Simit; “Sesame-Encrusted Bread Rings”

Posted by Ozlem on Feb 15, 2012 in Savory Pastries | 4 comments

Turkish breakfast; Simit with feta cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes

Simit is indeed the quintessential Turkish food; these sesame-encrusted bread rings must be the most popular snack at home. You can have simit for breakfast with a cup of cay (tea), sliced cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese and olives. You can enjoy them for a mid morning or afternoon snack with cheese or simply plain. Turks prefer savory accompaniments to simit, though I must say it is also lovely over some butter and jam. Their flavor and deeply satisfying texture are quite unlike anything else.

Traditional simit stall (simitci) in Istanbul

There are mobile simit stalls everywhere, especially in Istanbul (Istanbullus pride themselves as to have the genuine article). Recently, there are also Simit Houses opened all around the country, where you can enjoy simit with various fillings; cheese, olive paste, sucuk (Turkish spicy sausages made from dried cured beef). A magnificent revival of this all time favorite street food.

 When I saw the Simit recipe at Leanne Kitchen’s delightful book  Turkey; Recipes and tales from the road, I was over the moon. No one bothers making simit at home, as it is so widely available and so good. But living abroad, you don’t mind tackling to make it and would be surprised to see how easy to make them. As it is the school term break at the moment, the children and I had a go with the simit dough; blissfully satisfying and a delicious experience. Lovely, crunchy crust coated with golden sesame seeds, and nice soft dough in the middle. I took a bite, closed my eyes, and I was in Istanbul

 This simit recipe is adapted by Leanne Kitchen’s version. I hope you enjoy them at least as much as we did:)

Makes 10

Prep time: 40 minutes (+1 hr for the dough to rise) Baking time:15-18 minutes

1 pinch sugar

15ml/3 teaspoons dried yeast

500gr (1lb 2oz/3 1/4 cups) plain flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

125ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) pekmez (molasses like syrup, see note)

235gr (8 1/2 oz 1 1/2 cups) sesame seeds

Combine the sugar and 60 ml (2fl oz/ 1/4 cup) lukewarm water in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the yeast. Set aside for about 8 minutes, or until foamy, then add another 310 ml (10 3/4 fl oz/ 1 1/4 cups) lukewarm water.

 Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, then add the yeast mixture and stir to form a coarse dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Roll the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220 C (425 F/Gas 7) and line a large size baking tray with baking paper. Knock back the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 10 even sized pieces. Combine the pekmez with 80 ml (2 1/2 fl oz/1/3cup) water in a large bowl. Place the sesame seeds on a large plate. Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your hands to roll the dough out to make 55 cm (22″) long ropes. Fold in half so two ends align, then lift off the board and use your hands to twist each rectangle into a two stranded “rope”. Place back on the work surface and join the ends together to make a circle, pressing the ends firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 10 rope circles.

Dip each ring, first into the pekmez mixture, immersing completely to coat, then drain well and toss in the sesame seeds, turning gently to coat. Transfer to the prepared tray and set aside at room temperature for about 20 minutes, to puff slightly. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, or until deep golden and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Simit are best eaten on the day of making but will keep, frozen in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.

 Note: Pekmez is a mollasses-like syrup made from the juice and must of certain fruits, usually grapes or figs. It is available from Middle Eastern and Turkish grocery stores.

 Afiyet Olsun!

Natural History Museum – A Fantastic Day Out in London

Posted by Ozlem on Feb 11, 2012 in A Slice of England | 2 comments

My son Mark wanted to have a day out in London for his 8th birthday – which we all embraced happily!- NHM, Natural History Museum is one of his favorite spots in London. NHM is a home to more than 70 million wonderful specimens from the natural world. In their permanent galleries, the museum has a broad range of exhibitions about Earth and Life on Earth. My son especially loves the age of dinosaurs  - check out the terrifying T.rex!- , marvels at the blue whale, the largest animal in the world.

Red zone in the museum hosts our ever changing planet, space and the natural forces that shape it. You can even experience what it feels like to be caught in earthquake and witness the devastating impacts of volcanic eruptions.

 Above all, admission to NHM is free of charge, what a fascinating place to explore for all ages, if you are inLondon. The wonderful museum building is a piece of art itself, and it looks magical with a touch of snow

And right across the NHM is the wonderful Victoria and Albert Museum, one of the world’s greatest museums of arts and design. One of the Exhibitions they are hosting at the moment features the photographs of the Queen Elizabeth II by royal photographer Cecil Beaton. This exhibition celebrates Her Majesty in her roles as princess, monarch and mother and coincides with the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. This museum is also free of charge and a fascinating spot to explore.

Hope these get you in the mood for exploring fascinating sites, happy travels!

Thin, crispy Turkish pizza with spicy lamb topping; Lahmacun

Posted by Ozlem on Feb 6, 2012 in Appetizers and Mezes | 4 comments

This thin, crispy Turkish pizza, lahmacun is the ultimate street food in Turkey. A very popular lunch time snack, lahmacun is sold in street stalls as well as in restaurants. In Kebab houses, mini lahmacuns are served as an appetizer that I can’t get enough. We Turks also love to have it as a take away food, a great, healthy alternative to fast food, the children love them too. Lemon is liberally squeezed over and then it is rolled up with sliced tomatoes, onion and parsley salad, piyaz.

 Flour Tortillas work very well as a mini lahmacun base if you can’t get around making your own dough. We had girls’ night in last Friday, and I used tortillas as a base for the lahmacun since I had limited time. They were ready in a flash and everyone really enjoyed it. Wonderful food for entertaining; highly recommended!

Lahmacun, Crispy Turkish Pizza with ground meat topping

Serves 4 – 6

Preparation time – 45 minutes (add 1 hour rest for dough if you choose to make it)

If using flour tortillas; Prep time: 25 minutes Cooking time – 20 minutes

 Dough ingredients:

5 ml/ 1 teaspoon active dried yeast

1/2 teaspoon sugar

150 ml/ 2/3 cup lukewarm water

350 gr/3 cups strong white bread flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mild olive oil

Or

6 pieces of Flour Tortillas

Topping ingredients:

15ml/1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

225gr / 8oz ground lean lamb or beef

15ml/1 tablespoon tomato paste

5ml/1 teaspoon paprika flakes

Juice of 1 lemon

 Piyaz (Sliced tomatoes, onion and parsley salad with herbs) ingredients:

 1 teaspoon salt

15ml/1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

5ml/1 teaspoon ground sumac – optional-

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon paprika flakes – optional -

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F

Making the dough:

Place the sugar and the yeast in a small bowl with half the lukewarm water. Set aside for about 15 minutes until frothy.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the middle and add the creamed yeast and the rest of the lukewarm water. Using your hand, draw in the flour and work with the mixture to dough, adding more water if necessary.

Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Drip a few drops of olive oil into the base of the bowl and roll the dough in it. This will help the dough not to dry up. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preparing the lahmacun topping:

Lightly soften the onions in the olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the liquid has been absorbed. Add salt to taste and set aside to cool. Put the meat in a bowl and add the tomato paste, parsley, paprika flakes, lemon juice, cooked onions and tomato. Season with salt and pepper and work this mixture into a paste with your hands. Cover and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

If you are making the dough; punch down the risen dough, knead it on a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin flat round, stretching the dough with your hands as you roll. Oil the baking sheets and place the dough rounds on them and spread a thin layer of the meat mixture covering the edges too. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the meat is nicely cooked.

 If you are using fresh flour tortillas as a base, spread a thin layer of the meat mixture over the Flour Tortillas and leave to rest for a couple of minutes. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until brown and crispy.

For the piyaz; work sumac and the salt into the onion slices with your hands really well. Combine with the chopped tomatoes, parsley and paprika flakes. Wisk together the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the piyaz. Season with salt (if needed) and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve lahmacun immediately with the piyaz, with lemon wedges to squeeze over by the side.

 Afiyet Olsun!

Blossoms and exotic butterflies at the RHS Wisley Gardens

Posted by Ozlem on Feb 1, 2012 in A Slice of England | 6 comments

We have had a mild winter in England so far (and now we’re feeling the chill in the air!), which resulted in early blossoms in the trees.

We were at the RHS Wisley Gardens at the weekend, and it was incredible to see blossoms and buds on the trees, even daffodils – little too early!

Snowdrops are everywhere and gorgeous to look at. We are expecting some frost and colder weather, so here is the hope for the blossoms to survive.

RHS Wisley Gardens are hosting the exotic butterflies at the Green House until February 26th and that really is worth seeing if you are around.

They are absolutely beautiful, and the tropical plants and the warm air transport you to exotic locations.

Hope you enjoy the butterflies!

Break the winter blues and join us for a fun Turkish Cooking Class!

Posted by Ozlem on Jan 27, 2012 in Turkish Cooking Classes | 7 comments

I am delighted to share with you that I will be restarting my Turkish cooking classes soon. I am very passionate about my homeland’s cuisine and taught Turkish cooking classes in the US over 5 years (privately and thru Central Market Cooking Schools in Austin, San Antonio and Houston); they have all been received very well so far. Turkish cuisine is healthy, delicious, and easy to prepare.  I have two classes scheduled in Surrey, England; on Saturday, 25^th February, from 10 am to 12 noon, and on Sunday, 11th March, from 2.30pm-4.30pm at Oatlands Village Hall. It would be a great pleasure to have your company

We have a wonderful menu lined up; Warm homemade hummus with olive oil&red pepper flakes, served with pita bread; Bulgur wheat salad with vegetables, olive oil and pomegranate molasses, served over lettuce leaf;   Stuffed aubergine with ground meat, onion and tomato sauce (I can also do a vegetarian version of this if requested ahead of time); diced cucumber and yoghurt dip with dried mint. 

The details of the Turkish cooking classes are available at my blog, under Cooking Classes.If you can’t join us, all these recipes are available at my blog,  just a click away! Hope you give them a go sometime.

Happy Cooking!