Fried Liver, Chopped Liver and Ciğer Kavurma

	chopped liver http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chopped%20liver
	Someone perceived as being of little value or worth, as evidenced by being ignored when others are getting attention. Usually used as a semi-rhetorical question. Origin probably in American Jewish humor of the early-to-mid 20th century. "What am I, chopped liver?" "What do I look like, chopped liver?" I HATE liver, couldnt eat it as a child when it was hidden in some mystery gravy dressed up with onions and I cant stand to look or touch it now.  How can I eat pate? Chopped liver or Turkish liver? I dont know maybe it is my body craving it to get some element that is missing in my diet.  Or maybe it is because it is just so delicous! I was first served Kavurma in a doner and loved it, I didnt know what it was but I knew I liked it.  I was horrified when I realised much later that it was my dreaded foe Liver.  I also ate it at my husbands cousins house.  He had served it as a special treat for me and added in some heart and other internal organs because he likes me.  There is a traddition in Turkey that if you have a near death experience and obviously live to tell the tale you kill an animal and give the meat to your neigbours whilst you only keep the internal parts for yourself.  That is what this man did.  He had gone to visit his parents up in a high mountain village and caught the dolmus (Mini bus) back home.  They had nearly made it all the way when a huge truck ploughed into the side of the bus.  His wife and 5 children all got some pretty serious cuts and scraps but no one was killed.  Thank God for that.  So the meal they served to me was special as they were very thankful they were all still together and they wanted to thank God as well.  I sat on the floor and saw everything that went in it including a heart and some white stuff plus the liver.  I told myself I would take enough to be polite then take my leave of the table.  After the first few precautious nibbles I was hooked.  I now make this (just with liver) for my family.  Even my baby likes it. I love pate even the cheap stuff out of the tube, when I make it I usually make one with mushrooms, walnuts and chicken livers with a splash of something to deepen the flavours.  Chopped Liver is very nice and is suitable for alot of different occasions.  You can dress it up to serve at a cocktail party or just spread it on toast for a good boost in the mornings. Heres the recipe for Turkish Ciğer Kavurma.  Normally calf liver is used but you can substitute with chicken as I do since it is more readily available. 500gr Liver 2 large onions 2 or 3 green sweet or hot chillies 1 bunch of parsley 2 tlbs pepper or tomato paste chilli powder or paprika 1 tsp cumin salt oil I wash the liver very well and let it sit in a bowl of water with added salt for about 30 minutes.  Rinse and drain well.  Since I dont like touching the liver I use my food processer to make this dish.  This makes it quick and easy. I start with the onions and pulse that a couple of times then add in the green chilies then pulse again.  Add the parsley next and process until it is finely chopped.  You can add the the paste, spices and salt at this time then add the liver.  I process the liver until it is fairly smooth, but that is personal choice you can leave it a bit textured if you prefer. I dont like using alot of oil but for this I make an exception and use more than I normally would.  I would recomend about 1/4 of a cup.  Heat your frypan with the oil until hot.  Add the liver and cook until done - I probably overcook mine as I dont want to be gagging on any raw bits.  That would be about 30 minutes so cook it until you are happy with it. Serve this with flat bread, salad and pickled chilies.

Hummus

My favorite food actually isn't Turkish, its Asian.  What has this got to do with Hummus? nothing but Hummus and falafel are probably nearly on equal footing as Asian food or a very close second.  I don't know what it is about Hummus maybe its just the taste, the texture who knows.  Turkish people do eat this and whilst it is not eaten everywhere or even known throughout Turkey you can find this in Antakya and Hatay.  Alot of Turks would even say its not a Turkish dish, the Arabs would say its theirs the Israelis claim it as well.  The fact is that alot of the Middle Eastern food is very similar with some of the dishes crossing over boarders and Hummus is one of them.  As a result many countries will claim this divine dish as their own.  Speaking about Divine I happened across a blog devoted just to Hummus and they have an excerpt on there from Israeli writer  Meir Shalev who says he can prove it is Israeli as its origins can be found in the Bible, the old testament.

The first time Ruth and Boaz had met in Bethlehem, he offered her some humus: “And at meal-time Boaz said unto her, Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar” (Ruth 2-14).

This is a mistranslation of course. The original word in ancient Hebrew, is “Hometz”. Which not only sounds a bit like “Humus”, but also resembles the word “Himtza”. The Hebrew name of chick-peas.

True, “Hometz” in modern Hebrew is vinegar. But you don’t really think Boaz was so rude as to offer Ruth to dip her bread in vinegar, do you? Got to admit it’s more reasonable to think it was Humus.


Not only are the origins of Humus ambiguous but so is the recipe or should I say recipes!  As people are very different, recipes also change and are different depending on where you come from. Syrians might like more tahini whilst I have heard Jordanians like more lemon so therefore the recipe is slightly different depending on where you come from.  Most of us have probably bought a tub from the fridge section in the local supermarket and so have a basic idea on what is involved in the final product.  I have given you the recipe for this in my Meze post before.  I thought it deserved another honourable mention when I saw a few videos about Hummus on youtube.


This first one shows the whole eating experience for those who haven't yet partaken of this dish, but as you will see on the video it is also a staple for some. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXPJUyFGMgE&feature=related


This second one will show you how to serve it perfectly for your next dinner party or lunch. The guy dresses it up with pine nuts but I really think it would be much more appropriate to serve it with a few boiled chickpeas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvvtD4rdx3E&feature=related

Baked Beans - Turkish Style

I love Baked Beans.  We ate it alot when I was little and it was one of the only things I could give my oldest son to fill him up when he was starving.  After coming to Turkey I was introduced to a local bean dish from the Adana region.  It was nice even though I was dubious as it was kind of watery with beans and a few meat pieces floating in it.  My MIL made this and we ate it but I always thought that there has to be a way to make it a bit more eater friendly.  I started making this as per instructions given to me by my MIL but over the weeks I slowly made a few changes not realising of course that the bean dishes kind of vary within the regions of  Turkey.  Being a Heinz Baked Bean fan I tried to recreate the same thickness and texture I was so familiar with.  I am happy to say I have perfected my baked bean recipe and converted my Turkish husband over to my side.  With all my recipes there is room for various expressions depending on my mood or what I have in the fridge and cupboards. I will give you a list of my favorite variations.

Chili - Sweet paprika, chili flakes, minced green sweet chilies.  Fry onion then add the sweet chilies and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add to bean mix then add in the paprika and chili flakes.

Sausage - Turkish Sucuk (you could use any spicy sausage) and fried onions.  Cook the sausage with the onions then add to the beans.

Meat - Using a meat stock and adding in about 150 grams of cubed beef or lamb.  Fry the meat with the onion then add to the beans.

Veggie - Grated carrots(1 cup added just after frying onions then add the tomatoes then fry for a couple of more minutes), fried onions, garlic and a couple of tomatoes.

Cheese - Crumbled fetta and sliced black olives (stirred through just before serving)

Herbal - One large bunch of finely minced parsley and bit of basil if in season.  Add the  parsley to the onions and cook for a minute then add.

250grams dried white beans, soaked overnight then cooked (you can use canned/tinned)
salt and pepper to taste
garlic to taste if desired
1 or 2 chopped onions(I don't always add as my younger children wont eat them)
2 or 3 tbs pepper or tomato paste
water
oil

If you don't want to use oil (I try to use as little oil as possible) you don't have to fry the onion and garlic just add everything in together and cook.

Fry the onion and garlic until clear add the pepper paste, stir through and cook for another minute then add a glass or two of water and add to the cooked beans.    Add in the salt and pepper.  Taste.  Add enough water to cover the beans and about 2 centimetres more.  Cook for about 40 minutes until thick.

There are thousands and thousands of local restaurants all serving delicious and cheap meals.  This bean dish is one of the staples of these eateries.  I found this great photo of the baked beans and also of one these local restaurants showing the daily offerings that are typical in Turkey.

Click here Durak Lokantası

Don't forget for all those bean phobes out there that they say if you cook the beans in separate water then drain to make the dish it wont cause any flatulence.  Did you know that their are more bean related deaths per year than death by shark attack!  There are an average of 423 beans in a 400gr tin.  The variety of bean Heinz uses is the Haricot.  So readers what bit of food trivia will you share with the rest of us?

Grand Bazaar

I have just opened a market with Amazon on my page 'Grand Bazaar' not to confuse that with the 'Kapali Çarşı' to showcase Turkish foods, teapots, coffee cups, language and cultural books. Feel free to browse amongst the selections or to buy.  I was really surprised at the amount of authentic Turkish food on Amazon.  I have tried to select the most authentic of the offerings, even down to the strings of dried eggplants and peppers from Gaziantep.  For those thinking about coming over for a holiday there are Turkish language phrase books, cultural books and Turkish music, featuring TARKAN as he is my favorite, to get you prepared.  With the selections I have chosen you should be able to have a real Turkish experience.

Kadayif, Sweet Noodles

One benefit of living in Gaziantep is the relationship the people have with the firins(Turkish bread bakeries).  The locals can front up to these bakeries with thier prepared food or semi prepared food and get it cooked in these wonderful wood fired ovens.  Anything from a tray of vegetables with chilies to stuffed pides to lovely desserts.  I along with most of the population try to get the most out of these firins.  Yesterday we had a group of friends over and decided that the local firin could do all the work for a change.  I prepared a spinach, cheese and chili filling for stuffed pides and something I hadn't tried cooking at the firin before, Kadayif.


Kadayif are noodles used to make a range of desserts.  They are very easy to prepare and look spectacular. We have just moved to a new area and one of the firins near us do this(not all of them will) they also will make baklava for you as well.  The amazing part of it all was that I only had to give them my tray, a packet of butter, some nuts and they did it all.  When I got it home all I had to do was to pour over the sugar syrup and serve.  I got rave reviews for my triumph of this traditional dish.


Take a look at this Video,  yes I know it is in Turkish but all you have to do is click it and watch the guy go through the motions.  The kitchen our new place has is absolutely tiny so I think this video is the best option to show you all how its done. (after you click there is an ad then the demonstration starts)


As you can see the chef shows you the noodles.  Cuts them into smaller pieces puts them in the tray, spreads on the nuts, then covers again with more noodles.  How easy is that!

750 gr Kadayif noodles
250 gr butter
200 gr crushed walnuts


3 cups sugar
2 cups water
pinch of citric acid or a bit of lemon juice


I usually make the syrup first.  Add all the ingredients and boil for 20 minutes until it is fairly thick.


Melt the butter and pour over the noodles.  Sift through the noodles to make sure they are covered with the butter.  Take half of the noodles and press into your pan.  Sprinkle over the walnuts.  Place the rest of the noodles on top and press again.  Press fairly hard as you want it to be as compressed as you can make it.  Place into a hot oven and cook until golden brown on top.  Then getting another tray turn over the noodles and place into the oven again.  When the other side is golden brown take out of the oven and let cool a little.


Pour the syrup over the cooked noodles and let it sit for a few minutes so it can get soaked up.  


Serve with sprinkled nuts on top and with cream on the side if so desired.


So to my lovely friends, yes I did make it! and this is my secret.  What little entertaining secrets I mean tips do you have readers?




Here is the link for another famous dish Künefe using the same noodles and cheese.

Zuchinni

Zucchinis are prolific at the best of times. After stuffing them, frying them, grating them into veggie loafs and making ratatouille, you can get a bit bored of them so here are two recipes that will help you enjoy zucchinis again. These recipes are good for breakfast or a light meal.   The first recipe is from Konya and the second can be found pretty much all over Turkey.

Ingredients: 

6 diced zucchinis

1 finely chopped onion

4 beaten eggs

salt and pepper

chili

oil

Instructions: 

İn a fry pan saute the onion until soft then add the diced zucchini and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the zucchini is soft.  Turn down the heat to moderate and add in the beaten eggs, stir into the zucchinis and then add salt, pepper and chili.  Cook for a further 4 minutes.  Serve this for breakfast or with salad as a light meal.

Mücver aka Zucchini Puffs

For this second recipe you need

2 grated zucchinis

1 finely diced onion or a few sprigs of green onion chopped

8 eggs

1 tbsp of flour

1 tsp of baking powder

half a cup of crumbled feta - you can omit this if you wish

a handful of chopped herbs ie parsley and or dill

salt, pepper and chili to taste 

oil

Grate the zucchinis and drain.  Add in beaten eggs, flour, baking powder, herbs, salt, pepper, chili, cheese and onion.  Stir until well combined.  İn a fry pan add a small amount of oil and start frying a couple of tbsp of mixture.  Fry each side until brown.  You can serve this along side salads and garlic yogurt.

                

Dandelion Greens

I had grown up sitting on the lawn trying to find a 4 leaf clover and making dandelion necklaces and bracelets for myself or my sister or my little neighbour but never saw myself weeding them out to make a salad.  When we were little, one time I remember we had gone somewhere on a picnic and my mother saw alot of dandelions and she got us picking the leaves and the roots saying the we could eat them and what a good source of free food.  When we got back home it didnt live up to her expectations and she was never tempted again to out to our lawn and partake of these delights.  Dandelion Greens are very healthy and they make a nice side dish or can be used as a meze.

I lived in Konya for 2 years and one thing I noticed was the women picking weeds.  I took a closer look and saw it was dandelions.  These dandelions were all  a bit different from the normal ones I had seen growing in our lawn.  All different shapes and sizes but all Delicious.  The women told me they ate them as a salad by themselves or mixed in with a salad but  no one  ever gave me a specific recipe.  I remembered when I had lived in Adana that I went to my friends house and she had made a dish.  Dandelion salad, at first I was a bit tentative to taste it as I had remembered my mothers experiments with it.  After the first bite I was taken, such a lovely dish but I had never made it as I hadn't been anywhere where I could find enough of them to make a meal out of.  After 2 cold years of living in Konya we moved to Gaziantep where we still are.  Guess what I saw at the local Bazar? Dandelion greens for sale and 1 lira a kilo.  I bought half a kilo even though the woman was pushing that I buy 2.  I recreated my friends recipe and we have been hooked ever since.  Half a kilo is enough for a family meal or for my husband and myself 2 times.  

Ingredients: 

500grams dandelion leaves

juice of one lemon

garlic to taste or 4 cloves

salt

oil

Instructions: 

Wash the dandelion leaves well and chop roughly.  Put into saucepan and just cover with water, boil for about 5 minutes.  Drain the leaves.  İn a fry pan saute diced garlic cloves for a couple of minutes then add the dandelion leaves and continue for about another 3 minutes.  Take off the heat and place into serving bowl, pour the lemon juice over the leaves and chill. I usually mash the oil, lemon juice and salt into the leaves for a couple of seconds to bring out the flavours. This salad tastes nice if left a few hours before serving.

(for this recipe İ am generous with the oil, İ usually cook with no oil or very little for this İ would probably use 3 tablespoons of oil)

I have a Dandelion Soup recipe here.