This gallery contains 2 photos.
I was born and raised in Ankara… Walking down Tunalı Hilmi today, brought back many memories. All is good, but seeing most of the establishments closing their doors, selling their business makes me sad. Ankara being a patisserie town, had a … Continue reading
This gallery contains 9 photos.
London chic, in the middle of Soho, on the corner of Wardour street, Paul A. young shop offers you more than a sweet tooth. It is pure pleasure, sinful and you want more! Truffles made from real champagne, caramel and … Continue reading
This gallery contains 10 photos.
The coal smelling little village Ürgüp… The narrow small streets, old people, like a dead city actually, you see nobody, almost, till we get to pazar, the open air market. It was the late autumn and early winter, the stalls … Continue reading
The thin flaky piece, so simple it is a true sin.
A mini tiny ball of dough, pulled and pulled by hand, thrown on the air like a pizza disk, when it reaches its paper thin form, it is sprinkled with pinches of süt kaymağı or kaymak (a stuffing made from milk and a little semolina), pistachio and sugar, folded like an envelope, then butter, sade yağ, ghee is brushed on top and hop in the hot oven.
I present you katmer.
The taste is quite unlike any other pistachio, dough based sweet. The warmed pistachio leaves its oil out and kaymak unites it to perfection, while the sugar touches your mouth and leaves without any trace. So thin, so full, so…
Akşam Simit Fırını is one of the best places to taste this, melt in the mouth experience.
The taste worths more than a plane ticket.
One way please!
One of the hottest days of Istanbul I hit the road to Kurtuluş. For some ice cream and talk. The small, white, compact shop was my stop and I stayed there for hours chatting, eating ice cream and watching the locals, the kids of all age popping in for a treat.
The kids run in, toss a lira on the glass counter, clang, they order, the ice cream scooped to the cone, dipped into the hot chocolate pool and then nut. Then another screaming kid comes in, then another one and another one…
The elders of the street stop by for some chat and a ball of their favorite. The shoppers stop to buy a kilo, couple of cones put in to the bag, there will be a very happy family tonight, tucking in the ice cream while watching their favorite show.
The tutti frutti and the plain milk, kaymak were just the right tastes for me. The ice cream is made from raw milk obtained from dairies, so when you linger along the sweet taste, you get that milk taste you miss. All the fruit flavors are made in the house from real fruits. Fuat Brothers buy the fruits when they are in their best behaviour then they prepare fruit purees to use for the ice cream. Summer and winter their varieties are the same, during winter ice cream is still sold but not in demand like boza or salep.
Fuat Brothers have been running their business in Kurtuluş since 1994. The mini shop attracts ice cream lovers from around the city, and during winter time same is valid for boza and salep.
Every neighbourhood needs an ice cream parlor like Damla Dondurma, a sweet gem.
Address: Kurtuluş Caddesi 110, Kurtuluş
Phone: (212) 233 4925
Sweet on wheels! While we were down at Mediterranean coast, Anamur, I ran into this magical street seller, while the others were visiting museum, it was a dream coming true, just the precise moment I was thinking of something sweet, just a bite, I saw this cart… It was more than a bite.
The taste of all the flaky pastries, the pistachio and loads of it, the syrup, crunchy yet smooth, buttery, silky… No, I don’t regret that I missed the museum…
On a nice sunny morning we hopped on a ferry and began our trip to Büyükada. The sea is calm, a little breeze, seagulls literally crying…and hungry stomachs. By the time we finished our coffee in the travel mugs finished we approached Büyükada. It was about time for breakfast, so we hopped out!
We almost ran to Büyükada Pastanesi. The small baker & patisserie was located in çarşı, between the other small shops. Like everyone else we were greeted with pleasant faces and the sweet smell surrounded us. Hard to choose, bought a bag of sakızlı kurabiye (cookies with mastic), börekitas – the puff pastry poğaça- with eggplant puree, another with cheese. While munching on our breakfast, found ourselves thinking what to buy next, walking through the houses of Büyükada, with the clanging sounds of fayton, the horse carriages, locals of the island still walking sleepily.
On our next but not last visit to Büyükada Pastanesi we found time for a chat with Hüseyin Karayaprak and his lovely wife Nevruz. Hüseyin Bey who learned his baking skills from the owner of the shop and has been taking care of the shop for a long time alone with her lovely wife. They are both very passionate about this small fırın, serving their customers and believe me you got impressed by that, even in that small amount of time you spent there, watching them dealing with their loyal customers and the newcomers. Everyone gets royal treatment here along with their goodies.
We bought a cheerful package full of mini ay çöreği, promised to stop again. Ay çöreği is a sweet pastry, shaped like a new moon, a chubby new moon it is, like croissant. It has a layer of yeast dough wrapping the stuffing which is made of leftover cake pieces or dry bread, dry fruit and nuts. We have been told when we were kids, that the leftover stale cocoa cakes gave that distinctive taste. Ayçöreği took me away, to my high school days, in our dark navy uniforms, sneaking to the nearest patisserie for smokes, drinking tea, munching on poğaça and ayçöreği, while the others study…
The other day before the ferry home Büyükada Pasatnesi was our last stop. A box full of their well known sakızlı lokumlu kurabiye -cookies literally tucked with mastic flavored Turkish Delight- and kalçunya -egg-less, chewy cookies filled with fried fruits-, another bag of that thin, crunchy, light as feather and yummy sakızlı kurabiye, my eyes rolling on the bags of cookies with rakı, cloves, lemon, orange, ginger…
Promised to be back again, fare-welled by Hüseyin Bey and Nevruz Hanım, left the small shop with a smile on my face.
Address: Recep Koç caddesi, No:42, Büyükada
Phone: (216) 382 4303
Künefe is made with kadayıf, butter, special unsalted cheese and syrup made from water and sugar. It is a very simple dessert, yet it is hard to maintain this simplicity.
Yusuf Usta started his small künefe shop, because he wanted to eat a decent künefe in the land of künefe! Simple as künefe, right?
He makes künefe in a big copper tray, letting it cook on the ember, slowly, serenely. Starts by tearing the kadayıf by hand, spreads in on the big tray, then top it with cheese, then more kadayıf, he presses it down gently and put it on the small barbecue. He continuously turns the tray, waiting for kunefe cook its way. When one side is done, he tosses the big künefe in the air! Voila!
After both sides are golden and the cheese is melted, he serves you a portion, pour over the syrup on you plate, hands over to you.
It is the taste that counts, the respect to what he does and the pureness of the ingredients.
Address: Ayakkabıcılar Çarşısı, Pazar Sk. No:2, Antakya
Istanbulfood maps: Because of the Google issues we are facing in Turkey, for a short period I will not be able to map the locations. Just hang on…
