The dance form we call "belly dancing" is derived from traditional women's dances of the Middle East and North Africa. Women have always belly danced, at parties, at family gatherings, and during rites of passage. A woman's social dancing eventually evolved into belly dancing as entertainment ("Dans Oryantal" in Turkish and "Raqs Sharqi" in Arabic). Although the history of belly dancing is murky prior to the late 1800s, many experts believe its roots go back to the temple rites of India. Probably the gre... read more »
After a long and lazy break, I decided that it was time to get back on track with my blog. And what better way to do it than posting the recipe for stuffed grapeleaves: a healthy dish that keeps well in the fridge, and can be enjoyed without the hassle of reheating or plating! [...] read more »
Mantı is one of the most admired dishes in Turkish cuisine, equivalent to the ravioli of Italy. The main difference is the use of garlic yogurt as a sauce, and dough as the casing for the meat instead of semolina wheat (used to make ravioli pasta). It is quite laborious to make the authentic version, [...] read more »
I had to reference one of my all time favorite TV shows Friends before starting this recipe. George Clooney said it best: God Bless a Chickpea. Versatile and incredibly flavorful, there is almost no limitation to what you can do with chickpeas. Especially in Turkish cuisine, numerous dishes include chickpeas as a central ingredient. I [...] read more »
