tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176494752011-11-19T16:56:51.444-08:00in english ... at least trying to be...evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1164467134252993722007-03-12T20:02:00.000-07:002007-03-12T11:25:07.173-07:00

It is such a well-known dish, there is almost no need for a recipe. You can use different fillings for the rolled chicken, such as half-cooked rice, diced vegetables, any type of deli style meat product or only spinach. The preparation process is always the same: using the meat mallet, flatten the breast as thin as possible to roll it out easily. While doing this, I use a small bag to

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-44237974769465752422007-02-18T10:49:00.000-08:002007-02-18T10:49:03.684-08:00

It has been ages since the last time I posted a recipe. Unfortunately some health problems in the family and lack of time does not allow me to blog more often. I am hoping this situation to change soon. Today I want to share a very succesfull panettone recipe, though it is also out of season now. But better late than never....as they say.The recipe is from allrecipes.com and I baked it many

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1167256461123956202006-12-27T13:38:00.000-08:002006-12-27T13:54:56.656-08:00

The cake is already eaten but I am still delaying to write the recipe. It will take a little longer until I will find the time; until then have a happy new year's eve and my best wishes for the coming year.....

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1164141530867282482006-11-27T12:55:00.000-08:002006-11-27T13:13:04.890-08:00

I was preparing to post this recipe, then I saw the invitation about "Onion day" on Paz's blog. Thank you for letting me know Paz! Zorra from Kochtopf was inviting all foodbloggers to participate the day with onion recipes. Since I am an onion fan, will gladly participate in this event, thank you Zorra. Actually this is my first contribution to a blog event.The recipe is from an old american

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1164466820702946902006-11-25T07:54:00.000-08:002006-11-25T08:10:28.543-08:00

This recipe is a hit in my kitchen lately. As the temperature falls, we are searching for different delights to accompany our coffee. The earthy taste of molasses is one of my favourites as you already know. Here it is combined succesfully with the sharp smell and taste of ground cloves. It is bolder than cinnamon, but much deeper and remains longer on your taste buds. I found the recipe in

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1163432467257215352006-11-15T12:40:00.000-08:002006-11-15T13:25:20.316-08:00

Börek is the word we use for (mostly) savoury pies in Turkish. It just did not sound right to call this as a "pie" , because it is not. The way it is prepared and baked is exactly like the savoury version which has courgettes, eggs and cheese as a filling. This one, however, is the most favourite baked dessert in our family. There is not a written recipe for it though. Basically you need

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1162131639179446392006-11-02T13:14:00.000-08:002006-11-05T11:13:12.443-08:00

I just love the harvest season. Plenty of grapes and olives are the characteristics of autumn here, as well as the whole mediterranean. I got used to watch piles of grapes becoming next year's wine but it is the first time I ever tasted grape jam. Actually it sounded so unusual, I was sure they would be completely melted after all that boiling process. Much to my surprise, grapes were

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1162131020233577222006-10-29T13:00:00.000-08:002006-10-29T13:28:35.260-08:00

Well...it has been ages since my last post, therefore I am feeling like a beginner all over again. 2006 was not a very good year for me and my family, thankfully it is ending soon. From now on, I will try to write posts more often.The first of a list of kitchen adventures in an experimental manner, was the Banoffee (banana-toffee) pie. Such a divine taste, such an easy put-together recipe and

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1151674591362051762006-07-22T06:31:00.000-07:002006-07-22T07:05:04.850-07:00

Here is another delight from mediterranean. Aubergine is my favourite ingredient as you can see :-) A couple of aubergines, some tomatoes and peppers are more than enough to create a lovely summer dish, which can be served warm or cold. I used long and thin, slightly purple variety but you can use whatever you like.10 long&thin aubergines1 big onion2 green peppers2 big tomatoes5-6 cloves

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1151674296032289942006-07-13T06:23:00.000-07:002006-07-13T06:28:15.776-07:00

Aubergine Salad:Another classic dish which can be found under different names across mediterranean. Some versions includes tahini while excluding tomatoes and other colourful ingredients. Some gives the priority to onion and garlic, and some consists only aubergines, olive oil and salt. Even the most primitive version is delicious. The recipe you will find below is how we make it in our

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1151674864054665132006-07-09T12:36:00.000-07:002006-07-09T12:31:31.573-07:00

It is pretty easy to prepare this authentic dish at home. Although it is cooked on stove top and lacks the crispiness of the grill , the taste is pretty close to the original one. Use a lean cut of the beef, without any nerves and leave it to freeze one night in the fridge. The next day, either take it out and slice with a sharp knife as thin as possible or use this practical way below:

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1150204446755657232006-06-13T05:18:00.001-07:002006-06-13T06:14:06.786-07:00

I truly believe that the mediterranean region is blessed; at least when it comes to food:-) There is a recipe for every edible ingredient and most of them has unforgettable taste. This flowers are difficult to find but whoever has access, must try at least once. There is not an exact recipe for this dish, since it depends on the amount of the blossoms you can find. But the rice is

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1149257904368042982006-06-11T06:47:00.000-07:002006-06-11T05:50:32.353-07:00

Summer has already arrived and we all are trying to get rid of our excess weight, which (unfortunately) has developed during winter months. But I do not believe any of us can resist a sweet treat every once in a while:-) I do not believe in light foods or lighter than the lightest ingredients or low-carb snacks. I believe that if one wants to loose weight; first of all has to cut back on any kind

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1148310657198402402006-05-22T07:51:00.000-07:002006-05-22T08:10:57.380-07:00

Being right in the middle of the courgette season, here is another mediterranean speciality: fried blossoms with cheese inside. A simple, yet elegant starter for a dinner table... as long as you are able to find fresh blossoms. They should be picked early in the morning, before sunrise. Do look for them in your market in morning hours. They are pretty delicate, wash and dry them

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1146400312973357502006-05-01T05:23:00.000-07:002006-05-01T04:44:19.576-07:00

As I mentioned before, Turkish cuisine has a very large section recipes for (dolma) stuffed vegetables. Most of them can be cooked either with mincemeat or rice stuffing, but courgettes are going well only with mincemeat. It is highly presentable for dinner, especially served with a dollop of yoghurt aside. Usually we make the food even more colourful by mixing different vegetables in

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1143314951860662152006-04-02T06:43:00.000-07:002006-04-02T05:44:20.576-07:00

Cheesecake This recipe has been taken from a Turkish site a couple of years ago. Actually long before food blogs has appeared. It was a well prepared portal with many subjects to discuss, including recipes with photographs of the making process. Since then, this became the only recipe I use whenever I need to make a cheesecake. It turns out well each time and flexible enough to add

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1142597307788428012006-03-30T03:19:00.000-08:002006-03-30T02:15:22.713-08:00

Meze might be served as an appetizer or a sidedish sometimes; but it is not a rare occasion that the table consists only from different types of meze, without a main course. These events are mostly memorable evenings with friends, accompanied with the favourite turkish booze "rakı" and types of cheese and fruit platters. Of course rakı is not the only option here; you can drink wine or any other

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1142439893638711852006-03-15T07:19:00.000-08:002006-03-15T08:40:32.266-08:00

This recipe has been translated from a german magazine many years ago. The original version uses poppy seed paste for the filling. I am not able to find it here, am constantly carrying from Ankara. I was out of my stocks this time and I replaced it with chestnut pureé. It was ok as the taste but cannot beat the earthiness of poppy seed. The paste is a common ingredient in Turkish cuisine. Poppy

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1141840290796508482006-03-11T04:56:00.000-08:002006-03-11T05:00:03.100-08:00

These crepés were waiting to be published for a while. I used dried "black trumpet" (Craterelius Cornucopioides) mushrooms for the filling. They have a pretty distinctive taste, earthy and smoked. Probably that is why they are recommended to be used with seafood mostly. I may try again, maybe to prepare another filling with smoked salmon. Of course you may use another dried version,

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1140814133715735942006-03-08T09:38:00.000-08:002006-03-08T09:43:06.940-08:00

Risotto is one of our family's favourite foods. Although it suits very well with many vegetables and the members of the mushroom family; dried porcinis are the best companions of arborio rice. Many days has passed since the day I cooked this risotto. But the problems with internet connection has kept me from publishing the recipe. I used the water from the mushrooms

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1140283111039315522006-02-28T06:16:00.000-08:002006-02-28T06:30:10.290-08:00

I mentioned this recipe recently, in another form though. This time I placed the dough in a 28cm tart pan and cook the same way as before. The result was a crispy tart, which was enough to serve to 8-10 people. You can apply the same dough to an even wider pan in a thinner layer. I also added some raspberry jam to the apple stuffing. I think it can be a lifesaver in the future:-)

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1140708098526958522006-02-24T05:48:00.000-08:002006-02-24T12:33:00.676-08:00

Aubergine is definitely my most favourite vegetable (ok, it is considered a "fruit" botanically, but I'd like to eat my "vegetable"). You can find it cooked in a large number of ways across mediterranean. You can have it fried in the most simple way; also cooked with or without meat, grilled in salads, roasted in kebabs, mixed up with bechamel for Hünkarbeğendi (a traditional Turkish dish

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1140283465585601702006-02-20T12:52:00.000-08:002006-02-21T06:03:30.976-08:00

Here is one of my favourite dishes: gnocchi! I am not a particular fan of italian cuisine but gnocchi has a special place in my culinary adventure. I eat pasta occasionally of course (my husband can eat it everyday!) but mainly I prefer pilav to accompany meat or fish. My search for a trustable recipe for gnocchi started looong ago but never stopped until I saw it prepared in an italian food

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1139686192991505022006-02-17T13:18:00.000-08:002006-02-17T14:12:50.293-08:00

I mentioned my "problem" with the little creatures of the sea, here on this blog once. Well, since I am continuing to cook them, and strangely, whoever tastes the food leaves the table satisfied; I decided to put another recipe. This one is made Turkish style, very similiar to the stuffing that we use for filling grape or cabbage leaves. You need to use a short grain rice here, which

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1139685444378028502006-02-12T12:20:00.000-08:002006-02-12T12:21:12.676-08:00

This is the traditional sweet dish of muslims new year celebrations. After the big flood, prophet Noah had to prepare one last dish using what has been left in the boat. They had to mix 40 different ingredients to prepare this last dish, just before they had reached the safe land. That is how ashura had been born. Nobody prepares it using so many ingredients anymore though. You will find the

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1139242642661683392006-02-08T12:14:00.000-08:002006-02-08T12:19:09.243-08:00

I love fennel. Its fresh smell and crisp taste suits any kind of salad for me. I use fennel in my kitchen regulary but just recently I tried to roast it and liked the result very much indeed. The taste changed completely, got sweeter and somewhat more delicate. Seeing that endive is used often for roasting with fennel, I gave it a go. Endive kept its shape much better than I expected and I

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1139238831966241112006-02-07T05:50:00.000-08:002006-02-07T05:56:05.066-08:00

Apple, cinnamon and walnuts are the unbeatable trio for me. One of the best culinary combinations being they are, very difficult to resist eating, in whatever form you prepare them. No wonder, apple strudels or pies are two of the most wanted desserts around. This recipe is from my dear aunt Şencan, who makes delightful desserts in the kitchen as well as teaching maths at high school. This

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1138214097356211732006-02-05T10:20:00.000-08:002006-02-05T10:35:57.236-08:00

This is a recipe that I found on allrecipes.com some time ago. It became our regular bread for preparing sandwich and toasts. Maintains its softness 2-3 days at room temperature and ideal for putting in freezer for future use. Makes 16 medium buns: 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 egg 80 grs butter 1 cup milk 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 package (

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1138822744172100462006-02-01T09:56:00.000-08:002006-02-01T12:02:59.860-08:00

Really, why it is called "Swiss Roll"? Does anyone know? The origin is Switzerland maybe? I really do not know. In Turkey we call them just "roll" or "the log" when it is made with chestnuts inside.This is a very old recipe, acquired from a neighbour 23 years ago. I was very young then, but breave enough to volunteer to try the recipe.It has a story of course, eaten one night in a house gathering

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1138745463723877152006-01-31T12:56:00.000-08:002006-01-31T14:13:16.830-08:00

It was not related to snow after all, but we lost our adsl connection for the last couple of days. Finally the technician has restored it this afternoon and I am able to answer dear Paz whom I neglected for a while. She tagged me with "The Five Food Challenges for 2006" memé. Thank you Paz and my apologies for the delay, along with another snowy picture: olive tree this time. I want to

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1138186997576676072006-01-25T02:38:00.000-08:002006-01-25T03:03:18.853-08:00

It is snowing since yesterday morning in Athens. A rare phenomenon, occuring once or twice a year with enough snow to cover not the ground, but the cars and trees mostly. Above is what I see from my kitchen window. The city lays ahead but invisible because of the constant snow with strong wind. Below is the small lemon tree we have in our backyard, wearing whites. You can have a

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1138124167807002382006-01-24T08:29:00.000-08:002006-01-24T09:39:31.133-08:00

I am ok with the fish. Almost any kind of fish. But the rest...... I have a problem. It was not a problem actually, until I got married. My husband and his whole family adores these creatures but I am unable to eat them. Recently I gathered all my courage and managed to try some fried calamari and actually liked them. And this means I have a looong way to go if I decide to try them one

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1137872601625384712006-01-21T11:13:00.000-08:002006-01-21T11:43:21.716-08:00

They cannot replace cream cheese, but surely they are healthier, lower in fat and the most important : they are homemade! You need a couple of days to achieve the result above and if you are as impatient as I am, start with strained yoghurt. The quantitiy is depends on your eating habits and of course the number of the guests you have. You should be very gentle with the little yoghurt balls

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1137870780812359122006-01-21T10:45:00.000-08:002006-01-21T11:13:00.906-08:00

As you have already guessed, I am getting up every morning and thinking " what should I marinate today???" oh no.... really my one and only intention is making another addition to our antipasto platter. Of course you have a huge selection of ingredients to place in your platter but since I will skip decorating the plate with processed meat; I want to make an addition on the "vegetarian" side. I

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1137508159820529632006-01-17T06:16:00.000-08:002006-01-17T13:29:48.046-08:00

Here is a combination of ingredients which goes very well as part of an antipasto platter. Greek feta cheese is made of a mixture of sheep's and goat's milk and has a salty taste. It is not for your breakfast table but accompanies very well salads, meat, fish and roasted vegetables. It is an appetizer on its own but you can use it in baked goods as well as different mezes. You can use any type of

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1136843428033458962006-01-09T13:08:00.001-08:002006-01-09T13:50:28.036-08:00

If you like fava beans (broad beans) you should give this a try, and if you do not; you are missing a taste from your life. Many people does not like them because of their smell. But to exclude fava beans just for that reason is unfair. After all, most of the vegetables which has antioxidant properties are smelling too... and we keep eating them. Fava beans are rich in valuable nutritients,

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1136741326458473432006-01-08T08:33:00.000-08:002006-01-08T09:30:41.400-08:00

We have been growing raspberries in our garden in Ankara for many years but I never thought of using them to make vinegar, until I read "The Tales From the Fruit Tree" by Tijen İnaltong who is the author of well known, inspiring books about food, ingredients and their origins, in Turkish. The attempt of preparing vinegar was a first time experiment for me; so considering the fermentation time

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1136578042416635152006-01-06T11:40:00.000-08:002006-01-06T12:07:22.500-08:00

A breadlike muffin which has the characteristic ingredients of mediterranean cuisine. Once, a friend of mine who tasted it right after I took them from the oven; said that the taste reminds pizza. Well I do not know, but definitely the smell coming from the oven is truly irresistable while you are cooking them. The recipe is from the website of Betty Crocker products. The recipe contains little

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1136462476943476872006-01-05T03:24:00.000-08:002006-01-05T14:07:40.563-08:00

This is the second memé that Angelika tagged me sometime ago. With my apologies for the delay; here are the answers: How many cookbooks do you own? Unfortunately, I was not able to bring all of my old ones here to Athens but roughly I can say that it is around 30. Apart from that I have been (and still am) collecting food magazines from different countries by subscribing or buying from

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1136231509329668352006-01-02T11:44:00.000-08:002006-01-05T14:09:09.736-08:00

I have been tagged by my dear friend Angelika, before I managed to start my humble blog. After reading her answers I saw that there is not much difference between our tastes. So here are my version of "You Are What You Eat Food Memé": I consider myself as a morning person, so breakfast is the most important meal for me. In my hometown Ankara I was having a good breakfast and having only yoghurt

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1136053255686119762005-12-31T08:40:00.000-08:002006-01-05T00:58:46.136-08:00

Do not let the ingredients fool you, mocha cake is very easy to make and turns out well every time. A pleaser for coffee lovers and keeps well for one week at room temperature. The recipe is from an old issue of Burda-Cookery magazine. You will find below the exact recipe though I did not use the icing and covered the cake with melted chocolate instead. The holly leaves are made of marzipan,

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17649475.post-1135893203488708642005-12-29T13:52:00.000-08:002006-01-05T00:59:36.793-08:00

Hello,if you too, are addicted to the smell of homemade bread coming from your oven and reminding you of all the good things; you must be a homebaker. I have my breadmaker for two years now and from the very start, we stopped eating bread from bakeries. Although we got bored pretty soon from the "cubic" loaf which was the only shape the machine could have produced; I started preparing the dough

evcilkedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420854801890434896noreply@blogger.com2