Monday, June 29, 2009

Naz City Summer Cooking School

Summer is here and with the departure of Spring went my desire to cook. Let's face it, it is just too darned hot! Turning on the oven or the gas flame in this heat is not appealing. No problem; however, for H (pictured) and Mu. Lately, Mu has started making his famous çiğ köfte (raw meatballs) much more frequently. It used to be a rare and occasional delicacy - it is really a lot of work grating the onions and kneading the spices and bulgur into the köfte... and it's also not easy to find suitable meat given the electicity and refrigeration issues. I guess that Mu must have found a good clean source for fresh raw meat... and it probably doesn't hurt in the summer heat that only lemon juice and tons of spice are used to "cook" the köfte.

The first few times, this delicacy was made, the kitchen was an absolute mess, but now with H around to clean the veggies and counters, not a problem. The çiğ köfte below is pictured with fresh mint and a bowl of yayla çorbası (yogurt soup). This second item, the soup, is made almost every 3 days at my house! I am trying hard to learn, but am also looking forward to some new additions to the repertoire in the near future.

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