How to cook the food you miss while abroad

Charlotte McPherson

A Turkish saying reads: “First appeal to the eyes, then fill the stomach.” Turks place much emphasis not only on the presentation of food, but also on the flavor. I love the taste of Turkish food.

The best cookbook around when I first came to Turkey was a simple cookbook published by Redhouse Press. The original title was "An American Cook in Turkey," but later more recipes were added and the book was republished under the title "Cooking in Turkey" (An American Cook in Turkey, 5th Edition).

The book has served as a great handbook for American cooks not used to metric measurements. It provides charts of solid and liquid measure conversion. It also has a handy vocabulary list of household Turkish terms and names of Turkish dishes along with more than 100 recipes for Turkish dishes including Wedding Soup, Butterfly Börek, Quince Compote, Turkish Coffee and a variety of dolmas.

Another great cookbook for Western expats who miss their favorite dishes from back home is the book known as “The Updated ‘I need HELP in Turkey!' Cookbook." Even though I have lived overseas for many years I must admit there are still some American dishes that I crave now and then. Three decades ago some of the ingredients needed to make some of the recipes from back home were not available in Turkey. You had to improvise with local ingredients.

But now gone are the days when you have to make your brown sugar by using pekmez. For those who have moved to Turkey more recently, it is hard for them to imagine you could not find brown sugar, maple syrup, Swiss cheese and Mars bars in Turkey back then.

Let's face it there are certain things that you miss when you are abroad for a longer period of time. I must confess for breakfast if I can't have bacon and eggs over easy then I prefer a bowl of cereal over a croissant. In case you are unaware, pork, ham, bacon and other pig products are banned in a halal diet. I love Mexican food, but I rarely eat it while abroad as I know I will be disappointed and find it overpriced.

All the fast food burger and pizza chains have gone global and can be found everywhere in Turkey, so all of us expats have easy access to these abroad. Granted, you may not like some of the local combinations of ingredients.

Beth Latsa with much help from her husband Jeff put together “The Updated ‘I need HELP in Turkey!' Cookbook.” It is a simple spiral bound book containing over 300 pages of practical facts and recipes. Latsa describes it as “Jointly compiled by those who needed and found some help.” It is available in only one bookstore in Turkey. You can send me an email to learn which one.

We all know that learning how to cook in a foreign country is not an easy task. This cookbook is the one for you if you think you need some hints on the basics and how to cook to your favorite dish, be it quick and easy homemade pancakes, or chicken pot pie or macaroni and cheese or spiced pumpkin pie and more. Beth and Jeff Latsa also have a great sense of humor and include the following in the book:

"In memory of…

“Please join us in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community…

“The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from reported pokes in the belly. He was 81.

“Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungary Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The gravesite was piled high with flours.

“Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in Show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very “smart” cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes.

“Despite being a little flaky at times, he still, as a crusty old man, was considered a roll model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his wife, Play Dough; two children, John Dough and Jane Dough; Plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by this elderly father, Pop Tart.

“The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 11-14 minutes.” (Taken from "The Updated 'I Need HELP in Turkey!' Cookbook.")

Post a comment and share with us some of the dishes you miss!

Source: Today's Zaman

Posted in: Food, Turkey, Turkish cuisine