Celebrating Turkey

 Turkey has alwasy been an interesting country with an interesting cuisine. The food is a remnant of the Ottoman Empire, an amagam of Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. It's a comforting array of recipes that reflect centuries of home cooking and local ingredients.

Our thoughts are with the Turks and Syrians who suffered from that massive earthquake today. Both countries have always have been known for their excellent home cooking and feasts. Turkish cuisine,itself varies across the country which straddles both Europe and Asia.  The recipes of Istanbul, Bursa , Izmer and the rest of the Anatolia (Asia Minor) inhetrited many aspects of Ottoman court cuisine. There was a moderate use of spices and a preference of rice over  bulgur, a kind of cracked wheat and koftes or meatballs. Other recipes like dolmades and eggplant  may also have dericed from the Greek influence and occupation of the  area. The Black Sea region has fish primarily in their dishes.especially the Black Sea anchovy or hamsi and many maize or corn dishes. A popular street food is batter  fried hamsi but the anchovies cna also be pickled or baked too. Turkey's southeast cuisine, from Urfa, Gazientep, Adiyanman and Adana are famous for their kebabas and mezes or appetizer plates. There is even an Eastern Asian influence thanks to the Mongols. There is steamed buns or manti , a regular staple of Chinese and even Korean cuisine.

Yes, the Turks have many desserts but Turkish taffy isn't one of them. That was created by the Bonomo family in the 1920's. The family was Turkish but lived in Coney Island where it became a big Boardwalk treat. Real Turkish delights are baklava and  even rice pudding, Baklava is a heavenly layering of phylo dough , brushed with melted butter and then filled with a cinnamon spiced chopped pistachio or walnut mix. I'ts then soaked in a fragrant syrup consisting of rose water, cinnamon and lemon. Every family however, puts their own special spin on this dessert.Their rice pudding is thicker in texture than the American version. the top is also slightly burned, sort of like creme brule. One of the all time favorite sweets is Turkish delight, These are little squares  also called lokum and they're made with sugar and starch. They're often flavored with nuts, fruits and rose water. The most common is the pink rose water kind, filled with pistacchios and walnuts. There are only four ingredients, from cornstarch and citric acid to water and sugar. You could add a small splash of lemon or orange juice for a fruitier flavor.

Turkish cuisine is an interesting marriage of East and West. Hopefully very soon, they will get back to their normal cooking and baking. Our thoughts and prayers for better times ahead are with then.