As the winter slowly crawls in hamsi claim larger part of the fishmonger’s stalls and of the weekly ration in Istanbul. Hamsi (also known as anchovy) are a finger-long fish with a shiny silver belly and dark grey back. It smells and tastes sea like no other fish does. Every time I cook hamsi with my cooking class participants I feel on a mission: the odds that my guests are suspicious (at best) about this fish are very high. I don’t blame anybody who got introduced to anchovy through the infamous pizza topping. But the hamsi I am talking about belongs to a different category of food. So bear with me.
(English) Istanbul Culinary Revival? Not Yet!
I have been enthusiastically writing about the Istanbul restaurants creating updated takes on the traditional Turkish flavors. One can call this trend «New Istanbul cuisine» as Şemsa Denizsel of Kantin defined it or even «New Anatolian cuisine» with the broader geographical and culinary reference as Civan Er of Yeni Lokanta suggests. I am excitedly watching this space because I believe there will be more things coming.
I guess the word is spreading far and wide, and the foreign media that love writing about Istanbul are quick to proclaim, «Turkey culinary scene is as hot at its politics«. The comparison is valid here but not the way it was meant. You can get as much clue about the state of affairs in the Turkish politics as you can understand «what’s cooking in Istanbul» over a drink on a roof-top terrace overlooking the Bosphorus (your eternal «Asia meets Europe metaphor» coined by the Turks and embraced by the Westerns). That’s why culinary trend watchers might be a bit too early with their conclusions like those who were praising Turkey for balancing «islam, liberty and a touch of authoritarianism» just before the protests.
(English) 7 Tips for Better Food Photography
I have been photographing for the past 10 years. It’s not always been about food, but I have been consistently obsessed with objects and details, the interest that finally evolved in the food photography pursuits. My first food shots (no links here) were awkward: electric lights on, wicked plates, random props and unappetizing food. Who did not start there? Now I am more often proud than embarrassed with my work, I get occasional compliments, I was invited to contribute to Getty Images, and people even pay money for my shots.
Enough shameless bragging. I have surely improved, but I have also learned a helpful photography tip by Scott Kelby: always show your best work. Indeed, no one needs to know it took you a two hundred shots to get this perfect one.
Encouraged by your kind words and questions (in particular, a big thank you to Claudia) I have put down some thoughts on food photography based on my experience.
(English) Wholesome Green Lentil Soup: Turn of Seasons
If unprivileged ingredients exist then green lentils are among them: their color is hardly appetizing, and the taste can be easily bland unless some additional measures are taken. I confess, when it comes to soups I often prefer their red sisters. There is nothing more comforting than a red lentil soup being it dal seasoned with the warming spices or its soothing Turkish version with tomato and pepper pastes. However, I changed my opinion about green lentils last week after trying a green lentil soup made by a female cook who serves homemade meals at her tiny cafe not far from where I live in Istanbul.
(English) Pumpkin Baked in Greek Vinaigrette (Sinkonta)
Yes, pumpkin is in town. The huge round type that you buy in wedges carved out with a gigantic saw, cleared off the seeds and peeled. I always admire the pumpkin guys (and in season you will see a few at any weekly market in Istanbul) who are on a mission to make this fabulous vegetable more accessible and less intimidating for the home cooks.
(English) Poğaça (Turkish Cheese Turnovers): Delight of a Baking Geek
My life was easier when I knew just one kind of homemade poğaça, infamous Turkish cheese turnovers. Like any Turkish kid (in my case — adopted one), I was convinced that what your mother does is the golden standard by which you measure food made by the others. This was until I tried poğaça that Aysel Hanim prepares at her little bakery Serger in Moda: hers was large, short and airy at the same time, with dill mixed in the dough and a tiny bit of pungent ezine cheese hidden inside. First I got hooked myself, and then I made all my guests keen on that poğaça. Over the past summer, I developed an early morning routine: I would stop by Serger on the way to the ferry and get a mandatory poğaça to share it with my culinary walk participants at the breakfast we indulged at a local cay ocaği (shop brewing and selling tea all day long).
(English) Karaburun: Well Hidded Aegean Bounty
We (me and my sister) added Karaburun to this Aegean trip because of the house we found on Airbnb: a spacious stone house on a hill where a very personal touch of the owner was present in the cheerful colors and lovely details. When Özgür learned about the Karaburun plan he was outraged because it had little to do with his idea of the seaside holiday (beach by day and town by night). Then pretty much everybody to whom we announced our travel route gave us blank looks when hearing about Karaburun.
While researching for the trip I came across a saying about Karaburun that looked even more alarming than the blank looks of the Istanbul acquaintances: «Karaburun, iki bakkal bir furun/ Zeytin ekmek yiye yiye ne ağız kaldı ne burun». You can translate it as follows: «Karaburun, two grocery shops, one bakery / Eat olives and bread to your heart’s content». And what we experienced on our first day fitted that description very well.
