My mother-in-law’s kitchen assistant has left and the weekend has come. 30 hours at the kitchen. I don’t know if I should write about the complexities of working with the family members (read — husbands), the joys of having good relationships with your Turkish mother-in-law, the power of yoga to keep your body going after you fall on a wet staircase and hurt your back, mundanity of skinning tomatoes, dreams of hamam, reminiscences of my consulting job which also required working under pressure, the irony of fate which got me back into long hours after I ran away from them and emptiness in my head after all that. There must be a major theme to this weekend and to the post. And I think it is how being bound can be so empowering.
(English) Kadı Nimet Balıkçısı: Where To Eat Fish in Kadikoy
If you look for a decent Istanbul fish restaurant and don’t want to commute far you can safely head out to the local fish market. You may not get supreme dining experience there but fresh fish perfectly grilled or fried will be served to you without fail. There are great finds around Kumkapı, Galata, Beyoğlu, Beşiktaş, Sariyer and Kadıköy — all known for their bustling fish trade.
My neighborhood is Kadıköy. It is overlooked for everything including its fish restaurants. People you see at the Kadıköy market either live around or come for the sole purpose of eating at Çiya. I am hardly seduced by Çiya because my mother-in-law can easily compete with Musa Dağdeviren, chef of this famous restaurant, in the knowledge of the Turkish regional home cooking and eccentricity of the ingredients. That’s why when I eat out in Kadıköy I am way more interested in fish.
(English) Flaky Phyllo Triangles: Swiss Chard and Pastırma Börek Recipe
My mother-in-law (anne) had been unwell for a while: not really eating anything, getting quickly tired and easily irritable. She’s got diabetes which explains some of the symptoms but not all. So she thought it was time for a thorough check-up. Anne went to her doctor in Bolu, a small town in the North-Western Turkey, who was so determined to find out the wrongs that he hospitalized her for a week.
Friday came and anne still was not sure whether she would return the next day. Who will make the fresh pastry for the guests Sunday morning? I said, «No problem. I can make börek«. Özgür called his mom and got the authorization. «Olga has seen me making it many times. But she can call me in the morning for directions,»- anne said on phone.
She came back Saturday night canceling the need for my help. But I was impressed she granted me the permission to step into the sacred territory she has not been sharing with her assistants — making pastry. Letting in me, the one who does not know her bulgurs? What happened?
(English) Kaymakçı Pando: Istanbul Breakfast Institution
Truly good eateries are not mere food outlets: they grow beyond the products they sell and become institutions. Kaymakçı Pando at Beşiktaş market does serve delicious kaymak, or clotted cream. But you come here as much as for the legends and rituals still nurtured and observed at this family-run eatery that I suspect has only slightly changed since 1895 when it first opened its doors.
(English) 5 Secrets of Istanbul Food Shopping You Wish You Knew Before
When I just came to Istanbul I was obsessed with getting the highest quality food the money could buy. Istanbul food markets are the horns of plenty with most pungent cheesed, the plumpest olives and the most succulent tomatoes. Moscovite habits die hard! In time I have discovered that good Istanbul home cooks know better and have a few tricks under their belt to get down their cost without going as much down on the quality.
