Chocolate Making Testing #1

      

My long-procrastinated chocolates with dried strawberries. 
They look fabulous, don't they?

In psychology, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority, or doing something from which one derives enjoyment, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time. Based on this definition I can easily explain why I avoided making chocolate until last week although I've always wanted to be involved in chocolate making. Well, all that time I've been working on less important things and and deliberately looking for distractions because making home-made chocolate seemed to be the ultimate step in my cooking and baking adventures and I couldn't accurately tell how I would feel in the end. As it seemed so, I waited for a couple of years to take the first step and bought 100 grams of dark chocolate and some dried strawberries. 

After melting the chocolate in a bain-marie (over a hot-water bath), I used heart-shaped moulds to shape the melted-chocolate. I filled the moulds half way through and added the chopped dried strawberries and filled the rest. I kept them in the freezer for 45 minutes and then stored them in the fridge. Well now it's time to share a few tips with you on melting chocolate over a hot-water bath:

• Make sure the chocolate is chopped into uniform pieces to ensure even melting. 
• Avoid all contact with water! Make sure your bowls, workstation, and spatulas are completely dry. Chocolate will seize and become unworkable if it comes into contact with even a few droplets of water.
• Melt the chocolate slowly over low heat. Chocolate is very delicate and can become lumpy or grainy if overheated.
• Stir the chocolate frequently with a rubber spatula, once the outer edges start to melt.
• Chocolate retains its shape when melted, so the only way to know if it is truly melted is to stir it. Do not rely on appearances alone.

Street Art in Belgrade

Street art is my thing. 


If I had millions, I would definitely give all away to street artists all over the world to buy new paints and other equipment. 

By Sainer from Etam Crew - On Urban Forms Foundation in Lodz, Poland

Well, this is the URL to a homepage with street art collections, videos around street art and the most beloved ones. You'll be amazed by the creativity of those street artists.

http://www.streetartutopia.com/

You know I have already shared my travel experience to Belgrade and here are a few photographs of the works by the street artists in that gorgeous capital. 

This one is my favourite.

The Happy Little Chefs, Episode 2

Ladies and Gentlemen! 

It was the time for another "We're cooking!" workshop organised by Happy Little Chefs which means Milou and I welcomed some little chefs in our kitchen once again. We'd decided about the menu much earlier and so when they showed up we started immediately since we had been waiting for the girls pretty excitedly.

I loved it! 

Milou needed some help for sure because she's just 2 but even so she proved her cooking skills once again and the girls were just awesome. They followed the instructions as if they'd been cooking the same thing for years. After I posted the video on Facebook, some called us  the "M quattro" since all our initials are M: 

Milou, the youngest chef; 

Miray, the nine-year-old chef'; 

Merve, the eleven-year-old chef and me;

Mehtap, the oldest chef of the quattro.

I think it's enough talk for the introduction to what we did in the workshop. Just take a look at the video below. It'll show you quite enough of how much fun we had while learning a lot and cooking awesome foods. 

Enjoy the video!

Easy Spinach Meal with Beef

I don't normally eat things if I do not like how they taste. Let's take spinach, for example. Unless it is salty enough, I find that a cup of cooked spinach on my plate can taste bitter and very unappealing. I think, this is the reason why Turkish people traditionally cook spinach with rice and serve it with full fat yogurt. I have found, however, a little more delightful remedy for this situation. Adding some pre-cooked beef transformed this easy meal into something both yummy and healthy. Here is the recipe. Enjoy it. 

Ingredients:

1/2 kg spinach

1-2 medium onions, chopped finely

100-125 ml olive oil

150-200 grams beef, stewed in advance

50 grams rice, washed and drained

1+1/2 cups boiling water

salt and pepper

yogurt

Directions:

Prep the spinach:

De-rib the spinach, wash well, and let the spinach drain on a kitchen towel (or some paper towels) for a few minutes, so that there’s no excess water on the leaves. Coarsely chop the spinach, and set aside.

1. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, and saute for a few minutes. 

2. Stir in the boiled beef pieces. 

3. Add the spinach and stir for a few minutes until all the ingredients are mixed together.

4. Add some salt and pepper. 

5. Add the rice and stir in. 

6. Pour in the boiling water and cook until the rice gets tender. 

7. Remove from heat and set aside.

8. Serve with full fat yogurt. 

Travel by train in the Balkans- from Sarajevo to Belgrade

We travelled to Belgrade by train a few weeks ago. It was my first visit to that impressive city and I really couldn't wait to share my travel notes with visitors to help them plan their trips. Well, let's get started with the railway station in Sarajevo.

It's easy to find the railway station in Sarajevo since there is only one in the city. It's called željeznička stanica and the full address is  Put života 2, 71000 Sarajevo and the telephone number is +387 33 65 53 30. Take the tram No.1 from the center and the old part of Sarajevo.

Inside the Sarajevo railway station

The train we took on a Sunday left dead on time at 11:49 am from Sarajevo station and arrived in Belgrade at around 20:10 which means the journey takes a little more than eight hours. The fare was 33.00KM (around 21 US dollars) for a single ticket which is a bargain compared with a plane ticket, which often costs six times as much. The station agents don't accept credit cards and write out each ticket by hand. 

There were so few passengers that the train was almost empty as the station agent had told us not to worry about not getting a seat! So we spread ourselves around on such an empty train.  

There were no plug points in the carriages, so if you plan to use your laptop or any other electrical appliances do remember to take extra batteries. It is a must. Access to Internet - I've not heard of any access in the trains. Remember to take a book or magazines to enjoy on the way.

The morning train is the only one available to Belgrade every day and so we lost exactly one whole day on the way to Belgrade. It's a pity that there isn't another alternative. If you could take the train which leaves in the evening, travelling after dark and so arriving in Belgrade in the morning would be a better choice because after the Bosnian territory the scenery loses its lure and there is nothing spectacular left to see as the train chugs along. 

The carriages are a little old and hardly luxurious but they are clean. There is no air conditioning and some windows don't function properly. If you travel in summer, it will be quite stuffy in the compartments. However, they are much better than the smaller seating offered in automobiles and airplanes. I liked this most. It was great to stretch your legs fully and even sleep whenever you feel like it. 

All the carriages had toilets. Although functioning, they are very old and in poor condition. Do remember to take some toilet paper with you - just in case.

There wasn't any cafe-bar or dining car on the train to my disappointment and no food and drinks were available. Travelling without a cup of coffee is something that you would never expect in the Balkans but things happen. Fortunately, we were well-prepared for the journey since Milou was with us. When you travel with a two-year-old toddler, you learn a lot to be ready for anything on the way. So, do remember to take at least some bottled water or other cold drinks with you as well as snacks enough for a trip that lasts more than eight hours.

Smoking is allowed in the carriages and so people smoked all along the journey. It was a bit annoying not to have another option for a non-smoking carriage. 

What about the route? It might sound a little bit confusing at first but keep in mind that you don't have to leave the train during your journey. Well, the Sarajevo-Belgrade train follows a route which goes through different territories: 

1. Starting from Sarajevo to Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2. Doboj in Republika Srpska which is the second entity in BIH.

3. Strizivojna-Vrpolje in Croatia.

4. Starting from Šid (then respectively Vinkovci, Tovarnik, Sremska Mitrovica, Ruma, Stara Pazova and Nova Pazova) to Belgrade in Serbia. 

Therefore, the carriages used during this journey belong to four separate railway companies from three countries.

It was quite odd to witness that through different territories they change engines and carriages while making passengers wait without any explanation about what's going on out there. If it's your first time on this route and if you find yourself waiting for some time in a small station in nowhere in the Balkans, it most probably means that they're changing the engine or matching some other carriages to it. If your carriage is about to be left behind in that station, a conductor comes and tells you to move to another carriage just before the train leaves. Don't panic. If you don't understand what the man is telling you, just follow the other passengers.

Travelling through three different countries means the border formalities are conducted several times:

the first one is before you leave the Bosnian territory, 
the second one when you enter the Croatian territory, 
the third one when you leave the Croatian territory, and 
the fourth one when you enter the Serbian territory. 

The fact that you have to repeat the same formalities (waiting in your compartment for a customs police officer to check your passport and ticket) four times is a bit boring in the end. However, these formalities are conducted on the train briefly and the police officers are polite and quick. 

After you've gone through this post to see what to expect from such a train journey from Sarajevo to Belgrade, you might feel slightly intimidated by my observations. But please don't! It was a great experience after all. Having spent almost four years in Bosnia, I've learned not to expect too much. Still, travelling to Belgrade by train was the ideal way to get a feel for the area's landscape, which is impossible to do if you're flying 30,000 feet above it or if you're driving a car and have to keep your eyes on the road. 

This is a useful map which can help you see the railway connections all around Europe including the Balkans. 

Cheese means a lot to some.

I do love cheese. 

I also love grilled smoked cheese on toast. 

Here is a photograph of one of those morning treats: Grilled Bosnian smoked cheese on toast. The light brown rind means it has a light smoky flavour with a creamy, moist and sliceable texture. Before grilling, sprinkle the cheese with some extra virgin olive oil and season it with dry rosemary leaves and watch how the sandwich transforms into a super light and yummy snack that you can enjoy any time during the day. Although smoked cheese is commonly known as Circassian cheese and available at the supermarkets in Turkey, it is not the favourite by the Turkish. Feta rules. 

 Well, I didn't know that bbc.com.uk provides such fantastic recipes using cheese. I came across with the page while surfing for the photographs of different types of smoked cheese from other countries. Here is the link to that website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/smoked_cheese

The Shopping Tip:
Smoked cheeses will generally have a golden brown rind. Note that a cheaper way for producers to add a smoky flavour to cheese is to use an artificial liquid smoke flavouring. Look for those that have actually been smoked, rather than artificially flavoured. 

OHIO Hickory Farms Smoked Cheese Bar Vintage Advertising Old Ad Postcard

Instant Coffee Cookies

 

Whether you enjoy these cookies plain or dipped in your tea or coffee they make the perfect afternoon treat, or a light snack even before bedtime. They are crunchy and smell fabulous thanks to the chopped hazelnuts covering them. Sniff them first, enjoy the smell and gulp them down or eat them up bit by bit. I liked them, my colleagues liked them, and my friends liked them. The bottom line is everybody would like them including Sid, the cookie monster. 

Cookie Monster, bedtime

Ingredients

125 grams butter or margarine, at room temperature

2 medium eggs, use 1 egg white for garnishing

1 cup granulated sugar

1-1,5 instant coffee

1 pouch of baking powder, 5 teaspoons

3 tablespoons of milk

3 cups flour

To garnish:

1 cup Chopped hazelnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 170 C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Mix butter, sugar, eggs (set 1 egg white aside for garnishing), and milk well with your hands.

3. Stir in flour, baking powder and instant coffee.

4. Keep stirring until firm. It won't get very firm, don't worry. If you add more flour, they will turn stone hard after baked. 

5. Get the egg white and chopped nuts ready in two separate bowls.

 6. When batter is firm, form into balls and dip in the egg white first and then roll in the chopped nuts.

7. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. 

8. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cookies rise and start to brown. 

6. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes.

Roast Beef with Roasted Potatoes and Tomatoes

Meat is definitely not my thing but since I'm the chef at home and feel responsible for Milou and her dad's diet as well I cook beef and other meat using my own recipes - no surprises. Here comes another one: Roast beef with roasted potatoes and tomatoes. Let them all mixed up until beef is done and garlic, when roasted, contributes a great deal to this easy dish with its fabulous flavour. 

Ingredients

500 grams beef roast (boneless)

2-3 cups beef broth 

3-4 cloves garlic, sliced

salt and black pepper

oregano and red pepper

7 medium sized potatoes, sliced thinly crosswise

cherry tomatoes

4 tablespoons of oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225-250 C. 

2. In a medium bowl, toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Season with salt and pepper and arrange them in an oven 

proof pan.

4. Slice the beef into strips. 

5. Place beef strips on the potatoes.

6. Slice cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters, as you wish. Add them into the pan.

7. Slice garlic cloves and add to the pan.

8. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with oregano and red pepper.

9. Add broth and roast for about 1 hour until the beef is done. 

Heart-Shaped Paper Clips

                                                            

I got a little present from Emir on Mother's Day: A little heart-shaped paper clip. He happened to see it somewhere on the Internet and then bent the nearest paper clip quickly and handed it to me. Lovely.

How to Make:


You just bend regular paper clips at midpoints into little heart shapes - see the photos below.

Currants: Storehouse of Vitamin C and Antioxidants

When shopping for fresh and red currants, look for ones which are bright in color and with no soft spots or mold. Do not wash currants before you refrigerate them, and rinse them before using. They will last five to seven days  stored in a box in the fridge. If it is difficult to find them where you live, you can substitute frozen red currants in recipes.

Red currants have a very tart and sour flavour so they are occasionally eaten raw. When eaten raw, they are often used on top of ice cream, yogurt, granola and salads. You can use them in jams, jellies, sauces, syrup, muffins, pancakes and pies. Red currants are excellent for stewing and they make delicious compotes. 

Well, let's a short lecture on nutrition and health benefits of red currants. 

• First of all, red currants are well known as great sources of vitamin C and antioxidants which help mop-up pesky free radicals that mess around with cells in the body to initiate a variety of chronic diseases  and also responsible for ageing and health degeneration.
• Secondly, they are fat-free, cholesterol free and low in calories.

Below is a detailed chart of nutrition facts of raw red and white currants. 

Nutrition Facts Currants Red And White Raw Serving Size 100g Calories 56 % Daily Value* Total Fat 0.2g 0%     Saturated Fat 0.017g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 1mg 0% Total Carbohydrate13.8g 5%     Dietary Fiber 4.3g 17%     Sugar 7.37g ~ Protein 1.4g ~ Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 68% Calcium 3% • Iron 6% *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Vitamins   %DV Vitamin A 42IU 1%     Retinol equivalents 2μg ~     Retinol 0μg ~     Alpha-carotene 0μg ~     Beta-carotene 25μg ~     Beta-cryptoxanthin 0μg ~ Vitamin C 41mg 68% Vitamin E 0.1mg 0% Vitamin K 11μg 14% Vitamin B12 0μg 0% Thiamin 0.04mg 3% Riboflavin 0.05mg 3% Niacin 0.1mg 1% Pantothenic acid0.064mg 1% Vitamin B6 0.07mg 4% Folate 8μg 2%     Folic Acid 0μg ~     Food Folate 8μg ~     Dietary Folate Equivalents 8μg ~ Choline 7.6mg ~ Lycopene 0μg ~ Lutein+zeazanthin47μg ~

Minerals   %DV Calcium 33mg 3% Iron 1mg 6% Magnesium 13mg 3% Phosphorus 44mg 4% Sodium 1mg 0% Potassium 275mg 8% Zinc 0.23mg 2% Copper 0.107mg 5% Manganese 0.186mg 9% Selenium 0.6μg 1% Water 83.95g ~ Ash 0.66g ~ Useful Stats Percent of Daily Calorie Target (2000 calories) 2.8% Percent Water Composition 83.95% Protein to Carb Ratio (g/g) 0.1g

Poppy Seed Muffins with Walnuts and Cinnamon

I made these muffins early in the morning and took them fresh to my close friends at work yesterday. They hadn't had breakfast yet so they ate them up immediately with some Bosnian coffee. One of them later thanked me admitting that they tasted like the very ones she buys in bakery shops. Her comment was enough to make my day. Here comes the recipe. 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup poppy seeds
2 medium eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 

ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and lightly grease or line   a muffin pan with paper liners. 
2. In a large bowl, blend together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, poppy seeds and salt. 
3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg and sugar until smooth. Stir in milk, oil and the vanilla extract. Keep mixing until all ingredients are blended well.
4. Combine the two mixtures, blending until the dry ingredients are moistened. 
5. Fill the muffin cups about three-quarters full. Garnish with chopped walnuts and cinnamon. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 
6. Cool completely on a wire rack.