While it might be technically fall on the calendar, the weather begs to disagree here in Istanbul.  Working all day in the heat has me just about melting by the time I get home and the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven and cook something.  I’ve recently started stocking the fridge … More Meze and Mercimek Köfte:

Before I took the plunge and decided to move to Istanbul I was just a normal tourist.  My best friend and I had come here on a 2 week vacation while teaching at summer camps in Italy and therefore we were on a pretty tight budget.  We survived mostly off of cheap street food through … More Hunting for Lahmacun…

On the Asian side of Istanbul, in one of the oldest neighborhoods named Üsküdar, and right in the middle of the busy center is an amazing restaurant originally established in the 1930’s-that until this past Saturday, I had never once stepped foot in.  It’s not far from my own neighborhood and my Turkish friends have been … More Old Traditions and New Experiences at Üsküdar’s Kanaat Lokantası…

  THIS is everything to me right now. I’m dying in this heat and the only way to escape it is to fill a bowl with this and slurp up as much as I possibly can. However, the hilarity that this particular food is the only thing I want to eat is not lost on … More Cucumbers Continued: ‘Cacık’ and Loving Yogurt…

First of all, I feel it’s very important to start off honestly and point out that I am normally not really a huge veggie person.  I generally tend to go towards the heavier spicy meat options for dinner, always choosing a yummy lamb dish over the vegetarian option when dining out here in Istanbul.  However, … More Cucumber and Tomato Obsession, love of the Çoban Salatası: