What's Cooking with Sheilah Kaufman
Summer Dishes From Turkish Cuisine
Turkey introduced coffee to Europe, gave the Dutch their famous tulips, and provides 70 percent of the world's hazelnuts. While researching A Taste of Turkish Cuisine, which I wrote with Nur Ilkin (wife of the former ambassador to Turkey), I found that Turkey also offers a rich and varied cuisine. The country is situated in both Europe and Asia, at the crossroads of the Far East and the Mediterranean, so Turkish cuisine has imbibed the influence of many cultures: Arab, Babylonian, Chinese, Hittite, Persian, and more.
Neset Eren summed up Turkish cuisine best in his book, The Art of Turkish Cooking: "Many of the well-known national cuisines rely on one basic element. For instance, French cuisine is based on the sauce. Pasta forms the essence of the Italian cuisine. There is, however, no single dominant feature in the Turkish kitchen. Meats, fish, vegetables, pastries, and fruit are cooked in an infinite variety of ways."
Chinese and Mongolian influences on Turkish cuisine include homemade noodles and manti (similar to tortellini). Many other cultures have also left their mark. Arab influences, especially in the south and southeastern parts of Anatolia (the Asian part of Turkey) included many spices, hot peppers in particular. The Persian, Hittite and Byzantine empires introduced vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and parsley-all of Mediterranean origin. Turkish cuisine was also influenced by the Iranian use of fruits in meat and chicken stews. Kebabs, mainstays of Turkish cooking, are of Persian origin. Pilav (pilaf) is the Turkish version of pulau (Persian).
As time passed, olive oil gradually became an alternative for butter, and sugar replaced honey and grape molasses in desserts. Cumin, coriander, cinnamon, mustard, pepper and saffron were the foremost spices used. Parsley, mint leaves, onions, and garlic were the primary herbs and seasonings. Basic foods included wheat and barley (boiled, dried and cracked wheat is called bulgur). Fresh fruits were consumed in season and dried for winter months. To sweeten fruits, they were soaked and cooked in water and molasses (made from grape juice).
Today there are seven regions in Turkey, each with indigenous agricultural products, cultures, customs, traditions and local dishes. The same dessert made in the Black Sea area with hazelnuts would contain pistachio nuts in the southeast part of Turkey.
Many Turkish foods are eaten at room temperature, which makes them ideal dishes for hot weather and as Shabbat fare for observant Jews. Here are a selection of recipes that will add zest and variety to your family's menus this summer and beyond.
 | Eggplant Salad With Olive Oil
 |  | | | |
This can be served on lettuce leaves, or by itself as a salad/side dish.
3 large eggplants, stems trimmed and leaves removed
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
Pierce the skin of the eggplants all around with the tip of a small, sharp knife. Cook the eggplants over an open flame (a charcoal fire is preferable but gas will do), turning occasionally, until the skin is charred and the flesh has softened. Or broil about 8 inches from the broiler heat for 25 minutes or until soft.
Using the flat side of the blade of a knife, gently tap all around the eggplants. With a sharp knife, carefully peel the skin off the eggplants from top to bottom while it is hot. Cut the eggplants diagonally in 1/2-inch slices, remove the stems, and discard. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of water with half the lemon juice. Place the eggplants in the water for a few minutes to cool. Place them in a fine sieve and drain well, pushing the eggplants with a wooden spoon.
In a bowl whisk together the olive oil, remaining lemon juice, garlic and salt. Whisk into the drained eggplant, cover and chill. Serve cold. Serves 6.
| |
| Eggplant Salad With Yogurt
| | | | |
This version includes yogurt and more garlic and can be used as a dip. Although Turkey can claim the origin of the word "yogurt," the process that gave birth to it was used by many ancient Middle Eastern civilizations to preserve milk.
3 large eggplants, stems trimmed and leaves removed
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup drained yogurt
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pierce the skin of the eggplants all around with the tip of a small, sharp knife. Cook over an open flame (a charcoal fire is preferable but gas will do), turning occasionally, until the skin is charred and the flesh has softened. Or broil about 8 inches from the broiler heat for 25 minutes or until soft.
In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of water with the lemon juice. With the flat side of a knife blade, lightly tap all around the eggplants. While still hot, hold the eggplants by their stems and using a small, sharp knife, remove the peel from top to bottom. Cut the eggplants diagonally in 1/2-inch slices, cut off the stems and discard, and place the eggplants in the bowl of water. Place the eggplants in a fine sieve and strain well, pushing them with a wooden spoon.
In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic and salt. Mix with the eggplant, cover and chill.
Serve cold with roasted pita bread, crackers and vegetables. Serves 8 to 10 as a dip.
| |
| Red Pepper Salad
| | | | |
This recipe is from Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey. Aleppo pepper flakes are available in Korean or Mediterranean markets.
1 cup Aleppo pepper (available in jars)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup stale bread crumbs (not canned)
1 cup ground walnuts
1 teaspoon sugar
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced (using a garlic press)
salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
juice of 1/2 lemon
Soak the Aleppo pepper in 1/2 cup water and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the mixture has a paste-like consistency. Mix well.
Add the olive oil, bread crumbs and walnuts, mixing well. Add the sugar, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and cumin, mixing well. Add the lemon juice, mix well, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve at room temperature with bread, crackers or pita. Makes 3 cups.
| |
| Zucchini With Rice
| | | | |
This is a very light summer lunch dish or it can be a served on the side with any meat dish. Serve cold or at room temperature. Vegetarians love it as a main course. My husband, who doesn't like zucchini, ate the whole bowl!
1-1/2 pounds fresh zucchini
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded, cored, cut in quarters lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons uncooked medium-grain white rice
salt
Garnish:
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
Wash and scrape the zucchini and cut in 4 lengthwise pieces, then cut crosswise (from the middle), making 8 pieces. Arrange the zucchini in a saucepan side by side.
Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onion and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes. Add the green pepper and tomatoes, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the sautéed vegetables over the zucchini, add rice, salt to taste, and 1 ¼[?] cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Top with finely chopped dill. Serves 4.
| |
| Circassian Chicken/Chicken With Walnuts | | | | |
A delicious alternative to chicken salad, you can spice it up as much as you'd like.
3 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
3 cups chicken broth or stock
3 slices day-old white bread with crusts removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or walnut oil
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 cups walnuts (plus additional for garnish)
dash of hot sauce (optional) or pepper paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Place the chicken breasts in a large pot with the chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is done. Be careful not to overcook. Remove the chicken from the pot and save the cooking liquid. Let the chicken cool, then cut it into strips, or shred.
Quickly soak the bread in some of the cooking liquid and squeeze the liquid out immediately. Crumble the bread and set aside. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and the margarine and sauté the onions for just a minute or two. Do not let the onions brown. Stir in the garlic, paprika and salt and pepper to taste, and remove the skillet from the heat.
Place the walnuts in the food processor and coarsely chop. Then add 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth, the onion mixture and the bread. Process for one minute until mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste and a dash of hot sauce (or pepper paste) if desired, and blend to make a smooth sauce. If sauce is too thick, add a little more of the chicken broth. Place the cooked chicken on a serving platter and pour the sauce on top. Mix well and garnish with paprika, parsley and walnuts, if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature. Serves 6.
| |
|
|
|
A Taste of Turkish Jewish History
Jews have lived in Turkey since biblical times. Mount Ararat, where Noah and his family ran aground after the deluge, is located in the eastern part of the country. The patriarch Abraham is thought to have been born in today's Urfa, a city in southeastern Turkey, and almost certainly lived in Harran, a district of Urfa, in the 18th century B.C.E.
In 722 B.C.E., the Assyrians captured northern Israel, and two years later King Sargon resettled more than 27,000 Israelites in upper Mesopotamia (now Turkey). In 560 B.C.E., the Babylonians conquered Judah, and again many Israelites were deported, exiled or "dispersed" to other lands. As they strove to maintain their heritage and identity, they became known as the Jews of the Diaspora. Some returned to rebuild Jerusalem, while others built centers of Jewish culture in other parts of the Mesopotamian regions, including what is now Turkey.
But the greatest expansion of the Diaspora occurred after the conquests of Alexander the Great (332–323 BC) and migration from Palestine was encouraged. Ancient synagogue ruins have been found in Sardis, near Izmir, in western Turkey, dating from 220 B.C.E., and traces of other Jewish settlements have been discovered near Bursa in the southeastern part of the country and along the Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts.
The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 C.E. caused another Jewish influx. It is thought that by the 2nd century C.E. there may have been a million Jews settled in Asia Minor, located in most of the major trading cities.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Ottoman Empire absorbed streams of Jews from France (1394), Italy, Hungary (1376), Poland and Sicily (early in the 15th century) in turn or simultaneously. In 1420, Jews from Salonika, then under Venetian control, fled to Edirne (now in extreme western Turkey). In 1470, Jews expelled from Bavaria by Ludwig X found refuge in the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman regime recognized the value of the Jewish community to economic development. The Jews were allowed to live anywhere in the sultanate and could own land and houses. The Jews welcomed the Ottomans as saviors. In fact, so hospitable were the Ottomans to Jewish refugees that in the early 15th century, Rabbi Yitzhak Sarfati of Edirne sent a letter to Jewish communities in Europe "entreating them to leave behind the torments they had endured under Christianity and seek safety and prosperity in Turkey."
In the summer of 1492, under the reign of the enlightened Sultan Beyazid II—whose dream it was to make his empire an "umbrella of humanity"—150,000 Sephardim found refuge in Turkey, escaping the edict of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain that ordered their conversion or death. "The Catholic monarch Ferdinand was wrongly considered as wise," Beyazid II reportedly said, "since he impoverished his country with the expulsion of the Jews, and enriched ours."
Four Turkish cities—Istanbul, Izmir, Safed and Salonica—became the centers of Sephardic Jewry, and for 300 years following the expulsion, the prosperity and creativity of the Ottoman Jews rivaled those of the Golden Age of Spain.
|
| |
|
|
Advertising Info
SUMMER ISSUE 2003