I know it’s taken a while, but here is my first in a series of posts about my food exploration in Turkey. I thought the best place to start would be the best meal of the trip.
Continue reading Cappadocian Cave Lunch : Turkish Food Log Pt. 1
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Grainy Mustard Potato Salad
Potato salad is one of those typical summer things. I love a traditional potato salad, full of cooked egg and mayo, but sometimes you want something a little different. This potato salad contains no mayo, instead using deliciously tart yogurt for the creamy dressing. Like the traditional, this salad gets much flavour from mustard, but this time using grainy mustard for added texture. To top it off, some fresh tarragon (from the garden! woo!) and sour green apples give it a little kick.
When I first made this dish, modified from one we saw on TV many many years ago, I used Kozlik’s “Sweet & Smokey” mustard, purchased from the St. Lawrence Market here in Toronto. I don’t happen to have any on hand this time around (if only I had planned this in advance a little!), so I’ve added a couple of sweet & smoky elements to make up for it. If you are lucky enough to be able to find Kozlik’s mustards, I highly recommend using “Sweet & Smokey” in this recipe.
This dish reminds me of the first time I had the salad that serves as inspiration for this one. It was made for my university graduation, alongside some incredible grilled portabello mushrooms. That version of the salad had mayo, and a few other differences that I can’t recall (it really has been that long…), but it was a great starting point for me to explore alternatives to ye olde potato salad. I’ve been making it ever since.
Recipe after the jump!
Macarons
A while ago I mentioned how macarons are starting to eclipse the popularity of cupcakes. I still don’t think they have the mass appeal of cupcakes, but they are pretty special. Do a Google image search, and you’ll see why — while they all have a similar shape, they can come in bright jewel colours and complex flavours.
I first saw Lemon Tree macarons while in the throes of my cupcake obsession. Of course, every time I passed the little table at St. Lawrence Market, I was on my way to buy cupcake supplies for that weekend. Must buy macarons next time.
These macarons don’t really mess with the gimmicky stuff. They are all inspired by classic flavours, like mint, nut, caramel, mocha and chocolate.
Delicious salted caramel – can you blame me for being greedy?
It took a couple of months, but I finally caved and bought a few. J and I shared them bite by bite, and found a delicious surprise in each.
Probably my favourite one, the only one I kept all to myself, was the salted caramel. You can’t tell from the outside, but inside there is a well of delicious flowing salted caramel. Sooooo good!
If you want these babies, you either have to make a custom order or buy a few from the select stock at their small table downstairs at the St. Lawrence Market (just next to Rube’s rice and bean island). You won’t regret it!!
Greeky Eggs
I’m not a breakfast-making chick. When I wake up, I usually grab one of two things: a breakfast pita topped with almond or peanut butter; or a bowl of yogurt and granola. J does a little better on weekends, often making us some delicious waffles.
I wanted to make something special for once, so I pulled out an old copy of LCBO Food & Drink magazine, and made Baked Eggs with Feta and Dill.
This was a simple – but fun – dish to make. I got to use my cute little white ramekins, which rarely see the light of day. It looks and tastes more sophisticated than it actually was to make.
While this would be great at any time of year, I think this is one of those dishes that are best appreciated in the Spring and Summer. The light and fresh vegetable flavours are a perfect way to start the day. This would also be great as a part of a larger brunch spread, with some chilled white wine or mimosas (Darn! I knew I forgot something!).
The recipe can be found on the LCBO website: Baked Eggs with Feta and Dill. I always look forward to the seasonal Food & Drink magazines, both for the recipes and the fantastic photos. It’s like a food blog in paper form… what will they think of next!? (hahaha)