Tasting Turkish Culture

Istanbul Cultural Center- Jacksonville Women Division is offering Turkish Cooking Class with rich and delicious recipes! The classes will be once a month on Saturdays between  11:00 am to 2:00 pm  at Istanbul Cultural  Center. We look forward to seeing you in the kitchen.  class will be on  Saturday, December 7th 013 . This month's menu is Stuffed Collard Greens with Meat For RSVP  http://www.eventbrite.com/e/turkish-cooking-class-in-november-tickets-6640214059?aff=es2&rank=1&sid=e9fcf1612beb11e3979622000a9f3045

This week in cooking class, Yasemin showed us how to make sulu kofte. It was so yummy :)   Ingredients 1/2 pound ground beef 1 cup cracked wheat ( bulgur) 1 egg 1 medium crashed onion 1 tbsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp red pepper 1 tsp cumin For Sauce 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp pepper paste 2 tbsp flour 3 tbsp canola oil 1/2 cup flour for tray 8 cup water Garnish 1/2 cup chopped parsley Preparation 1- In a bowl, add the ground beef, spices, egg, cracked wheat, salt, and onion. Knead all ingredients. Make bit size meatballs. 2- Spread the flour on a tray and place meatballs on tray. 3- In a medium size pot, add oil, tomato paste, pepper paste, and 3 tbsp flour. Saute all of them in a medium heat. Then add 6 cups water. Wait until it boils. Then all the little meatballs, drop into the pot and stir slowly. 4- Cook for about 15-20 min. in a medium heat. 5- Before serve the meatballs, sprinkle some chopped parsley on top. Afiyet Olsun!

INGREDIENTS  2 up yogurt 1 cup water 2 cucumbers (peeled and diced small, or shredded )  1 clove garlic (crushed) 1/4 tbsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil  1 tsp dried mint 1 tsp red pepper 1 tsp black pepper fresh dill (optional) DIRECTIONS 1-Mıx yogurt with spoon in a medium bowl. 2-Add garlic, salt and cucumber, and combine thoroughly. Stir water in it. 3-Add black pepper, red pepper and mint. Last, add the oil. Garnish with fresh dill if desired. Serve Cold. Afiyet olsun!

INGREDIENTS Cake; 3 eggs 6 figs, chopped 1 c. walnut, crushed 1/2 c. milk 1 c. sugar 1 1/2 c. flour baking powder vanilla  Syrup: 1 1/2 c. water 1 T. Nescafé instant coffee 1/2 c. sugar  OR 3-in-1 Nescafé instant coffee 1 T. sugar 1 1/2 c. cold water Cream: 2 T. flour 3 T. starch  4 c. milk 8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 packet powdered whipped cream DIRECTIONS 1-Mix eggs and sugar thoroughly, then stir in milk. 2-Stir in flour, baking powder, and vanilla, and mix until completely combined. 3-Stir in figs and walnuts. Grease a baking dish with spray oil. and pour in the mixture evenly. 4-Bake 20-25 minutes at 350º F. 5-Mix all ingredients for syrup well. 6-Then, over medium-high heat, stir milk, flour, and starch until the mixture boils. 7- Remove from heat, and add butter and vanilla and mix well. 8-Last, stir in the powdered whipped cream. 9-After the baked  cake  has cooled, pour the syrup over it. 10

Ingredients 1 cup of fine bulgur(cracked wheat) 1/2 cup of hot water ½ tbsp tomato paste ½ tbsp pepper paste 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp red pepper flakes 2 cloves of garlic, grated 1 mid-size grated onion 1 small bowl chopped lettuce 1 small bowl chopped red cabbage 1 small bowl grated carrot 1/2 cup olive oil 1 medium tomato 1tsp dried mint Juice of 1 lemon Red,yellow,green pepper Half bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped Directions 1-In a large bowl soak bulgur with a cup of hot water and cover with lid. 2-Wait until bulgur absorbs the water and become soft (approximately 15 minutes). 3-Add tomato paste, pepper paste, salt , mint,cumin, black pepper, red pepper, oil, lemon juice, grated onion and garlic and knead them. 4-And then add lettuce, red cabbage, carrot,tomato and parsley and mix well. Serve cold. Also it can be served with tomatoes, cucumbers, scallion, mint leaves or pickles too.

Ingredients 2 cup warm milk( 60 sec. microwave ) 5 tsp yeast 1 tbsp salt 3 tbsp vegetable oil half lemon juice egg white ( yolk for top ) 4 cups flour 2 sticks melted butter 4 cups shredded mozzarella Direction 1- In a bowl, mix milk,yeast, salt, oil,egg white and flour.Make a soft dough. 2-Then take 5 pieces ( one of them should be bigger). Roll them approx. 30 cm. 3-Then take the bigger one and brush with melted butter. 4- Make same process for 5 pieces. Put mozzarella and close gently like envelope. 5-Then place on the oiled tray and with your hands make it bigger. 6- Brush egg yolk. Wait 30 min.for raise it up. 7- Bake at 350 F preheated oven 20- 25 min. Serve it warm or hot with tea. Afiyet Olsun..

  Last week we had our initial Coffee night for Ladies. We were joined with new friends and friendly faces. As mentioned we wanted to have a different theme for every coffee night and last weeks theme was "Where coffee came about?". Melanie presented a short presentation while I, Meltem, demonstrated how a Turkish coffee is made. We all sat around and enjoyed delicious Turkish tea, snacks and of course coffee. I really had so much fun and I only hope the ladies had as much fun. Below I have left some info that we learned about coffee.   The most popular story of the discovery of coffee centers around a young goat herder named Kaldi in the Ethiopian province of Kaffa around the late 6th century. Legend has it that he noticed a strange restlessness in his flock after they had eaten the berries and leaves of an unknown plant. Monks from a nearby monastery heard of this phenomenon, and after various trials discovered that by roasting, grinding and infusing in water the see

Come and join us as we offer fun, exciting and hands- on cooking classes!. Istanbul Cultural Center- Jacksonville Women Division is offering Turkish Cooking Class with rich and delicious recipes! The classes will be once a month on Saturdays between  11:00 am to 2:00 pm  at Istanbul Cultural  Center. We look forward to seeing you in the kitchen. Class will be on Saturday November 9th , 2013 . This month's menu is Sulu kofte... For RSVP http://www.eventbrite.com/event/6640214059/es2?rank=1&sid=e9fcf1612beb11e3979622000a9f3045