Laboring Over Jelly in Istanbul

(A side note: I’ve been very busy in my Istanbul kitchen this week. I made chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies, a flourless chocolate cake, grape jelly, tomato pasta sauce, a hearty winter beef stew and roasted a whole fish. Now, I have to start writing and posting. Stay tuned!)

Making jelly from scratch is a lot of work. It’s a job that requires you to roll up your sleeves, protect your white kitchen countertop from the exploding purple juices (when you’re working with grapes) and pray that you don’t burn yourself in the process.

I had never made jelly before, but I was up for the challenge. I remember both my grandmothers making jelly and then canning it as well as other fruits and vegetables. It was a hot, arduous process. Consider yourself lucky if you didn’t burn a fingertip or two by the end of the day. The reward was that you filled up your kitchen pantry/basement to make it through the winter months.

I do not have a pantry to stock up. But I do have time on my hands, and I just wanted to play in my kitchen.

Well, it took me 3 hours to make about 2 cups of jelly! Silly girl! But what else would I have done with all the grapes I bought at the pazar?

Well, I know what I used to do as a pastry chef. Every fall, we made countless quarts of Concord grape sorbet or some batches of pate’ de fruit at the restaurants. One year I made a version of a “PB & J” dessert with a toasted sesame seed ice cream and Concord grape sorbet. 

"PB & J Vacherin"

Well, my jelly making experience may be my first and the last. I just found it to be a lot of work for a little yield.

I’d be better off making wine from the grapes – if I knew how to do that! Next time, I think I’ll just buy the jelly at the store or from the Turkish ladies at the pazar.

Afiyet olsun!

Grape Jelly

(Adapted from a 1964 printing of “Joy of Cooking”)

2 # 4 oz.          Concord or similar grapes, rinsed

2          oz.       water

1          ea.       Granny Smith apple, cut into 8 pieces (The apple will provide pectin for the jelly.)

1. Place the grapes, water and apple in a 6-8 quart stock pot. Cover with a lid. Bring to a boil on high heat.

2. Once the fruits start getting soft, crush them with a long-handled potato masher. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Strain the fruit through a fine sieve, pressing down on the fruit to extract all the juice.

4. Let the pressed fruit hang in the sieve for 1 hour. Set aside. (I extracted about 4 more ounces of juice from this process.

Then:

2          c.         grape juice (from the previous steps)

1 ½      c.         granulated sugar

5. Place the juice and sugar into a 2-quart pot. Boil over high heat until the temperature (using a candy thermometer) reaches 220 F/104 C or until the jelly “sheets” from a spoon. This process took about 20-30 minutes for my jelly.

According to the “Joy of Cooking:”

“As the jelly thickens, two large drops will form along the edge of the spoon, one on either side. When these two drops come together and fall as a single drop, the sheeting stage has been reached.”

The sheeting stage of jelly.

6. Remove from heat. Pour the jelly into small glass jars and seal. Refrigerate the jars unless you want to try canning too.

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Tender Lamb Fit For a Sultan: Hünkar Beğendi

Since I've lived in Istanbul the past 2 months, I’ve eaten more lamb than I ever have in my entire life.

I’ve had grilled lamb chops, traditional lamb kebaps on skewers, doner kebap – thin slices of spit-roasted lamb on various types of bread (basically a type of sandwich), minced lamb, tomatoes and onion on lamacun – a flat, thin crusted-like pizza and on pide – a Turkish flatbread.

I never ate lamb until after college sometime. I grew up in the heart of the Midwest so we ate a lot of beef, pork and chicken. I’d rather eat a juicy, perfectly cooked steak any day of the week. Lamb just doesn't cut it for me.

Taken near Lincoln, Nebraska, where I went to university. This photo just needs the cows.

Every time, I went to the grocery store here I would buy chicken. It doesn’t matter if I can’t read the label because chicken looks the same in any language. However, I was getting tired of cooking and eating chicken at home.

Last week, I asked one of my friends here to write down different cuts of lamb and beef for me in Turkish. Armed with my cheat sheet, I went to the butcher’s counter at the grocery store and ordered lamb shank in Turkish or kuzu incik.

For my first foray into cooking lamb, I turned to a new cookbook I received as a wedding gift called “Turquoise: A chef’s travels in Turkey” by Greg and Lucy Malouf. The book is filled with gorgeous photos, detailed stories and the couple’s adaptations of Turkish recipes.

I decided to make Sultan’s Delight (Hünkar Beğendi) – lamb ragout with cheesy eggplant puree. The Maloufs write: “Legend has it that this dish was served to the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, on a visit to Istanbul in the 1860s. Keen to impress, the Sultan had many of his favorite dishes prepared for her, including this one.”

My updated version of Hünkar Beğendi utilizes tender lamb chunks bought from the butcher. This speeds up the cooking process to about an hour and the meat is already pre-diced. 

I made a few adaptations to the recipe such as using lamb shank instead of cut lamb leg or shoulder and adding potatoes, red pepper flakes and dried oregano. The lamb needs to cook about 1 ½ hours so plan ahead. The creamy eggplant could be replaced with mashed potatoes, but it was fun to try something different.

The long cooking time is worth it because you achieve a lamb shank that is meltingly tender and falling off the bone. I don’t think lamb will ever hold the same place in my heart as steak, but this was pretty damned good!

While the lamb cooked on the stovetop, I also made a quick yogurt dip made with garlic, parsley, mint and dill and served it with fresh bread. The dip satisfied our hunger pangs until the lamb was done.

Afiyet olsun!

A complete Turkish meal at home...with raki, of course.

Turkish Lamb Ragout...AKA: Sultan’s Delight (Hünkar Beğendi)

Ingredients:

1 ½      #          lamb shank

2          T.         oil

2          ea.        red onions, (12 oz. weighed), 1” diced

4          ea.        garlic cloves, chopped

8          oz.       potatoes, 1”diced

1          tsp.      dried oregano

1          tsp.      honey

2          lg.        tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced

1          T.         hot Turkish red pepper paste

1          tsp.      salt

1 ½      tsp.      freshly ground black pepper

Pinch               crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

8 to 10 oz.       chicken stock

As needed       Italian parsley, chopped for garnish

Hot Turkish red pepper paste

1. Using a 6-8 qt. stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Then, add and brown the lamb shank pieces, turning as needed. Remove the lamb and set aside.

2. Add a little more oil to the pan. Then, add and sauté’ the onion, garlic and potatoes until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Next, add the oregano, honey and tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes.

4. Stir in the red pepper paste, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and stock. Bring to a boil. Stir mixture well and return the lamb shank to the pot.

5. Cover the pot, lower the heat allowing the lamb to simmer gently for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the lamb is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.

Cheesy Eggplant Puree

Ingredients:

12        oz.       Japanese eggplant or small eggplants

1/3       c.         heavy cream

3          oz.       Turkish Kasar cheese or Gruyere, grated

Pinch               nutmeg, freshly ground

TT                    salt and pepper

½         ea.        lemon, freshly squeezed

1. Turn on the oven’s broiler to high. Prick the eggplants all over with a fork and set them on an aluminum-foil lined baking tray in the oven.

2. Rotate the eggplants regularly so that all sides get charred. (Alternatively, set the eggplants over a low-medium flame, if you have a gas stovetop, until charred all over and soft.

3. Place the eggplants in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for at least 10 minutes. This will allow the eggplants to sweat so the skin is easier to remove.

4. When the eggplants are cool enough to touch, gently peel away the skin from the flesh.

5. Put the eggplants into a bowl with a little lemon juice and leave for 5 minutes. (This step helps soak away bits of burnt skin and turns the flesh pale and creamy.)

6. Drain the eggplants in a colander. Gently squeeze them to remove any extra moisture. Then, chop into small pieces.

7. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Stir in the cheese and nutmeg. Season with salt, pepper and the lemon juice.

8. Add the eggplant to the cream, beating lightly to combine, and cook for a few minutes. (I used my handy immersion blender here to help break up the pieces. The mixture will look kind of like lumpy mashed potatoes.)

To serve: spoon some of the eggplant puree into the center of the serving bowl. Make a well in the center of the puree and place the lamb shank on top. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

My original version of Hünkar Beğendi used chunks of potatoes in the recipe too. It just depends on how hearty of a dish you would like.

Herbed Yogurt Dip

Suzme Turkish yogurt or thick-style Greek yogurt

Parsley, fresh, chopped

Mint, fresh, chopped

Dill, fresh, chopped

Garlic, fresh, chopped

Olive oil

Lemon juice

TT        salt and pepper

1. Place approximately ½ cup of yogurt in a small mixing bowl.

2. Add the chopped herbs and garlic. Stir to combine. Add a little olive oil to thin out the yogurt and lemon juice to provide a little acid.

3. Season the yogurt with salt and pepper. Taste and see if the ingredients need to be adjusted to your liking.

4. Transfer the yogurt to a ramekin or small bowl. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread.

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Oatmeal Goodness Baked in a Pan

Both my grandmothers were amazing bakers, but my paternal grandmother stands out the most.

To me, as a young child, Grandma Irma, always donning a handmade apron, towered over the kitchen. She worked her magic in the mixing bowls – taking a dash of this and a pinch of that. My dad recently told me his mother always “knew the ingredients by how they felt.” She was from that generation.

I remember Grandma Irma making pies, breads, cookies and cakes. But in her small Iowa town, she was known best for her homemade cinnamon rolls. She would make numerous pans of cinnamon rolls and take them to church bake sales or just give them away to friends and neighbors. I always remember the kitchen smelling like butter and cinnamon when we would visit.

Me with Grandpa Arnold and Grandma Irma

Unfortunately, Grandma Irma died when I was about 10 years old. I missed learning all her secret tricks and wise wisdom in the kitchen. Over the years, I often think of grandma when I’m busy in my own kitchen. Maybe she’s partly why I chose the profession I did. Hopefully, she’s looking out for me.

When I visited my parents in Nebraska this summer, I was lucky enough to discover a yellowing notebook of about 20 handwritten recipes by Grandma Irma. The small book was tucked away with my mother’s cookbooks on a shelf. Jackpot!

How did I not know about this? All these years, I thought only one of her recipes for “lebkuchen” remained. We make her version of German lebkuchen – a strong anise and molasses flavored bar dusted with powdered sugar – during the holidays every year.

But now I can make some of Grandma Irma’s other baked delights.

The other day I found myself looking through the tattered book. I wanted to bake. Most of the recipes have little or no directions, just a list of ingredients. I found a recipe using dates and oatmeal that sounded good. I’ve seen plenty of Turkish dates at the markets here.

A box of Turkish oatmeal

The recipe is fairly easy. The top and bottom layers of the bars reminded me of what you put on top of a “crisp dessert" such as an apple or peach crisp. Just mix the dry ingredients with the butter until you get little clumps. I find it easiest just to use my hands for this step.

The middle layer is a puree of sorts made from boiling dates with water. I have to apologize to Grandma Irma as I didn’t grab enough dates at the store and had to add dried cranberries and apricots to the mixture too. Next time, I’ll write my shopping list a little better.

While the bars were baking in my oven, I swear it almost smelled like grandma’s cinnamon rolls or oatmeal cookies. I wish grandma were here so we could enjoy the bars together while drinking Turkish tea.

Grandma’s Oatmeal-Date Bars

1-9x13 metal baking pan

Oat layer:

2          c.         oatmeal

1 ¾      c.         All-purpose flour

1          c.         brown sugar

1          tsp.      baking soda

1 ½      tsp.      cinnamon, ground

½         tsp.      salt

8          oz.       butter, room temperature

Filling:

16        oz.       dates, cut small (my ratio was 8 oz. dates, 4 oz. dried cranberries and 4 oz. dried apricots)

1          c.         granulated sugar

1          c.         water

1          c.         walnuts, chopped small

1. In a small pot, combine the dates (or other dried fruits), sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered. Stir frequently until the mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. (Off the heat, I used an immersion blender to puree the dried fruits into a smoother mixture.)

2. Transfer the date puree to a bowl to cool. (I placed my glass bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.)

3. In a large bowl, combine the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and butter. Stir together until medium-sized clumps form.

4. Take half of this mixture and pat down to create the bottom layer of the bars in a 9 x 13 baking pan, previously coated with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Chill for 5 minutes.

5. Carefully, spread the date mixture, using an offset spatula or rubber spatula, over the bottom layer.

6. Then, add the remaining oat mixture on top and press firmly.

7. Sprinkle the walnuts on top.

8. Bake the bars at 350 F. for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

9. Let cool. Cut the bars into small squares.

10. Enjoy the bars with a cup of coffee or tea. They make a great treat for breakfast!

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Simply Roasted Chicken

A whole roasted chicken is a simple dish but often executed poorly.

The skin is either too soft and supple or tough as leather. Poorly seasoned. Overcooked. Dry. The dish also requires time.

I’ll admit I’ve grabbed a rotisserie chicken on several occasions from the grocery store after I rushed home from a 10 or 12 hour day at work. It was an easy solution for dinner.

Then two nights ago, I made Chef Thomas Keller’s version of roasted chicken. There is no comparison.

For those who don’t know, Keller is an amazing chef, cookbook author and restaurant owner in California, Las Vegas and New York. I’ve seen Keller on past episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s  show “No Reservations.” I’ve eaten Bouchon chocolate cakes and TKO cookies from Bouchon Bakery in NYC.

Last month, I finally had the opportunity to delightfully taste Keller’s roasted chicken at Bouchon Bistro in Las Vegas. The menu lists it as “Poulet Rôti - roasted chicken with fennel bulb, mission figs, sunchokes & chicken jus.” The chicken’s crispy skin, moist and tender meat and rich jus was simply perfect. Among my six dining companions, the chicken stood out as a winner as well as the restaurant’s braised beef short ribs with roasted bone marrow.

Could I replicate Keller’s chicken?

The directions are simple. Pat down the bird. Truss. Season with a heavy dose of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn oven to 450 F. Roast chicken for 45 to 50 minutes. Let rest. Carve. Eat. Enjoy.

While the chicken cooked, I also made celery root mashed potatoes with roasted garlic. It seemed like an easy idea since I had bought the celery root and potatoes at the “pazar” the day before. Then, I finished the dish by making a chicken jus.

A few lessons I learned: I’m terrible at carving a chicken. I would have used a little less salt on the chicken. I need to buy a potato ricer to make smoother mashed potatoes.

The end result was a crispy, but tender roasted chicken with flavorful mashed potatoes. To save some time, serve the meal with a simple side salad like I did.

For a more detailed look at Keller’s recipe, click here.

Roasted Chicken 

Ingredients:

2-3       lb.        whole chicken

Kosher salt (approx. 1 Tablespoon)

Freshly ground black pepper

Thyme (I used dried)

1. Preheat oven to 450F/230 C.

2. Rinse the chicken and then pat dry. Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Truss the chicken.

4. Season the outside of the chicken with a good dose of the salt and pepper.

5. Place the chicken in a metal roasting pan and cook. Don’t baste it or anything. (My 2.5 pound chicken took exactly 50 minutes.)

6. After the chicken has been roasting about 25 minutes, add the foil packet of garlic. My garlic was done at the same time I pulled out my chicken after 50 minutes.

7. Roast the chicken for 45 to 50 minutes or until the juices run clear. Remove pan from oven.

8. Season chicken with the thyme. Baste the chicken with the juices and let rest for 15 minutes before carving it. Reserve the juices to make the chicken jus below.

Chicken Jus

2+        c.         chicken stock

Reserved pan juices

1. Place the roasting pan directly on a burner set at medium-high. Add the chicken stock. Scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits that stick to the pan.

2. Bring the liquid to a boil and continue to cook until slightly thickened and reduced.

3. Skim most of the fat from the surface of the liquid with a spoon, or alternately, use a degreasing cup if you have one.

4. Strain the jus through a fine sieve into a serving bowl. Taste the jus and season with salt and pepper, if needed. (My jus turned out a little salty because I think I overseasoned my chicken to begin with.)

Celery Root Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

1          lb.        yellow flesh potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

1          lb.        celery root, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

2-3       T.         unsalted butter

Several cloves of roasted garlic

As needed       whole milk or heavy cream

TT                    salt and pepper

1. Place the potatoes and celery root in a large pot. Cover the vegetables with just enough water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Place a lid on top, bring to a boil. Then, turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. The potatoes and celery root should be tender and take the same amount of time to cook if they are cut to the same size. Test doneness with a fork or knife.

3. Drain the potatoes and celery root. Using a large bowl or the same pot, add the potatoes, celery root, roasted garlic, butter and milk. I used an immersion blender to mash and blend the mixture. Mash until you reach the desired consistency. Add more butter or milk as needed.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

For the roasted garlic:

1. Trim the tops off two or three heads of garlic so you can see the cloves exposed inside.

2. Place the garlic in a large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle olive oil on top. Seal the foil packets by pinching them tightly.

3. Roast the garlic with the chicken as mentioned previously. When done, let cool slightly and then squeeze out the caramelized garlic cloves.

4. Add some of the garlic to the potato mixture. Save the rest for another dish such as rice pilaf.

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Celery Turns 'Tasty'

Celery is like the ugly duckling of vegetables. It is a pale green color, plain and stringy. Often, it’s just used as a vessel to scoop up something else like hummus or peanut butter.

I’ve mainly used it for 3 things: soup bases, stocks and stuffing. I use several stalk. Then the rest of the celery wilts, dies in the bottom of my produce drawer and leaves behind a nasty mess.

Not anymore. The other day I was lucky to find some amazing local celery from Antalya. The stalks are much skinnier and full of leafy greens at the top than the celery you usually find in the grocery stores back in the U.S.

This celery reminded me of the local kind we would get sometimes from the farmer’s market in Baltimore, MD. My executive chef at Charleston (where I used to work as the pastry chef) would make this seemingly simple, but delicious celery soup. The soup often was served in Bernardaud white espresso cups as part of the amuse bouche for guests at the restaurant.

I decided I wanted to make that kind of soup. I asked my former chef for a little advice and then I created the recipe below from her suggestions.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the soup. It’s so simple and delicious. I topped off our cups with a drizzle of black truffle oil (bought from last year’s trip to Paris) and homemade baguette croutons. The soup’s texture wasn’t as smooth as I would like since I don’t own a blender. I just used my immersion blender to puree the soup as best I could.

Even my husband was surprised at the flavor. “I didn’t know celery could be so tasty,” he told me.

If you find some local celery at your market, try making this easy soup.

Local Celery Soup

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2-3       T.         unsalted butter

12        oz.       local celery diced small, with a good amount of the leaves

6          oz.       onion, diced small

1          qt.        chicken stock or water

1          ea.        bay leaf

TT                    salt and pepper

½         c.         whole milk or heavy cream

1          c.         small diced cubes of French baguette, preferably cut from stale bread

1. In a 4- to 6-quart pot over a medium-high burner, place the butter, onions and celery; and sauté until the vegetables start to sweat, approximately 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Season this mixture with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and cover with the stock. Turn down the heat, place a lid on top of the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Then, add the milk or cream.

4. Carefully, puree the soup in batches in a blender and strain for a smoother texture. Alternatively, use an immersion blender and puree as smooth as possible.

5. To make the croutons, place a bit of butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add the bread. Quickly, toss the pan to move around the croutons until they start to develop a golden brown color. Pour out the croutons onto a plate or tray so they don’t continue to cook.

6. To serve, place the soup in cups or bowls. Drizzle the soup with truffle oil or a high quality olive oil instead. Garnish with several croutons.

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Seasonal Delights in Istanbul

I love farmers’ markets. To me, it’s like a little slice of heaven. 


I easily can spend a few hours getting lost between the stalls and looking lusty-eyed at all the produce. Whenever I travel, I try to find a market in that city.

However, I should not be allowed to go to a farmer’s market by myself. I have no control. I want to touch everything and then buy everything. 


Ask my best friend. 


When I visited New York this summer, I went to the greenmarket in Union Square. Tomatoes were at their peak. I stayed about two hours and spent $60+ on bread, herbs, cheese, vegetables, an heirloom melon and peaches. Luckily, she had a car and picked me up down the street. Then, I cooked dinner.

Heirloom tomatoes in NYC.

Colorful radishes in NYC.

This morning, I took the metro and walked a ways to get to the outdoor pazar at Yenilevent, about a 40 minute commute from our apartment. The air was crisp. The sun was shining. The market was full. It was a perfect fall day.

You can buy nearly everything here but the kitchen sink. A majority of the pazar is allocated for aprons, clothes, hair accessories, jewelry, key chains, shoes, watches, towels, purses, wallets, tablecloths, baskets, etc. Toward the back of the pazar, you find the market stalls filled with everything edible from A to Z.

Apples, beans, cucumbers, dill, eggplant, fish, grapes, hazelnuts, kale, leeks, mandarins, oranges, pomegranates, radishes, spices, tomatoes, walnuts, yogurt, and zucchini. Just to name a few things.

Fresh figs at the pazar in Yenilevent.

Of course, I filled up my two shopping bags with tons of items and carried it back home. 

So what do I do with this produce now? 


Here are a few thoughts so far: a fig tart, grape jelly, an eggplant and tomato dish, celery root mashed potatoes, a pomegranate martini and a cucumber-mint-yogurt dip. I am going to be a busy girl in the kitchen.

Stay tuned.

I arranged my market produce in a basket when I got home.

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