Cooking in Istanbul

My day in Istanbul was devoted to food. In the afternoon I went to the Spice Bazaar and purchased some teas and spices I can't get in Kyrgyzstan. I then spent the evening taking a cooking class at Deraliye which is a restaurant which recreates Ottoman Palace recipes, many of them from centuries ago. It turns out no one else signed up for the class, but Murat, the restaurant manager was kind enough to conduct the class anyway.

I learned to make Stuffed Vine Leaves with Sour Cherries, which was a favorite dish of Sultan Abdul Medjid who ruled the Ottoman Empire in the mid 1800s.  The recipe was taken from historical documents which detailed the recipe. We also made "Sailor's Roll" which is a rolled pastry flled with cheese and peas, deep fried, and served with honey. And the final course I learned was a melon, stuffed with minced meat, pine nuts, almonds, currants, and spices. It is a summer variation of  one of Sultan Sulieman's favorite dishes (circa 1600s) . Traditionally, it is cooked in winter and the stuffing is used to fill quinces.

Had a wonderful time in the company of Chef Mehmet and Murat, both kind, informative, and pleasant gentlemen--and gained insight in the food and culture of the Ottoman Empire.  And had a really delicious meal.

Outside of Deraliye Restaurant where I had my cooking class

Chef Mehmet gathering his strength before preparing to take on one of his more difficult apprentice cooks.

The chef adds the filling to the pastry dough for the "Sailor Rolls"

Sailor Rolls ready for the fryer after being rolled and sliced

Apprentice chef preparing the melon for stuffing

Murat, the restaurant manager, explaining how to fry the sailor rolls

Finished Sailor Roll drizzled with honey

Finished Stuffed Vine Leaves with Sour Cherries

Completed Main Course:  Melon Stuffed with Minced Meat with Melon and Rosemary Side Dish

Dessert: Saffron and Turmeric Pudding with Pine Nuts and Currants