Ottoman Express

Beet dip with Za'atar

Lately I've found my culinary tastes dwelling on a particular regional cuisine instead of drifting all over the world as it normally does. It might be easy to describe as Turkish food, but its more accurate to say Ottoman food, or, food created in areas previously encompassed by the Ottoman empire, from Southern Europe to the Middle East. (I should note that for many of this region, its not a particularly cherished historical memory. But it did make for some great culinary-cross pollination.) It means that incredibly vegan-friendly range of food that gets its taste from creatively concentrated vegetables, fresh herbs, and pungent spices. I'm talking the sweet-sharp hit of pureed eggplant, paprika and onion in Balkan Ajvar, the omnipresent fresh mint, parsley and lemon topping Turkish salads, and the smoky paprika-infused oil glistening in a Hungarian paprikash.

Living in Berlin means that all the needed ingredients for this Balkan-Middle Eastern binge is right at my fingertips, and quite inexpensive. (I defy you to find a cheaper source of Za'atar and sumac than my local grocery store.) It also means you can see the persuasive power of this magic region, as Germans here prefer doner kebab to currywurst as their beer companion, and are far too comfortable drinking salted yogurt beverages (Ayran), slurping lentil soup for breakfast, or binging on cups full of mint and bulgar on a fast food break. Which only means that when I serve something with tahini for the fourth time this week, my own German hardly raises an eyebrow.

I've got a couple recipes I want to share when I perfect them (my own versions of Persian crispy rice, Ajvar, Kibbeh, ect.) but for now, here's a few dishes that explain where my tastebuds are -somewhere on the Orient Express, it seems.

Pureed Beet Dip with Za'atar (veganized from Jerusalem)
3-4 red beets
1 garlic clove (or more to taste) 
1 small dried chili/ pinch cayenne pepper / dried chili
1 cup PLAIN soy yogurt
1 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses OR grape syrup (pekmez)
Salt and za'atar

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Rinse off beets and cut off ends. Wrap in tin foil and toss in the oven, cooking for 45 minutes or until easily fork-pierceable.
2. When beets are done and cool to the touch, remove peels with a peeler + your fingers. Roughly chop and throw in the food processor along with roughly chopped garlic, chili and yogurt. Whizz away until smooth, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Fold in syrup, olive oil, and pinches each of za'atar and salt. Taste, and add in more yogurt or spices to taste.

Serve topped with slices green onions and toasted hazelnuts (if desired) with some good toasted bread or pita.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Mint and Lemon
I make a veganized combo of this recipe and this recipe, serving it with plenty of extra fresh mint, lemon, and pomegranate seeds. Its hard to mess up something so simple and delicious, and it can be served any time of day but it makes a great breakfast! (Especially with Coca cola for some reason, I know, its weird.)

Megadarra
There are many spellings and versions of this homey rice and lentil dish, but its worth mastering your own because its difficult to find anything else so delicious that can be made so cheaply and with such few ingredients. Be sure to check out alternative preparations, but here's my version.

1 C. Brown or Green Lentils, rinsed 
3-4 medium onions, chopped into half-circles (cut off ends of each peeled onion, slice from end to end, then, laying flat on cutting board, slice through thinly from end to end, producing thing concentric half-circles.)
Olive Oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 C. Basmati Rice, rinsed 
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch each: turmeric, allspice, sugar
2 C. water
Salt and pepper

Plain soy yogurt
Roughly chopped cucumber and mint

1. You will need three cooking vessels: one large sautee pan for caramelizing onions, one small pot for cooking the lentils, and one larger pot for the rice and lentil mixture. To start, fill the smaller pot with cold, salted water and set on to boil. Set the sautee pan on medium heat and drizzle with a good couple tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Once pot of water has reached a boil, add the lentils and reduce to simmer. Cook for 15- 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft and chewy. Drain, and set aside.
3. -in the meantime (while lentils are cooking) we need to caramelize some onions. When your sautee pan is heated to medium heat with plenty of oil, add in the chopped onions and immediately lower heat to lowest setting. Stir frequently, watching for burning, and let cook for some 20-30 minutes, adding in a bit of extra oil or water if necessary because of burning. When done, onions should be brownish tendrils starting to get crispy in places. Using slotted spoon, remove onions to a serving bowl and set aside.
4. Place larger pot from step 1 on medium heat. Add in cumin seeds and toast for circa 1 minute, or until starting to turn brown. Add in a good drizzle of olive oil, then the rice, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice and sugar. Toast rice for a minute with the spices, then add in 2 C. water, and the cooked lentils. Stir, season with salt and pepper, and bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for circa 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is cooked.

To serve, scoop a generous serving of lentil rice mixture onto plates and top with plenty of caramelized onions. Serve with a mix of cucumber, yogurt and mint. HEAVEN.

Megadarra, Mujedrah, Mejadra, ect. with cucumber yogurt

For more Ottoman Express inspiration, check out my posts from Budapest, Belgrade, and Istanbul.


Song of the Day: The Preatures- Is this how you feel?

Turkish Coffee, Serbian Style

When I first arrived in Belgrade, I was dismayed to learn about my coffee options. While the watered-down filter coffee that is popular in America is hardly available anywhere in Europe, most places have a watered-down espresso that makes a decent comparison. Not Belgrade. There, you have two choices: Nescafe or Turkish Coffee.

Not being a huge fan of Nescafe except in desperate situations (let's not get into it) I asked the secretary at my office to teach me how to make the Turkish coffee Serbs are so fond of. Interestingly, everyone makes it a little differently. Some people put the sugar in after the coffee is made, some start with the coffee already in the water, and some people swear that the coffee needs to come to a boil 3 times to be correct.

Well, here's the way I learned to make it- naturally vegan, not too bitter, not too thick. Its a great alternative to your daily brew if you've become reliant on soy creamer and other embellishments. It's also great for traveling and camping- just invest in a camping coffee pot and you're ready to go.

***************
Turkish Coffee, Serbian Style

First, to ensure you don't make too much, pour cold water into your desired mug then transfer to your coffee pot. (If you have an electric water heater you could also heat the water first to speed things up.)

Self explanatory.

After water has reached a boil, take it off the heat for a sec and put in a spoonful or two of sugar and stir. Return to heat and bring back to a boil.

Now, how strong you like your coffee is a matter of taste, but when it comes to Turkish coffee it might be best to start out strong since the extra grounds gather at the bottom of the cup anyways. I usually do about 2-2.5 spoonfuls, and stir. Return to heat.

Bring the coffee to a boil, but be careful because it will froth up and boil over like a volcano! This happens approximately 1 out of 2 times.

So when it starts to boil up, remove it from the heat and let it calm down a second. Then you can return it to heat to let it boil over again another 2 times, for fun and good luck. (I can't tell a difference with the taste but people are very passionate about this step.)

Enjoy your strong coffee and good luck. :)

Song of the Day: Zemlja Gruva- Nisam Znala da Sam Ovo Htela

Vegan Soul Power's Summer Travel Guide for Vegans and Vegetarians

Are you coming to Europe this summer? That's funny, because I'm going to United States! (To get married, and then abscond with my beloved down the East Coast, ending up New Orleans!) Well here's a deal - I'll give you guys the vegan low-down for some of the European cities I've lived in or visited, and if you have a great tip for a must-eat place in the South, let me know in the comments!

*****
Budapest, Hungary

Why go: Budapest is romantic and sultry during the summertime. The Danube is draped in sparkling lights on either side and a walk down any winding street is likely to lead you to slightly run-down garden bar (Kert) packed with sweaty young cool-kids sampling beer and fruity palinka. There are thought-provoking museums and fantastic concerts for the culture lover, and plenty of do-able excursions to shady Buda or the country-side for nature lovers (try Lake Balaton!). And above all, its much more affordable visiting this city of lights than Paris.

Downside? Budapest's secret is out- everyone knows what a great place it is to visit in the summer, and tourists come in droves. This can either add to the international atmosphere, or create a situation where 20 drunk rugby players are picking fights at Szimpla Kert. But you'll be a tourist too, so you can handle it. 

What to Eat:
Street Food: Budapest isn't blessed with many street level food carts other than ice cream. However, if you go to any festival or up Castle Hill you will probably encounter langos, a type of fried bread smathered in sour cream (vegetarian.)

Restaurants: While vegetarian food is plentiful, vegan food is hard to come by in restaurants (but not impossible.) Hummus Bar has several locations and great hummus wraps for lunch, and there are a number of cafes in the Jewish Quarter that offer daily specials, often with vegan options. There are also several excellent Asian, Mexican, and Indian restaurants that have veg options.

Specialties: Budapest has outrageously fresh vegetables and many bio-stores with a wide range of vegan options, so cooking for yourself is a great option if its feasible. Be sure to pick up some Hungarian paprika (the spice and the vegetable), spring onions, peaches, cherries and plums which are all in season in the summer. More importantly: many bio shops offer vegan hot dogs and sausages with Hungarian spices, and these are some of the best meat substitutes I've ever had.

Check out my posts from Budapest for more tips and recipes.

Istanbul, Turkey

Why go: Istanbul is the puta madre of all cities. Its bigger, more bewildering, and more beautiful than anything you've ever seen (unless you've already been there.) The history is staggering- you don't get to be the capital of two major empires without some architectural baggage leftover. But this is also a city that knows how to surprise and delight, with a mix of intimate urban cafes and gardens and over-the-top grandiosity (like Hagia Sofia.). Its so simple to have a unique experience here- just try one of the hundreds of ferry boat trips leaving everyday between Europe and Asia.

Downside: Istanbulus are well aware of the city's draw for visitors, and an entire industry lives on them. This makes for some pushy salespeople sometimes. Just say "no" to that touristy restaurant or outrageously expensive rug- but don't feel bad getting talked into cheap souvenirs here and there.

What to Eat:
Street food: Vegans and vegetarians hit the jackpot on street-food here. You've got roasted chestnuts, grilled corn, fresh squeezed pomegranate juice, mixed nuts, and simits, bagel-like bread. (These are vegetarian for sure, but I highly suspect that they are often vegan as the recipe varies. Someone Turkish want to weigh in?)

Restaurants: Turkish food is heavy on meat and fish, but almost all of the accoutrements are vegan or vegetarian. There are apparently over 800 types of eggplant dishes in Turkish cuisine, and there are many types of salads served at most places, often with chickpeas, bulgur, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, ect- just ask! Its rare to find somewhere that has nothing vegan whatsoever. There are also several restaurants devoted entirely to veg cooking, but I must confess I never sought them out with all of the possibilities available.

Specialties: As I said, I've never found it necessary to cook for myself in Istanbul (the hospitality is fantastic) but between the plentiful and delicious fruits and vegetables, tahini and pekmez (a type of grape syrup) and many fragrant herbs and spices that you can find in specialty stores, vegetarian cooking is a breeze. Syrups and spices make great souvenirs, too.

And my posts from Istanbul have more.

Brussels, Belgium

Why go: As the Capitol of the European Union, you might think Brussels would have the stuffy, bureaucratic feeling of a place that is all business. And though you can certainly find that (just try Place Luxembourg) Brussels is distinctive not just for its European feeling, but as an diasporic intellectual center as well. From the winding streets of the African district Matonge to the Balkan bands playing Saturday mornings near Palais de Justice, to the Egyptian hookah bars circling Gare du Midi station, you can get an international feel from Brussels that is much more than just European.

Downside: Its expensive and the weather, more often than not, sucks. Luckily, the cozy indoor bars have as much to offer in people-watching as the outdoors. Try, for example, Le Pantin, right by Place Flagey.

Best fries in Brussels?

What to Eat:
Street food: Belgians are pretty sure that they invented the French fry (which begs the question... oh, never mind.) So this is your ultimate bet in Brussels, some portable pommes (hold the mayo) and a nice Belgian beer. Waffles are vegetarian and come with a variety of toppings, but only tourists go for all of that strawberry and chocolate stuff on top. (Its sugary enough, mon cherie.) Speaking of chocolate, milk-free chocolate can be found in most fancy chocolate shops, so don't fret.

Restaurants: I bet that Belgian food is really good, but even after living there a year I wouldn't know- its all butter and meat stuffed with endives and other stuff that isn't in my wheelhouse. A better bet is to go foreign and try African and Asian cuisine. Indochine, an excellent Vietnamese restaurant in Ixelles, has pho and plenty of other treats. Cruise around Matonge for a soy latte at Blomqvist's Espresso bar (if the same hot Swedish guy owns it you're in for a treat) and some African snacks on Rue de Long Vie. There's also Egyptian and Algerian food to be found... you know what? You can't go wrong on restaurants. Just avoid Belgian food and the overpriced tourist fare in Grand Place and you'll be fine.

Specialties: Vegan specialties in Brussels abound. First and foremost, yogurt, creamer, and dairy replacements in general are supreme here. Bio shops have a truly great array of nut and soy milks, and great different flavors of yogurt. Aside from that, Brussel's multicultural side means it is THE place in Europe to find the kind flavors that are devoid elsewhere- in the market and shops you can find plantains and mangoes, lemongrass stalks, tagine spices and piri-piri... the only limit is your imagination. Oh yeah.... and BEER.

Check out my other posts from Brussels for more.



Belgrade, Serbia

Why go: Because Belgrade is the capitol of easy luxury. (Don't laugh!) Where else in Europe can you eat at fine restaurants, sing along to live music all night on a riverside boat, stroll through a Ottoman fortress during the day, and never break a sweat about your bank account? A taxi across town is $5, a haircut, dye job, blowout and mani-pedi won't crack $30, soccer matches are often free, and you can score tickets to the world class ballet for just $2. Aside from the savings, Belgrade is a town that is just incredibly generous with its gifts. Its clear and sunny almost everyday, fragrant flowery trees line shady streets packed with cute cafes, and its hard to find a city with better looking, more intellectually stimulating people. Maybe I'm just charmed because I've had such a great experience here, but apparently some people agree with me.


Downside: Belgrade is best seen with someone who knows their way around the city. So couch-surf or scour your networks for someone who lives here and see the city with a local.

What to Eat:
Street Food: Most street food is meet oriented (Ćevap Čići or hot dogs) but there is one fun option: popcorn! (I have to admit though, I think popcorn is a dumb idea of street food in a windy city.)

Restaurants: There are some excellent upscale restaurants with vegetarian and vegan options, but I find myself gravitating more towards kafanas, inexpensive, homey places often featuring live music and a livelier atmosphere. The menus are meat-oriented, but if you know what to look for you can always find something. I stick to broiled mushrooms with rice, prebanac a bean casserole flavored with onions or bacon (so ask!), polenta, or broiled peppers with crusty bread. One thing that Belgrade does not do well, in my experience, is Asian food, so resist the temptation to get some tofu draped in ketchup.

Specialties: If you're vegetarian, Belgrade is a cake-walk since people here like to wash down a greasy, cheese-filled pastry (burek) with a yogurt drink for breakfast. (Oy.) Vegans will want to stick to the excellent vegetables and fruit. In the summer, markets are filled with strawberries, cherries and plums, plus juicy peppers, greens onions, and walnuts. When I want to make own version of a local dish I'll make a paste out of roasted walnuts and garlic to coat some red peppers, served over polenta with green onions. Down-home Serbian, vegan style.

For more posts from Serbia, just look below.

Happy traveling, and don't forget to visit Berlin, which I have covered extensively since its my home base in Europe.


Song of the Day: Santigold- Disparate Youth

Tempeh with balsamic strawberry mustard sauce

Oh, hi there! I'm still in Belgrade! Still don't have a real camera (just my phone) and still eating some pretty un-blog-worthy meals. Due to my rather confining work schedule I'm spending a lot of days eating huge lunches and then just scavenging the fridge for dinner. (Oh you know, peanut butter spoonfuls, potato chips, toast with nooch, red peppers and half dried out carrots...isn't that what you eat when you are busy?)

The lunch has been excellent though. Right down the street from my office is a salad bar place called "Suppe y Salate" where one can find pumpkin and pear chunks, fresh walnuts, and diced rainbow paprika among other toppings for a salad. When I'm not in the mood for that, I go for a falafel wrap at this AMAZING place Gyros Sofra around the corner where they make their own fluffy bread right in front of you, then fill it with homemade falafel, red pepper paste, hummus and tahini sauce. It's so good that I actually went there 4 times in one week but I decided to give them a break in case they think I'm weird. (Although let's be real: I'm going today.)

Plus the guys that work there are cute Palestinians

Sometimes, to make a real treat I'll sometimes spring for a carrot-orange-ginger juice from a nearby juice shop. Just to give you some reference of how cheap Belgrade is, this whole meal costs about 4 euros. If I go for the huge salad its more like 2 euros. Eat your heart out, New Yorkers.

Anyways, although I don't usually splash out for dinner, this weekend was different. Instead of my usual bumbling around Belgrade, this weekend I stayed in to work the whole time. As a reward for staying inside despite the gorgeous weather, I decided to make something rich and delicious for Sunday dinner. Thus my creation: Tempeh and vegetables with strawberry-balsamic-mustard sauce and polenta with [not sure what kind of green this is].

Don't be fooled by the crappy Instagram photo, this was good.

As I often like to do when I have plenty of time to mess around, I took my time with this meal (*all for meeeee*) and stretched out the cooking process to get great results. In my non-stick pan I cooked just the sliced tempeh in some oil until browned, then set aside. Then I did the same with some brown mushrooms, and then with the diced red peppers and carrots. This is a great method if you have a little time and you have ingredients that cook at different temps and times.

For the sauce, I sauteed thinly sliced onion until almost caramelized. Then I added in a ton of garlic (like 4 cloves) and cooked for a minute more before de-glazing with a few splashes of balsamic vinegar. Next I added in a tablespoon each of mustard and strawberry preserves, and a tablespoon or two of water. Then I added back in the cooked tempeh and vegetables, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked until each piece was coated in the sauce and heated through. (Just a few minutes.)

The polenta was merely  prepared according to instruction (+ a bit of nooch and soymilk) and then I swirled in this green, which is maybe bok choy, but who can say for sure?

The sauce was thick and sweet and sour and very tasty with the crunchy tempeh and browned veggies. It tasted very sophisticated with the polenta, but I must say that I gobbled it all down in about 20 seconds. Oh well. :)

It definitely spiced up a weekend in Konjarnik which was otherwise dominated by Turkish soap operas and Dutch civil law.

Near my apartment

Song of the Day: Hoodie Allen- No Interruption

Fruska Gora and daily menu

Fruscka Gora

Greetings from sunny Serbia! Here in Belgrade, the weather has turned to Spring literally overnight, and the streets are filled with beautiful girls in bright dresses and handsome boys in crisp white shirts and new haircuts. I must say, the Serbs I have encountered in Belgrade are terribly good looking in a sporty sort of way, totally unlike the lanky hipster paperdolls in Berlin (who are also, actually, pretty bloody attractive in their own way). I guess what I'm saying is, if you are single and looking for a hot tennis player with a country house, try Belgrade, and try Berlin for all of your hot starving artist needs.

Ahem. Using Europe as a boyfriend buffet ASIDE, I am very much enjoying my stay in Belgrade, but a lack of variety in vegan options has led me to eat more or less the same thing day in and day out. As you can imagine, this does not make for very interesting blog posts, however, feast your eyes on THIS:

So here we have my daily lunch, from a local a la carte restaurant that has slightly different offerings every day. The thing in common is that its always simple, good food, and that its INSANELY cheap- less that 2 euros usually. (That's crazy-town.)

So above we have, from clockwise- red beet salad, Serbian cornbread (Proja) which the owners insisted contain no jaja or mleka (eggs or milk) but I'm a little skeptical. Next to that we have pirinac (rice) with leeks and what may be the national dish of Serbia, Prabanac- beans with paprika and other spices. (Sometimes made with bacon or other meat stuffs so ask!) On the side are some simple grilled veggies. I eat this literally every day and I'm not sick of it yet, which either says something about me or the good food on offer.

Anyways, the weekday lunches might be monotonous, but Belgrade itself is city that really knows how to relax in style. The prices are so low in comparison to the rest of Europe that it seems silly not to enjoy the vibrant club scene, enjoy the view from a water-front restaurant, or stay up all night dancing on the tabletops of a local kafana with live folk music.

And I have been doing some of that. But I was also offered the chance this last weekend to head to the Fruška gora (a country area outside of Belgrade known as the Frankish Hills, as Rebecca West says, for a reason far too dull to interest anyone). Now, this area is sort of a wide green valley filled with small country houses, Orthodox monasteries, and acre upon acre of fruit trees. Its special in Serbian history for offering a retreat from Turkish dominated territory, and to this day houses the tombs of many Kings. But I'm no Serb historian, I'm in it for the fruit! We're talking cherries of all seasons, pears, figs, grapes, plums, and all manner of sunflowers, lavender and corn. Its not the season for these yet, but Oh my G-D, it is still so insanely gorgeous.

Here we were in the tail end of winter and the area was still a sight. In the little, elegantly appointed home I stayed at we stayed outside all day and ate bread and apples, played cards, and watched neighbors walk by on horseback. Its truly hard to believe that such a beautiful and seemingly ancient place exists to close to bustling Belgrade, but it does, and if you ever visit Belgrade you would be extremely remiss not to pay this area a visit.

I'm hoping to go back when the fruit trees are full and lie in the fields gorging on cherries in the sunshine! Ugh, doesn't that just sound almost too divine?

song of the day: The Shoes- Time to Dance

Scenes from Serbia

Hotel Moscow on Terazije

Republic Square

Snow wrecked streets, near Slavija

Dobre Dan, comrades! Greetings from Belgrade Serbia, where East meets West and past meets present!

I am serious. I am living a block away from a square where the Turkish invaders used to display the heads of Serbian warriors on spikes centuries ago!  Further along we have buildings that were (quite recently) bombed by NATO, alongside Byzantine, Roman and Turkish ruins, plus statues depicting famous communists, Yugoslavs, and world War 2 heroes. Belgrade has been purportedly been destroyed 40 times throughout history, and yet they didn't manage to remove the evidence of the many phases this city has seen. In this city, the ghosts of the past are always with us. 

A rogue, giant snow storm kept me huddled inside for a majority of the first weeks, eating the various incarnations of cabbage stew offered by my more than gracious hosts. (See below.) But now that the snow has melted I'm starting to venture out to kafanas (old-school cafes) and order the several vegan options- broiled mushrooms with rice, salads, stuffed or pickled peppers, and thick crusted bread. The food here tends to rely on the freshness of the produce rather than on elaborate sauces or herbs.

My daily meal lunch is obtained from a hole-in-the-wall cafeteria down the street from Slavia (a central roundabout.) Here, every day, you can get some form of fried vegetables, rice, and grated beet salad. Occasionally they have peppers stuffed with rice or stuffed cabbage. I can get a ginormous plate of all of this for circa 2 euros, which seems laughably cheap for such big portions and fresh food. As a result, I haven't ventured to test many of the other places in the area.

One way in which I have truly gone native is to start every day with a mug of thick Turkish coffee the consistency of mud.  Every Belgrader has a different method of making it ("the correct way") but my technique works suitably well and I will demonstrate in a future post in case you wish to try it yourself.

All in all, I can't see I'm really comfortably settled in this city yet, and I certainly haven't uncovered the secret to eating regularly and healthily. But I've picked up a few more words, I'm getting lost less often, and the sun is out every day now, and I've bought a bottle of Tabasco, so things are looking up.