For those who engaged in culinary pursuits, the Turkish Cuisine is a
very, curious one. The variety of dishes that make up the Cuisine, the
ways they all come together in feast-like meals, and the evident intricacy
of each craft offer enough material for life-long study and enjoyment.
It is not easy to discern a basic element or a single dominant feature,
like the Italian "pasta" or the French "sauce". Whether
in a humble home, at a famous restaurant, or at a dinner in a Bey's mansion,
familiar patterns of this rich and diverse Cuisine are always present.
It is a rare art, which satisfies your senses while reconfirming the higher
order of society; community and culture.
A practical-minded child watching Mother cook "cabbage dolma"
on a lazy; gray winter day is bound to wonder: "Who on earth discovered
this peculiar combination of sautéed rice, pine-nuts, currants,
spices, herbs and all tightly wrapped in translucent leaves of cabbage
all exactly half an inch thick and stacked up on an oval serving plate
decorated with lemon wedges? How was it possible to transform this humble
vegetable to such heights of fashion and delicacy with so few additional
ingredients? And, how can such a yummy dish possibly also be good for
you?"
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