The poor little okra is a vegetable with a bad rap. They can’t help that they are slimy. I don’t mind the slime, but for those who do, pickling is a great way to preserve the taste of okra while eliminating the slime. Pickled okra are nice and crisp. They are great eaten on their …
Category: Recipes
Feseli: Azerbaijani Spiced Flatbread
I recently spent several weeks in Azerbaijan and I am trying to recreate and share some of the dishes we ate in the various towns. One of the day trips we made from Baku was to a village in Northeastern Azerbaijan called Lahic, a tiny village of less than 1000 people known for their copper …
Father-in-Law’s Garlicky Pickled Green Peppers
As mentioned in a previous post, my in-laws are currently staying with me and my father-in-law really enjoys going to the market. He likes to buy things in great quantity. Recently when he had the feeling that the price of potatoes and onions was going to go up, he started to stockpile kilos and kilos of …
Continue reading Father-in-Law’s Garlicky Pickled Green Peppers
Chicago Style Giardiniera and Slow Cooker Italian Beef
I grew up near Chicago home of the Italian beef sandwich which is believed to have been created by Italian immigrants working in the stockyards. They had access to undesirable, tough cuts of beef which they then roasted and braised in herbs and garlic to make tender. Through necessity the sandwich was born. These days …
Continue reading Chicago Style Giardiniera and Slow Cooker Italian Beef
Azerbaijani Herbed Kükü
Earlier this July my friends and I embarked upon a tour of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Georgia. Both of these countries are Turkey’s neighbor to the east. While Georgia is geographically closer to Turkey, culturally Azerbaijan is much more similar. They are a predominantly Muslim country who speak a Turkic language so the basics …
Fermented Salsa
This recipe combines two of my favorite things: fermentation and Mexican food. I love tacos, to the point that when we go back to the states my husband actually gets frustrated with me about the number of tacos we eat. But I am like, welcome to my world. It’s kebabs 365 days a year, I …
Spring Stinging Nettle Spanokopita
A tradition I love that is still going strong are the weekly vegetable markets that set up in neighborhoods across the city. Some of them block off streets, wreaking havoc on the traffic. Old ladies who may elbow you to get the best produce then toddle home carrying their hard won kilos of tomatoes, eggplants …
Homemade Corned Beef
When I was learning to cook in San Francisco I lived up the street from this hofbrau named Tommy's Joynt, it is an institution that has been around for 70 years, it serves ridiculously large portions of delicious corned beef, pastrami, ham and turkey among other things for an equally ridiculously low price. Whenever my …
Fire Roasted Peppers Marinated in Oil and Balsamic
One of the challenges that many of us face living in Istanbul is a lack of access to products that we are familiar with, ranging from books, tv programs, the kind of underwear you prefer, medicines you need and of course the types of food you love to eat. As much as you want to …
Continue reading Fire Roasted Peppers Marinated in Oil and Balsamic
Pickled and Fermented New Garlic
Every spring, for a week or two, our markets and bazaars are flooded with fat bulbs of fresh Black Sea garlic. Fresh garlic is great for so many things, but during this time, It’s nearly impossible to find dried garlic, the standard garlic we use in everyday cooking. Fresh garlic season has gotten me into …
Keshkek Meshkek 