Our time in Turkey was unbelievably rich. Our friends and neighbors were incredible about helping us get settled and comfortable, supporting us through homesickness and cultural differences, and sharing their lives with us. One of the ways in which we enjoyed learning through about the culture was through the food. From the dizzying arrays of sights, smells, and sounds at the open air markets, to the "rules" of proper preparation shared in the kitchen, to the experience of sharing a table-ful of amazing, freshly cooked foods with friends, Turkey has an amazing food culture. Not only is Turkey self-sufficient in food production (a rarity these days), but they have maintained traditions of growing, preparing, and consuming food for generations. Their cuisine is unbelievably consistent, meaning that you can eat or order a particular dish in a number of places and it always tastes the same.
As my friends generously taught me to properly prepare their dishes, I learned that every woman had a slightly different twist to how it should be done, but there were always principles that were true across the board. Vegetables stuffed with rice but no meat and cooked in olive oil were to be eaten cold; those stuffed with rice and meat and cooked in vegetable oil were to be eaten hot, for example. Coming from my American background of anything goes when it comes to cooking and eating, I found this fascinating. Some of my friends found it fascinating that I rarely cooked true American cuisine (whatever that is), but rather made my own bastardized versions of Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and Indian dishes on a fairly regular basis. Vegetables, typically prepared from fresh, dominate many of the Turkish meals. Of course, they are grown in Turkey and taste delicious. A cucumber or tomato in the States just doesn't taste the same. You will find vegetables on the table at breakfast (fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers), lunch, and dinner. Stewed vegetables, fresh salads, soups containing vegetables are all common fare. Meat is expensive, and so it is used more sparingly, often added into dishes to add flavor, but not a dominant part of the meal. This is a dish that we liked to order from a local cafeteria near the school where we worked. I cook it in olive oil, even though I was instructed to cook it in vegetable oil. Ingredients: 4 small or 2 large eggplants 2 Tbsp salt 1/2 cup olive oil 2 onions, chopped 1 lb ground beef or lamb, or a mixture (optional if you want a vegetarian meal) 3 Tbsp butter salt and pepper to taste 4 ripe tomatoes, skin seeded, and diced, or 2 cans diced tomatoes 1/2 cup parsley, chopped 3 green peppers, quartered Cut the stems off the eggplants and peel them lengthwise, leaving a strip of skin between peels. (They will appear striped.) Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. Lay on baking sheets and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of salt. Let stand for at least 30 minutes, then rinse off salt and drain in a colander. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. (Leave the meat out, obviously, to make this vegetarian.) Fry eggplant slices until soft and browned lightly on both sides. Remove from pan to a plate or platter. Set aside. In the same skillet, saute onions and meat in butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, parsley, and 3 Tbsp of water. Place pepper strips on top. Add cooked eggplant back in. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Traditionally served with white rice, but for primal (grain free, lower carb) purposes, can be eaten like a stew from a bowl all on its own. Yummy served with a side of plain, full fat yogurt. and a fresh salad of diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and parsley, dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, and a dash of salt. Afiyet olsun! (Turkish for bon appetit!) Comments are closed.
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AuthorI'm Emily. I currently work in online education management, but I also have a Masters degree in Nutritional Sciences (my true passion). In addition, I am a mom, cook, avid reader, novice gardener, and enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. On my blog, you will find articles on food, fitness, weight management, and eating issues. ALL recipes on my blog are gluten-free. Many are low-carbohydrate. Most are grain free. Enjoy! Categories
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June 2019
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