Cabbages & Kings

Well, cabbages is as close as this post gets...

I cooked! (more about that shortly) The food has been wonderful, everywhere we have been.  My taste buds were salivating before we even left home, thinking about the culinary treats in store and we've not been disappointed once.  In Turkey I made a glutton of myself on cheese and lokum (Turkish Delight) - the variety of both was mind boggling and the flavours.... yuuuummm!  The spice market was fascinating and it took no time at all before I had 500g of this, and 500g of that, the most mouthwatering spice mixes, in my hands before I visualized trying to lug many kilos of spices around in my luggage for the next month or two!

Each morning in Istanbul the buffet breakfast consisted of 6 or 7 different fresh cheeses, cucumber, tomato and sometimes carrot; yoghurt, cereals, dried fruits including two types of apricot (the normal "Turkish" apricots we see at home and a really dark variety, and mulberries; honey, conserves, tahini halva; fresh breads and semit (like bagels with sesame seeds); fried potatoes, boiled eggs and little sausages in tomato sauce.  Wish I could have tried it all but concentrated on the treats that I wouldn't be able to have at home... like delicious cheese, delicious cheese, and delicious cheese, oh!... and Turkish Delight which was also on the breakfast table with all the dainty little cookies I forgot!  Mark has mentioned my "cheese tummy" more than once...

Back to the beginning... I took the opportunity in Istanbul to ask if I could get a cooking lesson anywhere.  The hotel immediately obliged and organised our barman/interpreter/computer tech guy to come and assist the Chef.  Despite almost expiring in the heat, in the basement kitchen of the hotel, we had an awesome time!  The barman was hilarious - young, well educated (his father had been a foreign emissary so they had travelled lots) and full of youth's strong opinions.  So I have learnt to cook mushroom soup their way, peasant kebab, milk pudding (for you Rob!) and bread.  The hour lesson extended to about 3 1/2 hrs and when Mark came down with his beer all four of us all crammed at the little staff table (normally set for one at a time) in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs to eat the feast!  4.30pm and there was no way we could eat dinner as well that night!

The next night we had an awesome dinner out with a great couple we met in Istanbul and tried several different, local dishes.  Delicious eggplant and artichokes.  Mark had the lamb roast which was different to the way we would cook it but sooooo tender, moist and flavoursome.

In Greece we have seen a lot more pasta and pizza so far than I imagined. The local restaurant about 5mins walk from our accommodation serves such good food and huge quantities at such reasonable prices that we've been unable to tear ourselves away even to try up in the village taverna, we've been working our way through the menu here.  Siesta hours mean that people don't come out to eat until late, typically 9pm sees the locals start wandering in.  At the tavernas the old men sit around talking much of the day it seems, and at 7.30pm last night I was the only woman in a taverna full of men.  We never see the women, I am assuming they are at home cooking and cleaning.  Mark's face is lighting up... I think he is presuming I might absorb some ideas from this culture.... 

Lemnos makes special thyme flavoured honey, muscat wine and it's own variety of pasta.  I wanted to buy some of the pasta I've seen in the supermarket to send home to Hanny - there are packs of World Cup pasta with referees whistles, cups and boots; and animal face pasta.  Gorgeous, but at about NZD25/kg to ship home I can't do it! The local wine we have had here is made from the most ancient grape variety they have discovered in Greece, and Homer mentions being cheered that the wines from these grapes of Limnos have arrived.

The bread shops here are full of delicious sweetmeats, so many varieties of baklava, then all sorts of cookies and truffelly looking delights.  I am having to leave the breads alone, so reluctantly, and succumb every few days to one super sweet, honey dripping, nut filled confection.