Roka with a Twist

I miss looking through my monthly food magazines.

As much as I enjoy and appreciate the Internet in my life abroad, I miss the tangibility of holding an English magazine in my hands and flipping through the recipes, admiring the photos and dog-earing the pages. (I almost bought a U.S. magazine several months ago until the sales clerk told me it was 30 TL. Yikes!)

Thankfully, my mother-in-law supplied me with some fresh magazines during her visit. She had a full carry-on suitcase filled with goodies from the U.S. It was like Christmas in June!

In the April Bon Appetit magazine, an article featured radishes - an ingredient I have to admit I don’t really like, but thought deserved another chance. I also learned that radishes are a good source of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium.

Right now, radishes are readily available at the weekly pazars in Istanbul, so I bought a bunch of red radishes. I decided I would pair them with roka (arugula), red onions and oranges - a little bit of a play off the Italian Insalata Piana dell’Etna. (Note: when I learned this recipe in a cooking class here, we used red onions, oranges, fennel, olive oil and black olives.)

This salad is light, healthy and colorful. We made the salad two nights in a row, and both decided we still don’t really care for radishes. At least we tried!

Afiyet olsun!

Roka, Radish and Red Onion Salad with Oranges
Inspired by radish salad in April 2011 Bon Appetit

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1 bunch roka (arugula), rinsed and dried
6-8 ea. small red radishes, thinly sliced

½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 ea. oranges, segmented or supremes (Learn how to segment oranges with this excellent e-video.)
Small handful fresh mint, torn or chopped

1. Prepare the vinaigrette and set aside.
2. Place the red onions in a small bowl with some of the fresh orange juice to soak for at least 15 minutes. The onions will take on some of the orange flavor and not taste quite as strong.
3. In a large salad bowl, place the arugula, red onion, radishes, orange segments and mint. Use about half of the vinaigrette for this salad, reserving the other half for another day. Toss the salad gently and serve.

Vinaigrette:
Mix together in a small bowl and set aside.
3 T. olive oil
3 T. orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest, finely grated
TT salt and freshly ground black pepper

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A Fortress with a View

We climbed up rocks more than 550 years old to see a magnificent view over the Bosphorus.

It’s probably one of the cheapest ways to see view like this without going to a rooftop bar or restaurant.

Jason with his mom inside the fortress's walls.

Rumeli Hisarı (Rumeli Fortress) is a bit off the beaten track for most tourists if you are pressed for time in Istanbul. Oh sure, you will catch a glimpse of it when you take a Bosphorus boat cruise.

The fortress as seen from a 2-hour Bosphorus boat cruise, which we did two days later.

However, the best way to see it is to climb up its ancient stone walls. There are no handrails - anywhere - so if you have any fear of heights, this is not the place for you. Also, wear a pair of athletic shoes - not high-heels like we saw saw women wearing! You definitely get a bit of a workout with all the steps.

I loved the view, but was hot and tired after climbing up so many steps!

Located at the narrowest part of the Bosphorus on the European side, the fortress was built in only four short months in 1452 upon the order by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. He wanted to control the sea traffic in preparation for what was to be the seventh and final Ottoman siege of Constantinople. In concert with the Anadolu Hisarı, which was built by his great-grandfather on the Asian side, the Sultan controlled all the water traffic and cut the city off from supplies from the north in the Black Sea.

The mighty fortress's useful military life was less than one year. Mehmet’s army conquered the Byzantine capital several months later, and then there was no need for Rumeli Hisarı. Later, the fortress was used as a large Bosphorus toll booth, then as a barracks, later as a prison, and finally as an open-air theater, but never again as a fortress.

Several old military cannons can be seen when you walk in the gates.

You can see the old theater area here.

Jason and I took his parents to the fortress one of the first days they arrived. We hadn’t been here yet and saved the venture for them. The fortress has five main gates, several large towers, and 15 smaller towers.

The Sunday late morning was quiet for awhile and we enjoyed the sights until a busload of high school-age students appeared. Then, the area was a bit overcrowded and noisy and by that time we were hungry.

Wildflowers were growing out of the walls in several locations.

After our climbing adventure, we headed across the street to Rumeli Hisarı Iskele Restaurant to grab some mezes and cool drinks. (We had walked by this place in April when we went to see the tulips at Emirgan Park.) The restaurant has wonderful outdoor seaside seating but is a little expensive. We had eaten breakfast at home earlier, so we just ordered several mezes, two beers and two glasses of white wine. The bill was reasonable for those items, considering where we were located.

Ahtapot salatası, fresh mussels stuffed with rice and yogurt.

Çoban Salatası 

Gümüş tava - a type of fried fish similar to hamsi

We were all happy just to sit, relax and enjoy the views along the Bosphorus. If you have time, I definitely would recommend stopping at the Rumeli Hisarı.

Admission: 3TL
Closed Mondays
Open: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays
Tip: take an otobus or taxi here

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Cheesecake 101

Chocolate is one of my favorite pastry ingredients.

True NY-style cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts.

So I combined the two ideas together to create homemade cheesecake brownies. They are gooey, chocolatey squares of heaven!

You can learn how to make these delicious cheesecake brownies and two other recipes with me on Monday, June 20, at the Istanbul Culinary Institute in Beyoğlu. The other desserts are:

• NY-style cheesecake
• No-bake cheesecake with a homemade fruit compote

This spring, I started teaching one class a month through the school’s amateur cooking courses. I miss working in the restaurants so this affords me a good opportunity to keep working in the kitchen. I’m excited to pass along my pastry knowledge to you!

Anyone can take these classes! They are designed to be simple enough for the everyday cook and even for more experienced cooks who would like to learn more techniques.

In July, I am teaching a 2-day class on making American pies. The tentative dates are July 15 and 16. Please look on the school’s website for more classes.

Please join me in one of my upcoming pasty class at the Istanbul Culinary Institute!

Joy

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Blue Mosque: Wonderment

One of the many architectural jewels of Istanbul that continues to amaze me is the Blue Mosque.

Despite the grand size of this mosque, one feels at peace once you step inside and see the many blue Iznik tiles adorning the interior. It makes you marvel at how many men were needed to construct such as an amazing building as this one - also known at the Sultanahmet Camii.

Blue Mosque in Istanbul during the Golden Hour.

After recently spending a morning at the Topkapı Palace (Topkapı Sarayı), my in-laws and I stopped at the Blue Mosque. This historical mosque is one of the top tourist attractions in the Old City, Sultanahmet. The mosque was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I.

According to my Frommer’s guidebook, its courtyard is the biggest of all the Ottoman mosques and it has more minarets than all other Istanbul mosques. Generally, mosques have just one, two, or four minarets, but the Blue Mosque has six - a notable feature seen in the city’s skyline. According to local legend, the Sultan directed his architect to make gold (altın) minarets, which was misunderstood as six (altı) minarets.

This was my fifth visit, but I never grew tired of just staring up in awe at the Blue Mosque. Something about the architecture - the touches of color, the peacefulness as you watch Muslims pray and the grand scale - makes me ponder. 

Windows and prayers inside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

The mosque is divided into two sections - one for tourists and one set aside for people praying. Be respectful and wear appropriate clothing when going into the mosque. Also, women should cover their heads, so I always bring a pashmina with me.

Mary, my mother-in-law, and me inside the Blue Mosque.

The Blue Mosque is open every day, just closed during the five daily prayer times and closed for a longer time at midday on Friday, the Muslim holy day. There is no admission fee, but donations for the mosque are requested.

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The Joys of Parsley: Tabbouleh Salad

After two weeks of eating out more than usual, I jumped back into the kitchen this weekend.

My husband and I decided we need to start exercising more often and eat healthier to rid the extra pounds put on by our recent vacations and some of the Turkish food that we love such as bread, cheese, gözleme, pide, sigara böreği, baklava, desserts, etc.

Indulging in too many carbohydrates became a problem for me once I turned 30. My no-fail metabolism just doesn’t work as well as it once did. So now, I’ll just need to watch what I eat for awhile.

On Saturday, we stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables at the Beşiktaş pazar. I ended up with 2 very large bunches of maydanoz (Italian parsley), and I knew exactly what I would make with it - Tabbouleh. A traditional Lebanese Tabbouleh is a healthy, green, herbal salad where bulgur and tomatoes are used as the garnishes and not the other way around.

Shortly after I first arrived in  Istanbul, I took a Lebanese cooking class through the IWI. A Lebanese expat living in Istanbul taught us how to make Tabbouleh, Mdardara and several other Lebanese dishes. Then, in February, during my intensive Turkish language classes, one of my fellow classmates, Mehmet, was from Lebanon. He knew I enjoyed cooking and asked his mother back home to share her Tabbouleh recipe with me. Now, I have two different recipes to use as references in my kitchen.

Parsley is the main star in Tabbouleh. This leafy herb also is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and folic acid, one of the most important B vitamins. 

I’ve eaten more parsley this past year than I ever have in my entire life, often chopping up some to mix in with my roka and tomato salads. One cup of parsley contains only 22 calories, but 2 grams each of fiber and protein.

Tabbouleh is a simple recipe with seven basic ingredients - parsley, mint, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, lemon juice and fine bulgur. We enjoyed eating this salad two nights in a row.

Chopping the parsley and mint is what takes the most time. I found the best way to clean the herbs was to line the basket of my salad spinner with paper towels, place the chopped parsley and mint inside, rinse and spin until the herbs were fairly dry. You lose some of the herbs in the process, but it's much easier to chop the herbs first and then wash them.

Next time, instead of treating parsley as an unwelcome garnish, use this herb to make a delicious and nutritional salad.

Afiyet olsun!

Tabbouleh Salad
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
2 ½ bunches fresh Italian parsley, washed and finely chopped
½ bunch fresh mint, washed and finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small onion, finely diced

50 g. finely cracked bulgur (köftelik bulgur)
50 ml. olive oil
50 ml. fresh lemon juice
My additions:
pinch dried sumac (This red, tart spice, often used in Middle Eastern cooking, is derived from the berry of a plant called Rhus coriaria.)
Generous drizzle Nar ekşisi sos
To taste salt and pepper

1. Cover the bulgur with hot water and let sit for at least 15 minutes. The grains will swell up as it rests. Drain the bulgur in a strainer, pressing on it to remove any excess water.
2. Place the parsley, mint, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl, gently mix.
3. Then, add the bulgur, olive oil, lemon juice and other seasonings as you desire. Season with salt and pepper. Gently mix again.
4. Line a platter with clean lettuce leaves and arrange the Tabbouleh on top of them.

This is the original recipe from my classmate, Mehmet, who is from Lebanon.

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In a Pickle

So I was wandering around Kadikoy this afternoon, and I stumbled upon this shop - a turşulari (a pickle shop.) And I don't mean just plain pickled cucumbers like in the US. This store had hot and sweet peppers, cauliflower, carrots, onions, cabbage, beets and more. Everything was pickled!

Elsewhere in Istanbul, you can find similar shops like this one filled with colorful jars or open bins filled with preserved veggies. It's worth a stop if you happen to run across one.

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Morning Walk in Gumbet

Yesterday morning, Mary, my mother-in-law, and I decided to go for a stroll outside of our hotel compound at the WOW Resort.  http://www.wowhotels.com/wowbodrumresort.asp 

Even in a bustling resort area like this, you never know what you'll find. About 500 km away, we could hear a rooster crowing behind someone's bungalow. Then, as we approached a marina, we saw a mule munching on his breakfast. How funny!

The area here is full of hills dotted with white-washed homes and hotels and scraggly underbrush. By the time we walked up and down several times and back to the hotel, we both were hot and sweaty. We did stop to play on the teeter totters in a park for a bit. Always fun to let your inner child come out to play.

Today, we head back to Istanbul. We enjoyed a few days on the beach, but now I'm ready to be home.

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