Friday, May 14, 2010

MUTFAK watch

-
Mutfak (English: Kitchen) means a little if you are not there. Accessories mean nothing if the experience is not there.

*remark in red for turkish
1. Oklava /at least 60cm -24" long, thin rolling pin to make pastries

2. Sahan /small, shallow pan for Sunday morning's egg dishes

3. Seramik kase /ceramic (or glassware) bowls for soups

4. Çay seti /Turkish tea set with tea glasses and double teapot. Oh, remember we are a teacholic nation!

5. Kahve seti /Turkish coffee set with coffee cups and coffeepot. Coffee comes after tea for Turkish people!

6. Tahta kaşık /Wooden spoons. Characteristically hand-carved, a must for stirring stew.

7. Porselen tabaklar /Porcelain dishes

8. Fırın tepsileri /Baking trays

9. Bıçak ve kesme tahtası /Knives and chopping board and,


(klik klik to enlarge only these copper photos)

At Eminönü, lined with shops


opportunity to purchase their wares

to suit every taste and pocket!


10. Bakır tencere ve cezve /Copper pots and pans


This is ten "essential items" for any Turkish kitchen, so that arouse my desire, our appetite to cooking! If my tools are not align with what I do, all of the clever tactics I can come up with to follow my lofty goal will make the cut. Unless I can use my
accessories inspiring our culture!

Because of their shape, the material made from or the way an item is used, our tools create seriously a difference in some dishes. To cook and taste better is the fact when using traditional turkish equipment of 10 above. One of them is
deep and larger copper pans, completely tinned that they are widely used in most of houses and Turkish restaurants. Copper conduct heat fantastically, so foods cook quickly and evenly! Superior flavor of pilaf can be found if cooked in a copper pan!

Still the most important commercial center of the historical peninsula, Eminönü is the place that offers a chance to see craftsmen at work and to purchase wares, especially copper pot and pans. Istanbul's endless variety fascinates its visitors and me as well transporting anyone to their fantasies of the mystical old Istanbul days. Pretty fantastic to
wander through the shops and collecting photos with my camera (above) even though the astounding displays of enthusiastic capitalism in the world:)

Tell me, what are the essential items in your kitchen?





6 comments:

  1. Delightful photos. I like so much the coffee cup, the porcelain dish and, why not, the wooden spoons. Beautiful the last sequence of the copper pots and pans.
    No items (almost...!) in my kitchen, as I very often have lunch at the restaurant :-)
    Happy weekend, Nihal!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great post, I realy enjoyed to see that i know all these names so well :))

    ReplyDelete
  3. I studied your photos of the ten essential items very carefully. You do such a lovely job with photographing the elements in your pictures. I love all your photography and am so glad that you share it! Now to my essential kitchen items. They are almost idential to your items! I have a favorite rolling pin, mixing bowls, cookie tins, etc. One item I must have that you didn't picture is my measuring cups! I do use them although I am not very accurate with my measure! I am quite often "a little of this and a little of that" type of cook! This morning I was looking through my photos of our trip to Antalya in 1998. Made me wish I could visit again. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Nihal
    I am back after yet another break. What a magnificent set of photographs you have presented. Really cool & professional. while I love the utensils & tools presented I haven't the faintest expertise in any form of cooking Indian or Turkish !
    Cheers.
    Ram

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nihal, thanks so much for the advice, in fact I didn't try E-Bay for the laptop. You know, I'm looking for the model (a brand-new one, of course) I still have (I wish another one to keep in reserve!), which is a model of 3 years ago: it's hard to find it because models and technology change so fast. Besides, I think Sony must have this model in some unsold remnants, somewhere.
    Have a very beautiful week :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, good stuff here. I'm a newbie reader of yours, but will be back!

    ReplyDelete