Holiday Recap: Istanbul

I feel as if the month of December flew by and I never had a chance to post many of my photos and recipes.

Before I left for the states, one Friday, I hosted a Christmas potluck luncheon at our apartment in Istanbul. I even found a fake, tabletop tree and a strand of colored lights at the hardware store. I decorated the tree with some festive decor I stored in one of the moving boxes. A girlfriend made the crocheted snowflakes.

I wanted my holiday fiesta to be perfect. I started making my to-do lists early in the week. I baked a “boozy gingerbread” quick bread recipe and started prepping the cake and tart shell two days prior so I’d have enough time to finish it all.

Even though I’d asked my American friends living here in Istanbul to bring a dish to share, I, like always, went in over my head. I can’t seem to help myself when I host get-togethers. I want to share my home-baked goodies with everyone. It’s certainly helpful when my husband is around because he can help reel me in a little bit. Not this time.

First thing when I woke up, I placed the ingredients for the mulled wine in a large stockpot on the stove. Soon the festive smell of cinnamon, cloves and citrus filled the air. I even had Christmas music playing on the stereo while I was busy in the kitchen.

Ingredients for the mulled wine.

Well, time disappeared quickly. I still hadn’t dried my hair and a few ladies had already arrived. Soon, my kitchen was filled with friends trying to find a spoon, bowl or plate while I quickly hurried to finish. 

I didn’t complete all my tasks on time. I had to stay back in the kitchen for awhile so I could put the finishing touches on my Bûche de Noël.

A "rushed" version of my chocolate Bûche de Noël with dark chocolate mousse. 

Tarte au Citron made from Meyer Lemons and Mandarins

My friends outdid themselves and brought a feast that reflected our American and Turkish influences. Some of the dishes included: lentil soup, pursulane salad, roasted eggplant salad, a Russian pasta salad, beef chili, cornbread muffins, banana bread, dill and peynir borek, steamed vegetables, cheddar cheese and crackers, hummus, turkey lasagna, stuffed cherry tomatoes with pesto labneh and fresh mandarins.

Finally, I had a hot glass of mulled wine and was able to relax. I talked and laughed with my friends. I’ve met a wonderful group of friends whom made the expat experience here that much more enjoyable.

Although the holidays are over, I hope you can save these recipes for your next festive shindig.

Afiyet Olsun!

Cranberry and Goat Cheese Toasts

Ingredients:

3.5       oz.       goat cheese (1 small Turkish goat cheese log), room temperature

½         c.         dried cranberries

1-2       T.        orange juice

1          ea.       orange zest, freshly grated

TT                   salt and freshly ground black pepper

1                      French baguette, sliced into ½-inch rounds

As needed        olive oil

Garnish:            freshly chopped chives and toasted walnuts

1. Combine the goat cheese, cranberries, orange juice and zest into a food processor bowl fitted with a blade. Pulse to combine.

2. If needed, added a bit more juice until you have a creamy mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the sliced baguette pieces. Place in the oven at 350F/175C until the bread is lightly toasted.

4. Pipe or spoon the goat cheese bread onto the toasts. Garnish with chives and toasted walnuts.

Mulled Holiday Wine

(I used a 5xs recipe for the potluck.)

Ingredients:

1          750      ml.       bottle cheap dry, red wine

½         c.                     granulated sugar

1          ea.                    orange zest, finely grated

1          ea.                    cinnamon stick

6-8       ea.                    cloves

1          ea.                    vanilla bean, scraped

1-2       ea.                    cardamom pods

2          ea.                    star anise

1. Place the ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a simmer, but do not let boil. Let the mulled wine cook on low heat for 1 to 2 hours.

2. Strain. Place into a thermos or ladle the wine into glasses straight off the stove. If you like, serve the glasses with a thin orange slice.

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Good Eats in NYC

In our quest to eat as much pork as possible during the holidays, I wanted to find out what the heck was a “wooly pig.”

My answer was waiting at our next train stop – New York City.

The highlight of our trip to NYC, besides seeing old friends, was to dine at a reopened restaurant called Veritas where one of my good friends works as the pastry chef. Jason and I planned to enjoy a lovely meal together in the Flatiron district before we hit the city to meet up with our friends.

However, we weren’t prepared for the mass of tourists arriving at the same time as us. Not to mention, the city’s streets were full of a slushy gray mess and snow piles were more than 5-feet high in some places.

The taxi line outside was a 45-minute wait. Then, we still had to wade through rush-hour traffic.

After a grueling trip of hauling our luggage (2 large suitcases, 2 carry-on bags and 2 laptop bags) up and down the flights of stairs at Penn Station, we took the subway instead and arrived at our Midtown hotel. We barely had enough time to change clothes, freshen up and ride the subway downtown again to make our 7 p.m. reservation – albeit a few minutes late.

Veritas is known for its extensive wine collection with a 75,000 bottle inventory. Some of the wine is amassed from the private cellars of one of the restaurant’s original founders and partner. Veritas, opened in 1999, closed this summer to reformat its menu and hire a new chef. In November, the restaurant reopened with Chef Sam Hazen, formerly of Tao, at the helm and debuted an a la carte menu. Hazen’s background includes such iconic restaurants as La Côte Basque and London’s Michelin three-star Le Gavroche, as well as critically acclaimed Cascabel and The Quilted Giraffe.

The wine menu “book” is impressive with most bottles carrying a hefty price tag of several hundred dollars up to several thousands. As much as I enjoy drinking wine, spending more than $200 on a bottle would be lost on me. During the past month, we had spent enough money on traveling expenses and Christmas gifts. Instead, Jason ordered his usual dry martini up with olives and I had glass of Montenidoli – an Italian white wine.

The restaurant’s menu featured many seasonal winter ingredients such as beets, beans, eggplant, Meyer lemons, potatoes, leeks, sunchokes and mushrooms. Some of the dishes sounded hearty and comforting, but with a modern twist on them.

For our starters, we selected the ‘beef in transition” – a trifecta of beef tartare, peppered sirloin and short ribs.

The second plate was a take on surf and turf with a butter-drenched lobster tail and a roasted veal beef bone with marrow. The richness of the bone marrow was purely decadent but paired well when eaten with the lobster.

Veritas menu: To Start

  

As any good foodie, I already had researched the menu online and knew we would order the “Maple-Brined Wooly Pig.” The pork was served with charred grape tomatoes and wilted butter lettuce, making it a spin off the popular American BLT. On the side, there was a fried "croquette" of pulled pork that tasted of cardamom and cloves.

Just what the heck is a wooly pig?

Our server told us a wooly pig is a heritage breed raised in Washington. This Hungarian breed is known for producing a marbled, juicy and flavorful meat. We couldn’t agree more once we tasted the pork. A pig that’s cute and delectable!

For my entrée, I had the seared scallops and foie gras served with a schemer of sunchoke puree and roasted earthy cêpe mushrooms. While I enjoyed this dish, I don’t feel like it really needed the rich addition of the foie gras.

For dessert, I knew my friend, Emily, would have some tricks up her sleeves. In addition to the two plates we ordered, she sent out a chocolate hazelnut bar paired with a spicy Aleppo pepper caramel and hazelnut Chantilly crème.

The second dessert contained a classic, comforting combination of apples and cinnamon in her heirloom apple crisp with crème fraiche ice cream. Thirdly, we both fell in love with her particular combination of ginger, lime and caramel in her “Dark and Stormy” sticky toffee pudding cake with ginger-lime ice cream.

As if the desserts weren’t enough, we received a small plate full of petit fours. Thank you!

Emily is a dear friend and I definitely miss her. When I lived in Baltimore, we used to call each other to discuss what we were doing with the seasonal ingredients in our respective pastry kitchens. When I lived in NYC, we worked together at Jean-Georges and had fun exploring the city’s restaurant scene when we could.

January 2010: Emily and me out to eat in NYC

With our bellies full, Jason and I headed out to meet our friends for a late night full of artisanal ales, good laughs and even better stories.

On the following morning, we walked over to the Rockefeller Center so I could get a glimpse of the traditional Christmas tree.

Our friend picked us up several blocks away and we headed to lunch in the East Village at Momofuku. Of course, my favorite noodle shop had a 30-minute lunch-time wait. We walked a few blocks over to its sister restaurant, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, 13^th street and 2^nd Avenue, where we immediately sat down and ordered. Both restaurants feature the steamed pork buns that I crave every time I’m back in NYC.

Steamed buns with pork belly, pickles and hoisin sauce.

Jason and I shared a bowl of the beef noodle soup that was filled with pieces of beef sirloin, tendon, oxtail, tripe and mushrooms. Sections of Satsuma oranges and purple-veined greens were served alongside that I added to the earthy soup while I ate it.

Jason begrudgingly shared some of his “pork platter” of thinly sliced, smoked Edwards Wigwam Ham from Surry, Va., with us.

We also split one of the daily’s special – a crispy, fried pork belly served on a steamed bun with pickled ginger and smoked aioli.

We definitely indulged in a pork binge that day before we headed back to Turkey.

The city never disappoints me with her abundance of food selections. Next time we return, I’m sure she will have some new culinary surprises waiting to tempt us.

Afiyet Olsun!

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Beans ‘N’ Greens

I feel as if my cold has slipped into its flannel pajamas and settled in my chest for a long winter’s nap.

It’s 4 a.m. and I can’t sleep.

Last night, I smothered myself in Vicks, pulled the covers over my head and hoped it would help. I can’t tell because after four hours or so of actual sleep the Nyquil wore off and I started coughing again.

I plan to spend today resting between the couch and the bed and hopefully recuperate. I will be drinking tea and eating soup because those are the only things that seem to soothe my throat.

Last night, I made another batch of soup full of healthy vegetables. I also added some chicken because my husband probably wouldn’t consider it a meal otherwise. Though, honestly, the soup doesn’t need any meat.

To boost the “the healing properties” in my soup, I infused the subtle, peppery flavors of ginger root into the stock. Ginger has been used for medicinal purposes in its native India and China for centuries. The knobby herb is used to treat a variety of ailments such as fevers, nausea, indigestion, suppressing coughs, arthritis and more.

I’ve even steeped ginger and lemon together to make a tea when I’ve had a sore throat in the past. I’m just fond of ginger and figured it would taste good in the soup too.

I made this hearty winter soup to help me get over my cold, but I think you’ll also enjoy it because it’s simply good.

Afiyet Olsun!

Beans ‘N’ Greens Winter Soup

Ingredients:

1 ½      c.         250 g.  dried white kidney beans, soaked in cold water overnight

5          c.         1.5 L.   chicken stock or water

1 ½-2”                         fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

           

1          T.                     olive oil

1 ½      c.         150 g.  leeks, rinsed, halved and thinly sliced

1          c.         100 g.  shitake mushrooms, sliced

2-3       ea.                    carrots, halved and thinly sliced

2          ea.                    celery sticks, halved and thinly sliced

5-6       ea.                    garlic cloves, chopped small

¼         c.                     fresh parsley, chopped small

½         tsp.                  dried thyme

1          ea.                    bay leaf

TT                                salt and black pepper

3.5       oz.       100 g.  leafy greens such as spinach, kale, dandelion or chard (I only used spinach and probably would increase the amount a bit next time.)

8          oz.       250 g.  boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped small

1. Take the soaked beans from the fridge. Drain. Rinse again with fresh water. Drain.

2. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2 to 3 inches. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water.

3. Bring the beans to a simmer, covering with a lid. The beans will need to cook about 1 hour. As the cooking time nears, test a few and taste if they are soft.

4. While the beans are cooking, heat the chicken stock with the ginger. Bring to a boil for a minute or turn. Then, turn off the heat, covering the pot with a lid and let steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain.

5. Next, in a third pot, heat the vegetable oil in another 6-8 quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the leeks, mushrooms, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until they begin to soften.

6. Next, add the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Taking a handful at a time, cut the greens into strips with a kitchen shears and place into the pot. Cover the greens with the chicken stock, adding the chicken and bring the mixture to a simmer.

7. Then turn the heat down to low while the beans finish cooking, stirring often. At this point, your beans should almost be done.

7. When the beans are ready, strain off the water. Add the beans to the soup. Let the soup cook for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle together.

8. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Note: If you use canned beans, you can skip several steps and add the beans at the same time as the chicken.

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Spicy Chili Soothes Sore Throat

My congested head and worn-out body feels like I took a good beating in a wrestling match.

I’ve been in Istanbul for only a few days, and my nasty sinus cold is still lingering. Yesterday, I hardly moved off the couch – only when I needed to refresh my echinacea tea or for necessities.

However, I needed to make dinner. Dried kidney beans were soaking in the fridge. I planned to cook a large batch of spicy chili to aid in flushing out the cold virus in my body.

During the winter, I often make chili using whatever canned beans I have in the pantry – black, chili, cannellini or red kidney beans. Cooking time usually takes about 30 minutes, and I’m ready to ladle the chili into bowls.

Although I finally found canned beans here, they cost nearly five times as much as what I would pay for dried beans. Ha! I’m used to paying less than a dollar for a can of beans, especially during the winter. I’ve only cooked dried black beans a few times, but I figured using other beans would not differ that much.

I thought the speckled beans looked pretty all together in a bowl before I soaked them.

However, I didn’t factor in that dried beans must be cooked thoroughly about two hours before being added to the chili. Oops! 

Well, I got the chicken-tomato mixture simmering in one pot while the beans finished cooking in a second pot. Then, I combined the two and let the flavors mingle in the stockpot for awhile.

Usually, I just add a bunch of spices to my chili and adjust the flavors as I go along. This time, I actually measured all the ingredients (for the most part) so I could write down the recipe for you.

My chicken chili packs just enough heat to let you know it’s there. I like spicy food but not the kind that makes you cry. I just hope the chili will help clear my sinuses.

Afiyet Olsun!

Joy’s Spicy Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

2          c.         355 g.  dried light speckled kidney beans or your choice of beans, soaked in cold water overnight

2          T.                     vegetable oil

1          ea.                    large onion, chopped small

5-6       ea.                    garlic cloves, chopped small

1          1b.       500 g.  boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 ½      T.                     chili powder

2          tsp.                  salt

2          tsp.                  dried oregano

1          tsp.                  ground cumin

1          tsp.                  ancho chili powder

1          T.                     chipotle powder

½         tsp.                  ground cinnamon

½         tsp.                  cayenne pepper

TT                                freshly ground black pepper                          

3          T.                     hot Turkish red pepper paste (optional)

28        oz.       850 g.  canned, diced tomatoes

8          oz.       240 ml. water

1. Take the soaked beans from the fridge. Drain. Rinse again with fresh water. Drain.

2. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2 to 3 inches. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water.

3. Bring the beans to a simmer, covering with a lid. The beans will need to cook 1 ½ to 2 hours. As the cooking time nears, test a few and taste if they are soft.

4. While the beans are cooking, heat the vegetable oil in another 6-8 quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and chicken, cooking until the chicken is nearly cooked through, about 10 minutes.

5. Then, add all the spices and cook for a few minutes.

6. Next, add the red pepper paste, tomatoes and water. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Then turn the heat down to low and let cook for about 1 hour, stirring often.

7. When the beans are ready, strain off the water. Add the beans to the second pot. Let the chili cook for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle together.

8. To serve, ladle the chili into bowls. Serve with chopped cilantro or parsley and shredded cheese.

For other chili recipes or for more inspiration, check out famouschilirecipes.com.

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Raised Glasses At 35,000 Feet

While other passengers snuggled down in their blue Delta-issued blankets, I discreetly pulled a wine bottle out of my plastic duty-free bag.

The dimly lit cabin provided me with excellent cover. Then, I saw the fleur de lis symbol on top of the DeLoach Sauvignon Blanc wine bottle, and I smiled.

I instantly thought back to our New Orleans wedding in the spring. I remembered the three celebratory days we had with our friends and family members. We had a blast. The fleur de lis made an appearance in our invitations, the wedding cake, cuff links and other décor.

Our wedding cake photographed by our Miami Photographer Cengiz Ozelsel.

Now, it was almost midnight back in New York City. It was time to toast to the new year at 35,000 feet in the air.

Luckily, we had bought a screwcap wine bottle. Although I really wanted to have champagne, I was afraid of popping the cork in midair and the noise it would make.

I nudged my dozing husband awake. I poured us two plastic glasses of wine. We sealed the new year with a kiss.

Happy New Year 2011!

I hadn’t planned to celebrate my first New Year’s Eve abroad like this – alone with a few hundred other passengers on an airplane. We had a party to attend back in Istanbul. I wanted to dress up in festive clothes and hang out with our new friends. I wanted to see the fireworks set off over the Bosphorus.

Unfortunately, the NYC traffic, our lack of timing, and the backlog of flights at JFK intervened with our plans. We arrived 55 minutes before our non-stop flight back to Istanbul. We were five minutes too late according to the new Transportation Security Administration’s rules. The gate was closed.

On Dec.30, we missed our flight.

I was frustrated. My head was congested, and I wanted to cry. I felt the beginning of a pounding migraine headache coming on.

We scrambled over to Delta’s ticket rebooking line. I texted friends about our current situation. Jason called his parents and brother. Soon, my best friend in NYC called me and told me to call Delta SkyMiles phone number to see if that would help.

The long line full of frustrated people hadn’t moved in at least 20 minutes.

I called Delta, and the customer service surprised the hell out of me. The telephone rep was supposed to tell me the next flight wouldn’t be available for two or three days, and the flight would include three stops and take 28 hours.

In a couple of minutes, we had a 13-hour flight rebooked for the next day. We did have a short layover in Amsterdam, but we didn’t need to pay any extra money for the tickets. Whew!

We moved out of the line and into the crowded hallway. I sat down on top of my red 50-pound suitcase and waited for Jason to make some phone calls.

Jason and I decided to turn our “lemons into lemonade” as the worn-out cliché goes. We were heading back to NYC to spend the night and hang out with some friends.

Near our hotel in Chelsea, which we cashed in some credit card points for, we met up with my best friend and her husband for NY pizza and drinks. We had missed each other the night before so it was a perfect time to catch up for a few hours. We won’t see each other again until September when they visit us here in Istanbul.

At 11 p.m., we headed uptown to meet two other friends for another drink. I was exhausted at this point but wanted to spend time with old friends we don’t see very often. We had a fun night.

On the next day, Dec. 31, we slept in late. We ate pork carnitas for lunch at Chipotle around the corner. We grabbed some coffee, bought some NY sharp cheddar cheese to take back home and Jason got a haircut. Just a few chill hours in the city.

We grabbed a taxi four hours before our flight was scheduled to take off at 6:30 p.m. We weren’t taking any chances this time. We made our flight and landed at the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul about 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 1.

Although we didn’t enjoy a snazzy New Year’s Eve celebration in NYC or Istanbul, we spent the time together. That’s all that really matters.

Our debacle proves that even seasoned travels can make rookie mistakes.

Me in NYC out walking around in the cold weather.

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