Exploring the culture, history, and cuisine of Turkey through the eyes of not-just-another-tourist
I spent 6.5 years in Ankara. Before moving there, one of the most difficult things I could imagine was celebrating American holidays without my family. Even harder, would be celebrating Thanksgiving since it is not a holiday at all in Turkey! It has been two years since I returned to the States. Looking back, my... Continue Reading →
It's that time of year again and expats are scrambling to make a Pumpkin Pie! It's not so easy to figure out on your own. And why bother when I have already done it in Turkey! I must admit, I never baked a pumpkin pie from scratch until I moved to Turkey and it was... Continue Reading →
A big congratulations to our friend Ozlem at Ozlem's Turkish Table. She has published her first cookbook and I can't wait to read it! I just finished ordering my copy. Yes, she ships to the US! Ozlem's blog has been my go-to for Turkish cooking. Why just this past weekend I paid her blog a... Continue Reading →
I wanted to do something a little different today and get away from the food posts. But that's not going to happen. I woke up to a nice surprise that I want to share with you instead. It's about food. German food. More specifically, about Bavarian food - one of my favorites. The Park Inn... Continue Reading →
Huh?? What do these Valentine's Day and awards for Best Picture have to do with each other? Not much, other than I wanted to share my recently baked items. They were all freshly baked for Valentine's Day. But some of them were movie-themed, instead of covered in pink frosting with all those mushy pink hearts!... Continue Reading →
Recently, as I mentioned in this prior post, I've been in baking mode. I have been making American-style sweets, cakes, pies, brownies, etc. Today's photos are from some of my recent projects. "The Elsa Birthday Cake" This was a double-layer brownie cake. My brownie recipe is the bomb! Rich, dark and moist. The icing was... Continue Reading →
Now that the temperatures have cooled, I am thinking of doing a little baking. You probably recall how much I loved to cook but hated to bake! Well, I got over it! I am now quite adept at baking American style goodies with Turkish products. "I wanted to thank you for being so considerate to... Continue Reading →
This past summer, I was the lunch guest of a dear friend. She took me to an off-the-beaten-path restaurant called Üstünel Köftecisi. I believe it is technically in a part of Ulus/Altındağ. Well, while it was off the beaten path for me, the place was packed! It is located in a sketchy looking neighborhood, full of... Continue Reading →
It's hot here in Ankara, really hot. But that didn't stop me from finding a great way to enjoy breakfast, other than the typical Turkish buffet-style (which is fabulous, but gets old sometimes.) This morning it was another "what's in the house" kind of breakfast. I had all of these items in either my fridge... Continue Reading →
Musings of a Philadelphia lawyer - who married a Turk, quit her day job, and set out for adventure!
-by Terry Henson Kaymak
Adventures in Ankara 