Topping off the perfect weekend with a bloody Mary topped with Guinness and goodness (Taken with instagram)
foodloves.me
My sister-in-law preparing yaprak sarma; a classic Turkish dish where grape leaves are stuffed with minced meat, rice, onions and various spices then rolled. You may know them as dolmas. There is also a vegetarian/olive oil version which is served and eaten cold. However, the meat ones are eaten hot and served with, of course, garlic yogurt!
After they are rolled, they are layered in rows in a pot with grape leaves separating each stack. The secret is putting lamb ribs at the base to give them an irressistable flavor and I am not exaggerating (although I am impartial to anything that involves ribs). Due to my jet lag, increased appetite and Sinem’s incredible cooking skills, I spent my first couple of nights in the kitchen, stealing these from the fridge while editing photos.
God might have taken one of Adam’s ribs to create woman, but we take lamb ribs to create flavor!
Here we go;
Zentinyağlı İç Baklali Enginar (Artichokes Stuffed with Fresh Fava Beans): Turkish olive oil dishes are always served and eaten cold. They are great with garlic yogurt on the side. (Well, lets be honest, everythingis great with garlic yogurt.) This dish is a feast that is truly Aegean, because the flavor combination is so unique and also artichokes grow in abundance on the Aegean coastal lines. The freshly harvested artichokes were peeled and trimmed down to the hearts at the market.
Güveçte Patlıcan Oturtma: Basically an eggplant stew - I don’t know what else to say about it other than it’s absolutely delicious… and goes great with some garlic yogurt!
I am in heaven.
I know a little bear whose paws are gonna be full when I get back.
Sunday we strolled through the market to pick up some fresh ingredients for the meals to follow.
I am back home in Turkey for my brother’s wedding so this week I will be posting my favorites. The first thing I ate is mantı made by my future sister-in-law!
Mantı is tiny little dumplings filled with seasoned minced meat, smothered in garlic yogurt topped with with red pepper, dried mint and sumac seasoned melted butter.
have your cake and eat it too! 
