Istanbul : recipes from the heart of Turkey

262 Pages·2013·17.63 MB·English

by  Seal

For our parents
Dave, Hilary, Patrick and Sheila

TITLE PAGE
INTRODUCTION
KEY INGREDIENTS
KAHVALTI
Breakfast
PİDELER VE HAMUR İŞLERI
Breads and Savoury Pastries
MEZE VE SALATALAR
Mezes and Salads
ET VE BALİK
Meat and Fish
SEBZE YEMEKLERİ
Vegetables and Sides
ÇEŞNİ
Pickles and Garnishes
TATLILAR, PASTALAR VE İÇECEKLER
Desserts, Cakes and Drinks
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
COPYRIGHT PAGE

Introduction
No matter how many times I visit, Istanbul remains a fascinating place. A city of
17 million people covering 2000 square miles and straddling the border between
Asia and Europe, it is an incredible mixture of the very old – traces of Neolithic
settlements were recently discovered near the Old Town, Sultanahmet – and the
very new, as shiny modern towers leap up next to domed mosques or stone
churches.
Istanbul’s food culture is as diverse as its architecture, with influences
coming from the Persians and Ottomans of the past; its Middle Eastern
neighbours, the Greeks, Armenians, Turks and Kurds; nearby Asian and
European countries; and Christian, Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish communities.
The result is a riot of tastes, in dishes cooked using the best of local and seasonal
ingredients from both the surrounding countryside and the sea.
Whenever I visit Istanbul and start to ask questions about Turkish food,
someone always reminds me that it doesn’t really make sense to talk about
‘Turkish’ food as every dish is connected to the specific place it came from. A
particular meal may be made different ways in different streets in the same
neighbourhood, depending on where the cook or the cook’s family come from.
Like the Turkish language, food is seen as a carrier of culture. What each
community here shares, however, is a love of strong flavours – whether it’s the
heat of spice, the tang of salty pickles or the sticky sweetness of honey.
Food is at the centre of everything here, whether in upmarket areas like old-
money Nisantasi, where you’re perhaps more likely to catch a whiff of truffles
than charcoal-grilled meats, or on the waterfront at Galata Bridge buying a fish
sandwich and beer taken from a bucket of ice.
Celebrations and meals out usually start with a selection of meze dishes,
some hot and some cold, for everyone to share. Many restaurants don’t have
menus, but instead bring round huge trays laden with mezes for you to pick
from, or beckon you to choose from the counter. They can be anything from
dishes of pickles and dips to fried vegetables, salads, cheeses, fish, meat and
poultry dishes. Meze are not meant to be rushed – have two or three per person,
plus some breads for scooping, and nibble them alongside some excellent
Turkish wine, a cold glass of aniseed raki or a Turkish beer.
Elinize saglik! Afiyet olsun! (Health to your hands! Enjoy the food!)
REBECCA SEAL