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Hope you tuned in to see me on Rachael Ray!
I was on the Rachael Ray Show on March 19th talking about how to save money by making the most of your freezer. Here is a link to the video.
Grilled Polenta with Mushroom Ragout
It seems to me that mushrooms must mean to vegetarians what steak means to carnivores. They are both stick-to-your-ribs, center-of-the-plate comfort foods. These days our supermarkets always boast a huge selection of mushrooms, many of which were terribly exotic a generation ago. My advice for this hearty vegetarian entree is…
Çökertme Kebabı, Refika Style
Ingredients ½ pound beef tenderloin 2 garlic cloves, minced 4 to 5 sprigs oregano 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds, crushed 1 teaspoon milled four peppercorn mix 1 dried hot pepper Salt ¼ cup olive oil 2 medium potatoes Sunflower seed oil for frying the potatoes 2 cups tomato sauce 1…
Walnut Poppyseed Bread
According to Refika, “The best thing about having a bakery in my neighborhood is that on the way back from work you can stop by to buy bread dough. I strongly recommend this; in this way, only in ten minutes, you can make a pizza, lahmacun or pita and make…
Marinated Bluefish
Ingredients 2 small bluefish, filleted coarse sea salt 1 tablespoon four peppercorn mix 2 tablespoons mustard seeds 3 garlic cloves zest and juice of 2 lemons 6 to 7 thyme sprigs olive oil for topping off the jar Directions Sprinkle salt on both sides of the fish, cover and chill…
String Cheese and Mushroom Dip
Ingredients 10 sliced mushrooms (Refika used Fairy Ring Mushrooms, which I am not sure are easy to find in this country), your choice 2 big strips string cheese, separated into strings 5 garlic cloves salt and pepper 3 sprigs fresh thyme 3 tablespoons olive oil flat bread as an accompaniment…
Tomato Walnut Salad
Ingredients 3 tomatoes, chopped 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped ½ cup chopped walnuts ¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves 1 to 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses extra-virgin olive oil to taste salt and pepper to taste Directions In a salad bowl toss together the tomatoes, peppers, walnuts, parsley,…
I travel to Turkey for Episode 310.
Every country has its own weeknight food. For Episode 310, “Turkish Home Cooking,” I take a special journey to Turkey to discover how home cooks use its abundant natural resources to cook delicious everyday meals. We’ll travel to remote farms to cook from the land – kebabs, meatballs, pumpkin fritters and…
Simit Kebabs
Ingredients 1/3 cup bulgur 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon oregano ¼ cup chopped pistachio 1 white onion, grated 2 small garlic cloves, minced 4 ounces ground lamb 4 ounces ground veal Salt, pepper Pear Salsa (recipe below) as an accompaniment Directions If using wooden…
Quince Liqueur
This flavored after dinner liqueur can be made with any other fruit such as apricots, figs, peaches and pears. Ingredients 3 quinces (about 2 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces 300 grams sugar (about 1 ½ cups) 4 to 5 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick 2 cups unflavored…