I-An introduction to Turkish cuisine.
II-A nurturing environment.
III-Kitchen of the imperial palace.
IV-A repertoire of food from the
great food places.
a}Grains: Bread to borek
b}Grilled meats
c}Vegetables
d}"Meze" dishes to accompany the
spirits.
e}Seafood
f}The real story of sweets:
Beyond Baklava.
g}Beverages: Beyond Turkish coffee
and "Ayran".
V-Food protocol for the culturally
correct.
VI-Food and spirituality.
VII-Contemporary concerns:
Diet and health
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The simplest and most basic type of vegetable dish is prepared by slicing
a main vegetable such as zucchini or eggplant, combining it with
tomatoes, green peppers and onions, and cooking it slowly in butter and
its own juices. Since the vegetables that are cultivated in Turkey are
truly delicious, a simple dish like this, eaten with a sizeable chunk
of fresh bread, is a satisfying meal in itself.
A whole class of vegetables is cooked
in olive oil. These dishes would be third in a five-course meal, following
the soup and a main course such as rice or borek and a vegetable or meat,
and before dessert and fruit. Practically all vegetables, such as fresh
string beans, artichokes, celery root, egg-plants, pinto beans, or
zucchini can be cooked in olive oil, and are typically eaten at room
temperature. They are a staple part of the menu with variations
depending on the season. Then there are the fried vegetables, such as
eggplant, peppers and zucchinis, that are eaten with a tomato or a yogurt
sauce.
"Dolma" is the generic term for
stuffed vegetables, being a derivative of the verb "doldurmak" (to fill).
There are two categories of dolmas: those filled with a meat mix and those
with a rice mix. The latter are cooked in olive oil and eaten at room
temperature. The meat dolma is a main course dish eaten with a yogurt
sauce, and a very frequent one in the average household. Any
vegetable which can be filled with or wrapped around these mixes can be
used as a dolma, including zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, cabbage, and
grape leaves. However, the green pepper dolma with the rice stuffing, has
to be the queen of all dolmas, a royal feast to the eye and the
palate.
In addition to these general categories, there are numerous meat and
vegetable dishes which feature unique recipes. When talking vegetables, it
is important to know that the eggplant (or aubergine) has a special
place in Turkish cuisine. This handsome vegetable with its brown-green
cap, velvety purple skin, firm and slim body has a richer flavor than that
of its relatives found elsewhere. At a party, a frustrating question to
ask a Turk would be "How do you usually cook your eggplant?" A proper
answer to this question would require hours! Here, too, it will have to
suffice to mention just two eggplant dishes that are a must to taste. In
one, the eggplant is split lengthwise and filled with a meat mix. This is
a common summer dish, eaten with white rice pilaf. The other one is "Her
Majesty's Favourite," { Hunkar Begendi} a delicate formal dish that is not
easy to make but well worth trying. The name refers to Empress Eugenie,
the wife of Napoleon III, who fell in love with it on her visit to Sultan
Abdulaziz.
To taste these dishes, look for a "Lokanta," a word borrowed from the Italian "Locanda,"
describing the type of establishment where traditional cooking is prepared, usually
for those who work nearby. The best examples are the Borsa, Haci Salib, and Konyali
Restaurants in Istanbul and Liman and Ciftlik in Ankara. The tables are covered
with white linen, and the menu comprises soups, traditional main dishes and
desserts, including fresh fruit. Businessmen and politicians frequently visit
these places for lunch.
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