Baklava…

I am sorry, but this is not a post about a recipe for “baklava” … I do have a recipe for baklava with store-bought-phyllo dough, but I have to post that when I am in the US… Over here in Turkey, there is no need to make your own… Almost every neighborhood has a store that specializes only in “desserts”… These pictures are the very reason why we Middle Easterners look down on the baklava in the US and other western countries… Although I usually prefer almost every food home-made…The home-made baklava unfortunately can never beat the professional-made in this case. Please look at the pictures closely, I cannot even count the layers.. all these layers are hand rolled, buttered and baked to perfection… hopefully, I will have a chance to take photos in a “baklava store” and post the process here….

Until then enjoy the photos… These are from Gulluoglu Karakoy to me it’s the best baklava in Istanbul. (again, just like there are a gazillion versions of pizza out there, there are a gazillion versions of baklava, and everyone’s preference is different). For my US readers, just a while ago, Gulluoglu opened a location in NYC. We ordered from there before for gatherings in Memphis. Although not as good as their location in Istanbul it’s pretty respectable. Don’t get me wrong, the quality of the products is the same, it’s just not “perfect” and  just cannot be, since I am sure they cannot find the same ingredient choices and vendors over there. If you decide to order, try the “burma kadayif” as well… that product is almost identical to the ones in Turkey…

adventures in Istanbul series… vol.1. Pierre Loti & macun (candy on a stick)

Macun getting ready to be rolled on sticks...

*Turkce blog icin yazinin sonundaki linke tiklayin… Macun bizim kulturumuze ait birsey oldugundan, bu yazi icin Turk olanlarin Turkce blogu okumasini tavsiye ederim… Ingilizce yazi daha cok yabancilara yonelik…

I have been collecting so much material to post in Istanbul and other cities we are visiting in Turkey. I find it almost impossible to update the blog in the evenings… And then after a few days pass I am not that interested in that place, or topic that I thought about… I had writer’s blocks before… but I am new to this opposite… There are too many things to post, but I just don’t know where to begin… it’s very similar to having too many knitting projects on the needles…
So for a few days I will try to post instant updates “from location” using my iPhone… this post was meant to be a test post, but I couldn’t figure out how to upload my pictures. (will solve that soon). Of course the quality of the photos will suffer, hopefully the content will make up for it. I will try to follow with more explanatory posts such as this one, especially if I am writing about a location, restaurant etc. Feel free to comment and and ask for additional info…

The view from Pierre Loti Cafe

Today we were at Pierre Loti Cafe in Eyup. It’s interesting that I have never been there for the 7 years I lived in Istanbul although it’s just the type of place that I would enjoy… We also found out that neither my husband nor my best friend’s husband has been there… Since Ferda (my best friend) has been the only one that has been there, she also took the courtesy to drive the car through the claustrophobic Eyup weekend traffic ruled by chaos.  This historic cafe, or more appropriately tea/coffee house, has direct panaromic view of the “the Golden Horn“. We sat at a back table under the trees and sipped our tea.

When I walked down to take the above picture I saw a vendor selling “macun” (direct translation “paste”). This is a form of chewy candy that is wrapped on sticks. It comes in various colors and aromas… There really isn’t something identical to macun in the modern candy culture. The taste is identical to hard candy, but it’s as chewy as marshmallow but you cannot bite into it. The candy sticks to your teeth for dear life. The best part is to order what you want, and then you have the option to have the top dipped in lemon.

see that lemon waiting for its own share of this perfect candy...

We used to have these candy vendors all around the shopping areas when we were kids. Then when candies started being produced and sold by factories these vendors dissappeared. In my hometown, we used to have something similar to the ice cream trucks… but instead of mobile ice cream, these vendors provided a “mobile merry-go-round”. When I heard the music of the approaching truck, I used to run upstairs to get permission and coins from my mom… That same truck also sold “macun”… I guess I learned about that tactic in my MBA class as product lining (marketing strategy of offering for sale several related products).

I haven’t seen a macun vendor for at least 15 years. I was soooo happy to be able to offer my kids macun… Of course I also got one for myself… But you really have to be a child to appreciate the soft candy sticking to your teeth while your are trying to manouver the dangling strings from your chin… As expected “macun” won their hearts immediately, nothing can beat that smile in a child’s eyes when they find some new taste and enjoy it to the last bite…

the best tastes always come wrapped around a stick!!