cookbook review: turquoise - a chef's travels in turkey

Turquoise cookbook by Greg and Lucy Malouf.

My third cookbook review for this year is of Turquoise: A Chef's Travels in Turkey. Written by husband-and-wife team Greg and Lucy Malouf, this beautifully presented hardcover cookbook offers captivating insight into the world of Turkish cuisine, complete with intimately descriptive tales of food adventures that spark feelings of wanderlust.

As per usual, I made a beeline for the simpler recipes. The first one that caught my eye was the recipe for smoky eggplant puree (the Turkish name is not provided in the cookbook, but the internet tells me it's called patlican ezmesi), which had an approachable list of ingredients - eggplant, yoghurt, lemon, olive oil, garlic, mint, and salt. I love, love, love the taste of smoky eggplant, and it is something I have not ever attempted at home - until now.

There were some fiddly aspects to this, but it actually wasn't as difficult or time-consuming as I thought it might be, and as I enjoyed it with some crackers, I daydreamed about how I could wow family and friends with this Turkish smoky eggplant dip in the future by serving it at a dinner party at home, or bringing it to a potluck. My only criticism is that there wasn't quite enough of a smoky flavour, even though I cooked the eggplant the proper way, directly over a naked flame, instead of the cheat's version of baking it in the oven. The recipe says to remove every bit of the skin to avoid bitterness, but I'm flirting with the idea of cautiously including some of the charred bits next time, to see if that helps elevate the smoky taste I so adore.

Smoky eggplant puree (patlican ezmesi) - a delicious dip.

A few days later, I turned my attentions to another easy recipe: the shepherd's spinach (kiymali ispanak in Turkish, according to my online research) attracted me with its friendly simplicity - this is a one-pot meal that doesn't put on any airs.

The recipe from the cookbook serves 4 to 6, and calls for a whopping 1 kilogram of spinach. I scaled it down to make just enough for a single meal. For some reason, the authors appear to have forgotten to include the addition of salt to this dish, but fortunately this was easily remedied, and trust me, a bit of salt makes a huge difference! The use of salt instantly turned this dish from bland to scrumptious, and I was happy with the results. Dotted with lamb, rice, and onions, and seasoned with a touch of tomato paste, paprika, and mint, this shepherd's spinach was rustic, hearty, and satisfying.

Shepherd's spinach (kiymali ispanak) - wholesome comfort food.

There are other recipes from Turquoise I'd love to try someday. Flipping through the pages, the Fish Doctor's stew with black pepper, lemon peel and mint - the authors' interpretation of a dish they ate at a seafood restaurant in Istanbul - looked right up my alley, as does the Beyran soup - an alluring breakfast soup with slow-cooked lamb, garlic and green chillies. And for dessert? I think it's got to be the sticky apricots stuffed with clotted cream. Yep, I think I've definitely convinced myself that I should come back to this cookbook again - and let's face it, when it's one as gorgeous as Turquoise, that's not a bad idea at all.

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central kebab house, brunswick

Central Kebab House on Sydney Road, Brunswick.

We stumbled upon Central Kebab House (661 Sydney Road, Brunswick) as we were wandering around Brunswick, killing time in between my friend's wedding ceremony and reception.

The woman preparing food behind the counter looked at us with a smile playing on her lips, perhaps wondering how Simon, dressed in his suit, and I, in a dainty dress, came to sit down at this simple joint to eat Turkish pizza with our hands, a carefree juxtaposition to our formal outfits. She brought us a basket of complimentary fresh, warm Turkish bread, and we reveled in her warmth and hospitality.

Warm and fluffy Turkish bread.

Our mince meat and spinach gozleme had a nice flavour, though I felt that the fillings were a little sparse.

Mince meat and spinach gozleme.

The Lahmacun - a thin Turkish pizza - arrived. It also came with a plate of fresh onions, tomatoes, lemon wedges, and parsley.

Fresh salad / garnishes / fillings / toppings for the Lahmacun (Turkish pizza).

Neither of us have had lahmacun before, and I was wondering how to handle all this when I saw Simon pile on the fresh vegetables along with a squeeze of lemon onto the flatbread-pizza, roll it up, and eat it like a wrap. Of course! That boy is smart, he is.

We also shared an Ayran, a Turkish yoghurt drink. With no added sugar and just a gentle pinch of salt, it was refreshingly tangy.

Turkish pizza - Lahmacun / Lahmajun.

I have had limited experience with Turkish food, and I like how, at Central Kebab House, I get a glimpse of what I imagine to be a place that might be frequented by Turkish-Australians in Melbourne. Many of the items on the wall-mounted menu were unfamiliar to me, and there weren't any descriptive explanations, which made it all quite a fun cultural adventure.

If I ever visit this part of town again, I would love to drop by Central Kebab House for round two. I've since found out that one of the mysterious-but-delicious-looking menu items, Manti, is the Turkish version of a dumpling dish, and I am so, so intrigued!



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kebabs r yummy, south melbourne

lamb kebab from kebabs r yummy, $9.50.

I cannot believe I have been working in South Melbourne for the past few years, and have only discovered Kebabs R Yummy on 192 Well St this year. It's enough to make a greedy food-lover like me weep ever-so-gently on the inside with could've-been regret and it's-not-too-late joy.

Perhaps I'm exaggerating a little. But seriously, the food here is lip-smackingly delicious and great value. And the head honcho lady who runs the joint - she's a dear. Not only do I love coming here to get my work lunches, I sometimes visit after work to grab takeaway dinner as well. (Not both on the same day, though, that's probably a bit excessive and would likely result in a meat coma.)

My first experience here was back in January, and I got the lamb kebab, which is what you see in the picture up there. This is a hearty hunk of crisp-at-the-edges lamb döner kebab goodness, strewn with fresh onions, lettuce and tomato, deftly drizzled with chilli and garlic sauce on a nice warm slab of Turkish bread. It's mighty, it's piquant, it's carnal. It is also the only work lunch I've ever bought to have defeated me, thus far. I've never had trouble finishing the takeaways I get, especially if they're as tasty as this one was, but I really struggled here and in the end I had to admit there was going to be leftover bread.

On my next trip I went for the Combo Meat on Top, where I got three salads of my choice, plus lamb and chicken on top, and, of course, feisty lashes of that chilli and garlic sauce. This has subsequently become a favourite of mine for takeaway work lunches. Being a fork-friendly meal, it is less messy to deal with, and easier to eat at my desk. I mean, let's face it, I will never resemble anything remotely close to a sophisticated professional, but at least going for this dish means that I am less likely to be mistaken for an awkward cavewoman. Plus, I really like the salads here as well - they are always nicely seasoned, and do a nifty job of balancing out all that meat. You can't see them hiding underneath in the picture below, so you'll just have to trust me on this. I usually get the eggplant, green beans, and mixed roast vegetables, but there are heaps of other options.

(chicken and lamb) combo meat on top from kebabs r yummy, $9.90.

So, in conclusion, if you ever find yourself in South Melbourne and you're craving something big, meaty and satisfying (that's what she said), give Kebabs R Yummy a go. It may even be worth a slight detour.

Because, as it turns out, the kebabs here are pretty yummy.



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