PM vs AM
Last night we saw a most spectacular view from our window. The sun was setting to the West, but in the East a storm was brewing. I tried to capture it, but a picture only can only do so much to illustrate the stark contrast of what was happening on the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. Ironically enough, the Asian-side storm never even dropped one rain drop on the European side (at least in our neighborhood).
Also in stark contrast was our morning scene vs. last night. Here’s the beautiful view out our window early this morning…
to fig or not to fig?
I don’t know why I never liked figs before. I think it all started with my dislike of Fig Newtons, which disgust me to no end. But when I moved to Turkey, my tastes for a lot of things changed… for the fresher. We eat every veggie and fruit under the sun here, and a lot of them. And it’s so easy when there’s a green grocer or pazar on every corner. Our meat consumption has gone down (red meat completely gone for me), fish consumption UP, and it’s a rare day that we eat something fried.
It has also really helped that I’ve taken up cooking here. I flat out never had the time for it living in NY, but now I’m really enjoying it. I’ve even conquered some non-entry-level Turkish food like Hünkar Beğendi (lamb cubes over a bed of smoked eggplant puree), İmam Bayıldı (stuffed eggplant dish), and Etli Yaprak Dolması (grape leave rolls stuffed with meat and rice)!
Back to figs. I don’t know who ever decided to let a fig sit out in the sun and then eat it afterwards. I mean, have you taken a look at the things? Not necessarily appetizing looking. But I guess it’s more logical (and safe) than the first person who tried eating a chicken egg (who thought eating something that pops out of a chicken like that would be a good idea?). Yes, I think about these random things.
But now I am hooked on figs… dried ones anyway. I can’t get enough. I’m not so into the fresh ones though, as they resemble pink brains to me. Not so appealing.
The verdict: if it’s dried, fig it.
summer has arrived!
I am happy to announce that the gloomy, rainy, grey winter that we’ve had is officially done, gone, over with. Spring was here for a few days here and there with its fresh air and warm sunshine, always requiring a light jacket of some sort. But spring was gone in the blink of an eye, which from what I understand is pretty normal for Istanbul. And summer has officially arrived! (officially by my calendar, anyway)
We’re enjoying 80* weather, day after day of sun, hot sunshine, but nights are a still little chilly. The change in weather signals the end of the school year and the beginning of summer holidays for many. That and the combination of the beautiful weather has put everyone in a good mood, including me, who was in need of a little pick-me-up.
Welcome, Summer! Please stay for a long time. :)
the Easter Bunny hopped to Istanbul
This Easter Onur got his first-ever Easter basket. Yes, the Easter Bunny managed to find his way to Istanbul and managed to leave a basket of goodies on Easter morning.
The basket was not filled with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans. Instead the Easter Bunny left Onur goodies like figs and Turkish chocolates and these lovely chocolate-nut-crunch candies called crokan… mmm! And not to forget the painted Easter eggs that I made myself! (I mean the EB made himself).
Thanks, EB!
when fresh is fresh
I have learned to really appreciate fresh produce living here in Turkey. But sometimes fresh is just too fresh. For example, in my semiz otu (a form of spinach) today.
In washing the semiz otu to make a salad, I came across this little garden buddy… the slug bug. Good thing I caught him beforehand. I mean, after all, they say you are what you eat!
a real slice of Brooklyn
Just when this New Yorker thought she couldn’t get a real slice of home in Istanbul, she discovered Brooklyn Pizza!
We recently came across a new pizza place here called Brooklyn Pizza. Their motto is “Gercek New York Pizzasi” (Real New York Pizza). So we were pretty eager last week to go check it out and see for ourselves if it is worthy of having this claim.
We were pleasantly surprised! For starters, it is the only place we’ve found that has real NY-sized pizzas. A large is 18″, a medium is 16″. Typically what you find here in Istanbul is a large equaling about 9″, so you can imagine our thrill when we saw that on the menu! And of course we had to order the large.
I’ve stopped eating red meat, but Onur’s love for it continues, so we got a 1/2 Etli (meat) and 1/2 Sebzeli (veggie). SO YUMMY. The owner who is Turkish but was living in New York for the past 6 years just moved back and opened up the restaurant. We gave him two thumbs up – the pizza was awesome. The dough tasted just like NY pizza, not like Turkish pizza crust, it passed the sturdy test – meaning when you hold it by the crust end it stays straight and doesn’t flop from sogginess. It had just the right amount of pizza sauce (usually lacking in Turkish pizzas) and the toppings were aplenty! Oh and the size of the slices were exactly how a good NY slice of pizza should be.
We loved every bite of it! But unfortunately we couldn’t finish it. So we gladly took a doggy bag home. :)
Thank you to Brooklyn Pizza for bringing a real slice of home to us! Expect us back real soon!
plenty of pastels
It seems that ever since we moved from the States I have wanted to celebrate every holiday with some extra “umph”. We did the full-on Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day, we got a real Christmas tree (albeit small) and plan on having one again next year. And now it’s Easter time. Bring on the pastels, bunnies, and deviled eggs!
It’s officially Spring and we only have eight more days left until Easter Sunday, so I thought it was appropriate to spend this morning shoping for pastels and Easter goodies. I met up with some girlfriends early this morning and drove out to this place called Euro Flora, which is a massive, 3-story have-it-all craft store. Well ok not everything – surprisingly there was not a bunny was in sight! I know, I couldn’t believe it either. But there were plenty of EGGS.
Two hours and a few hundred lira later, I felt I was pretty stocked up with Easter goods. So then I came home to have a little craft day and made my Easter / Spring decorations. Here are some of my creations that I must say I am quite proud of. :)
Happy Easter egg hunting to everyone! And hope you all enjoy your pastels this Spring as much as I am.
spring and swamped
It seems like overnight I went from being so bored with nothing to do but meet up with new friends and live a leisurely life to – BAM! – a crazed life again. Perhaps it’s a case of diving in headfirst or biting off more than I can chew, but diving or biting, it’s something that I do well. I always seem to find myself involved with a number of different organizations, efforts, new ventures, etc, sometimes too many. This time, yep I would definitely say that’s the case. I am swamped!
So why, might you ask, am I blogging instead of doing one of the million things I need to get done today? Because this gives my mind a break. A moment in time to take a little breather and check myself with reality. It reminds me of the more leisurely life I used to live here in Turkey (ok a few months ago) when I actually had time to blog. But go figure – now that I’m swamped, I am constantly thinking of new blogging topics.
Which at this point I feel like I am only ranting. So back to the grind for me I guess. Tata for now.
daily candy comes to Istanbul
In case you dedicated Daily Candy readers missed it, our new home and city was featured the other day in their e-newsletter. Read on and enjoy!
March 25, 2009
Not Constantinople
DailyCandy Goes to Istanbul
Let’s talk Turkey — and Istanbul, in particular, where the shopping is bazaar, the food is mezemerizing, and the best hotels will revive you from your haggling and ogling with rapturous service (and bafflingly strong coffee), so you can get back to business in the boisterous city on the Bosporus.
GPS
Get your bearings: Sultanahmet is packed with historic sites (like the gorgeous Hagia Sofia). Nişantaşı is shopping central, from high street to high end. Bebek has a chichi seaside scene. For nightlife, walk Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoğlu and veer to its side streets for a great dinner. Antiques and offbeat fashion mingle in hilly sister neighborhoods Cihangir and Çukurcuma, sections of Beyoğlu where the young and fashionable are migrating.
Ingest
Start your day with simit, a delectable sesame bread sold by street vendors everywhere. Say yes to complimentary tea and Turkish delights offered at the Spice Bazaar (Eminönü, near Galata Bridge), where bins of hibiscus tea and towers of Turkish Viagra (a.k.a. dried fruit-wrapped nuts) make dinner seem irrelevant. Break for coffee at The House Cafe, a minichain of cute bistros in the chicest neighborhoods. End your evening with locals at rooftop boite NuPera (Mesrutiyet Caddesi 67; +90-212-245-6070) to bask en plein air and behold the minaret-studded skyline.
Nest
Cool your heels at the Park Hyatt-Maçka Palas (Tesvikiye, Bronz Sokak 4; +90-212-315-1234), a restored deco beauty in upscale Nişantaşı and one of Istanbul’s newest hotels. Book a spa room for the personal en suite hammam, which includes a steam room; marble basin and heated seat; and all the scrub mitts, rose petal soap, and cottonpestemels (towels) you’ll need to exfoliate the grit of travel. Nearby Sofa hotel (Tesvikiye Caddesi 41-41a; +90-212-368-1818) has an international newsstand, cafe, and art gallery. Or crash near the party that is Beyoğlu at WittIstanbul (Defterdar Yokusu 26; +90-212-393-7900), where the supermod suites were created by Autoban, the city’s It design firm.
Invest
Gird yourself for a scene of retail extremes. On one end, Kanyon(Büyükdere Caddesi 185; +90-212-353-5300), a spaceship-like megamall (yep) that has two native boutiques of note:Machka, for smart and feminine frocks, and Yargici, which sells just accessories and its full line of apparel (perfect for outfitting a balmy walk near the Bosporus) at the Nişantaşı location.
At the other end, the Grand Bazaar, a 74-acre warren of shops and stalls (more than 4,000) brimming with jewelry, ceramics, textiles, and more. Watch as masterful salesmen up-sell you from a 30-lira pillow cover to a savings-eradicating antique kilim with such charm you don’t even mind. Dervis (Keseciler Caddesi 33-35) sells gorgeous Turkish towels and wraps in cotton, silk, and linen. Take home a stack for your pals; they’re absorbent enough to dry friends’ tears when you reveal the full extent of your Istanbul booty.
In Cihangir and Çukurcuma, Alaturca (Faikpasa 4; +90-212-245-2933) is the destination for Ottoman antiques, kilims, and ceramics. For funky house-label oxfords and punky accessories, pop into Kop-Art (Turnacıbaşı Sokak 34/A), an art project-cum-boutique.
The Rest
Decor nuts should beeline it to the harem at Topkapi Palace (Sultanahmet; +90-212-512-0480). It was once the home of Ottoman sultans and is still home to a staggering number of breathtaking, hand-painted tiles. Water babies should save a morning for the traditional bathhouse experience at Çemberlitaş Hamam (Vezirhan Cadessi 8; +90-212-522-7974) to get sudsy in stunning surroundings. Or point your gaze east and hop a ferry to Asia — in as short as twenty minutes — to enjoy two continents for one low-lira ticket.
never too early for Santa
Apparently it’s never too early for Mr. Santa Clause himself to make an appearance at the mall. I did think that March was a little too early, but hey it’s almost April, so it can be forgiven? Nah. Or maybe we should let it slide because hey it is a muslim country after all, right? Christmas here is just for us yabancis (foreigners). Ok no – it is not OK that Santa was spotted at the mall today… it is March, people!
Regardless, the ripe jolly ol’ fella made an appearance today at one of Istanbul’s mega malls. The proof is in the pics.
