Koy Yumurta Var

This morning, we bought 26 kilos worth of fruits, vegetables and eggs at the Beşiktaş pazar. Or about 58 pounds!

We bought so much in anticipation of Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday, which I am hosting for several friends. I'll be busy in the kitchen all week.

One funny thing happened at the pazar today that I just had to share. I stopped by my normal egg guy's stall and was inspecting his eggs when two older Turkish women started telling me I had to buy some very specific eggs - koy yumurta or village eggs.

Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference from the normal buyuk brown eggs I buy from him. But these ladies were fairly persistent telling me to come and look in Turkish.

Guzel mi?, I asked.

Of course. Very good, they told me in Turkish.

Everyone has an opinion. (It's like asking a New Yorker who has the best slice of pizza in the city and you'll get 10 very different answers!)

So I bought half a flat of the koy yumurta for 6 TL or about $3.75. My egg guy smiled at me as I handed him my old plastic bag and egg carton, from a previous week,which bears his name.

Just another fun day at the pazar!

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Cupcake Fun in Istanbul

Today, I kicked up the holiday spirit here in Istanbul with a festive cupcake decorating class at my home.

One of my expat friends recently asked if I could teach a cupcake class. Tabii!

So I put together some of my favorite cake and frosting recipes for a group of friends. Today, seven gals joined me at my apartment for a fun-filled day of cupcakes. The tables got a little messy filled with colored frostings and sprinkles, but we had fun.

Earlier this week, I explored the backstreets of Eminonu and found a ton of cake decorating supplies. I love this neighborhood! Even Christmas decor is out in full force right now. I found some incredibly cute plastic  snowman toppers and edible green Christmas trees at one of my favorite pastry supply stores.

So I just had to share two of the kinds of cupcakes we made today - a fuzzy, coconut polar bear face and a green "ho, ho, ho" ornament.

BTW, cupcakes taste great with a glass of rose wine too!

Afiyet olsun!

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Bali’s Very Expensive Coffee

My husband and I both kickstart our mornings with a cup of coffee.

It’s probably no surprise that I also enjoy coffee-infused desserts and chocolate candies.

So when we were in Bali and heard about this particular type of coffee, we knew we must try it and buy some of it too!

Our 200-gram package of Kopi Luwak coffee beans from Bali.

Kopi (the Balinese word for coffee) Luwak is one of the most expensive and rare coffees in the world. (I used to think Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee was pricey at $40/pound!) Why?

The reason is because of these two cute critters in this photo.

The civets may look adorable, but I was warned not to get too close to the cage.

Kopi Luwak is produced from the beans of coffee berries that have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet and other related civets and then passed through their digestive tracts. These furry mammals eat the berries for their fleshy pulp, the berries get broken down in their stomachs and then come out the other end. Yep, the processed coffee beans from the civets’ “droppings” are harvested by hand by the Balinese (and in other Southeast Asian areas), rinsed thoroughly, dried, roasted and packaged just for other coffee lovers around the world!

Well, the process may not sound appealing, the resulting cup of coffee brewed from these beans is aromatic, smooth and tasty! Jason tried two cups of of Kopi Luwak during our recent vacation. I took a few sips as I like my coffee more milky and sweet than dark and strong. Cost: 50,000 IDR per cup or just $5.50 USD for about two-espresso shots worth.

This is the the fancy coffee pot contraption the Balinese locals use to brew a cup of
the Kopi Luwak. My husband was very impressed as he also enjoys
 the Turkish kave experience here.

Outside of Ubud, Bali, our taxi driver stopped at a small family-run shop that processes the coffee beans. I don’t know the name of the place, but it’s located in Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali. This is where we saw the cute civets, pictured, in cages - put on display for the tourists, I’m guessing - and bought our “poop” coffee. Our 200-gram package of Kopi Luwak cost a whopping 420,000 IDR or $46 USD. At that rate, a whole pound of this fancy Balinese coffee would cost $103.50! Yikes!

As a foodie, I’m glad we tried this rare coffee and learned about something new. But for now, I think I’ll stick with buying our $9/pound Starbucks coffee beans here in Istanbul!

Has anyone else tried any of the world’s most expensive coffees?

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Ubud’s Outdoor Market, Bali

Whenever we travel, I always try and find a farmer’s market to visit.

The sights and the smell of unfamiliar products, the noises and the lively atmosphere always entices me into the often hectic market scene.

The growing village of Ubud, thanks in part to the Eat, Pray, Love movie starring Julia Roberts, in Bali was no different. This two-storey market, at the corner of Jl Monkey Forest and Jl Raya Ubud, is filled high with fruits, vegetables, dried spices, wood carvings, baskets, batik shirts and sarongs and all sorts of souvenirs aimed at the tourists. Just like the Grand Bazaar, you will need to haggle with the stall’s owners if you want to get a good deal.

A view of the Ubud farmer's market taken from the second floor.

Jason and I took a brief tour through the Ubud market with our tour guide, I Wayan Subawa, as part of a day-long cooking class we did through Paon Bali Cooking Class. I wanted to touch, sample and buy practically everything. Since we were on limited time, I had to settle for photographing as much as I could.

For now, I’ll leave you with some of my favorite market photos taken in Ubud, Bali. Hope you enjoy the journey as well!

Our tour guide, I Wayan, explains what a snakefruit is. The outside skin looks like a snake's, peels away easily, and the inside fruit tastes a bit like an apple-pineapple.

An upclose shot of the snakefruit.

Bali's rambutan tastes very similar to lychee fruit.

Fresh palm sugar! The palm sugar is cooked and boiled down until it creates a thick syrup.
The syrup is left to solidify in coconut halves.

A view of one stall's goods: spices and wood carvings of all kinds.

Colorful Bali temple offerings - these are weaved together and filled with flowers, sometimes 
coins, fresh fruit and incense and left at the temples in honor of the Hindu gods.

One fat kilo of vanilla beans sold for about $55 USD. At least that was the starting price,
and I didn't really have time to barter so I didn't buy them.

One Balinese woman was making and selling a variety of puddings and stewed fruits.
I Wayan told us not to buy because we might get Bali Belly since we aren't used to it.

One of my favorite market shots. A Balinese woman selling a variety of fresh
herbs, such as pandan leaf, and grasses.

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Singapore's Street Food I

My favorite meals in Singapore have been in the crowded, noisy hawker centers and on the street.

Today, for example, we got stuck in a downpour near the Bugis subway stop and decided to grab a light lunch at an outdoor stall. This tiny stall was nothing fancy - plastic bowls and spoons, but quick service and good, cheap food. The two women working there were quite efficient as a crowd had settled in nearby to take respite from the rain.

I ordered a bowlfull of wonton noodles, pictured, which was served in a sweet-soy sauce and with 3 fried wontons. Jason ordered a huge bowl of wonton soup with a dozen delicate wontons floating in the broth. Total cost: 6 SNG or about $4.75.

This meal was enough to tide us over until we got to Chinatown proper where we spent the rest of our afternoon. Nothing wrong with eating all day, having a few drinks and picking out a ton of Christmas gifts for our families!

Afiyet olsun!

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Swimming in the Indian Ocean

Today, we took a dip in the Indian Ocean on two different sides of the island of Bali.

On the southwest side, near our villa in Seminyak, the ocean's waves were the most strong and powerful I've ever dealt with in my life. I literally stood in the ocean a bit past my knees and could feel all the sand get sucked out from under me. I didn't want to get too far from land without Jason who was watching our backpacks on the beach. This beach also was a bit dirty with trash strewn about along the shore. (Mallasef!)

This afternoon,  we headed to the southern-most tip of Bali, just south of Jimbaran Beach, to the Nammos Beach Club. The side of the island features very high cliffs, clean beaches and impressive underwater scenery. We put on our goggles and swam out in the clear water to a reef of-sorts. This is where I took this post's photo and many more on our good camera.

I hope we get one last glimpse of the ocean before we leave tomorrow.

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Bali Is Green!

Such a simple statement, but couldn't be more true here on this small island. Bali is covered with creeping vines, many kinds of trees including fruit trees with bananas, coconut, durian, jackfruit, mandarins and colorful, exotic flowers. This landscape is the polar opposite of our city-life in Istanbul. But what's most impressive is the terraced rice paddies surrounding the village of Ubud where we are staying. The view of the green hills surrounding our hotel, Alila Villas, in Ubud, Bali. Today, Jason and I completed (survived) a 38-kilometer bike ride, starting near Mt. Batur, a still-active volcano. This intense ride allowed us to see some of the lush countryside. We rode past countless vibrant rice paddies, even stopping to see the harvest (done by hand) upclose. We continued on through the hills and small villages where we saw beautifully decorated and architecturally-appealing Hindu temples. Each village has 3 main temples, and each family has one temple - ranging from the most simple statue to the ornate. This area is like a photographer's dream - if only I weren't just peddling by them! We did capture many photographs on our trek, but how can you truly capture the beauty of this place?

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