I want to give a shout out to a really good friend of mine. She is definitely someone you should know, my fellow author and chef extraordinaire, Sloane Taylor. Sloane's got a terrific site, Sweet as Honey...Hotter than Hell that talks books and food, two of my favorite subjects. You can check out her amazing corner of the blogosphere here.Sloane has What's Cooking on Wednesdays and she gives you not only recipes, but full on menus. You don't even have to worry about what to drink with that chicken, because she gives wine suggestions as well. How cool is that?
There is a reason this post is titled Turkish Delights. I had some job-related appointments on Wednesday and finished early so I wandered Chicago's Loop for a bit. I started hearing some really great music and followed the sound to Daley Plaza where I came upon the Turkish Festival. It is part of Chicago's fantastic ongoing program entitled "Go Abroad In Chicago." Each week a country is spotlighted with a festival featuring different cultural events.
It was breathtaking. From the phenomenal music, to the oh-so-tasty food and dancing, I had a blast. I sampled baklava, stuffed grape leaves called sarma and Turkish coffee. There were tents of pottery, jewelry, rugs and other crafts. Check out these pics I took:
I also witnessed a demonstration by the Whirling Dervishes. It was hypnotic and beautiful the way the men spun themselves round and round to commune with God.
Remember those crafts I mentioned? Just look at this beautiful blue pottery.
And of, course, the carpets.
What a great find! Saw a Discovery special about the area and they focused on the dancers and Whirling Dervishes.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, really sorry about your Bear. Seven sacks and four interceptions. Crappy performance boys - you were supposed to win! (Now, don't let down Melissa again.)
It was truly magical to see the Dervishes live. I never imagined just how beautiful. I'll have to track down that Discovery Channel special.
DeleteAnd thank you for those words about my Bears. Hopefully, they will listen to you. :)
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DeleteThey better! I finally gave up watching last night and went to bed. And here the Packers looked so horrible last week. What the heck happened?
DeleteRight now I think the dangerous team is the 49ers.
Sorry, I noticed a typo and had to delete the other comment. That sort of thing drives me nuts.
I nearly gave up myself, but I am nothing if not loyal and I stayed through the pain til the bitter end.
DeleteI thought sure a short week would play into Bears advantage, but the Pack did a complete 180. The 49ers are looking good, maybe with the backs they signed they can keep Gore healthy. That dude is always injured.
No worries on the typo. :)
I'm visiting that friend of yours if she's talking about food :)
ReplyDeleteMelsy, I myself make the best baklava in the world in all possible flavours - apple, walnut, cherry, you name it... And sarma is actually one of Serbia's national dishes, we make it with sauer kraut leaves and minced meat, of as me with smoked tofu :) I also love eating Turkish Delight. I just bought me a shower gel with the smell of Damascus roses and bergamot and I smell like a Turkish Delight myself :)
Thank you, Dez! I think you'll love some of her recipes.
DeleteYour baklava sounds divine. I wish I could sample some in person. Maybe one day you'll find me strolling the streets of Serbia. :) And the sarma with the sauer kraust sounds delicious.
Damascus Rose and bergamot? You really do smell delightful. I shall find some handsome hunks to send your way. ;)
Did you get to taste any delicious turkish food? Hungry now so I better head on over to Sloans place and see what she has cooking!
ReplyDeleteYes, I did! Baklava, and sarma...Yummy! Thanks for visiting Sloane. I think you'll really enjoy her recipes and she loves to exchange so maybe you two could try each other's recipes out. :)
DeleteThanks for the shout out, Melissa. It's greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThe Bears SUCK! Have for ages and will continue to hold that unfortunate status even longer. If I wasn't such a football freak, I'd turn to reviving disco. Right now it seems like the lesser loser!
Your pix are terrific. I need to make it into the Loop for a little Turkish Delight.:)
Anytime, Sloane!
DeleteI keep telling myself they don't so that maybe one day, they won't. :)
Yes, you do! It was a wonderful festival and I think that Chicago did a great job showcasing the Turkish culture.
Wow, how fun to just stumble upon this! I love Chicago, jealous that you get to live there LOL.
ReplyDeleteThe pottery alone is just gorgeous, I so love that color.
Have a great weekend!
Chicago is a great place to find fun and unusual things to do. I love that pottery. My sister is already asking me when I am getting it for her. LOL
DeleteYou have a great weekend as well.
Turkish culture is fascinating Melissa. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome Maurice. I love, love Turkish culture so many beautiful, gorgeous things to see, taste and experience. :)
DeleteIt must have been quite a treat. I miss that sort of stuff. Out here we get serenaded by loons and eagles, and this is great, but I would think living in places like Chicago or New Orleans would be the cat's meow!
ReplyDeleteI love living here, there is always alot to do, but I think living quietly with loons and eagles is incredible as well.
DeleteAwesome. I played a computer came once based in Constantinople and have always wanted to go since.
ReplyDeleteI researched Istanbul aka Constantinople and it is a really remarkable city. A mix of ancient and modern at the crossroads of East and West. It sounds like that game would be right up my alley.
DeleteI remember reading about Turkish Delight as a kid and thinking it sounded like the most magical tasting thing EVER!
ReplyDeleteYou weren't by chance reading the Narnia books were you? I LOVED them and that is where I first heard about Turkish Delight.
DeleteFun links! And wow! Love those pictures! I got to attend an International Festival in 1986 in Detroit - it was Greek week (they ran the festivals throughout the summer) and it was very cool! Nothing to compare to those bright and colorful costumes though! Dervishes are best when they Whirl!
ReplyDeleteI love it hen cities go all international. it's fun to explore other cultures. Greek week sounds like it was a lot of fun.
DeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed the links and the pictures. I enjoyed myself very much at the festival.
Glad you were that impressed by the culture of our neighboring country Turkey. I've never been there, but I'm beyond familiar with their culture, especially their food. Here in Bulgaria, we make baklava every Christmas Eve. It's a tradition. We cook sarma on a regular basis... I mean at least twice a month. It's a bit different from the Turkish one, because it has minced pork in it, which makes it even tastier. :) Our national costumes are also similar in style, only more beautiful and less oriental. :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic post and I love the photos!
I'm so happy you enjoyed my post and pictures. Minced pork sarma sounds so yummy! And I always want more baklava. :) I would LOVE to experience Bulgarian culture someday.
DeleteWhat an amazing experience! We love cultural exchanges. Music, Food. Costumes. Stuff to buy. Its all good. Glad you stumbled across this event.
ReplyDeleteCultural exchanges are just incredible. I was totally blown away by this. And yes, I wanted to buy it all.:)
DeleteGuys.. if you want to make simple and delish Turkish food check out this free Turkish recipe site. http://www.turkishthymecooking.com.au
ReplyDeleteThank you, Reyhan! This is awesome. :)
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