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.

The Gurdwara And Help

The Sikhs have been coming to the rescue for centuries with their practice of feeding those in needs. It has never been more so with the pandemic and protesting.It's part of their religion. It's also part of their great contribution to this time.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna, author of the Indian cookbook, Indian-ish, wrote about this peace loving religion in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The Sikhs follow the teachings of Guru Nanek, a Fifteenth Century teacher who believed in a practical life of truthfulness, fidelity, self control and purity.An essential part of Sikhism is langar, the practice of preparing and serving a free meal to promote the Sikh tenet of seva or selfless service.Anyone, can visit the gurdwara and participate in langar. You don''t need to follow the religion. Their doors are open to everyone. The biggest one, in Amritsar, India serves more than 100,000 people a day. Since Covid 19's arrival, all religious ceremonies have stopped yet the gurdwara has been open non-stop. The Sikh Center in Queens Village, New York, right outside Manhattan, is now feeding protesters . Last week volunteers served five hundred portions of matar paneer, a creamy coconut milk and tomato stew along with rice and rajima, another creamy comforting dish of red beans stewed with tomatoes. There was also dessert, kheer, a sweetened rice pudding.

There are eighty gurdwaras  all over the US.  They too have been stepping up , feeding those who need it. The Gurdwara Sahib of Fremont, California set up a grocery delivery service just after suspending religious services in March. There's also a meal drive through pick up service too. Cooks wear gloves and masks and the kitchen is big enough for workers to stand six feet apart from each other. As with other gurdwaras, the menus change daily and are always vegetarian, in respect to the Sikhs being vegetarian. The sect is also heading to the protests to feed the protesters, although they, themselves, have been the targets of prejudice and suspicion. In Los Angeles, they handed out seven hundred containers of pasta with a garlic and onion laden tomato sauce and five hundred bottles of water. They even set up a tent in Pan Pacific Park,in the western part of the city. In Norwich, Connecticut , two hundred bottles were handed out to protesters along with rajima. According to Gurjiv Kaur of the LA temple and a graduating senior at the University of California "Langar ,at its' core is a revolution - against inequality and the caste system". She and Kirin Singh asked volunteers to prepare meals to take to the protesters. The Sikhs stand peacefully with all who protest for a fairer world and better treatment from authorities.

The Sikhs have become  heroes of what's going on. They provide food and support to those who need it.  It is their langar which is now a part of our lives.

Holi Cooking

It's the middle of Holi, the fun Indian festival where Hindus celebrate the  coming of Spring. It is also a festival of delicious tasty savory and sweet dishes. You too, can celebrate, with easy dishes that will definitely make you smile.

Indian food has many benefits especially now. There are recipes chock full of turmeric - which is used as an anti- inflammatory remedy along with cumin  an immunity booster which helps in destroying powerful germs. It is also a tasty cuisine, full of fire at times and spice. Holi has some of the best and most flavorful dishes. Remember if you can't buy some of the ingredients at your local grocery , then definitely visit an Indian grocery. Try making the crunchy and fiery dal kachori, fried puffs of dough wrapped around a mix of dal, or ground lentils, chilis and garam masala. This last can be found in your grocery's spice section and can be used for other dishes such as grilled chicken or  sprinkled on veggies. The balls are then fried in vegetable oil. I guess you could use an air fryer in this for less oil and more crunch. An easy no cook one is papadi chaat, popular in northern India. The dish starts out with the Indian bread papi, small Indian breads that can be bought at any Indian grocery story and even Wal-mart. They're similar to pita bread and layered with cooked potatoes and chickpeas. Curd is layered on top of this, You can make curd  at home or sub in plain Greek yogurt, Top with green mint mixed with coriander along with cumin and chili powder.

Sweet treats and drinks are also a big part of Holi. You can try rice pudding or kheer that has the added flavor of ground almonds and cardamon.  Add stevia instead of sugar if you want it a bit healthier and top with cinnamon . Another sugary treat are the filled pastries called gujiya. They're filled with dried fruit and khoya  - a kind of cooked milk.  You can also give them an American twist by stuffing them with dark and white chocolate or apples and cinnamon. Some Indian families fill them with anjeer or figs along with coconut and pineapple. The dough is a simple one made with water and flour along with ghee , clarified melted butter. These can be washed down with thandai, a sweet,creamy drink made with  boiled milk mixed with sugar. A ground to a powder mix of white peppercorns, fennel seeds, melon seeds and cardamon pods is blended in for flavor and fire. Rose petals are added for more sweetness. The boiled mix is put into the fridge for two to three hours before serving.  You can also have a sip of the traditional lassi. It's kind of like a milkshake, made with milk, honey and yogurt. Sugar, honey and some kind of fruit such as mango or strawberry is swirled in along with ice for a cool treat.

Celebrate Holi with home cooked and home made Indian food and drinks. It's time to enjoy the happiness of this colorful holiday with friends and family. Do so with a wide array of spicy and sweet treats .

A Crock Of Goodness

This was the Christmas when I received my first (!) crock pot.

It's a small  one, meant for cooking meals , desserts or even snacks for two .The brand is Crockpot  bought at our local Target. It's something that I wanted after covering a New York Times Food section piece on the Instant Pots. Those have a variety of settings and can do a  wide array of different slow cooking methods. Unfortunately they were 1) too expensive - I didn't want my family to spend seventy dollars on a gadget I'll  onlyuse a few times a year and 2) something that's going to take up most of my kitchen table. This one was inexpensive - only$8.99 and small enough I can effortlessly put on my kitchen counter.The crock is also super easy to clean. I don;t have to wrangle a large pot in my sink.I also don't have to deal with heaps of leftovers either.It makes enough for two which is perfect.

Of course I had to get Linda Larsen's The Complete Slow Cooking For Two

 (Sonoma Press)I love this book. As you can seen from the crock picture, I'm making her apple-pear sauce. I've always wanted to make apple sauce. There are some legendary stories in my family's culinary history and I wanted to add to them. Besides it 's a low calorie dessert that I made just a smidge healthier by adding agave syrup. I am planning on making chili soon in this along with a tasty sounding Indian cauliflower-potato soup along with rice stuffed peppers.There's a great tomato soup recipe that I'd love to make as well. Rice pudding comes out at its' creamiest when slow cooked and Ms. Larsen's book has several recipes I want to try. her lemon rice pudding as well as her  chocolate cherry lava cake. There is even some yummy sounding bread puddings too.

This crockpot is going to change the way I cook meals and make dessert.It will definitely be incorporated in my routines. I'm  looking forward to trying more recipes and  sharing them.

Nanoosh Exotic Healthiness

Mention Mediterranean cuisines  and people think of spaghetti or moussaka or even tapas. However the Eastern Mediterranean has produced healthy foods for two thousand or more years.- One of the stars is  hummus. Now this delicious and ancient dish is being the prominent player in Nanoosh restaurant  - a mini chain that's sweeping the New York City area.

I 'm lucky that the restaurant has a branch in my local mall. I had wanted to try it and today I had the rare chance to do such. To be honest I'm not a big hummus fan however this changed my view of it. I ordered the unusual chicken hummus which is a deep bowl filled with grilled chicken chunks over creamy fresh made chickpea mash. The hummus is made Israeli style without the usual garlic. It was still delicious and wonderful with the whole wheat pita bread served with it. There is olive oil along with other additions that can be added.I am planning on going back this weekend and would like to try the other variations. There is a mushroom and onions as well as sun dried tomatoes and a  red and green pepper mix. Another sort is made, again with meat, this time ground beef with onions, tahini and onions.

 Since the emphasis  is on healthy eating, Nanoosh also  has fresh made organic  salads and wraps, The soups are tomato, lentil and butternut squash.These are all natural without any preservatives - rare for restaurants that usually have to rely on prepackaged , overly salted mixes. Salads  are varied as well , using  everything from  the South American quinoa to the Mediterranean tuna and Greek salads. There are also wraps and these feature hummus along with extras, such as beef , chicken and eggs (!). Nanooshserves desserts too  These are  a yummy sounding organic yogurt loaf chocolate cake and rice pudding made with arborio rice.

Whether you're in Northern New Jersey or Manhattan  try Nanoosh for lunch for dinner. There are fresh made dishes made with good for you ingredients. It's a healthy spin on exotic Eastern
Mediterranean fare.


Nanoosh's locations are The Garden State Plaza Mall , Paranus New Jersey, and in New York City, 2012 Broadway at 68th and 69th Sts, Union Square, 111 University Place , between 12th and 13th Sts and Murray Hill, 173 Madison Ave, between 33rd and 34th Sts.

Go to Nanoosh.com for more info and to order online.