Monthly Archive
The Other Side of Mare Nostrum, Part 1: Alexandria
The Romans often referred to the Mediterranean as Mare Nostrum, Our Sea, because their empire encircled it. We are all familiar with many of the vestiges of that empire on its northern side, including our modern romance languages, Christianity, and ancient cities including Rome herself. The Arab and then later the Ottoman conquests from the 7th to the 15th centuries have, however, estranged our “western civilization” from the southern side. Indeed, for many years the Islamic powers could almost lay claim to the Mediterranean as their Mare Nostrum. While the Roman language and Christianity have mostly disappeared from North Africa, many tangible remains of Phoenician, Greek, and Roman occupation remain. It was in the spirit of discovering some of these ancient cities that I and a hundred other like-minded people recently sailed from Alexandria to Casablanca.
Alexandria
I had always wanted to go to Alexandria. I wanted to see it, to touch it, to fall under the spell of its history, which started with the founder of the city, Alexander the Great. The celebrated Cleopatra, the last true Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty which succeeded Alexander for the following three hundred years, on learning of the victory of Caesar Augustus at Actium, had herself killed by the bite of an asp in her Alexandrian palace. To the Egyptian capital came Caesar, Pompey, Mark Anthony, Saladin, Bonaparte, and Montgomery. She was the city of the Septuagint, Philo, Origen, Athanasius, and the many other philosophers and theologians of the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths who have had such an important influence on the world’s intellectual and religious development. The repository of this learning was the Royal Library of Alexandria. Perhaps there was more than one building, (which would go a long way to explain the reason for the various theories concerning the destruction(s) by fire) to house its tremendous collection of scrolls and codices. The harbor of Alexandria was illuminated by the famous pharos or lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the port was of strategic importance to Mediterranean trade. The pharos apparently used reflecting mirrors during the day and a fiery furnace by night. When Rome ousted the Hellenistic Ptolemaic line she gained control of the rich agricultural resources of the Nile valley and delta (which still feed and clothe a nation of 80 million people) and the port of Alexandria through which the bulk of this produce would have to pass. Alexandria was not just another city. Prior to Rome’s ascendancy she must have been the biggest and most influential city in the world.
Pompey's Pillar: Alexandria
The ruins of the pharos (leveled largely by earthquakes) are now underwater but the old library has been recreated in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a large modern building erected near the site of the ancient library to be cultural and scientific center with a capacity for eight million books. The major remaining ancient monument in Alexandria today is Pompey’s Pillar, although it seems that it was for Diocletian and not by the great general that the great pillar was erected. As with the obelisks, one just stands, looks, and wonders as to the methods the ancients (in this case Egyptians and Romans) used to hoist the massive granite. Many parts of the city which benefited of the largesse of the Muhammad Ali Pasha dynasty and British rule in the 19th and early 20th centuries are still evident in their fading beauty. It must have been wonderful to have a name and money in turn-of-the century Alexandria, although late nights must have been the norm.
But now, in the 21st century the 2300 year history of Alexandria as a cosmopolitan open metropolis where all Mediterranean languages were spoken, all people lived, and all thoughts professed, is being challenged. The modern day “Queen of the Mediterranean” is in many places literally crumbling and is turning inward to the rest of Egypt.
Hopefully this change will not happen to its once-multinational cuisine. One can imagine the influences on the Alexandrian kitchen over the centuries, when it was for long periods the capital of Egypt and always its “window to the world”. Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Kurdish, Turkish, and British (to name the major ones) brought their own additions to a Mediterranean diet. And, often they brought not just the food but rules to go with it. For example, the British brought in teatime, 4-6pm. It must be engraved somewhere on the Rosetta Stone because Egyptians admit of no alterations. I remember once trying to get a gin and tonic before 6pm while cruising down the Nile. I was not only rebuffed, but with opprobrium. The Empire and the ancient Egyptian insistence on the proper order of all actions still live, even for a G&T.
With these nostalgic and troubled thoughts about past and present in mind, we left Alexandria and sailed westward towards the oasis of Siwa, where we were to have a great adventure.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
Our Last Greenmarket Demo of the Season
Today was my last day doing a demo for the Greenmarket in Union Square. I made Spiced Sweet Potatoes, which is cubes of sweet potato cooked in broth with cumin, coriander, ancho, and cinnamon. Although it was freezing out there this morning, it was a very successful day, and by the time I left every single recipe print-out had been taken. Two weeks ago a mother came with her daughter Lily to our Brussel Sprout Demo. They really liked the recipe and came back to try another one this morning. Lily licked her sample cup clean, and after having had seconds it had a hole in the bottom. Her mother told me that her son had refused to eat brussel sprouts until she made our recipe for them with soy and garlic. That was one of the best compliments I have ever gotten. If kids will eat their brussel sprouts because of me, I feel like I can go to sleep with a healthy conscience. To all of you who have come on Mondays to see what we are doing, I thank you for your support. Lots of people said they were going to make the recipe this Thursday for Thanksgiving, so if you are looking for something different, give it a go!
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Vefa Bozacisi
Today I was in the oldest part of Istanbul, shopping in the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Spice Market. I was absolutely determined to go to Vefa Bozacisi (in Vefa), a neighborhood not too far from the tourist attractions of Sultanahmet. I had first learned about Boza when I came in the Summer of 2008. I read in some Turkish foodie magazine that boza is a fermented drink of Albanian origin made from grains, which is then sweetened and flavored. The most famous Boza is from Vefa Bozacisi, which makes their boza with millet, and I really wanted to go there and try it. However, it is a Winter time drink, so I was really disappointed by the fact that I couldn't try something that sounded that cool when I heard about it in the middle of July. Ever since then I have been eager to return to Istanbul in Winter just to drink boza. So finally my day came. I started out shopping in the Grand Bazaar, the Kapilcarsi, which is my favorite shopping locale in the world, besides the Bazar Sabado in Mexico City (notice how they are all Bazaars?). It is my favorite place to buy jewelry, and I always walk out wtih something unique and beautiful. I bought lots of gifts for my family (and myself) and left very satisfied. My favorite purchase was my ring that is a huge bird head with a pearl necklace and turquise eyes and a beak. I love birds these days, and whenever I see them in jewelry or other little trinkets I must have them. Now I have one perched on my middle finger, and I really feel like it is giving me good energy.
Anyway, after finally making my way through the Egyptian Bazar (Misir Carsi) and ending up by the water, I took a walk over to Vefa for my long awaited Boza. Even though Vefa is in the same general area of the city, what you walk through to get there makes it feel so far away. In that part of the city (and maybe in other areas of Istanbul), many stores selling the same thing are clustered together in groups. As I made my way through the various neighborhoods I passed the stores selling weights and measures and kitchen equipment. After kitchen equipment there were a bunch of office supply stores selling staplers, paper, etc, which then broke into a group of erkek kuafors (barbers). Then I found myself in an area of sewing machines, which then led to the university bookstores and supply shops. I knew that I was close when I saw the school related items, because I know that Suleymaniye Mosque was near a University, and the streets began to feel familiar again. Among all of these specialized shop clusters are men selling fresh garlic, pears, pomegranates, melons, and garlic. After making my way up to Vefa, I found the Boza shop. It was really everything that I had imagined it to be, and I seemed to arrive at the right moment. When I walked in there was only a father and son having an afternoon snack. I took a glass of the boza and sat down at the old table in the shop, which does not seem to have changed since the 19th Century. The drink is really thick and needs to be eaten with a spoon. It was pudding-like, but with a slight vermented taste that was reminiscent of a sweet aged balsamic vinegar. Pungent, but not too much so. As I ate my boza and pondered my afternoon in Istanbul, the cafe filled up with older women, students, and more fathers and sons. Soon I was finished, and noticed that there were people waiting for a chance to sit and enjoy their fermented millet pudding drink. My only regret is not knowing that I could have asked for dried toasted chickpeas to stir into the drink, because everyone else knew that secret, and I couldn't figure out where they had gotten them from and how I had missed them on the menu. The bottom line is that there is nothing like Istanbul at 4 pm in November, when the sun starts to set over the Golden Horn, and you are enjoying a glass of Boza at the crossroads of civilization.
PS- I would like to tell everyone to follow me on Twitter. Emma and I each have our own accounts, and we also tweet for Kitchen Caravan. While I am traveling, you can follow me at SophiaBrittan on Twitter. I say this because I often will snap photos on my phone and tweet them right then and there. It takes me a little bit more energy to download the pictures, edit them, and then add them to my blog entries. I will go back and do that also, but be patient with me!
Mersican Food!
I was in Mersin, Turkey for a few days on a short trip with a couple of friends. Mersin is a port city in South Central Turkey. It is an important city because of its port, which is now as big as that of Izmir's. It is near the city of Adana, which is the home of Adana kebap, and basically all kebaps in general. The food there was so delicious, mainly because of how fresh all of the ingredients are. Everytime we sat down, whether for fish or meat, a plate of sliced lemons, a plate of fresh parsley and mint, and sometimes arugula were there before we asked for anything. We went for a typical fish dinner one day, and the next for a nice meal of kebap. There were many interesting things that I noticed, but the one thing I could not get over was how similar the way the food was eaten there to how it is in Mexico. Fresh lemon juice is sprinkled over meat, a common habit in Mexican taquerias as well. Cig Kofte, a raw beef kofte with a little bulgur mixed in, is eaten like a taco in a piece of iceberg lettuce with lemon juice and herbs added on top. Chopped tomatoes are often served at the table, and sometimes they are served with aci biber, a hot dried pepper flake, sprinkled on top. The option for heat is always present, and there seems to be a general taste for spicy food. Yesterday we had gozleme for breakfast, a flat bread with potatoes or cheese inside. When it came to the table I thought they had just placed a quesadilla in front of me! The bread has yeast in it, and is much softer than a tortilla, but the feeling was the same. And today we ate Tuntuni, a type of rolled up flat bread filled with chopped beef seasoned well with spices and onion. The bread is more similar to a flour tortilla than a typical Turkish pide bread, and it reminded me of the tacos arabes Emma and I ate in Puebla last January. I would even call Tuntuni a taquito arabe. I couldn't get over how Mexican the food in Mersin was. I am not trying to say that they are so similar in order to take away from Mersin's uniqueness; I was just so impressed with the common threads that the cuisines have and how the eating habits felt so familiar. I look forward to Turkifying my Mexican meals, and Mexicanizing my Turkish recipes. When I was younger I always wanted to open a Turkish Mexican restaurant and everyone thought I was being funny, but now my idea seems so much more solid.
Keep reading my blog entries about Turkey as I explore more of this gastronomic heaven.
It's a Small World
I arrived in Turkey yesterday for a short trip. It is not my first time here, but never have I had so many coincidences as I did last night. On the airplane I had watched a movie called Mutluluk (Bliss), about a girl and her cousin from Eastern Turkey running from their family, who want the girl to be killed after she was raped, for the sake of her honor. Her cousin is supposed to do it, but can't seem to bring himself to it, and instead choses to hide with her and work by the coast. They meet a sophisticated professor who is from Istanbul, escaping the superficiality of what his life has become, and is sailing along the coast by himself. He takes them on his boat to give them work, and they all become friends. It was a great movie. This may seem like a random story, but it really comes first in the line of events of the night.
We went out to Taksim for dinner, which is a very popular area on the European side of the city. There are streets lined with Meyhane, small restaurants where you eat meze and meat or fish, drink raki, and listen to music. They have a fixed menu, and you just choose which meze you want, and if you want meat or fish. They have a lot of character, and both the young and old go out to these places. The weather is cold, but still warm enough to enjoy dinner outside without freezing, and last night there were tons of Istanbulites crawling the streets of Taksim. We went to one such place for dinner with a bunch of friends of my friend, who are mostly originally from Izmir. As I was getting to know the girl who sits across from me, she began telling me about her sister and her new American husband who had met at grad school in Sweden. They were moving to New York, and were really excited. I was telling her that my sister and I were taking Turkish classes at the Turkish Cultural Institute, and she said "That is where Mike studies!". Well, it turns out that this girl is the sister in-law of the guy in my Turkish class who had just been visiting his wife in Izmir not too many weeks ago. Wierd coincidence number 1. As we were getting ready to leave the restaurant we bumped into a guy who went to high school with me and Harika in Switzerland. Weird coincidence number 2. Then as we were winding our way down the streets back to the car, the actor from the movie(!!) passed by. He was the cousin, Cemal, and I had JUST described the movie to my friends. It is an area where a lot of artists go out at night, so it was not shocking that he would be there. Weird coincidence number 3.
Next time I will describe more about the food I am eating, like Ayva Tatlisi (the quince dessert in season), but for now I am just in awe of the universe and what a small world it sometimes is.
Fast and Slow
This time of year feels so much more hectic and busy than the Spring and Summer. The days are shorter, which makes me think that I have so much less time to do everything that I want to do. Lately, I have definitely felt the weight of all of the responsibilities that I have, and when I stop to think about how fast I am going, my stomach starts to turn. But despite the frenzy that Fall brought in, I feel like everything in my kitchen has slowed down. I am taking the time to prepare things in advance, and most of what I eat is stewed, slow roasted, or poached for a long time. Somehow, taking my food slow is keeping me grounded. There is nothing like coming home at the end of a long day to black beans cooked from scratch with fresh feta and some slow roasted sweet potato. Or sliced quince that has been slowly poached in a honey rosemary syrup for 2 hours served with fresh ricotta and toasted pistachios. Last week I had days of white chicken chili with cannelini beans and white pepper. I have been eating so well. These things may sound complicated, but they are actually so hands-off, because they are doing the work for you on their own. And most of the time they tast better a day or two after they have been cooked, so it is worth investing some time in a good dish that will last for a few days. These slow-cooked foods are saving me from my fast-paced Fall. I hope that your kitchens are a place of comfort and care, and that you can find the time to slow down and make something to enjoy throughout the week.
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