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Turkish cuisine is no longer an exotic mystery! Istanbul Center has opened the door for further discovery as our Istanbul Center Women’s Division will be offering new sessions of Turkish Cooking Classes this coming Fall. Included are rich and delicious recipes with step-by-step instructions and willing hands to produce a tasty and varied collection of dishes. Please contact us to register for classes:
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or 678-990-1717. The registration fee is $8 per class. The classes are held every other Sunday beginning October 25, 2009 for the first session of this Fall season. The second session of 8-week classes will begin again in January 2010. As soon as each dish is ready, you will sit down at a luncheon and enjoy your handiwork, with genial comments and comparisons all around. Traditional Turkish tea will be served by our hosts and hostesses to enrich each others company. If you would like to learn how to prepare these tasty dishes, please come and join us. Here are a few reviews from last session’s students: Hildegard Tiller writes: “The recipes are always interesting and most delicious. It’s always enjoyable, not alone the food, but meeting all you young ladies. You are so sweet and gentle and I like the stories you tell, the laughter and best of all the hugs you give.” Sheila Connors writes: “Of course, I looked forward to our cooking class each Sunday afternoon. Learning new recipes was fun, but mostly I enjoyed your company and that of the other students. “ http://istanbulturkishcookingclass.blogspot.com/ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ RECENT ARTICLES ON Istanbul Center's Cooking Classes, please go here:
Sebzeli mercimek corbasi, Turkish red lentil soup with vegetablesOctober 26, 2:06 PM Comment
Turkish cooking classes have begun at the Istanbul Cultural Center, located on Jimmy Carter. Turkish cuisine is among my favorite and the classes, hosted by the women’s division are always so much fun. These women really know food and there is no serious language barrier to surmount. The only problem I have is that all the Turkish women are so much smarter than I am! Many are PhD candidates, multi-lingual and well traveled. But it’s a group I really enjoy hanging out with. They take turns teaching and this recipe was demonstrated by Ferda Kececi. Our first recipe is a simple one, using red lentils, common in Turkey. They may be hard to find unless you go to a farmer’s market, but they are available at Bereket, the small but well stocked Turkish market located at the Istanbul Center. You can use other lentils, but the taste will differ. This recipe calls for corn oil and I felt this heavy oil gave a wonderful, buttery flavor to the soup, but you can use any oil or butter. The first step is making a roux with onions to thicken the soup. Adding cold water to the mixture first keeps it from forming lumps. Using hot water for the remainder makes the cooking go faster. 1 cup red lentils, washed and drained (no need to soak) For the topping, optional: Optional topping: brown butter in a pan. Add pepper and paprika. Spoon onto the top of each bowl of soup before serving. See the slide show below for recipe steps. Variation: replace some of the water with milk or cream. Also, a fresh squeeze of lemon on top of the soup just before serving gives a fresh taste. Garnish the bowls with a lemon wedge and let each person decide if they want to add it. For more Turkish cooking class info, visit their blog, where they give more recipes and often step by step instructions. To register for upcoming classes, email
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Istanbul Center: http://www.istanbulcenter.org Blog: http://istanbulturkishcookingclass.blogspot.com/ Women’s Division: http://www.istanbulcenter.org/womensdivision.aspx Bereket Turkish Grocery: http://lazbakkal.com/home.php and
Bereket, a Turkish market at the Istanbul Center in NorcrossOctober 14, 7:16 PM Atlanta Ethnic Foods Examiner Beth Robinette
A good introduction to Turkish culture is to visit the Istanbul Center in Atlanta. The Istanbul Center is very active, hosting speakers and conferences in addition to an annual Turkish Festival in October, which expands to 2 days in 2009. The center organizes tours of Turkey. They also host special art and cultural exhibits like Whirling Dervishes of Rumi or Art & Essay Contest for Middle and High Schools. They have two locations, Midtown Atlanta and Norcross. The Norcross center, located at 6760 Jimmy Carter Boulevard is more interesting for most folks and there is a lot to do. You can sign up for Turkish language classes, Turkish cooking classes, or just stop by the Bereket Grocery and browse the delicacies. The Bereket Grocery is small, but stuffed with so many interesting things including food, cooking utensils, spices, and the ever present “evil eye”. Most of the items are non-perishables, but there are fresh cheeses and baklava. The store is very clean. While some of the items are available in Middle Eastern shops, this is the first completely Turkish grocery I’ve seen in the Atlanta metro. The staff was friendly and helpful. When confronted by foods you aren’t used to, start with the sweets. There are a variety of instant puddings, cookies and tea biscuits, and half an aisle dedicated to jams. While most everyone has tried baklava or Turkish delight, few may have seen cevizili sucuk, which literally translates as walnut sausage. In the bazaars and open markets of Turkey, stalls are draped with long ropes of this confection that consists of walnuts, strung and coated in thickened grape juice. At Bereket you can buy small sections pre-wrapped in plastic. Bereket will have a booth at the Turkish Festival, which is a good place to try lots of amazing food you won’t find anywhere else. |
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