All posts filed under: Snacks

pumpkin rye no knead bread

Pumpkin Rye No Knead Bread with Caraway and Nigella Seeds

Published by

I’ve been baking no-knead bread on and off for quite a while as you know. I love the smell of bread being baked in the oven but before that, the smell of yeast. I’ve been inspired by the book I’ve started to read, called “The Storyteller” by Jodi Picoult, which is full of stories about baking bread. I totally agree, as it’s said in the book, that bakers and butchers should always be regarded as high professions. They have my full respect for sure and I am one of many wannabe bakers who try to master the magic of how yeast turns flour into bread: and of how yeast turns into wine: and of how yeast turns milk into cheese. In the book, the main character, Sage, anthropomorohise bread by describing how she needs to sit quietly and retreat from touch and noise in order to evolve. I sometimes feel like that, too. A new stone oven is waiting for the final stage and will be ready for the first batch of baking in a …

Dolma – Stuffed Vegetables with Lentil and Sheep Feta

Published by

Yippee, I finally made it! After the embarrassing presentation of my dolma at a dinner, I had another go at these dried vegetables, which you’ll see hanging in every spice and grocery store in Turkey. They look so strange at first but they’re cored and dried zucchini, eggplant and capsicum, which are the essential ingredients for Turkish olive oil dolma (zeytinyagli dolma), donc, rice-stuffed vegetables. What you see is chili paste from Hatay, the furthest region bordered by Syria and famous for lots of spicy dishes. Oh, the chili pate is quite addictive, though not as hot as Thai or Mexican chilies. One Sunday evening, I made an attempt to impress Mr.O’s dad, who always cooks for me. But what a disaster it was! I was going to keep the failure secret but I decided to share the story in order to prevent potential victims  like me, who might try to make the dolma. I’d only made dolma with fresh vegetables up to that point. These dried vegetables need a lot of time to soak …

Soirée des Gourmands @Eat with Me – Delicious Evening with Comte and Jura Wine

Published by

When I got back to Istanbul, I wanted to eat some lamb because I, who was indulging in duck meat, I’d forgotten to eat lamb while in France. So I made lamb shanks as the taste of beef bourguignon, which I’d pulled off not long ago, was still lingering in my palate. Well, it just happened to be another dish that I had to brag about. Maybe I’m born a slow cook. I mean literally I can’t cook fast, and if I have to rush, I panick and freeze to the spot. That’s why I’m still a home cook, not a chef. But this might change after the dinner I had with a woman, who came to my dinner last Saturday. This lamb shanks I made by incorporating a beef bourguigon recipe into traditional lamb shanks was the best I’d made and tasted. The fall-off-bone tenderness is just a beginning and the rich flavours and aromas were just incredible. I didn’t even need a fork to eat. The main concept of my blog, which seems …

All Blacks Risotto – Wild Mushrooms Wild Rice Risotto / Comte Apple Fritters

Published by

Sorry if you clicked it, thinking it was about the NZ soccer team. This photo was taken at the beginning of my holiday and the last week I hardly saw a blue sky. Just around the corner and behind the house is a grassy space with laundry lines and walnut trees. One day we took a walk in the woods, looking for mushrooms, but we didn’t find any. Alas, we stumbled upon a sight of mushrooms spread widely across the grass. These were the most beautiful looking mushrooms I’d seen. They are called Petit Gris due to the grey colour. While Cyrille was looking for information to make sure they were edible, though he was 99% sure, because he had another life at risk, ME, I cleaned the mushrooms by just shaking off the soil and grass. Last time we experienced that mushrooms had been left uncooked bred hundreds of wiggly creatures overnight. So this time we cooked them right away even though we didn’t plan to eat them that night. These mushrooms contained a …

Mini Blue Voyage and 3 min-One-Pot Pasta

Published by

I was on a surprise holiday for the entire las week. I ate, swam, ate, swam, ate, swam at luxury resorts – of course, not at my own expenses. I am more of a rough-it type – and the last two days I was out in the most beautiful cove in Fethiye, which is on the route of Blue Voyage. I was privileged to be on a private boat of an amazingly honourable and hospitable man. Spending time in the sea surrounded by luxury yachts and millionaires was quite an experience that one could dream of. I’ve always fancied owning a boat and living on it, sailing all round the world – who haven’t? Sleeping on the boat was like sleeping on a rocking cradle, which I was comforting and help to sleep better. The meals cooked onboard were exquisite, too. Why is food cooked at the camp so delicious? Is it the simplicity or the surroundings giving a relish to the food? Is it simply that you have more appetite when outdoors, being active? …

leek feta chilli muffins

Leek Feta Muffins with Green Chillies

Published by

Sometimes I wonder which country I live in. My fridge and pantry are filled with foreign food items and French wines, but when I look out of the window I see red flags hanging out on the window seals of people’s houses. And I hear the call to prayer in the evening while eating dinner – now I sleep through the morning call that strikes at 6.30 and it doesn’t bother me any more. Other things that remind me of where I am include these white mulberries, the taste of dill and huge yogurt containers, which have many uses. As I am petite and good at climbing trees, I was asked to pick mulberries. These mulberry trees are everywhere across Turkey and the sweet fruit drop on to the streets, making footpaths sticky, and sometimes they will hit your head or drop on to the screen of your iPad when you’re lounging in the shade of those trees. They are so sweet that they can be boiled down to syrup or molasses and used as …