First day's dinner!

One of my most favorite dishes in Turkey is Enginar (artichoke hearts). I first saute 1 chopped onion, 1 diced carrot, and 1 cup of FRESH peas in 1/3 cup of good olive oil before adding the potatoes for a few more minutes.

Take a GOOD look! The Sebzeci (vegetable salesperson) at the outdoor Thursday market (and everywhere in Turkey starting in mid-May) trim off the leaves, the stem, the choke, and only sell the artichoke hearts. But these hearts are 4" in diameter! They sell them in lemon water so they don't turn brown. I haven't yet tried to convince them to give me some of the tender leaves as they simply reserve these for the animals.

The hearts are placed in the same pot as the sauted vegetables and covered with hot water. I add about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and half a bunch of chopped fresh dill. Cook at a slow boil for about 30-40 minutes until artichokes are done. Let them cool in the pot so that they don't turn color. Once the pot is cool, move to a container that you can cover tightly and place in the refrigerator.

Enginar is a first course meze and sets the stage for the rest of the meal. Everyone loves them!

Funny story here....Sumer thought this was pazı - a vegetable cooked like spinach - but this isn't pazı, it's Akdeniz Bürülcesi. I would love to find out how it's grown.

I simply boiled this in salted water, strained well, cooled. Added good yoğurt (full fat) with crushed garlic and a little more salt. Yummy, but not easy to eat as there is a woody part on the inside of the beanlike structure. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know as we really like the taste!

Good old standby - sauted chicken breasts with green onion and taragon. I added a little pekmez (grape molasses) mixed with a little hot water and let the chicken cook a few minutes. It gave the chicken a nice color and a bit of a tart taste which we like.

First night on the balcony - hubby is 'jet-lagged' - Bosphorus and the old city in the background!

Matbah Lokantası (restaurant review...)

Matbah Lokantası
Caferiye Sokak, No. 6/1
Sultanahmet, Istanbul

Ottoman Palace Cuisine

www.matbahrestaurant.com
For reservations: reservation@matbahrestaurant.com
Telephone: 090 212 514 6151

I love Turkish food in all forms because everything here is so fresh and I enjoy cooking in the Turkish style. But when we go out, we typically visit restaurants where we can see the food in the windows and can pick and choose – mostly because we’re either going or coming somewhere and are in a hurry. My hubby doesn’t like noisy restaurants AT ALL so most of our ‘dining’ out is during the spring/summer/fall seasons when we can enjoy one of the multitiude of restaurants with outdoor seating and a lovely views.

This winter I had the urge to go to a restaurant that I had heard about from others – Matba Lokantası – because it uses the recipes from the Ottoman Palace. There is only one other restaurant that I’m aware of that follows this path - Asitane Lokantası. I wasn’t surprised to learn that the general manager of Matbah had come from Asitane a few years ago, but there are several distinct differences between the two – location and presentation. While both have excellent food, Matbah beats Asitane hands down.

It was drizzling and cold when we went out that night, so I wasn’t thinking about anything more than having a nice meal with our good friends. I knew that the restaurant was located in the Ottoman Palace Hotel, but didn’t realize that it’s location wasn’t exactly ‘in’ the hotel, but in the back of the hotel in a glassed-in addition overlooking their summer outdoor sitting area and the rooftops of the Cafer Medrese and mosque. From both sides of the room one had slight views of the beautifully lit minarets of Aya Sophia.

The staff were delightful, attentive, and informative. Within minutes of our guests arriving to join us, we were served a lovely sherbet made from the juice of the pomagranade. It wasn’t too sweet and certainly wasn’t sour, but it cleaned the palate as good as any sherbert made from any berry. Please note the difference – sherbet (without the second ‘r’) is a drink; whereas sherbert is an ‘ice’. In Turkey, during the Ottoman days, sherbet was served to prepare one for the meal to follow; whereas in some countries, sherbert is served between courses. It was also a nice way to toast each other’s health before opening the lovely menu.

Bread was quickly brought to the table and if I have anything to suggest to the chef it is to find a bakery that makes really good, traditional sour dough bread in a wood-burning oven! We miss this so much in Turkey that it would have made our meal PERFECT! But they served the average bread that one buys in any bakery here. They did bring us small portions of a walnut, olive, garlic paste and goat cheese to spread on the bread, but because the bread didn’t have much taste or texture, it was hard to enjoy the spread on top – so I ate the spread with a fork instead. This was lovely – I have a similar recipe, but have never added olives! I’ll try this at home.

There were a number of choices in every category and, while we didn’t try everything and never made it to the dessert, we did sample enough that all four of us had the same opinion of our meals – truly wonderful.

Typical of the traditional style of dining in Turkey that I’m used to in the past and unlike the hustle bustle of today, our waiter paid very close attention to us, but waited for us to signal when we were ready with a question, or to order, or when we finished our courses. I enjoy a long meal and this is what you should expect as everything was very freshly prepared. If you are in a hurry and still want to try their menu, speak with the waiter and I’m certain he can tell you what’s possible without compromising their standards.

I was very happy to see that they had Badem Çorbası (almond soup) on the menu as it is one of my favorite and I was very happy with the results, as was my hubby and one of our friends who had their Iskorpit Balığı Çorbası (scorpian fish soup).

Our second course was meze, but not at all like what one normally has. The yaprak dolma (stuffed grapeleaves) was stuffed with sour cherries instead of currants, along with the traditional rice, onions and pine nuts; the hummus incorporated black currants and ground pine nuts – a nice touch; the Hassa Börek (light pastry) was filled with green olives, walnuts, delightful cheese and spices – and the presentation was lovely. The portions are small, but this was fine with us as we had also eaten a fairly large lunch.

We skipped the salads and went straight to the main dishes. Each of us ordered something different and each of us was more than satisfied.

I had the lamb shank. It was perfectly cooked and the entire shank was placed on a bed of nicely smoked beğendi (eggplant puree with old kaşar cheese) sitting in a deep fried shell of yufka. We had a nice discussion with our waiter about whether one should or should not add cheese to their beğengi as I have heard many different opinions. I liked his advice – a little kaşar is needed or it really isn’t beğendi. I liked his answer because I enjoy it with the cheese whereas normally, my hubby would prefer his without. However, we both really liked their version, so I just need to lighten up mine. Pleasantly, the yufka was not oily at all – it must have been done very quickly. On the side was a red pepper-based very nice sauce.

My husband had Ayva dolması – quince stuffed with the traditional stuffing of meat, rice, pine nuts, currants, cinammon, etc., but with an added burst of pekmez – grape molasses. He was worried that it might be too sweet for his palate, but he enjoyed it thoroughly!

One of our friends had the Chicken Kebab resting on a bed of the beğengi and the other had Mutancana, a lamb güveç interestingly served out of an old style earthenware pot shaped like a vase. It was brought to the table flambéd and poured into an empty guveç bowl that had been placed in front of our friend – nice touch. When I saw the apricots pour out I was ready to dive into his dish; then when the waiter separately added sauted figs I knew I had to taste it! A side serving of safron rice was a very nice addition. ‘We’ were not disappointed – it was really delicious.

This, and a bottle of Angora (red – not certain which one it was) was enough for a lovely meal. I highly recommend this restaurant for a special event if you live here or for your last dinner before leaving – or maybe your first in case you want to come back again before you go home! While the restaurant wasn’t busy, we did feel that making reservations provided us with the best table. The general manager was kind enough to spend time showing us the old cookbooks they are working from for a special menu to be presented at the end of May celebrating the time of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. So watch for the event! And make reservations early......

Spinach and cheese börek

Börek is a savory pastry filled with various combinations of cheeses and herbs or veggies; or ground beef with spices. There are various ways to moisten the dough - with butter or milk - depending on the type you desire. The pastry is called 'yufka' and is a paper-thin dough similar to filo dough. Here in Turkey, I buy my yufka from my yufkaci (one who makes the yufka) in a tiny shop down the street (I need to get a photo....) A special baklava yufka is also made extra thin. The recipe for yufka is as follows. However, I've never done it myself, but I promise, I will, and I'll share my experience.

4 ozs. water
2 eggs
2 cups flour
6 and 1/2 spoons butter or margarine
salt

After making a dough by mixing well and kneading these ingredients, sprinkle the dough with flour. Let it rest for 15 minutes covered with a clean cloth. Break into pieces the size of your fist and roll out to 24" in diameter. These pieces will then be used to make börek.

1 lb. spinach
1 1/2 Tablespoons sunflower or other light oil
1 onion, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped finely
1/2 cup white cheese, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
1/2 cup butter (or more, if needed), melted
Çorek ötü (The closest I can come to in the US is black sesame seed. While this isn't 'it', it's good enough.)


Heat oven to 325º. Thoroughly clean and roughly cut spinach. Drain very well or even wrap in a clean towel. Heat 1 Tablespoon sunflower in skillet, add onion, garlic and spinach. Saute until soft. In a bowl, mix white cheese and parsley. Use the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon oil to coat a round, fairly deep baking pan. Tear large pieces from the round yufka dough and lightly layer with melted butter in between sheets. Use a brush so that you don't overdo the butter. After 3 layers, add the cheese and parsley mixture, then add the spinach and onion/garlic mixture on top. Continue layering until you have at least 6 layers. Butter the top layer and sprinkle with black sesame seeds (çorek ötü). Bake for at least 25 minutes or until top is nice and crisp. Cut into pie shaped pieces. Top with a good yoğurt.

Affiyet olsun!

Don't do what I did!

Burned the Barbunya Fasulye! (Dried cranberry beans.....) I was in a hurry to meet my neighbor for a walk through Fehti Paşa Korosu (lovely park on the Bosphorus hillside). I lovingly sauted my onions, garlic, potato and carrot, then, without thinking, simply dumped the beans that I had soaked overnight, but had not pre-boiled, directly into the pot. I added my tomato and tomato paste, salt, pepper, a little sugar - and realized what I had done! Unfortunately, in order to get the beans cooked through thoroughly, I needed to cook them for an extra long time. Guess what you get - MUSH!

So, for all my friends who love this dish (especially Lisa), I promise never to do this again. Here is the correct recipe!

BARBUNYA FASULYA (serve 6-8 as a side dish)

2 lbs. of fresh cranberry beans or 1 cup of dried cranberry beans (or barbunya in your Middle East grocery store)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves (your preference), chopped finely

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 medium potato, small cubes

2 or more tomatoes, diced

1 Tblsp. tomato paste (or if you like a little spice exchange this for red pepper paste, but don't serve it like this to a Turk - they like things 'just the way they're supposed to be - please don't mess with the original.....'

2-3 long, green sweet peppers

1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped, but not too fine

1 lemon, squeezed

4 cups (approximately) boiling water

Salt

1 tsp. sugar

Cook fresh beans in boiling water 15-20 minutes until beans turn white (opaque). If using dried beans, soak overnight, then boil as stated. (DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP!). Drain, except retain 1 1/2 cup of juice.

In a separate pot, add olive oil and saute onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, green peppers until tender. Add to beans along with tomatoes, paste, lemon (to your taste), salt and sugar. Add enough hot water to cover. Cover another 20 minutes or just until beans are al dente. Don't overcook as they will continue to cook while cooking. When cold, add parsley.

Do as I say, not as I do.....I can hear my daughter saying this back to me......

Afiyet olsun

Bakla

I also made fresh bakla (baby fava beans still in the pod) last night - one of my hubby's favorites! This is one of Turkey's olive oil based vegetables served cold with a good dose of really good yoğurt I love their yoğurt with kaymak [a thick cream] on top! It's certainly not the least fattening, but it's not something I can get at home so I splurge. I've never found fresh bakla, but you can do the same thing with other types of green beans and use regular yoğurt if you would like. These are really good in the summer.

2 lbs. fresh bakla (or other beans in their pod), stringed, ends clipped

1/2 lemon, squeezed

1/2 Tablespoon salt

1/3 cup olive oil

2 small or 1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic pieces, chopped

1 pot of boiling water

1 handful of fresh dill

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried mint

As you clean the beans, drop into a bowl of water with the lemon juice and salt. Add olive oil to large pot, heat slightly, add chopped onion and chopped garlic and saute until soft. Add beans and continue to saute another 5 minutes. Add BOILING HOT water just enough to cover beans, add dill, mint, sugar, and cook for approximately 45 minutes or until beans are tender. Add more salt to taste.

Affiyet olsun!

Çinekop

I'm back in Istanbul (arrived Feb. 17, 2011)! Our driver took the long way home across the Fatih Koprusu (the second bridge over the Bosphorus) due to the density of traffic from the airport that starts about 5:00 p.m., but it still took over an hour. The apartment got cleaned yesterday while Sumer and I walked to our 'upper' market for general household needs and our local bakery for a lovely, crispy-crusted, round loaf of what seemed like whole wheat bread (I need to ask her next time we're in there) and then down our 186 steps to our wonderful outdoor market for fresh fish, veggies and fruit. What a treat! I'm always amazed by the variety and freshness.

A cousin joined us for dinner last night which gave me the excuse to buy freshly caught çinekop (bluefish from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea). In Turkey, fish of the same variety have different names depending on their size. For example, bluefish less than 4" is called defheyaprağı; 5-7"çinekop; 8-10" sarıkanat; larger is lüfer and there are even bigger ones, but in Turkey, these are the most common.

The three of us gobbled up 1 kilo (2.2 lbs)! I have a terrific oval-shaped clay pot with a short lip (about 1") that is perfect for cooking and going straight to the table. All I needed to do was add about 1 tablespoon of good olive oil to the pan, roll the fish in the oil, stuff them with a little chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper (toss extra on top), add a bay leaf, a few lemon slices on top, a drizzle of white wine, and bake in a very hot oven (450ºF) for about 20-30 minutes (it depends on the pan and how many fish are stacked close together) . Fish is done when you press on the flesh and it feels firm or if the flesh is flaky if you test with a fork. Don't overcook!

Serve with a nice salad and good bread for dipping in the sauce in the pan.....although I made other side dishes, we were all so enthusiastic about the fish that we really didn't care if there was anything else on the table!

Affiyet olsun! (Bon Apetit!)

Tomatoes

This may seem silly, but finding the perfect tomato in the USA is no longer possible. But in Sultantepe at the Thursday bazaar, these are found RIPE!