Ezogelin Çorbası (Ezo the bride Soup)

picture to come soon

Ezogelin Çorbası (Ezo  the bride Soup)

is definitely one of the best soups in Turkish cuisine. Very tasty and very nutritional, too. The smell of mint and paprika is a must , that reminds Anatolia...  

Ingredients:

Makes 4-6 servings.

1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 cup bulgur, cracked wheat (ignore for a gluten free soup )
1/4 cup rice
2 tbsp  oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste (can use 1 spoon of pepper paste if available)
4-5 cups of water
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp dry mint
Salt
Pepper
Topping: Melt the butter, add red pepper and/or mint

Saute the onion with olive oil then add tomato paste and saute the onions are softened

Add the rest of the ingredients. After it comes to full boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes. You may want to stir so that the ingredient dont stick to the bottom of the dish.
(Optional: You can blend the soup if you want more homogenous texture but do for short time as you would like to feel the ingredients which makes the soup such special)

If it's too thick, add a little more hot water.

Add the butter sauce and  Serve with lemon !

Afiyet olsun!

The movie from 1968 , starring famous Turkish actress Fatma Girik

• Although not known exactly, here is the story behind the Ezo gelin ,whose name embraced this delicious soup :

Originally from southeast Anatolia, the origin of this soup is attributed to an exceptionally beautiful woman named Ezo, near Gaziantep in the early 20th c. Legend has it that Ezo, with her rosy cheeks and black hair, was admired by travelers along the caravan route who stopped to rest in her village. Many men longed for her hand in marriage. Unfortunately she did not become happy in her  two marriages. Her second marriage took her to Syria where she became homesick for her village. It is for her, the story goes, that Ezo created this soup. After bearing 9 children, Ezo died of tuberculosis in the 1950s and has since become a Turkish legend, depicted in popular films and lamented in folksongs. Her name lives on in this popular soup although the reason is not known exactly.

• There were even Turkish movies, Tv series named after Ezo gelin
• If you have Turkish markets around where you live, you can find 'ready to cook' soup mixes. You add water and boil, then let it simmer.

                              

Home-made chocolate pudding (from scratch)

Home-made chocolate pudding (from scratch) 

Easy to make and so delicious, trust me! No need to buy those instant mixes that are full of additives, artifial ingredients and (to me) artifical tastes.

Ingredients

Takes 10 minutes to cook, serves 4-6

1/2 half corn starch

1 cup sugar

4 cups of milk

2 table spoons of dark cocoa ( I use special dark Hershey's cocoa)

How to prepare the chocolate pudding:

Put the dry ingredients in  saucepan over medium heat,

add milk slowly, stirring continuously.

After it comes to full boil, lower the hear, let it simmer for 2 minutes. Yes, still keep stirring!

I like toppping with coconut flakes or nuts, so top with your favorite as fruit, strawberry, banana, toffe bites.

Afiyet olsun!

First Iftar dinner -Ramadan 2012

So me and my little one set this blue table together.
Wrote "Ramazan' (Turkish spelling for the month of Ramadan) with little stoned and she carefully covered the whole table with sets of 3 stones of other kind:)
Upon littign the canled she even sang " Happy Ramadan" song which does not exist:)
THis is not a muslim or Turkish tradition but I just wanted make first iftar of Raadan more colorful and more fun for my 4.5-year old.

Our menu was vegetarian, hence light!

Red lentil soup
Potato- cauliflower dish
Rice pilaf
Salad
Home-made chocolate pudding (recipe coming soon!)

Dates, Turkish delight (lokum) and walnuts as iftariyelik (nuts,dates, dried fruits etc that are eaten as light/ healthy snacks to break fast or during the main courses)

Afiyet olsun!

Cakes

Perfect chocolate cake with walnuts, mouth watering, isnt it?

Caramel cake, one of the best sellers at the Folk Festival

Carnival cake!

A romantic cake with rich chocolate taste and colorful hearts

Letter Cakes

Vegan fruit cake (almond milk frosting with vegan cake recipe)

3-in-1 cake!

Don' get shocked, this is real! You will not taste it but will enjoy the natural green color!
See here for the recipe

Green crust cheesecake!

coffe cake with Brittles

Coconut cake for Beth

You can select the flavor of the cake and the frosting.
To name a few:

Cake:
Plain
Chocolate
Lemon
Coffee (yes, Turkish coffee available!)
Coconut
Brownie (have you ever tried  brownie cake with frosting? Great for chocolate lovers. A birthday girl loved the cake
Spinach (

Filling:
Fruit: banana, strawberry, pineapple
Nuts
Chocolate
Cream cheese

Frostings:
Chocolate
Cool whip
Coffee
Strawberry
Brittle, Nuts

• All the cakes are alcohol free with natural ingredients -no food colorings (except decoration if fancy , colorful stuff used) made with love :)
• Vegan, Gluten-free cakes are available upon request
• Everything can be ordered as plain cakes or cupcakes
• Various Turkish desserts are also available, desserts with syrup, milky desserts etc. Details to come later
• Prices depend on the size and ingredients of the cake but not expensive, I guarantee:)

Some (sincere) compliments from friends who ate my cakes:
-You should start a pastry store!
-You make the best cakes ever!
-I can't believe you made this!

An idea for Iftar Tables

Ramadan is 4 days away!

I have come up with this idea that I wanted to share with you:

This is great especially when you have guests over. Prepare a menu, put it in a picture frame on the table!
Everyone will know in advance what delicious food they will enjoy!

You can include the names of the host and the date so keep it as a nice memoir from the iftar.
Soup, Main dish, Salad(s), appetizer(s), dessert, drinks , pastry .. more to add!
You can either write by hand or prepare a template and fill according to your menu. Here is a template I prepared.
If you have a theme for the dinner stable, like flowers, a colro theme etc, your picture frame and menu (background, the paper color, some images etc) can match it so even a more fancy idea, isnt it?

I did this when I had my colleagues over for Turkish tea party. Sin the food was new to all, they liked the fact they could see all written:)

Another idea I saw on pinterest is here:

Yogurt dessert (Yogurt cake with syrup)

Yoghurt Cake with Syrup/ Yoghurt Dessert 

3 eggs

1 cup yoghurt

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

3 table spoons melted butter

2 cups flour

1 table spoon baking powder

Lemon zest (optional )

Syrup

3 cups sugar

3 cups water

1 table spoon lemon juice

How to prepare:

First prepare the syrup and set aside.The cake should be hot, syrup should be cold fro best results.

Beat the yoghurt and confectioner's sugar. 

Add eggs, butter and 

Sift flour and baking powder, add to the mixture.

bake at 360F until the top is golden.

Cut into slices, diamond or square or heath shaped :), add syrup let is absorb all. Covering with a tray would be helpful.

Let it cool in the refrigerator before serving.

Top with coconut flakes or  nuts as desired.

Enjoy! Afiyet olsun!

This picture was taken at the competition

Notes:

I made this dessert for the International Potluck Competition at Pitt last year. It was the winner of dessert category! Everyone enjoyed the taste as well as the hearty , beautiful look ;)

Ramadan is just a week away! This dessert is ideal for iftar dinners, for the family or for the guests!

Coconut butter cookies

These are not coconut "butter cookies" but "coconut butter" cookies. Let's say cookies with coconut butter for the sake of clearness.
When I searched internet for cookies with coconut butter, i could not really find what I was looking for so I am sharing my trial with you. Here is yummy , easy to make cookie recipe
Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 stick butter,softened at room temperature
1 table spoon organic coconut butter
2/3 cup sugar
4/3 + cups flour ( you may need more but make sure it will be a soft dough)
1 teaspoon baking powder

How to prepare
Mix and blend all the ingredients to make a soft cookie dough.
Make small one-bite-size cookies or bigger size as you wish.
Place on non greased cooking pan at 325 F.
Cool them down and enjoy with tea or milk! Hmmm...


My notes
*You can add coconut flakes to the dough if you want
*I used Hershey Kisses chocolates for the top and sprinkled coconut flakes to some cookies.
* You may make your cookies with cocoa as the cookies seen below.You will need to add less flour in that case.
*You can prepare your own coconut butter at home if you have  a good food processor