48 hours in Istanbul!!!



Last weekend I had the chance to travel to Istanbul for the weekend.

I had been once again back in the 70s when I was a kid, typical family holidays...

This time I really wanted to plan it as a gourmet trip.

Lately I had read many articles in gourmet magazines, food blogs, chefs and food & travel editors, friends of mine had advised me to plan a trip to Istanbul as lately has become a must destination for all foodies, and not only...

After last weekend the only thing I can say is that I would love to go again and again and again....

The architecture, Bosporus, the aromas of spices, the food, the people....

Every part of the trip was an experience, I could fill pages with lists (and I was only for a weekend...) however I strongly advise you not to miss the following 3



9 ece aksoy

oteller sokak no 9

tepebasi/istanbul

tel 02122457423

http://www.dokuzeceaksoy.com/

For the atmosphere and the food

Cigdem Patisserie

Divanyolu cad No: 62/A

To buy authentic turkish sweets and home made chocolates with unique ingredients

Cemberlitas Hamam

Vezirhan Cad no8

http://www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr/

An experience you will never forget ( get the luxury package)

Today serving...

Hello there!

Today I am at home with the kids, so it's a great opportunity to cook with them and also try some new recipes I checked lately in Greek gourmet magazines.

Alia loves lentil soup.So I promised her that before we do anything else we will start with that.

Actually is very nice if your kids like such a food. I remember when I was at the age of 5 I really hated lentil soup...

It's a very simple recipe, I am sure most of you know how to make it, but since we cooked it today let me give you ingredients you need and directions.



Lentil Soup



Ingredients

500 gr lentils

1 onion cut in tiny pieces

1 garlic glove cut in tiny pieces

1 cup of olive oil

fresh rosemarine (as much as you like)

water

salt

pepper

vinegar



Put the lentils under water and wash them well (Alia's job)

Place them in a saucepan and cover them with water. Boil them in a medium heat.

Drain them, and put them again in the saucepan, adding hot water.

Add the onion, and garlic and cook in medium heat.

When the lentils are almost cooked (they will be soft) add the olive oil, rosemarine, 1 tb of balsamic vinegar and cook at slow heat until you get a thick mixture.Season with salt and pepper
Serve warm and add as much vinegar as you like!!!

A different beansoup

Hi there! I was sure I would be able to post some data earlier but too many things happened..
My daughter was ill, then so was I, and then (thank God) we managed to go to Corfu for 3 days.
we had a super time, I got a photo of Liston as I promised and I will post it too.

There is a recipe I would like to share with you. It is one delicious soup I tried the other day, a bean soup I could call it, but it also contains cabbage and bacon, which give to it a much more interesting taste.
My kids loved it as well so I am thinking to add it in the meals I plan for them every week.

Bean soup with cabbage

Ingredients

500 gr cabbage
250 gr small white beans
1 onion
3 carrots
2 tablespoons fresh dill
2 eggs
1 lemon
1 tablespoon cornflour
1/2 cup cream
olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Put the beans in a bowl with cold water and leave them overnight (or 8 hours)
Cut in small pieces the bacon, onion, carrots, and cabbage.
Take a large saucepan, add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the carrots, onion, bacon and cabbage for 4 minutes. Add the beans and fill the sauce pan with water so all ingredients are covered.
Boil in medium heat for about 90 min, adding water occasionally (so that the food is always covered)
When beans are ready (they will be soft) , add the dill and leave them to cook in slow heat.
In a bowl mix well the egg yolks, lemon juice,corn flour and cream. Pour the mixture into the saucepan, stir well and leave it to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve warm.

Sunday afternoon at Gazi (Kerameikos ) area

Today it was a lovely sunny day in Athens. It was one of these days you really want to spend some time outdoors, to feel the sun, to wak, to drink some wine, etc etc.

Now we have the Carnival period in Greece. People dress us and go to parties.

My daughter N. had to attend such a party so she put her Japanese Kimono and went with a friend of ours and her daughter.

D.A. and I decided to go out for lunch, so we took our daugther A. and went to by subway to Gazi (it means gas in greek- I will do some research about the old gas factory which operated there in the past and post the info in the near future)

It has become a very trendy area in our days, attracting all shorts of people : clubbers during night, families Saturday and Sunday afternoons, etc.There are many trendy restaurants, cafes, tavernas..

There are new built lofts too, and many people , especially artists, architects, advertisers, buy or rent appartments (rather expensive) in Gazi area.

We went to a place called "Kanella" (it means cinnamon in greek). It is a trendy and modern tavern, serving traditional greek recipes ( usual stuff greek mothers cook at home) with a modern touch. Some plates are really spicy for kids, but the kind staff informs you so.

We had some really good eggplant salad, lentils with carrots and feta cheese, pork with mushrooms, and home made french fries.

pizzette recipe

Here I am, as I promised with the recipe of "pizzette"

Ingredients
360 gr all purpose flour
18 gr fresh yeast
200 ml warm water (not hot!)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large bowl mix the water, the olive oil, the yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix well till all ingredients melt
Add 200 gr of flour and mix well untill you get a smooth mixture. Cover with a towel and leave in for about 45 min at room temperature.
Add the rest 180 gr of flour and mix well using your hands, untill you dough is not sticky any more. If needed, add some more flour. Make a ball and cover it with a wet towel. Leave it in the refrigerator for 1 hr ( the most you can leave it until you are ready to use it is 24 hrs)
Divide your dough into 8 little pieces and make 8 pizzette using a pizza roler

For the filling

The are so many ideas !! Use your imagination and choose the ingredients you like most.
Here I give you the basic tomato-mozzarella recipe, a sure one to be loved!!!

tomato-mozzarella
500gr tomatoes
2 garlic gloves cut in small pieces
half onion cut in small pieces
olive oil
fresh basil leaves cut in small pieces
sugar
salt
peper
8 slices of mozzarella for pizza, or 1 fresh mozzarella , drained and thinly sliced

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the tomatoes, garlic and onion and cook in medium heat for 3-4 min. Add the sugar and leave them to cook in slow heat for about 7 min. Add the basil leaves , season and salt

Add the tomato sauce in every piece of pizza, cover with the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven (250 o C) for about 7 min.

As I told you yesterday, you can make you own pizzette using the ingredients you prefer.
Yesterday I was in the mood to try a different flavor, so I made few potato-sausage-rosemarine- parmesan pizzette.
They were delicious!!
Here are the ingredients you neeed.
1potato cut in little pieces
half onion cut in thin slices
rosemarine
2 50 gr italian sausage
parmesan flakes
olive oil

In a sauce pan heat the olive oil. Cook the sausage and potato pieces for about 4 min. Add the onion and cook them all till the onion starts to colour. Remove them from the heat. Fill the pizzette with the potato-onion-sausage mixture, cover with parmesan cheeese, sprinkle over the rosemarine and bake as above!

Saturday evening - cooking adventures with kids

Saturday, Feb 14th 2009

Today, it was a sunny day in Athens.
After picking up N. from her English Course we walked around Kolonaki square for a while.
N. enjoyed a fresh juice and a tomato cheese and turkey baked sandwich, we bought fresh coriander for our weekend cooking games and returned home.
In the evening we made home made pizza. My kids love to cook and pizza dough is one of their favorite things to make. We decided to make pizzette so everyone of us could choose the filling.
For the kids we made the usual tomato mozzarella pizza, an easy and delicious italian recipe.
For me and DA this time I went for a new adventure, and I prepared my own recipe, a potato, onion, sausage, rosemarine and parmesan pizza!!
...Well pizzette were great!
Tommorrow I will do my best ( I am an amateur for the moment..) to post some photos and the recipe..
Thank you google for giving me the chance to create a blog
Have a super Saturday my friends!!

Vi Kay and family

First thoughts...

Saturday Feb 14th 2009

It's really exciting to finally have my own blog..
If you are wondering what or where Liston is, let me answer to it..
Liston in a trendy spot in Corfu Town, the capital of Corfu Island, Greece.
I was born there and still manage to go 3-4 times the year. In my next trip I will take some photos and post them in the Blog