WINTER SPECIALS- CONDENSED MILK CARROT/GAJAR KA HALWA

The craving for dessert intensifies during Winter months, and I find myself hunting for a bite of something sweet especially after meals, gajar ka halwa/meetha is one such dessert without which Winter months seem incomplete, it is an absolute must-have!, mostly cooked in large quantities and stored in the fridge, small quantities are then taken out over time and heated till piping hot before consumption.Here's how to make this delicious dessert-
Ingredients-

• Carrots- 3/4 kg
• Condensed Milk-1 can
• Milk- 1 liter full fat
• Cardamom (green)-2-3 crushed
• Mixed dry fruits-1/2 cup
• Clarified butter(desi ghee)-1/2 cup+1 tbsp for frying the dry fruit

Method-

1. Wash, peel and grate the carrots.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry grated carrots till fragrant, about 15 minutes,this is very important to impart a good flavour to the halwa
3. Add the Milk, condensed milk and cardamoms and cook on a slow flame, stirring carefully till Milk is absorbed, this will take about half an hour, do not stir too much or you will end up with a mush, but be careful not to burn it also.
4. Adjust sugar, fry the dry fruits and garnish the halwa with them, you can also add some khoya/mawa to the halwa at this stage.
5. Enjoy the halwa hot :-)

PLAITED SAMOSAS (snack)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

White flour ..... 2 cups

Oil ................... 2 tbsp.

Ajwain ............. 1/2 tsp.

Salt to taste

Knead the dough and set it aside.

For the filling

Potatoes ............. 4-5

Green peas ........ 1/2 cup (boiled)

Coriander powder .. 1 tsp.

Cumin powder ........ 1 tsp.

Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp.

Chilli powder ........... 1/2 tsp.

Cumin seeds ............ 1 tsp.

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves

Oil for frying

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes, peel and cut into small pieces.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the cumin seeds and add the all the ingredients for the filling. Mix well and let it cool.

3. Take a little dough and roll it into an oval shape.

4. Place a little filling in the middle (lengthwise).

5.With a knife, give cuts on the sides, slanting downwards.

6. Now moisten the tips and start plaiting the cuts over the filling.

7. Deep fry and serve hot with mint chutney or chilli sauce.

( You can use any filling of your choice )

Just a Thought

If a strategy doesn't work in a time of crisis, then it's not a good strategy. If it requires above-average people to carry it out, it's probably not a good one, either.

Encore

As I mentioned in the last post, I recently spent an entire day testing cornbread recipes.  If you live in the south, that's what you want to accompany your chili on Superbowl Sunday ( haha, we Southerners love us some cornbread!)  Heck, even if you live in other parts of the country, it's what you should make to go along with your chili tomorrow. 

The question is, what kind of cornbread should you make?  Plain?  Sweet?  Cheesy?  Cake-y?  The possibilities are endless.

Here are several recipes for your perusal before the big game tomorrow.  All three are a snap to make and come together in no time whatsover.  One is fairly plain and delicious in its simplicity, while the other two are more dense and studded with cheeses and jalapenos.  Any of them would be a terrific addition to your Superbowl spread alongside your chili.  Even if you don't live in the South!

CASSEROLE CORN BREAD  (adapted from Prudence Hilburn's "A Treasury of Southern Baking")

1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup sour cream
1 egg (I use extra-large)
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.  Generously grease an 8-inch round cake pan that is at least 1 1/2-inches deep. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cornmeal and Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Stir to mix then add the sour cream, egg and vegetable oil.  Stir to combine.  Batter will be thick.

Place prepared pan in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, until it is hot. Remove from oven and turn dough into the pan.  Use a spatula to spread evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool 5 minutes, then turn out of the pan.  Serve warm with lots of salted butter.

Serves 8

*  This is a lovely, cake-like bread which is light and delicious.  If desired, you could add chopped red or green peppers, chopped scallions or chopped jalapenos to taste to the dough before baking.

*  If you like a more pronounced cheese flavor, sprinkle the top with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano prior to baking.

*  One of the secrets to baking cornbread is to preheat your pan before adding the batter and baking.  We think it produces a better crust.

Fox Brothers Bar-B-Q is a well-loved institution here in Atlanta.  Unfortunately for me, we only live about 5 minutes from the place.  I can't pass it without a craving for their fried pickles (keep driving, Liz).  In addition to their barbecue, they are also known for "The Tomminator" which is a mess of Tater Tots smothered in Brunswick stew and topped with lots of gooey melted cheese.  Gotta love that, even if I would have to shoot myself if I ever indulged in it. 

http://www.foxbrosbbq.com/

FOX BROTHERS BAR-B-Q  JALAPENO CORN BREAD

3 cups self-rising corn meal (not corn meal mix)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 oz. (1 pkg.) cold cream cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup creamed corn
3 eggs (I use extra-large)
1/4 cup melted butter
Juice from one large orange
3 jalapenos, finely minced

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.  Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine corn meal, flour, sugar and salt.  Add cream cheese and toss to distribute evenly, rubbing it in lightly with your fingers.

Place the prepared pan in the oven for 5 minutes to preheat.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, creamed corn, eggs, butter, orange juice and jalapenos.  Pour this into the dry mixture and stir until just combined.  Turn into the hot pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until lightly browned and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes.  Turn out onto a baking rack and cool before cutting and serving.

Serves 10 - 12

*  This is a denser, moister cornbread than the first recipe.  I love the chunks of cream cheese that are scattered throughout!

*  Oh, and a word about jalapenos.  I remove the seeds and the ribs before mincing as they contain most of the heat.  If you have a tougher palate, feel free to leave them in, but beware of the consequences!

Virginia Willis is a national treasure, as far as I am concerned.  She's an expert in all things Southern, she's an amazing cook and cookbook author and she has a wonderful line of products which she sells through "My Southern Pantry."  (Treat yourself to some of her pecan-smoked sea salt when it becomes available).  When I came across her recipe for cornbread, I figured it would be a winner.  Indeed it was.

http://virginiawillis.com/msp-home.html

JALAPENO, CHEDDAR AND BACON CORN BREAD  (adapted from Virginia Willis' "Bon Apetit, Y'all")

1/4 lb. bacon, diced
1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
3 eggs, beaten (I used extra-large)
1 (15-oz.) can creamed corn
3 jalapenos, minced
1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

Place bacon in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Cook until bacon is crispy and fat is rendered.  Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to paper towels to drain.  Turn off heat and set pan aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk and eggs.  Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just to blend.  Fold in the creamed corn, jalapenos and cheese.  Stir in the melted butter and fold in the reserved bacon.

Place the reserved pan with the bacon drippings in the oven and heat for 3 to 5 minutes until hot.  Remove from oven and pour in batter.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Cool then serve directly from pan.

Serves 12

*  Virginia serves this with honey butter, but I think it's so good that it doesn't need any butter at all.  Your choice.

*  The addition of bacon to this was my idea and not a part of her original recipe.  Feel free to omit it; instead grease the pan with butter.  Nonetheless, I think everything is better with bacon!

*  You could also use this batter to make muffins.  I, however, love the idea of serving it from a cast-iron skillet.  Just another one of those "southern-things," I suppose.

So there you have it.  Whew, I'm done now.  This may be my longest post EVER.  Whether you like football or not, happy baking, have a great evening and don't forget to watch those Superbowl Commercials.  Cheers!

Here's one I didn't make earlier

I've not been very well the last couple of days - sore throat, swolen glands and earache - bring out the violins!  But there was a Giraffe on the menu plan for tonight and Mr offered to make it so how could I refuse?  He's actually fairly proficient in the kitchen but does have a tendancy to use every dish, utensil and gadget!  Hawaiian Chilli Bowl - Page 95 - looked fairly straightforward and well within his capabilities.

I had already noticed that the quantity of beef seemed a bit strange in relation to everything else. I would normally use around ½ kg of beef to one can of tomatoes and kidney beans but this called for 1kg.  I'd only taken a 440g pack of mince out of the freezer so thats what was used with the herb/spice quantity cut back accordingly.  The book says that all recipies serve 4 and I think a kilo would be far too much unless you were all ravenous or served it without any rice or similar accompaniment.

Mr said that it was pretty straight forward to make - just bung it all in a pan and leave it for an hour.  The only variation form the recipie was regular tomato paste as opposed to sun dried and regular chilli powder instead of ancho (smoky) chilli powder.  The final instruction advised that you may need to add a little water.  I think he may have added a little too much as it was a touch runny.  There were certainly some appetising smells wafting up the stairs to my sick bed as it was cooking.

The salsa was more "rustic" than I would have done it but Girl helped Mr make it so I can't complain too much about its chunkyness.  Of course she didn't actually eat any of it...  They forgot to add the corriander and used walnuts instead of macadamia nuts (which I hadn't bought when I saw the price!)   It would definately be better chopped into to salsa sized pieces.  I didn't really eat much of it as it was too sore on my poorly tonsils.

The chilli itself was gorgeous.  Very flavoursome without being too hot.  Boy and Girl scoffed it up in record time and both had seconds.  I only managed a wee bit but what I had was lovely.  Not quite sure on the Hawaiian bit though.  Apart from a pineapple ring in the salsa there was little in the way of grass skirts, palm trees and garish shirts but it brought a little sunshine into my day of indisposition.

Whatever You Do, Don't Get Labeled With The "P" Word

Colbert King, columnist for the Washington Post, writes in sadness about celebrating MLK day while the black family is still in shambles. He links to his 2008 column where he cried out about the same exact thing. He also links to the website of the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy where they post a map superimposing juvenile arrests upon teen births. It looks like this.

There's an obvious correlation, but that's just the way it goes, I guess. Let's turn on Two and a Half Men and take our minds off the problem.
Colbert draws all of the right conclusions, but can't bring himself to make the crucial last step. He tries to thread the needle, talking about responsibility without demanding an end to our culture of self-gratification. He won't advocate for a return to traditional morality and traditional values. He won't use the word "sin" or "immoral" or anything else that might get him labeled as the worst kind of pariah.

A prude.

Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage and Shiitake Mushrooms

Tucked away in the back of my kitchen cupboard, is a claypot, left by the landlord/previous owner of this flat. But it's the first time I'm looking at it with devious eyes, because it's Chinese New Year and I've got lap cheong from my roommate's mum.

Cooking rice in a claypot means that the rice gets slowly simmered in low heat, absorbing the delicious porky flavours of the sausage and the savouriness of the dried shrimps and mushrooms. The best part about claypot rice is the caramelised crust at the bottom, much like the Spanish paella. The crust gives the rice a hint of smokiness (of course, in the past, when this was done over a charcoal stove, I'm guessing that smoky flavour would be much more divine), and texture.

the prized crust

This is a Chinese cured sausage, called lap cheong, and is kind of like a sweet version of Italian salami or Spanish Chorizo. Its combination of sweet and saltiness adds a lot of dimension to the rest of the dish.

fyi, in that jar of unknown squidgy things, are marinated shiitake mushrooms.

Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage and Shiitake Mushrooms

serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups of long grain brown rice, soaked overnight or longer (I ran out, so I had to use short grain, hence the stickier rice in the photos ): )

1 link of Chinese sausage, chopped diagonally into long coins.

6 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 handful of dried shrimps

2 stalks of spring onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cm piece of ginger, chopped finely

1 tsp olive oil + 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Marinade

2 tbsp good (naturally fermented/aged) light soy sauce

1 tbsp good oyster sauce (i.e. made of real oysters, not oyster flavouring, and without MSG)

1/2 tbsp Chinese rice wine (shaoxing/huadiao)

1 tsp sesame oil

To serve

dark thick soy sauce and sesame oil (to taste and very optional)

Method

1. The night before, soak your brown rice and shiitake mushrooms. 30 min later, slice the mushrooms and add the marinade ingredients to the mushroom-soaking water and let the mushrooms continue soaking up the flavourful liquid (that's a trick from my mum. usually recipes call for the chicken or whatever meat is being used to be marinated, but forget about these equally meaty and juicy mushrooms).

2. The next day, put the dried shrimps and some warm water into the claypot, for about 30 min.

3. Drain the rice and add the rice into the claypot. Drain the mushrooms too, but do not pour off the mushroom liquid! Add the liquid into the claypot.

4. Add enough water to just cover the rice by 1 cm. Now your rice is ready to cook in the shiitake and shrimp-infused stock! Place the claypot over medium heat on the stove, lid on, and allow it to slowly heat up. Watch it! Once it comes to the boil, reduce it to a simmer for 15 min.

5. Meanwhile, add the olive oil and sesame oil to a hot pan, and add in the chopped garlic, ginger and white parts of the spring onions. Saute till fragrant, then add the Chinese sausage, and saute till you see it ooze out some of its own fragrant oils. Add the drained mushrooms and cook for 3 min more.

6. 15 minutes should have passed. Open the lid, you should see the rice having holes on the surface. Spread the sausage and mushroom mixture over the top of the rice, close the lid, and let everything infuse and cook for 15 min more.

7. That's it, serve straight from the claypot, with the chopped green parts of the spring onions scattered over! (note be careful don't set the pot over a cold surface immediately, or it will crack)

To eat, dig your spoon in, mix it all up, and drizzle over as much of the dark soy-and-sesame-oil mixture as you want (that's how they do it in the claypot rice shops in Singapore. It's totally to taste, and I found I didn't have to add any because the rice was already so flavourful, but it's up to you!)

This is such a wonderful one-pot meal (though I will still have it with some vegetables at the side because I cannot do without eating something green, spring onions not enough). And of course, it's so convenient plus the claypot keeps the whole dish warm for a long time after serving. The flavour-infused fat from the Chinese sausage plus the shrimps and shiitake adds so much umami, and there's a wonderful contrast of savoury and sweet flavours, and fluffy and crunchy and springy (from the shiitake mushrooms!) textures.

Thank you landlord.

My Chap Chye (Nonya-style Mixed Vegetable Stew)

I love Peranakan food, it's that combination of fragrant spices influenced by a Malay background and the use of very Chinese ingredients and techniques that give rise to dishes that you really don't find anywhere except in Singapore and Malaysia. Not many people even know about this wonderful cuisine, so that makes it all the more unique. I need to do more recipes from home. My (chinese) new year's resolution maybe!

Anyway here goes for a Nonya Chap Chye (mixed vegetables stew), which is quite common for Chinese New Year, Most of the vegetables are actually dried, so I have them stored in my pantry, (brought over from home), and I can cook this anytime I want. There are so many variations of Nonya Chap Chyes out there, some with ginkgo nuts and black moss ('fat choy' which sounds like 'fa cai' which means to strike it rich, hence very popular for Chinese New Year). Some add oyster sauce/sugar but I don't see the need to. I like that natural sweetness of the cabbage, brought out by the extra sweetness and savouriness of the fermented beancurd and dried shrimps. This is my chap chye, the way I like it/do it ;)

My Nonya Chap Chye

serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 head round cabbage (not Napa), cut into large pieces

1 small handful of dried black fungus (aka wood ear mushrooms), soaked to rehydrate

1-2 long sticks of dried beancurd, soaked to rehydrate, then cut

4-6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked to rehydrate, then halved *save liquid

1 small handful of dried lily bulbs, cut off the hard tips, soaked to rehydrate *save liquid

2 tbsps dried shrimps, soaked to rehydrate *save liquid

1 bundle glass (mung bean) noodles, soaked till it becomes soft

1 tbsp fermented beancurd paste (aka taucheo)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

dash of white pepper

Method

1. Prep ingredients about half an hour before by by soaking the 2nd to 7th ingredient in warm water for about 20 min. Meanwhile, chop up the fresh vegetables.

2. Over medium high heat, fry the garlic and onions till fragrant, then add the taucheo, fry 1 more min, then add the cabbage and stirfry till it's softening.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients, along with the *soaking water, plus enough water to cover. Cover, bring to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 min.

4. When the vegetables are all cooked, add the glass noodles, and let everything cook for 5 min more, uncovered, so the liquid reduces and concentrates in flavour. Not more than that,because these noodles will greedily absorb everything up then you'll be left with no sauce/stew.

5. Check seasoning, adding the white pepper to taste. Yum yum served now, or as leftovers the next day.

The dish looks like a grandma's patchwork quilt, but of vegetables! And indeed, it's those kind of traditional homecooking that brings warmth and a smile to your face (:

This is part of Muhibbah Monday.

Apparently, We Still Haven't Exhausted All Governmental Options Yet

Dig this gloomy assessment of the most recent jobs report.

If Barack Obama were looking for a further boost in his popularity from the new jobs data, he'd be disappointed. Yes, the unemployment rate dropped from 9.4 percent in December to 9.0 percent last month, in part due to a decline in the labor force participation rate to the lowest level since March 1984, and in part due to a statistical glitch that the Labor Department says makes the December 2010 and January 2011 non-comparable. But a somewhat different and more closely watched survey shows that the economy added only a paltry 36,000 jobs in January, a gain of 50,000 in the private sector offset by a decline of 14,000 in the public sector ...

However you want to characterize these dismal data, unemployment remains “stubbornly above” the level that Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke says he finds acceptable -- so he will continue to buy government bonds and print money to pay for them. The recovery is neither robust enough, nor creating enough jobs, to satisfy him.

Presumably, they taught logic at the fancy-schmancy schools Barack and his minions attended. Despite that, there's a connection they don't seem to be making.

Increasing regulations and government spending has not resulted in more jobs.

What's so hard about this? The government is spending more than it ever has in the history of the country. The Federal Register is larger than it's ever been. If this was the answer, why isn't it working? Why do they continue to think that the solution is more spending and more regulations? In essence, they're saying that $3.5T wasn't enough, but $3.6T will get us over the hump. 8,532,101 pages of regulations* was too little. 8,721,771 will be the key to new job creation.

If it was going to work, wouldn't it have worked by now? Does anyone ever ask that question in the White House or Congress?


A fancy-schmancy school where logic goes to die.
* - I'm guessing here. I didn't feel like looking anything up this morning. I don't think knowing the exact number changes the logical construct of their argument.

My Foodie Stroll Through Beyoğlu

Anyone for intestines? Sheep’s head? Then follow me!

Quaint old streets, crumbling facades, and  ancient courtyards on the one hand, colourful cafes, bars, and meyhanes or drinking places of all descriptions,  little shops both traditional and upbeat which come and go with a regularity that is bewildering on the other. This is today’s Beyoğlu in the heart of Istanbul.  It’s a fun area and as such this is how it is defined today: pedestrianized now and constantly busy with seething masses mostly young especially at the weekends.  

My mission yesterday was to share with my friends some of the foodie delights of the area.  Despite the fact it was pretty cold,  five of us coming from all four corners of the city by car, bus and ferry, met promptly at 11.15 yesterday morning at Tünel which lies at the end of İstiklal Caddesi. It was so cold that of one acccord we dived  into the nearest cafe for a coffee! So much for the foodie tour!



But we soon revived. We each put 20 TL (about 8 GBP)  into the kitty so that I could handle payments on behalf of everybody more easily as we went and off we set. 

Here are some of the foodie highlights of our stroll through Beyoğlu:

First stop was at the Vitamin Shop just down from Tünel with its colourful display of fruits and carrots. Pomegranates are in abundance here but they weren't always appreciated as they are today.

3 TL for a small glass of the freshest of natural fruit juices

fabulous jewel-like colours



Then we followed the little winding street full of shops selling mostly musical instruments down the hill towards the famous Galata Tower built in 1348-1349 by the Genoese.

Nazmi is just out of sight here, to the right

 There is Nazmi, the kokoreç vendor who has been selling his wares from his little mobile stall on exactly the same spot for decades. Indeed, he is well-known. and does a brisk business around lunchtime with his intestines. I think the way he prepares them  is delicious myself but two of my friends declined to even try!  He chops them fine, adds a hearty sprinkling of thyme and flaked red pepper and puts it all in either half or quarter of a nice fresh loaf of bread!

it's really good,  I promise you!

After paying, eating, chatting and dawdling, we were cold so decided to take a small break and have a look at the newly-renovated Pera Palas Hotel at the same time. It is a historical landmark in the city and now with its new look, a great place to meet friends for a drink or tea.  We missed it for the two years it was under wraps. It is all very gracious as befits the old Istanbul.

entrance to the pera palas: they're standing on the red carpet!

Leaving the warmth of the hotel, we briskly strode out in the direction of the Balık Pazarı/ Fish Market near the British Consulate. There is one little alleyway there that all the old hands will know that is full of enticing foodie-type shops and we thoroughly enjoyed them all.

Here is the pickle shop, a vibrant display of colour that never fails to please:

everything that can be pickled is here!

Lovely though it is, none of us actually bought anything: we just admired. Pickles are very popular here as you can see but just not our taste.

More or less opposite is the shop where we bought our Christmas turkey this year on the advice of Lesley, one of my friends in the picture, who always gets hers here. This shop is run by the friendly Şerif Bey who was siting at his desk so I introduced myself as I had only spoken to him on the phone before. We looked at his other wares with great interest as they are a rare sight here: rabbit and quail, for example. Lesley bought half a kilo of oxtail and will report on the soup she plans to make! And no, we didn't buy the below!

koç yumurtası: rams'  unmentionables

We wandered into this next Aladdin's Cave and I think we all ended up buying at least something. I bought soft juicy prunes that had been de-stoned. They look perfect for a luscious chocolate cake that I made from a Delia recipe except last time I used Migros prunes and they weren't the best. I'll make it again and let you know.

the narrow dried herb and spice shop


A little further on still in the same alleyway is Muzaffer, the midye dolması vendor, whose stall is just what you see here: a tiny outdoor table arrangement displaying his wares.  These are mussels from the Bosphorus, he told us, and they are stuffed with a rice mixture. 1 TL for one. Or you can have them fried on a stick. Generally speaking, I never buy these when I am out and about as it is really important to know where they are coming from in terms of freshness and cleanliness.  I was personally recommended this stall by a reliable source so felt comfortable recommending it to my friends.

we enjoyed these

And from here, we walked along and turned left into the Fish Market itself, the main alley of this picturesque little area. Down, and there opposite was the kelle vendor! What is kelle, you ask? Well, this was the piece de resistance in my opinion: the sheep's head! This vendor is also very well known and he represents the third generation of his family making his living like this. They originally came from Kayseri where there were a lot of Rum - Greeks born in Turkey - and they taught them all there was to know about this trade. Apparently it is quite a Greek delicacy! But my friends were not convinced and I found myself alone in buying a portion. It's really tasty: after all, it's lamb and he adds freshly sliced onion, parsely, herbs, salt and the inevitable red pepper flakes. He could have put it in bread like the kokoreç seller but I thought I would take it home since the others were not going to join me! Also it was really cold and he operates from a tiny platform jutting out from a little lokanta ie outside. My paket cost 10 TL and I demolished  the contents with relish when I got home.

my portion being wrapped up

 We finished the day with  a visit to a fantastic bakery down a little sidestreet that Lesley knew.  You will never find it unless you have Lesley with you. With the last of the kitty, we each bought a crusty freshly-baked round loaf full of sunflower seeds which Mr T adored.

I had it in mind that we could round things off with profiteroles from the long-established İnci back on İstiklal and then one coffee for the road at  popular Ara Cafe but we decided to call it a day. Our kitty was exhausted and so were we!

Eeesy Peeeezy "Snow Day" Soup

After having lived in Michigan, New York, and Kansas, we are doing our fair share of chuckling down here in the balmy South. 

Everyone was in panic mode over below freezing temperatures that we have been experiencing.  

It's amazing how quickly one acclimates to a new climate.  

Thursday, we declared a "snow day" in anticipation of the few days of REAL winter that this souther city will have.  Our kiddos have been going through a bit of "snow day" withdrawal down here in the South.  

The entire city here was shut down on Friday due to an impending ice storm.  
Isn't that terrible?

Isn't that wonderful?!  

We were so inclined to do all of the requisite "snow day" activities of course!  

My kids and my hubby were delighted.  His company  even sent home all employees from work!  The road conditions were truly terrible and the city has no equipment to handle or prep for the dangerous ice conditions that covered all of the major highways.  

My lovely family, of course, looked toward me in anticipation of "Snow Day Soup".

For dinner... hot, vitamin-packed, eesy-peezy soup.  

Pasta and Chick-Pea Soup:

Serves 4-6

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, minced

2 carrots, minced

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

14-oz can chick-peas, rinsed and drained

7-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

7-oz cup passata (pureed tomatoes)

1/2 c. water

1 1/2 quart vegetable or chicken stock

1 sprig of rosemary, plus a few leaves to garnish

scant 2 cups dried conchiglie (don't overdue it because the pasta expands!)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

(I added a handful of fresh spinach leaves)

shavings of Parmesan cheese, to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan.  Add the chopped vegetables and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 - 7 minutes.  

Add the chick-peas and cannellini beans, stir well to mix, and cook for 5 min.  

Stir in the passata and water.  Cook, stirring for 2-3 min.

Add 2 c. stock, rosemary sprig, and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat, simmer for 1 hr.

Pour in remaining stock, add pasta, bring to a boil.  Simmer 7-8 min. until pasta is cooked.  Remove rosemary sprig.  Serve in bowls sprinkled with Parmesan shavings.