And now...the moment you've all been waiting for. I am answering a question. Actually this isn't a question that was asked in my post begging for questions. This question has been asked a few times over the past several months and I never have answered it. I know. Here I have a perfectly good question and I'm still begging for more. Sigh. So the question...
Can you share your favorite Turkish recipe with us?
Do you realize how hard this is? I rarely make Turkish food. Mainly because my Turkish friends make it so well that I can't really compete. And there are many restaurants that will deliver ready made Turkish food to my house. But there are a few things that aren't usually on a Turkish restaurant menu so if I want them I either have to finagle an invite to someone's house or make it myself. Here's are recipes to my all time favorite Turkish foods.
Sigara Boregi...roughly translated Cigar Pastry. And instead of copying the recipe here I will just send you to the website with the recipe I used in the states to make this. It isn't exactly the same as what I do in Turkey, but the feta is different here...much more moist so I never use an egg. They are so yummy. Yes they are.
Kisir - basically tabbouleh but better. Yum...now I'm getting hungry.
And finally...my favorite. Mercimek Corbasi
RED LENTIL SOUP (KIRMIZI MERCİMEK ÇORBASI)
Ingredients: (6 servings)
· 1 ½ cups red lentils (do they have these in America? I don't know.)
· 8 cups meat stock (I usually use chicken.)
· 2 medium size onions (I never use this much...maybe one.)
· 2 tablespoons margarine
· ½ tablespoon flour
· 1 cup milk
. 3 egg yolks
. 1 tablespoon salt
. ½ tablespoon black pepper
. 6 slices of bread
. 3 tablespoons oil
Wash the red lentils. Put them in 8 cups of meat stock and 1 cup of plain water. Cook for 35 minutes until they are tender. Pass them through a sieve. (I never do this...they tend to disintegrate all on their own.) Melt the margarine in another saucepan. Add chopped onions and fry them lightly for 7-8 minutes. Add flour. Brown for 1 minute more. Add them to the meat stock with the lentil puree. Put salt and pepper. Let simmer. Beat the egg yolks with cold milk. Add to the boiling soup, mix well. Turn the head of as soon as it starts boiling. Serve with bread cubes fried in oil. (I don't ever fry bread cubes in oil either. I just eat it with bread.)
Ok...get to cooking.
Oh...and thanks to google images for the pictures. I didn't actually make all those things and take a picture of them. Please don't sue me for using your pictures. Thanks.
14 comments:
The question begging to be asked by all: Do they eat turkey in Turkey? Is it Butterball? Gravy preference - brown or the other kind.
Cheers, N!
I so wish i would have asked the food question. Way better.
Okay - Turkish women are they as screwed up about body image as we Americans? Or me?
I have a few unimportant questions. I know you and your family are moving back to the US for an extended stay (I can't remember if there is a definite length of time, though for some reason it seems it was for less than a year, but I am probably completely wrong). My questions are somewhat related to your move.
1. Are you moving everything? What I mean is - if you may go back to live in Turkey will you put some of your things in storage just in case? Or just move what you need and give away or sell the rest?
2. What is the first thing you want to do (other than see family and friends, of course!) or eat or whatever after you move? For example - whenever I came home for a visit the designated airport-pickup-people would bring with them at least 2 flavors of the local potato chip brand, although it was usually 3 flavors. (Yes, I know that is silly, but they are so very good!)
3. What will you miss most about not living in Turkey?
That's all. I think. Please feel free to answer any or all in any way you wish!
Holy moley---that looks good. Especially the kisir. I love food posts (except when they're about cow stomach, ahem) so I hope you do more!
Mmm yummy!
I'm sure the photo suing thing is rare, but there might be some etiquette (although I haven't actually looked it up or anything) to attribute or link to your source when you can.
I don't know why I got so paranoid about it, I mean, it's not like I've been stealing naked Johnny Depp pictures and POSTING THEM ALL OVER MY BLOG, EVERYBODY!
(hee hee).
Margaret
Wow, the Turkish food looks interesting. I sent my Mom the kisir recipe, she loves tabboulleh.
I almost hate to tell you this but I had your Aunt Mary Lynn's cooking for dinner tonight! The Church was having a farewell potluck and she brought some wonderful dishes (so did a lot of people and now I am miserably stuffed). The minster is moving to Missouri and so they are searching for a new one.
They should advertise about all the fantastic cooks in the congregation - that would be a great selling point!
Hope we get to meet each other someday.
Denise in Haynesville
I cook exactly two Turkish foods: lentil soup is one of them. The only things my recipe has in common with yours is the red lentils and the onions. I guess there are as many different recipes as cooks!
I have seen red lentils at Publix this summer, but bought mine in Canada this time!
always home and uncool - yes they eat turkey. they fix it "american style" for new years some. i don't think they eat it much though. i have had it at one restaurant one time in shaved slices. other than that i've never seen it on a menu. they do sell a small amount of it in the stores though. and no to gravy. they don't do gravy like we do. goodness...now i'm hungry!
kiki - i would say yes. there are overweight women, but not many of the younger women are. i think it is a more recent thing to be worried about though. and women from the village or covered women seem to be more inclined to be overweight. and as far as body image...yeah...i think it is a big deal to the younger women and teenagers for sure.
missnightowl - we are moving back to the states for at least 7 months possibly longer. we are planning on selling quite a bit of our stuff and storing the rest. we are ready to declutter so we figured that when/if we come back we will just start over with less.
i would say the first thing i want to do when we get back is just be. we are going to be living in our own house...not staying with people and for some reason that sounds wonderful. we have our own place here, but it's in an apartment building. there we will have a yard of our very own. i also will be ready for some good seafood and mexican food for sure!
ok...question 3 i will have to think about.
over-thinker - i know. that kisir is great! i might be making some soon...i'm kinda craving it now!
nanny goats - i know...i'm sure i am ok with the photos, but i have read several people who get made when people use their photos. i am here to say that anyone can take anything off my blog and use it. i don't even care if you take the credit. of course if you get lots of money from some picture i took i do expect you to share it with me!
denise - most turkish food is really yummy! and no fair. i am jealous of all the yummy food you got to eat. when we were there for my grandmother's funeral we had a potluck thing in the gym. everything was so good...i know what that stuffed feeling is like!
i'm sure we will meet. i plan to go up there to visit when we get back. i enjoyed the time with the family so much in april!
ms. morton - i know. there are so many versions of the soup. this recipe is from a turkish cookbook i have. i think there are 3 versions in that cookbook. they all taste good, but this one is my favorite.
Boreks and red lentil soup - yum! That and sutlac. And those little savory cookies all the bakeries make, at least in Ankara...
I haven't been back to Turkey for 7 years, but my neighborhood here in Israel has a fair amount of Turkish Jews so at least some of this (mainly the boreks) I can get pretty easily.
I should never read post about food while I'm hungry. This sounds delish though.
mm, these look great and I'm going to definitely try them :)
robin - oh i love sutlac! love it. i have never tried to make it though. i guess i should so when i get back to the states i can impress everyone with my turkish dessert skills!
turkish jews...i've heard of those, but never met any around here!
sparkliesunshine - i know. i make myself hungry all the time when i write about food. i really should quit!
~m - let me know how they work! they are all yummy for sure!
Oh! I had a friend in the UK who was Turkish and made grrreat borek(sp) and this breakfast dish with eggs, tomatoes, mint and butter on bread. Tzatziki is wonderful also! You are very lucky, you know! There was a great Turkish restaurant in Cambridge (the Turkish friend rec'd it), and I miss it now. We have one in a nearby town that we must try!
andrea - i have to say i was pleasantly surprised by turkish food. it does get old to me after awhile, but it is really good!
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