Cooking in Turkey

Hi there folks. I am sure that some of you are waiting for me to post a real cooking post but I haven't done too much of that in a while. Today I attempted to make some little Turkish dumplings and they turned out okay, but nothing worth taking pics or writing about. They were a lot like little ravioli. Once I get some more supplies (more than one pot and one skillet and one flipper would be a start), then I can look into cooking some stuff here. I am going to attempt to cook things that are Turkish in nature but with ingredients that I know you can get at home. Please be patient for the posts as it will take me a while to gather all the things I need... it's expensive to set up house here when you haven't yet been paid a full salary... but once I am, it's on and poppin'!!!
Thanks for your patience and thanks for not dropping off as readers as I go through this time of adjustment.

Mmmm.... Melted Cheese!!

So now that I am finally lodged in my permanent Turkish abode, I thought I'd be able to hop back on the cooking train, but apparently my body and the appliances have other ideas. I've been struggling with Turkish Tummy since I moved in (hm... coincidence? Actually, yes it is... ) and this makes me less inclined to cook since it won't get to stay in long (sorry... from here on out, use your imaginations on that). But, aside from the digestive issues, there is then the issue of my kitchen. I have exactly 1 pot, 1 pan, 1 spatula and 1 knife for utensils to cook with... and since I have exactly NO dollars left to furbish my kitchen with, I am cooking like a camper. Today I made mushroom/cheese scrambled eggs. I melted down some butter, chopped up a couple of mushrooms and sauted them. Then in went 2 eggs and more cheese than I should have had, but it was GOOD. Sometimes a visit to the simpler side of life is good... and melted cheese makes just about EVERYTHING better!!!

Happy Eating!

Mmm... Dinner!

Since I am unable to cook right now (not being in a real apartment with my supplies) I thought I would post some pics of some of the food we are being treated to at my new school. And if you haven't tried traditional Turkish food, perhaps this will motivate you to do so.

This was our mezze. It had the cucumber, the tomato, a roasted and peeled red pepper, some tzitziki, so fresh briney feta cheese, an eggplant dip and some sort of tomato salsa type dip. Each one was flavourful and refreshing.

Then came the Turkish version of hummus. It was served hot and so the garlic was very prominent and tasted roasted. So yummy.

All of this was served with copious amounts of pida, or flat bread. The bread was fresh baked, warm and delicious. I think I could have eaten that all night long without anything else. And they just kept bringing it.

Next was our main dish, a basic mixed grill. There was chicken, lamb, kofte kebabs and veggies. All had that charred taste of an outdoor grill and were simply perfect. At this point, I was too stuffed to eat it all but I made sure to have a bite of everything.

We ended the night with a fruit plate and some sweet, honey drenched hazelnut cookies that my friend Tim then made into the face you see above... the perfect ending and the indication that we all had happy tummies!

Turkish Food

For those of you who weren't aware, I've moved to Turkey and will be embarking on a life adventure here, which will include cooking of course. However, currently I am in temporary housing and haven't the desire to cook in the same room as my bed, never mind that they school I am working for has lunches and most dinners provided for the next week. I will say that the food is amazing here and that I am enjoying every flavour intensely. I've also learned the Turkish word for Bon Apetit: Afiyet Olsun! So please stay tuned for future foodie moments and cooking adventures!