized I have been cooking lots of yummy things!

Turkey has so many beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables. In Didim the pazaar happens every Saturday and gives so much to work with especially in the summer months. Everything is seasonal and grown in Turkey except the Chiquita bananas.

Cooking here takes creativity because I don't have all the ingredients for my recipes but it has definitely caused me to become more in touch with the food and flavors. Instead of just following the recipe I improvise alot!

My new favorite website is Jamie Oliver's, The cute English "naked chef".

Anyone know of any other great cooking sites?

Our Gezgin Cafe in Sahte Cennet

We have slowly been adding to our family owned and operated Gezgin Cafe, Traveler's cafe since we opened last October. We are located in Sahte Cennet area between Didim and Akbük. You just follow the big road running parrellel to the sea that takes you from Didim to Akbük. Follow the "Y" to the right, continuing down the road past Uslu sitesi, past Çamkent Sitesi, go right again at the next "Y" and past Adnan Menderes Universitesi. There will be a strip of cafes. We are the 4th one down...keep a look out for our blue direction pointer! It is before the big Club Sahte Cennet.


















We still have lots of Turkish and English books and magazines as well as games; Monopoly, Uno, Jenga, lots of Tavla(backgammon) of course and more! We recently purchased new, even comfier white cushioned benches with tables. Come in and relax! We are open all year but the garden is the place to be at this time of the year!













Here is our bar...the Efes draft is always cold and to give it that extra chill we have frosted mugs ready in the freezer! We also have bottled beer, Efes and Miller light if you prefer. We have a cappuccino machine also ready to make espressos, lattes and cappuccinos. We have a full bar with vodka, gin, whiskey, tequila and scotch. A full array of mixers; red bull, soda, fruit juices and colas. Things for the kiddies too...


















We have gourmet Carte d'Or ice cream. The flavors are always changing and everyone has their favorite; walnut, pistachio, lemon, Mulberry, Strawberry, cappuccino, chocolate to name a few!


















Lots of hammocks, big pillows, lounge chairs and benches for relaxing or just taking a break from swimming!













Our beach is perfect for swimming! The water is very shallow, calm and clean! It is nice break from Altinkum because it is not so crowded, which I love! Kids welcome also!


















Also we have the best trees on the block. My favorite is the beautiful pine tree on the left. A wonderful natural umbrella from the hot sun. We have a sound system out under the trees with relaxing music during the day for sun lounging and snacking then more up-beat music at night...













Good for a little dancing under the pine tree!













Night is the best to be outside in the summer! The weather is perfect right next to the sea! Relax, chat, and have a cocktail with your friends! We love all sizes of groups. We have had sünnets, birthdays, anniversaries and can accommodate any parties you would like! I am always checking my email so leave your contact info or call the cafe directly...I will write the info at the end.













Lots of fun to be had! Come visit us at Our Gezgin Cafe in Sahte Cennet...

Fevzipaşa mah. Cennet cad. No:7/35
Didim/ Aydin

Tel: 0.256.846.2218

Check my blog's labels on the right for "Our Gezgin Cafe" to read more about our remodeling story! My husband and I worked really hard with lots of help and some funny stories!

Food pictures to come later! We have homemade Köfte(meatballs) with chips(french fries), Gözleme(Turkish crepes) with cheese or potatoes inside, Töst (grilled cheese sandwiches) and Turkish kavaltı(breakfast with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, cheese, an egg, bread and jam)

Deniz Börülcesi= Aegean seaweed

This is a delicious treat, Deniz Börülcesi! A seaweed named glaswort when I translate to English through Tureng online Turkish/English dictionary.

You boil it until soft. Drain but save a little of the water. You then strip the fleshy green part from the branches. It is a bit of a tedious process but well worth it! Then combine the fleshy greens, the salty water from boiling, olive oil and lemon. Great side dish especially for fish but great on it's own too!

Also congrats to my darling little brother and dear friend on their wedding! Wish we were there and wish you all the love in the world! Brazil 2010 though!

Halalar geldi...Aunties came...

My father-in-law is the oldest of five sisters. They all grew up in Adıyaman in the East of Turkey. My father-in-law left for the "big city", İstanbul when he was 18 never to return to live but his sisters stayed raising their families there. Four of the five sisters just took an 24 hour bus ride across Turkey to visit their ailing "Abi"(term for an older brother). In Turkish paternal aunt is hala where maternal aunt is teyze. As my husband says, "They are 100% east Turkey" meaning the East is much more conservative dress, most woman cover their heads regardless of how devote they practice. They have a little different accent too. I hope to see this other side of Turkey in the future!

They have been making delicious dishes from the Adıyaman region such as içli köfte(translates something like inside meatballs) in the photos. The aunties often times sit spread out on the floor on a blanket used for cooking and prepare it there in big circular tins. Lots of Bulgar wheat is used just as in another one of my favorite Adıyaman dishes çiğ köfte!


















Prior to these photos they had prepared a mixture of beef, onions and yummy spices to be the filling in these "pockets". The outer shell mixture felt a little like working with clay. The sisters worked as a team taking turns kneading together fine ground Bulgar wheat, ground beef, red pepper flakes, oil and other spices adding water here and there for the right consistency. Then when they felt satisfied two started the "pockets" then the other two filled them with the pre-made beef and onion mixture and sealed them closed to be the shape on the left of the upper photo...what shape would you call that? Anyone?













They got me in there trying to form these little things. I guess it is tradition that a kaynana(mother-in-law) would start the pocket then the gelin(bride or son's wife) would fill and close it. Close the köfte, close the mouth...hehe kinda funny.

When the içli köfte are assembled they are fried in vegetable oil. How can they not be delicious!!! They definitely were! We ate them while drinking ayran a very popular drink, basically watered down yogurt. It took me a while to like it but now I think it's great.

Happy birthday Çağlar!

So I made some of my gram's chocolate crazy cake for a surprise...honestly it turned out just ok. I am not sure why? Different ingredients? I wasn't sure about the cocoa or the vinegear I used was grape vinegear? Or maybe I think I could have cooked it just a few minutes longer??? I'll consult my momma later...

My cute auntie gave me the recipe(thanks Janie) and then my dad scanned my mother's hand written recipe cards which I adore(also thanks mom and dad)!!!!The 8 hour time change can be really tough sometimes! That double frosting above is the best and I promise this recipe is good for those that try.

Either way it's my husband's birthday and he was of course gracious about my ok cake and reminded me that I am the best cookie maker(he hasn't had my dad's yet)...

He is so sweet.

Çağlar seni seviyorum!

Rakı ve balık

This is one of my favorite food traditions in Turkey. Restaurants called mehanes are dedicated to rakı, the anise flavored liqueur similar to a Greek ouzo and the many wonderful foods it is paired with. I never thought I would acquire a taste for this black-liquorish flavor but it happened when accompanied with the right food and right company on a warm night. It flows well with the food but be careful because it will hit you hard! It is usually served in those tall thin glasses paired with a water. The alcohol itself is clear and becomes cloudy when water or ice is added. This is one of the few drinks that always seem to take ice in Turkey(the ice situation is another entry). The above course starts with sweet luscious melon and white feta-like cheese, eaten together then followed with a sip of rakı, amazing!


















Another reason I love eating at this type of restaurant is the mezes, the tapas style small plates. You share with everyone and get little tastes of things like(forgive me I don't know all their Turkish names yet) eggplant salad, seaweed, spiced yogurt, white beans, spinach, roasted red peppers, okra and much more. All prepared simply but delicious.













This night we were enjoying the balık pazaar, a side street off Taksim's beyoğlu in Istanbul famous for its mehanes trying to keyhole you into their establishment. Especially on a warm night the streets are bursting with life. Sit outside and the people watching is just as good as the food.













There is a huge variety of fish to choose from since Turkey is surrounded by three bodies of water; Black, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. This night we had one of my small favorites, hamsı from the sardine family. (Trinea- I remember this photo was taken for you since you "love" fish with the bones in and head on...he he...come visit soon!)

Islak hamburger

Islak means wet so...wet hamburgers which doesn't sound that appealing when translated for some reason. I promise these are yummy though! There is a whole corner dedicated to this Istanbul fast food at the end of Taksim's Beyoğlu. The buns are soaked in tomato sauce but not soggy, more sticky I guess. You sprinkle some red pepper flakes inside(I like to add pickles inside-yes, I'm a little obsessed) wash all this down with fresh squeezed juice of almost any variety, orange, pomegranate, carrot, grapefruit, but my favorite is the mixed. My husband and I always go there at least once(if not more) and stand in the square people watching with our hamburgers. There are a bunch of stands with basically the same products competing for your business but probably the best if you do decide to sit is Bambi Cafe. These fast food stands have other tasty fast foods too but you have to try an Islak hamburger!

Turşuci=The pickle man

My love of pickles stretches my whole life. My grandpa used to make pickles from his garden's cucumbers and dill(side note about how fun it was to race pickle boats we had carved from the huge overgrown cucs). I loved creeping down the basement stairs to peek at the process, picking the plate up of the huge crock and checking if they were ready yet. One of my in-laws told me that we are having a girl since I have been craving lots and lots of salty, vinegary turşu. In Turkey there are whole little stores dedicated to the art of pickled this and pickled that. It is a dying art though since many shops have switched to Turşu fabrikası, factory pickles. But I am trying to not let that ruin it for me...


















We have been in Istanbul for a few days now, exploring this dirty, crazy, crowded city that I do love. Çağlar's auntie lives in the heart of Beşiktaş, an amazing location for exploration. We kept walking by the pickle shop with it's bright colors and preserved veggies. I am so impressed by how many things they decide to pickle in Turkey and even more excited that you can go into the shop and buy a cup full of turşu water and a sampling of the delights. There are 4 types of peppers, cabbage both white and red, cucumbers is all different sizes, tomatillos, carrots, green tomatoes, garlic, olives, eggplant, squash, beets and dolmas. Mini cucs will forever be my favorite but the white cabbage and the beets are tied for a close second.


















The pickle man was quite a chatter and asked us if we wanted it spicy or not. We decided for the middle. He filled the glass with a beautiful assortment of colors and textures then topped it off with turşu water and spicy red pepper paste for the kick. People drink the pickle water often here, I think it's great. It reminded me of a bloody mary minus the vodka and tomato juice of course. Mmmm, I miss those things. I notice they never add dill although there is tons of it in Turkey? Also does anyone know about the canning process? They never can things here. It sits in plastic or glass unsealed brewing on the floor in the corner. Any thought on this? Now although this was a factory made pickle shop I still love the idea of these colorful little stores dedicated to the art of the pickle...yummmmers! I am on a quest for the best shop now that I realize you can go into the stores and just order a cup of pickle water with all the fixings.

balık

Fish fry Turkish style...yummy! Sardalya which I think translates to Sardines were fresh and delicious. We usually fry up Hamsi, another kind of small anchovy but this time the balıkci was out. The Sardalya were a little bigger but just as fresh and delicious. You just coat them in flour and salt and fry them out side to save your house from the smell. Pop them open, easily debone, squeeze with fresh lemon(from the tree in the yard) and enjoy. We had a huge salad to accompany it. Normally in many houses in Turkey the salad is communal, everyone just dips their fork or bread when they want, which I like. Also my mother-in-law made a fabulous lentil soup, mercimek in Turkish. She took chicken stock, lentils, tomato paste(salça in Turkish and an ingredient heavily used ingredient)then purees it all together. Of course there was plenty of fresh bread. A delicious Turkish dinner that reminded me of Etzel family fish frys when the boys would bring home tons of sunnys from the lake...yummmy!

nar ve portakal suyu

We went to Aydin, the capital of Didim's "state" the other day for my Turkish marriage visa, about an hour away. It was less headache than I had anticipated since of course my Turkish speaking husband was with me. We had to go to three different government buildings to get everything completed. I wondered why they couldn't consolidate the steps/buildings, silly me? One building was only for making payments. If we didn't have a car it would have taken a day to complete like it has previous times when I have gone to get visas by myself. Turkish officials love photos, you always need several passport size photos with you and their is also a love of stamps, lots of very official stamping going on.

After a few steps we walked out of one government building and on the corner was a juice man, squeezing fresh pomegranate(nar) and orange(portakal) juice(suyu). Delicious!!!!! He freshly squeezes you the mixture of your choice for 1.5 TL about one dollar and serves it up in little glasses. In Turkey there isn't much of a to-go cup culture which can be great as far as not producing waste. Also Americans really do super size everything...A funny side story is my husband and I went to a Starbucks here in Turkey. I got us two medium coffees because he tries to like my American coffee. I brought it to him and he's all, "whoo baby, that's enough coffee for like 4 Turkish people." In Turkey the Turkish coffee is unfiltered espresso, it is small and since it is full of grounds by the end you flip over the cup onto the saucer and then your friend reads you your fortune by reading the grounds. I don't care for the grounds in style but it tastes good and it is fun to get your fortune read. Also there is a deep love for Nescafe, instant coffee that I am attempting to get used to? But the juice...fresh and delicious!

Ohhh sweet pork...

Things I have missed from America???(besides the obvious and even more important family and friends)

-Pork- ohhh sweet pork, bacon, ham, sausage how ever you prepare it, it is tasty stuff! My husband can't get enough bacon or pork ribs with BBQ sauce every time he comes to visit the States.Turkey is predominantly Muslim country. Muslims and Jews think pork is dirty. Here is a description from Wikipedia, a "walking" animal is kosher only if it both chews its cud and has cloven hooves. However, the pig is the only animal to have cloven hooves but doesn't chew its cud: its external aspect makes it appear kosher, while it is not, making it a symbol of hypocrisy. I must say it is delicious though!

-Wine- good and inexpensive wine and lots of people who want to share it!

-Clothing dryers- they make for non-crunchy clothes, crunchy jeans and crunchy towels are the worst! It is not so bad if you live where there is lots of sunshine and ocean breeze(Didim vs. Eskişehir or Istanbul).

-The variety! Yes I love Turkish culture, people, food but I have missed being able to go to sushi one night and Thai the next mmmmmmm and don't forget Mexican. I love that America is such a melting pot of cultures that has brought with them their food!!! Istanbul and Izmir have everything of course but most of the other cities don't stray. They might have restaurants from different regions in Turkey but rarely other countries. I am not sure if it is because it is such a prideful country??? Or because many people don't travel because it is hard to take visas and don't realize other things are out there????Or they are just stuck in their ways???I think there are a good amount of Americans that are afraid of change but far more embrace differences I hope???Anyone have any thoughts???? Also I hate when Turks or people from other countries think that all Americans eat is fast food, blahhhh!!! I guess that is all we export and it is not making us look very good.

-Also the shopping has been pretty fabulous! Again...the variety! Things such as electronics, cars, converse shoes etc are soooo inexpensive in comparison. I guess because many things were invented by Americans or we have been the worlds consumers for so long but other countries are hungry for the goods now a days!

-City planning instead of just piling another house or apartment building on top of an ancient village. In Turkey there are tons of half completed building because people either ran out of money to finish the project or they started building without government approval and half way through the government made them stop. It is such a waste to see these beautiful beach side property covered in concrete shells.

-City wide recycling programs, Americans have really grown in awareness and most I know find it second nature to recycle but still have the rest of the world beat on the amounts we use and how overly packaged every single thing is. plastic

çiğ köfte

This is definitely one of my favorite Turkish dishes. Çiğ means raw while köfte are little meat patties. The ingredients above in the low metal tin are fresh ground beef, tomato paste, chopped onions, chopped garlic, ground black pepper, lots of cumin and salt. There is a big bowl of parsley to be added later. In the front is a spicy sauce made from lots of tomato paste, parsley, red pepper flakes and other yummy spices. On the side you need bulgur wheat, lots of red pepper flakes and a little water. Traditionally you also need a strong man to kneed the ingredients together.













This time it was our nephew's father's turn to do the mixing. For years it was my father-in-law's job but after his by-pass years ago he had to pass the job down. This recipe, or style or proportions of ingredients comes from his home town of Adiyaman in the east of Turkey. He left there when he was 18 to rarely return but still has lots of pride towards his roots. The mixing is done in those low tins on the ground with a blanket/bib for protection. You start by mixing the spices then start adding the ground beef, followed by the Bulgar wheat and salt. As the mixture gets kneaded the Bulgar softens and the spices somewhat "cure" the meat.


















It takes a lot of time and muscle to kneed the mixture, there's my sister in law jokingly patting him off. After the initial mixture is done you add the red pepper flakes, the fresh chopped parsley and a little water if needed. You make a few batches spicy and add more pepper for really spicy! To make the patties you just take a ball and put it where your fingers and palm connect. I like how the patties hold the finger marks shape.


















Here are my adorable parents getting ready to eat çiğ köfte for the first time. The patties are then wrapped in lettuce with a squeeze of lemon juice and the spicy sauce added to your liking. On the table is also homemade pickles and beets. And the white stuff Turks call American salad which is like a really gross version of potato salad with canned peas(blahhh!). Everything else is so delicious though! Also my father is drinking Efes pilsner which is pretty much the only beer in Turkey. There is really so few options but Turks love it!!! They haven't gotten into specialty beers and my husband thinks they don't want to???? Also a note on wine. In Turkey they have such a great climate and potential for good wine but it just isn't there. I have heard there are a few good ones but they are really expensive compared to the US. Any suggestions please????? Turks only seem to get into Efes beer and rakı,(Turkish Ouzo) the anise flavored liquor. It isn't as fun to buy wine in Turkey if I don't have anyone to share it with. I have been loving the inexpensive but good wine and I have plenty of people to share it with here over the holidays in the States! Anyways the çiğ köfte is an amazing dish and a great family/Turkish tradition from my in-laws. It was so special that my parents could come and share what exactly I am doing in that far away land where I found love.

Side note: I finally figured out I can add a Turkish language keyboard to my computer so I can stop butchering the Turkish language. Here is a link if you need directions on how to add and the site offers Turkish classes also.

Making things with my mama...

We have had a wonderful holiday season but also a sick one in this Minnesota cold so my mother made her sick babies(big grown up babies) some chicken soup with homemade noodles. I love making things with my mother. She is so talented and passionate about everything she makes. I watched her mix the eggs, flour, salt with a little Turkish olive oil since Minnesota is so dry in the winter needs that extra moisture. After the ball of dough was kneaded she cut it into smaller balls and we sent it through the pasta machine. Every time we sent the dough through we made the setting smaller so the get nice thin sheets of pasta. Then another setting evenly slices the noodles. We did this with my Turkish husband via skype with web cam. He chatted with us and watched us do the slicing. Thank you technology for this amazing invention. It is making this big world so much smaller.


















You can save this fresh pasta by line drying it. It hardens and preserves just like the kind you would buy in the store. Again I think my generation is so disconnected where food comes from or how it is made. Also time is always a factor but pasta making is easy and so fun with the ones you love! Hope all are having a happy new year!!! 2009 wow!

home for the holidays...

I am sitting at the airport getting ready to board my first of three flights to get back to Minnesota for Christmas, unfortunately with out my husband who I will miss terribly. But this is the life of loving a foreigner and my family, some time apart. We took Tequila to the dog school/doggie hotel. She threw up two times in the car since we had to travel two hours, poor thing. Caglar's auntie Nejla came along. I adore her she is so funny. She is scared of getting some disease from dog or cat hair so she rode with a napkin over her mouth the whole time, talking through it. I guess it doesn't sound as funny as it was but she is a doll. The school has a good reputation and having a puppy is almost as much work as a kid.(Note: Please only buy a dog if you realize how much work, time and responsibility it takes and are up for the challenge, or else it just isn't fair to the animal.) Birsen can't do it by herself while looking after Baran and Ali since I am in USA for a month and Caglar Eskisehir. I am flying out of Izmir and saw my first glimpses of Christmas decorations. We went to buy some decor for the cafe from the boxes of cheap plastic decorations seen above, oh all the plastic. See some of you soon!

Side note: I am so excited to not smell lamb cooking...blah and barf! Birsen is so sick of cooking it also! Baked lamb's neck, boiled lamb with potatoes, lamb with spaghetti, (I could probably go off like the shrimp guy in Forest Gump...but just don't have the passion he had). Anyways I have been eating broccoli and peanut butter bread for days since I really do not like the smell or taste of lamb, I try to really but blah! I am excited for some pork though.(For those that don't know Turkey is a predominately Muslim country and Muslims don't eat pork.)

Kurban bayram- The Feast of the Sacrifice

WARNING- Some of the photos are graphic and I am going to go into detailed descriptions...














It started out a beautiful holiday morning. The sun was shining, the family was collected and we had a big Turkish breakfast together with the add of some American pancakes. But the little sheep were standing outside the window waiting...and we were waiting for the butchers to come over. They had three houses to visit before ours. My Turkish family isn't very religious. They don't visit the mosque or pray five times a day but like many Americans are with Christmas it is tradition. It has become a secular holiday as well as religious for some. It is a time for families to come together.


















The butchers came and the first sheep to be sacrificed was for Baran from his father. They hog tied the sheep's legs together and laid it on it's side. There has been a hole dug next to it's head for when the throat is slit the blood will pour into the hole and can be covered later to prevent other animals from getting into the blood. The main butcher tried to calm the frightened animal by stroking it gently while another man recites a prayer in Arabic. The man recites and Baran repeats while being next to the sheep. Basically they ask if the want to give this sheep to god in the name of Baran. I was actually surprised by how short the prayers were. Then the butcher slits the animals throat. Most people look away. Even though most Turks have participated in this holiday every year of their lives it is still hard to watch. The sound is what was worse for me...the blood sputtering from the esophagus...blah! It is so disgusting yet so interesting as they started carving the layers and organs of this sacrificed animal.


















Being an American of my generation from the city(or suburbs) I think we are quite disconnected from the meat preparation process. We want white meat chicken breasts with all the skin and fat cut off...nice and clean. I have cleaned fish and yes my uncles shoot deer and things but I haven't witnessed the whole process of carving an animal from start to finish before. Jeez, it is a lot of work! I kept thinking of Luther von Hagen's Body Worlds exhibits. Anyways, after the animal stops twitching(blah!) the butcher cut around its hooves. Then they literally used an air pump placed in between the skin and body to pump the sheep up like a balloon and make it easier to remove the skin from the body. The above image is all pumped up.


















The head and feet were discarded for now. You have to bury the parts you don't use or else the dogs and cats will get at them. Part of this festival is to share the meat with your neighbors and people less fortunate than you. And almost everyone wanted to use use all the parts. Some neighbor ladies came and took the heads for some dish. And for days after the festival we would see happy dogs running around with feet, tails or parts of heads in their mouths.


















This one is pretty intense. They took off the wool and skin. You can sell them later to make what you will, shoes, jackets??? Another blog entry perhaps.


















Then it is time to carve the meat up. Everything is used, heart, liver, and especially the intestines are a popular dish in Turkey, Kokorec(sounds like kokorech). The intestines are thoroughly cleaned then wound around a shish stick and slow roasted. Add a little cumin and many(not me though) are loving it. It was so disgusting and yet so interesting to see him take it apart organ by organ, science project. The were professional butchers, very precise. But some butchers were not so professional and lead to many hospital visits this year...read more about the holiday here.


















So all of this is done outside which is nice since the weather in Didim has been great. After the animal has perished it is hung on a tree to do the cutting. I mentioned in an earlier post that this carving outside is a problem in big cites so they have to designate certain areas for the mass slaughter. The organs were neatly separated on platters outside, the organs, the fat, the meat. It is a lot of work to cut up a whole animal. We kept joking that this was the work holiday not a relaxing holiday. I've made thanksgiving dinner several years in a row and that is a lot of work too but...different work and you can drink wine while doing it. Anyways after the butchers left we as a family had to divide up and store the rest. The thought of the people we needed to share the meat with but then the rest had to be refrigerated. Interesting to think about the pre-refridgeration age.


















I kinda hit a wall as far as what to help with next. Not because I was so grossed out but because I was a little overwhelmed by all the meat and where to cut. But everyone just worked together to get it all cut up and stored. And then of course we had to cook some for eating.


















They made a little fire in the yard and first cooked some of the fat down to liquid. then added small pieces of the meat. Normally Birsen cooks it inside but this year caglar did it outside in the fresh air. I really try to like lamb but I just can't. I tried it but lamb just has this certain smell and taste I can't get past and I usually like everything. Caglar's first time cooking this meat and it was pretty over cooked but it was eaten with lots of cumin, fresh white bread and tomatoes(I stuck with the delicious white cheese). Eaten outside in the sun together after a long day of cutting.

Here is the video of Ali's sheep. He has been so sick for months. This sheep was to thank god that their husband, father, grandfather is still alive and doing well. This is a really intense video but I am cutting it just before the actual cutting for respect for Ali. I respect that this ritual has been repeated for years but it is hard to watch. It makes me really want to understand where my meat is coming from. Also made me more aware of my own organs and to stay healthy. One of the sheep was really fatty but they had really clean lungs, nonsmoking sheep. It is another holiday for family to get together and be thankful.