Thursday, March 1, 2012

A Treat from Istanbul

Tonight we squeezed in an unplanned date night after physical therapy, heading to Bloodroot for a Turkish dinner in honor of the owners' return from their vacation abroad.  It sounds like they had a marvelous time and loved the hospitable people, enjoying the sites including the usual Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, and Hagia Sofia, as well as a mosque designed by a woman (a first; link has some pretty photos.  I've actually been to Turkey, once, for a day, in the middle of a Greek Island cruise with Gommie--we saw the Roman ruins at Ephesus, but I don't recall eating there at all).  And what wonderful food!  Tonight, they served a dinner inspired by their trip, especially the foods at the spice markets (and Selma's numerous collections of Turkish cookbooks):

  • Borek - a filled savory fillo pastry 
  • Muhummara - a delicious spread made from roasted peppers, aleppo peppers, and pomegranate molasses
  • Cemen - a spiced tomato walnut dip
  • Apricot Pistachio Pilaf, with lots of great flavor and texture
  • Lokum - Turkish delight (in this case, a not so sweet candy)
It reminded me of our favorite exhibition on the Silk Road.  I hope Bloodroot keeps some of these dishes on the menu.  It's a nice change from all the standard Italian around here.

2 comments:

  1. I can't wait to go there. I hope they keep some of those on the menu too.

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  2. I haven't been to Bloodroot in ages. This post may lure me back!

    (That mosque is amazingly beautiful)

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