Photographing Fethiye - The Seagulls

Once the early morning haze and smoke from people's wood burners has cleared away, this time of year in Fethiye sees clear blue skies, a glass-like calm sea - and the Fethiye winter seagulls. We love the winter seagulls. Just as the seasonal food on Fethiye market tells us it's winter, so does this flock of swooping, squawking birds that occupies one corner of the harbour at this time each year.

Feeding time along Fethiye harbour

Last Tuesday, we were heading along the harbour to meet the family Ramblecrunch at Popeye's fish boat. They were waiting inside the boat but, as we arrived, I couldn't resist stopping to take yet more photos of the seagulls. Someone had thrown bread to them, causing a bit of a frenzy.

Seagulls flying around Popeye's Boat

We clambered onto the boat and continued to take photos through the windows. And then I realised I'd left my camera on 'sunset' setting from the evening before. Practicalities like checking the setting of my camera before I start snapping slip my mind on a regular basis and I thought it was yet another photo opportunity missed.

But, I loaded them to my laptop and I actually quite like the accidental results. The lighting gives a depth to the photos so that there's an almost a 3-D effect to the seagulls.

Camera restored to its correct setting - Fethiye harbour from Popeye's boat

And, once the bread is finished, the seagulls revert back to their peaceful bobbing about in the sea and this little corner of Fethiye is once more restored to calm...until someone else comes along and lobs chunks of bread into the air. 

A Datça Holiday & Our 2nd Birthday

Today, we have returned back to Fethiye after a weekend of chilling out on the Datça Peninsula (a 3-4 hour drive, west of Fethiye) with Turkish friends and their family. And also today, our blog has reached another milestone in its short life because today is its 2nd birthday. Happy birthday to our blog!!

Esentepe, towards the tip of the Datça Peninsula, on the road to Knidos

We were going to have a special post for our two-year anniversary but our last-minute jaunt - with its distinct lack of internet - soon put pay to that. Not to worry though. We've returned to Fethiye recharged and refreshed and have just recovered from the stiff Datça peninsula autumn breezes that have given us a healthy, rosy glow. We're ready to launch into year 3 with gusto. 

What's in store for our 3rd year?
A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes of the blog lately in preparation for some changes we hope you'll like. We'll not go into detail in this post because you'll see what we have in store in the coming weeks. 

But there are three things that definitely won't change on Turkey's For Life during year 3. We'll still be Turkish-food-obsessed. Photos of what we eat, and recipes we discover, will make their way into blog posts. We'll still be travelling to as many places in Turkey as possible - as much as our budget allows - and writing about those places on the blog so we can continue to build an overall picture of the country. And of course, we'll always muse about the goings on in our beloved hometown of Fethiye.

For now though, we'll leave you with a view of the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea from the top of Esentepe (Esen Hill) on the Datça Peninsula. It may be Monday but we're going to have a glass of red to celebrate our return to Fethiye and our little milestone. Şerefe!

Seasonal Food in Turkey - A Recipe For Winter Chutney

Wednesday's post was a cheerful display of the contrasting autumn / winter colours of the seasonal food that currently tempts the food shopper on Fethiye market - velvety plums, blushing apples, the vibrant orange of mandalinas and the rich, brown chestnuts that sit comfortably alongside the vibrant greens of winter chard and yeşilik (any type of edible greenery that passes as salad leaves).  

We were there on Tuesday for our regular shopping, but we were also on a mission to buy some extra ingredients; ingredients to make up our Christmas chutney. If you grown your own fruit and vegetables, the great thing about chutney is it's a really good way of making use of the glut of whatever is in season at a given time of year. Fethiye market is a perpetual glut of seasonal food so we should probably make chutney more often, but for us, chutney is a food that feels wintery and even festive, hence why we make it in November.

A Recipe for Chutney

British TV chef/food campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a bit of a hero of ours and this recipe is loosely based on the suggestions in his book, The River Cottage Year. You can use our weights and ingredients as a rough guide - and substitute any ingredients you may not have for something similar. That's why chutney is so easy to make. The biggest difficulty with it is waiting (anything from 2 weeks to 2 months) for it to mature. Waiting is not our forte! 

Our ingredients made just over a litre of chutney

Our finished chutney is in the photo above. The jar with the red lid is a standard 37cl jar and this recipe will fill three of those jars.

• 500g courgettes cut into small cubes
• 250g tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 250g plums, stones removed and flesh roughly chopped
• 500g apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
• 250g onions, peeled and chopped
• 250g raisins
• As much hot chilli as you can handle!!! (chilli flakes or powder)
• 250g brown sugar
• 400ml apple vinegar topped up to 500ml with water (cider vinegar or white wine vinegar is also fine)
• teaspoon of salt

Your chutney ingredients will reduce after a while

Put all the ingredients into a large pan. Our biggest pan holds just short of 3 litres and, as you can see in the photos, this mixture fills it right to the top. 

• Leave the pan uncovered and place it on a medium heat so that you bring the mixture to the boil slowly. Give it a stir every now and then so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Meanwhile, prepare a spice bag. If you have muslin, great. If not (like us), cut a square from anything made of cotton. We always use a cotton t-shirt and it works fine. Our spice bag contained a few peppercorns, cloves, smashed cardamom pods, smashed coriander seeds and a cinnamon stick, broken into pieces.
• Place the spices in the centre of your cotton square, bring the corners together and tie with a piece of string. Push the bag right down into the centre of your mixture.
• Simmer your chutney for 2-3 hours, stirring every few minutes. 
• Look at the difference in colour between the finished product in the top photo and the early stages in the second set of photos. You know your chutney is ready when the fruits have softened, the mixture has reduced and the colour has darkened. You should be able to drag a wooden spoon through it to reveal the bottom of the pan.
• Allow your chutney to cool and then jar it up in sterilised jars while it's still a little warm. (We sterilise our jars with boiling water.) Put the lids on your jars and forget about your chutney for a while.

Cheese and chutney - perfect!

As mentioned above, you're supposed to leave your chutney sealed so that it can mature for between 2 weeks and 2 months. I also mentioned that waiting is not our forte. Well, we had to test it! And we needed a photo, purely for the purposes of this blog post. It's fruity, it's spicy, it's sweet, it's sour...it's so good served with a tangy Izmir tulum cheese. I doubt that little jar of chutney is going to see Christmas...

Fethiye Market: Winter Seasonal Food

If there's one thing we don't like doing, it's wishing our lives away; looking forward to events while forgetting to enjoy the present. In the UK these days, people don't have any choice but to look forward. No sooner have they come back from their summer holidays than the supermarkets empty their shelves of sun cream, flip-flops and bikinis and fill them with Christmas trees, toys and wrapping paper - in September! 

We much prefer the slower pace of life in Fethiye where it's the weather and the seasonal food that give clues as to the time of year rather than the supermarkets. And so it is that we're creeping towards the end of November and yesterday, the Tuesday Fethiye market was shouting out, loud and proud, that winter is here. 

This produce on Fethiye market shows us it's November

While citrus season isn't in full flow as yet (I can't wait for the pazar to be filled with citrus aromas), tangerines from Köyceğiz are plentiful and kestane (chestnuts) are also beginning to appear. How can we not start to feel wintery and, dare we say, even a little bit festive at the sight of those two traditional foods. 

Unfortunately,  we had too much to carry yesterday, but we did also catch a rare sight of Rodos kabağı (top left). If we see any at the weekend, we'll definitely be buying some to make our Rodos kabağı recipe. And, as for the hurma (persimmons) in the bottom left corner, well they might make the market look colourful and seasonal, but for us, they can stay where they are. They're not a taste we're going to be acquiring any time soon.

We didn't buy mersin but we certainly bought güver.

Another seasonal fruit that can stay on the stalls for us is mersin (myrtle). At this time of year, many of the stalls on the Fethiye markets will have a bag of myrtle to one side. This bag of myrtle was on our regular stall where we buy our peppers. The stall holders greeted us eagerly with a handful of myrtle, chomping on it themselves. I took one berry out of politeness and the family who run the stall thought Barry was hilarious when he explained he didn't like mersin. I should have taken the same route. If you like the idea of chewing through a pile of rose petals, myrtle might be an option for you. I had the taste in my mouth all the way around the pazar! 

Great to see so much güver though. Güver is like a small shallot and is plentiful on the pazar at this time of year - perfect for pickling season. They might be a bit fiddly to peel but they're worth the effort. We bought some yesterday and I'm looking forward to tackling them later today. The sooner they're jarred up in their vinegar, the sooner the pickles will be ready for eating! 

A selection of chutney ingredients

We were glad of this abundance of winter produce yesterday because we walked to Fethiye market in warm sunshine, not really feeling very wintery and therefore, not really in the mood for doing the shopping we needed to do. But sometimes, we must look forward in order to be prepared. Although we think it's still too early to think about it, Christmas isn't too far away and we were going to the market on a mission. As well as our regular shopping, we were also going to buy raisins, apples, plums, extra tomatoes and courgettes. Why? Because Barry needs to make his chutney so it's ready in time for Christmas. Chutney recipe to follow soon...

The Magnificent Süleymaniye Mosque In Istanbul

While we certainly haven't seen all of the prominent mosques in Turkey, Süleymaniye Camii in Istanbul is a definite favourite so far. We visited here on our first trip to Istanbul some years ago - and we've been trying to return since. In February 2010, we trouped up the hill from Sultanahmet, only to be greeted by a locked gate and a photo showing the restoration work going on inside. The restorations - undertaken as part of the 2010 European Capital of Culture work - were to last through to the end of the year, so another visit to Süleymaniye was put on hold till this year.

The peaceful grounds of Süleymaniye Mosque

Last month, after reading Süleymaniye Camii was now fully open, we once again trouped uphill, along the famous Divan Yolu from Sultanahmet to Beyazıt. The photo above shows one of the reasons why Süleymaniye is a pleasant place to be. It's tranquil. While thousands of tourists queue up to take a peek inside Sultanhmet Camii (the Blue Mosque), not as many make the short trek up here to Mimar Sinan's masterpiece. 

Built for Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent between 1550 and 1557, Süleymaniye Camii sits high on a hill overlooking the Golden Horn and down the Bosphorus Strait. The beautiful views are another reason why we like coming here so much. BUT, the tourist gods are working against us at the moment - Gardens (with the beautiful views) and tombs closed for restoration! 

Not to worry. We were keen to see the newly restored interior.

Huge chandeliers light the mosque 

We arrived half an hour after the call to prayer (mosques are closed to the public during prayer times) meaning there were only a few other visitors milling around outside waiting to enter. Perfect timing! Plastic carrier bags were pulled one at a time from a huge roll and we placed our footwear inside them before entering. I pulled my scarf over my head and we went inside.

Paintwork in the central dome of Süleymaniye Camii

For such a commanding exterior, I find the interior of Süleymaniye Camii to be quite homely. It doesn't make you feel small and unimportant like Aya Sofya does but while the size of Aya Sofya forces an intake of breath, it's the intricate paintwork of the central dome and surrounding columns of Süleymaniye that force the same reaction.

Interior of Süleymaniye Camii

There were a few people still praying when we entered the mosque, so most of the photos I took are of the higher levels. Süleymaniye's interior is worth a good half an hour of your time if only to appreciate the peace and quiet, the detailed paintwork and colourful, stained glass windows.

Walking back down the hill on the outside of the perimeter walls

And, while many tourists certainly do make the visit to Süleymaniye, maybe it doesn't see the masses present in Sultanahmet because, from ground level, it's surprisingly difficult to spot. Despite its elevated position, as you take a right off Divan Yolu towards the mosque, once you're up close to the grounds, the only thing you can see is a huge, stone wall. If you do make the effort to get there, continue to follow the perimeter of the wall and eventually, you'll see the entrance. 

Süleymaniye Camii - Useful Information

• Süleymaniye Camii is in the Beyazıt area of Istanbul. You can walk from Sultanahmet and take a right where you see the row of kebab places in the square. Or take the tram and get off at the Beyazıt stop. You'll see the kebab places from the tram stop. 
• The mosque is closed to visitors during prayer times and for around 30 minutes afterwards.
• Entrance to the mosque is free but donations are suggested. You'll get a receipt for your donation.
• Females should cover their heads, shoulders and legs before entering.
• Once they're open again to the public, give yourself time to visit the tombs and beautiful grounds of Süleymaniye - fantastic views of Istanbul from here. 
• This area of Istanbul is famous for its kuru fasulye (Turkish bean dishes) and there are a few cheap places to eat immediately outside the mosque, along the cobbled streets. 

(Don't forget, you can also view the above photos through the light box. Click on any photo to start.)
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Fethiye Famous Heads - Osman Bey

Last week, we finally kick-started our new series about the 'Fethiye heads' with a bit of information about Mehmet Akif Ersoy. Penning the national anthem of the new Republic of Turkey in the early 1920s naturally gave him his prominent position in modern Turkish history. He was there right at the beginning of Turkey as we know it today.

And so for this post, it seems fitting to go way back - back to the 14th Century to another beginning. A beginning that was only going to come to an end in the 20th Century when the likes of Mehmet Akif Ersoy and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk were rallying support for a new beginning. Of course, we're talking about the Ottoman Empire. 

Osman Bey 1258-1326

Osman Bey - The creator and first leader of the Ottoman Empire 

Osman Bey (or Osman Gazi) was the warrior who created the Ottoman dynasty that was to last a massive 6 centuries. In the early 1300s, various Turcoman tribes were vying for territory in Anatolia and pushing the Byzantine armies ever north and westwards. Osman Bey was a warrior leading one such tribe - so what made him stand out above the rest?

Firstly, Osman Bey had gained a reputation for being a great leader of his troops and achieved the respect of other Turcomans when he defeated a large Byzantine army in 1301. This meant it became a natural, common sense move for other warrior leaders of smaller groups to throw in their lot with Osman Bey. This in turn meant Osman Bey was now in control of more people and more Anatolian territory. 

Osman Bey was also a religious man, and it was his friendship with a holy man named Edibali that helped the Ottomans gain the supremacy they needed. 

"Early Ottomans were less concerned with the date of the founding of their state than with the vision that underpinned their right to rule." 
Osman's Dream - The Story of the Ottoman Empire 1300-1923. Caroline Finkel. 2005

And so began the legend of Osman's Dream. The Ottoman Empire was built around the premise of a dream that Osman had one night. When he awoke the following morning and explained his dream to Edibali, the holy man explained that the dream revealed God had given imperial office to Osman Bey and his descendants. 

For the next 600 years, as a result of Osman's Dream, the Ottoman Dynasty fought and led with the ideology that they had divine supremacy and a divine right to rule.

We got our information about Osman Gazi from one of my favourite (history) reads, 'Osman's Dream - The Story of the Ottoman Empire 1300-1923,' by Caroline Finkel. If you're interested in Ottoman history, you can purchase the "Osman's Dream" book in our Amazon store. 

Turkish Food: Celebrating Turşu In Istanbul

People who read this blog a lot will know that we have a bit of a 'thing' for Turkish pickles. Type pickles into our search box on the left and you will see the list of posts we've done in celebration of the tantalising taste of fruit and vegetables preserved in vinegar. Even the thought of it now is making my mouth water. We love pickles!

There's something about winter that brings out those pickle cravings; a craving to make pickles (we've made and crunched our way through 2 rather large tubs of homemade pickled red cabbage recently) and a craving to eat pickles.

Eating turşu in Eminönü

A few months back, a Turkish friend told us to make sure we bought some pickles from the street the next time we were in Istanbul. It's a winter thing, she told us. Well, the weather was definitely behaving as if winter was upon us and, as we were wandering around Eminönü in October, we spotted a turşucu (pickle seller). We'd just finished munching on some other street food loveliness but a cup of turşu wasn't going to do us any harm, was it? 

1.5TL bought us a plastic cup of karışık turşu (mixed pickles) and a little plastic fork...and then we were free to walk around in public, slurping pickles and pickle vinegar while ambling across Galata Bridge. How heavenly is that? Pickle appreciators everywhere will appreciate that one! And yes, we drank the vinegar between us, too. We wanted to, other people were doing the same, it was acceptable. If you're a pickle juice slurper, Istanbul is the city for you.

Pickle shops in Istanbul are so tempting

In last month's Istanbul itinerary post, we said we intended to explore the Cihangir and Çukurcuma areas of Beyoğlu. Despite the bad weather, that intention became an accomplishment, and while we were enjoying the woodwork and craft shops of Çukurcuma, the pickle shop above sticks in our memory. How can it not? So tempting when you see beautifully stacked jars full of pickles arranged in pristine fashion. We gazed, we hovered and we nearly went in to make a purchase...

...but we wanted to go back to our favourite Beyoğlu turşucu, Petek Turşuları (Petek Pickles). We'd talked about it so much throughout the year that it felt like we were cheating our dream if we didn't head back there.

A foodie souvenir from Istanbul

These guys know how to do a good display to tempt pickle lovers anywhere (click on the Petek link above to see more). As soon as the latch from the door is released, your nostrils are filled with the aroma of pickling vinegar as the staff stir fruit and vegetables in cauldrons of this wondrous preservative.

Photographed above is our Istanbul souvenir that we brought back to Fethiye with us. From Petek Turşuları, we bought a jar of sweet pickled red chillies and, remember the chilli paste from the fantastic köfte lunch we had at Edirnekapı? Well, this stuff is exactly the same but not quite as blended. Crushed, super-fiery red chillies in (we think) oil and a splash of vinegar. The contents of both jars are now severely depleted.

Turkish Beer: Efes Dark...With A Coffee Twist

It's fair to say that Turkey is not well known for its vast choice of beers. Browsing the drinks menu in any bar, you're not going to be bamboozled with a bewildering display of new and interesting alcoholic beverages. These days, we don't even bother looking at the menus because we always opt for our favourite, Efes Pilsen.  

But what about when we're sat at home at the weekend? During the summer months when sitting on the balcony, Efes Pilsen is the tipple of choice; 500 ml of icy cold, thirst quenching, hoppy loveliness. But then winter comes around. More time on our hands for perusing the beer-stocked shelves of the supermarket. More inclination to sample something a bit different. Last winter we discovered the Czech-style Turkish beer, Perge. Brewed in Antalya using natural spring water from Manavgat, we developed a bit of taste for its crisp flavour. We shouldn't have done because we've not been able to buy it in Fethiye throughout the whole of summer - or so far this winter!

This is a common occurrence in Fethiye supermarkets. They draw you in with their current USP of a more varied wine and beer shelf...and then, just as you become familiar with a particular drink, it mysteriously disappears.

We're used to this now, so last weekend as we were once again scanning the shelves in the hope of a rare sighting of Perge, we accepted that it wasn't to be and decided to start getting into the winter spirit by sampling some warmer, more comforting beers. I strayed to the opposite side of the aisle and opted for a special offer on an expensive-looking red wine while Barry filled his basket with mix-and-match beers.

One of the beers he bought was Efes Dark Brown Kahve Aromalı. Coffee-flavoured beer! We weren't expecting much from it. Well, what can you expect from a coffee-flavoured dark brown ale? A lot, it appears. With its beige, foamy head that lasted to the bottom of the glass, it was rich, wintery and definitely comforting. It's not an ale you can sit and drink all night as the coffee and caramel aromas mean it's on the sweet side (and it's quite a strong ale at 6.2%) but it's definitely worth savouring one or two while snuggled on the sofa in front of the fire. It might well become our weekend winter treat.

More Aya Sofya Musings

Around three weeks ago, we did the Aya Sofya post for this blog. As we were in Istanbul, we wanted once more to see the majesty that the interior of this building commands - and again, we were amazed by its grand interior. 

But there's something innate in my being; something instilled in me from my time wandering around museums on numerous school trips as a child. Maybe you can relate? Just as you thought you were on a nice, easy jolly from school for the day, the teacher handed you the dreaded clipboard with a worksheet and HB pencil attached to it. No aimless wandering allowed! No, we had to look for the less obvious features of the building we were in and note them on the provided worksheet. Tedium for all kids involved! 

Rain-drenched rooftops but just a teaser of what was the come

But it's obviously stayed with me and, while we were wandering around the upper gallery of Aya Sofya, I spotted a full row of outer windows. There were a few people milling around, holding their cameras aloft to take photos, so I thought I'd go to see what then view was like - except I wasn't tall enough. 

Tiny windows...but special views

As this photo shows, the windows in Aya Sofya are far from huge but I still wanted to see what the view might be - we were in Sultanahmet after all.  Surely there must be some sort of interesting view. 

An almost clear view

Camera set up in my right hand, I stood on the diagonal stone ledge along the wall and gripped the window ledge with my fingertips on my left hand. Not comfortable at all and I had a few short seconds to play with before I would have to release my precarious stance.

Dreamy minarets of Istanbul's Sultanahmet...

While we couldn't really see what we were taking photographs of at the time, capturing a sneak view of Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque) in the background was definitely a result! We've been inside Aya Sofya twice now - but on the first time, peering through the windows never crossed my mind. Glad I became curious this time around.

Don't forget, if you want to view the photos in larger format, click on just one of them to view all of them in the light box.

Fethiye Famous Heads - Mehmet Akif Ersoy

A while back, we said we would be starting a new series on this blog about the famous 'Fethiye heads.' I took a photograph of each one and was going to start researching information about each person, finding out why they are important to Turkish and Ottoman history and then there were going to be blog posts about each one. As usual, things never go to plan and it's now almost three weeks since we introduced the series. Well, we're finally making a start, with a rough plan of one head each week. Let's see...

Standing with your back to the sea, the bust of Mehmet Akif Ersoy is just left of centre, watching over the Fethiye marinas. His birth date is written as 1877 on the plaque  below him but other research suggests he was born in 1873 so we'll display both dates.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy 1873-1936

Author of the Turkish National Anthem, Mehmet Akif Ersoy

Whoever designed this structure along Fethiye harbour obviously had good reason to choose the people represented in the busts sitting atop the lower levels of the fountain - and how could Mehmet Akif Ersoy not be included as one of these chosen few?

A pious man, Mehmet Akif Ersoy was also a highly intelligent person. He graduated from veterinary school with honours and went on to research contagious diseases in Anatolia, lecturing in universities and doing public speaking in order to raise awareness. However, he was also a talented linguist (famous for his command of the Turkish language) and appreciator of literature; so much so that he eventually quit his research work to concentrate on writing poetry.

So why is he a famous name in Turkish history? Mehmet Akif Ersoy was also a staunch nationalist. As the Ottoman Empire crumbled and a certain Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was coming to the fore, Mehmet Akif Ersoy travelled Anatolia, speaking in mosques to make people aware of the situation and to create some nationalist sentiment that would in turn create support for a future, new republic.  

And being the talented, nationalist poet that he was, Mehmet Akif Ersoy wrote Istiklal Marşı (Independence March),a poem to give the troops fighting in the War of Independence a boost. Istiklal Marşı was declared the new National Anthem of the Republic of Turkey in 1921, two years before the republic itself was declared. 

We found our information about Mehmet Akif Ersoy from his Wikipedia page and from his dedicated website. 

Turkish Recipes: Çintar Mushrooms On Toast

While it sometimes gives us a bit of a shock reminder that another year has passed, the cycle of nature also has a certain reassuring quality, especially when it comes to seasonal food in Turkey. Bar freaks of weather, our favourite seasonal produce appears and disappears from the Fethiye markets pretty much as we expect it to and, at certain times of the year, we can look forward to that first sighting of our particular favourites.    

November is one such month. For fruit lovers, pomegranates (my favourite) are in their prime, but also at this time of year, the pine forests of the Fethiye region are blessed with the growth of the fabulous fungus that is the çintar mushroom, lactarius deliciosus. We had that exciting first sighting of the çintar mushroom at Patlangıç market on Saturday but we just had too much to carry, so yesterday, we headed to Fethiye market with a mission. We wanted çintar.

 The Beautiful çintar mushroom, lactarius delicosus, saffron milk cap

Although not all of the stalls were present (it's Kurban Bayram) we were lucky enough to find a couple selling their bounty of this sought-after mushroom. These stalls are easy to spot; just look for the crowd of people nudging each other out of the way to get the pick of the mushrooms from a cardboard box or crate. We joined in the nudging and bought our half kilo for a fantastic 2.5 TL (less than £1).

Last year, we experimented with the çintar mushroom by making a spinach and mushroom risotto. And, continuing the spinach theme, we also did a more Turkish recipe for çintar mushroom and spinach böreği. Both were perfect celebrations of this mushroom, but this season we want to experiment further. Here's what we came up with for lunch:

Ekmek üstü çintar mantarı (Mushrooms on toast)
The çintar mushroom has not passed our lips in just under a year - so today, we wanted to just appreciate the texture and the flavour of the mushroom and remind ourselves why we love this mushroom so much. Nothing too complicated. (This recipe serves 2)

Gently fry your çintar mushrooms

Before starting, wash your mushrooms, pat them dry and then leave them to dry for a further 30 minutes or so as çintar are really absorbent. You don't want watery mushrooms!

• Roughly chop about 250g of mushrooms, chop 5 red chillies (optional) and grate or crush one large clove of garlic. The çintar is a feisty mushroom and can handle the strong flavours.
• Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan over a low heat and then add your ingredients to the pan.
• Keep the heat on its lowest setting and toss the mushrooms in the pan so they can absorb the butter.
• After 7 or 8 minutes, the mushrooms should have started to soften - they're a meaty mushroom so give them time.
• Cut some thick wedges of bread and put them under grill.
• Now add milk to your pan (this is the poor man's cream but it does the trick for this recipe). We added a ladleful but it depends how much 'gravy' you want. Stir the mushrooms and they will start to absorb the milk and tenderise further.
• Remove your toast from the grill, arrange it on a plate and top it with your çiıntar mushrooms.

Çintar Mushrooms on toast

And if you're enjoying beautiful autumnal sunshine, as we are here in Fethiye, you can sit and savour the flavours of your çintar mushroom dish while enjoying the outdoors.

Afiyet Olsun!

Google+ - For Lovers of Fethiye & Turkey

Well, what a day it's been. The virtual world of all that is online is constantly changing and as time goes by, it only seems to be picking up speed rather than settling down into a more relaxed pace of life. 

Social media has so far been the online biggie of the 21st century with Facebook and Twitter dominating the mainstream and, from a blogging perspective, writers of blogs the world over have set up their profile pages on whatever platform they see as best fit for supporting their blog. And well, you know us; Turkey's For Life are bobbing about all over the place! We can't resist.  

Google+ is the latest social media platform to announce its arrival to the world and late last night as I was sleeping and Barry was about to close his laptop for the day, he spotted an announcement that Google+ Pages had been launched. We knew this was in the pipeline but we weren't sure when it would happen. No bedtime for Barry just yet!

The all new page! 

And so, what I thought was part of my dream last night was actually a reality. Yes, Barry had said how late it was as he stumbled around the bedroom in the dark, and yes he'd told me we had yet another page online that he'd just set up. 'Brilliant,' I mumbled meaninglessly, and fell back into peaceful slumber. 

Why Another Page?
We woke up bright eyed and bushy-tailed this morning and set to work on getting our heads around our latest online presence. Above is a screenshot of our lovely, brand new page on Google+. We're excited about this page! We don't know what Google+ have planned as it's all so unfamiliar and new - that's what makes it exciting - and we can't help but want to be a part of it.

Won't it just be more of the same?
No! That's the decision we've come to today, otherwise, why would you want to add us to your Google+ Circles? If you follow us on Facebook and Twitter, you'll know we post completely different things on each platform - bar the blog posts, of course. For us, Facebook and Twitter have completely different personalities and we try to reflect that in what we add to each of them.

As for the personality of Google+, who knows? We've sat and we've discussed and we've brainstormed! We've now got lots of ideas for our page that we're sure will evolve as it becomes more established and nestles itself into our daily online pattern. Needless to say, the page will always support and be an extension of this blog and so of course, we have a general theme of all that is Turkey.

We're really excited about sharing more of Fethiye and Turkey - and if that sounds right up your street, we'd love you to join Turkey's For Life on Google+ by adding us to your circles. Click on the link or click on the red g+ icon at the top of the page. Hopefully, we'll see you there.

How To Make Turkish Coffee

On our latest trip to Istanbul, we paid a visit to the historic headquarters of Turkey's most famous ground coffee producer, Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi and Barry bought a small packet of ground Turkish coffee to bring back to Fethiye; a souvenir of our time in Istanbul. 

It seemed a shame to do anything else with this souvenir other than make a traditional Turkish coffee with it - except we had never attempted to make our own before. Well, there's a first time for everything. I don't like Turkish coffee so this one was Barry's little experiment. He's made a few more since these photos were taken, tweaking quantities here and there and improving the appearance and the taste of the coffee each time. Perfection isn't achieved overnight!

A Recipe for Turkish Coffee
Before you can make your own Turkish coffee, you need to get yourself some Turkish coffee cups (the same size as an espresso cup) and a cezve ; the tiny, long-handled pot used to boil the coffee. These days, you can buy practical stainless steel coffee pots but well, it just doesn't look right to us. We like the traditional approach. You can buy cezve in different sizes - you should be able to find a few on Amazon- but our Turkish coffee pot is perfect for 2 cups.

A cezve is used to boil Turkish coffee

As well as the three normal rings, gas hobs in Turkey come with one small ring and a little bracket to bridge the gap over the flame so that the cezve can sit on top of it. You can just make it out in the photo above. Obviously, this isn't necessary for electric and halogen hobs.

So, let's find out how to use our cezve to make ourselves a Turkish coffee:

The Turkish coffee-making process

Turkish coffee is different because all of your ingredients, including the sugar, are added before you bring it to the boil. This recipe makes 2 Turkish coffees. 

• Add 2 Turkish coffee cupfuls of water to your cezve and then add a quarter of a cup more.
• You need to experiment over time with whether you prefer your Turkish coffee sade (without sugar), orta (medium sugar) or şekerli (proper sweet!). We plumped for orta on this occasion and added a level teaspoon of sugar to the cold water before giving it good stir.
• Now add 2 rounded teaspoons of Turkish coffee to the solution and mix thoroughly.
• Place the cezve on the smallest ring of the hob on the lowest heat and watch over it carefully.
• When the froth forms and begins to rise and roll over, remove the cezve from the heat. Skim the foam from the top with a spoon and share between the two cups along with a little of the coffee so that they're about a quarter full.
• Place the cezve back on the heat until the coffee boils again (this doesn't take very long).
• Remove the cezve from the heat and top up your cups.

Not perfect yet, but not a bad attempt at Turkish coffee

As our cezve is designed to make 2 Turkish coffees, I've been practising my coffee consumption and I actually managed to finish my first full cup of Turkish coffee a couple of days ago. A major achievement. It fell short of being enjoyable but progress is being made.

A Turkish coffee tip: The ground beans do not dissolve in the hot water so sip your coffee slowly as you get to the bottom, otherwise you will end up with a mouthful of sediment resembling mud.

Kurban Bayram - Running The Gauntlet At Patlangıç Market

Tomorrow is the first day of one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar, known in Turkish as Kurban Bayramı - the festival of the sacrifice. This is the third time Kurban Bayramı has occurred since we started Turkey's for Life, but each time the festival occurs, there is always something different we can write about our personal experience of this special time. 

We're an English couple living in Fethiye; a small city where many nationalities other than Turkish are resident. There are no Turks in our family, so why would Kurban Bayram have any effect on our lives? Well, while we fully appreciate the message and the sentiment behind this important festival, we'll always be observers from the outside. As always, the only thing we can truly tell you about in this blog is our experience.

Entrance to Patlangıç market

Our first post about Kurban Bayram was about our observations along Fethiye harbour on the first day of Kurban Bayramı; promenading families enjoying their time together in their new, perhaps-not-always-appreciated clothes. It reminded me of my childhood Easter! (Click here to read our first post about Kurban Bayram)

Our second post considered the Islamic lunar calendar. We realised that, over the next few years, Kurban Bayramı will creep closer and closer towards the summer months and depending on the economy, many families (certainly in Western Turkey) will opt to spend their festival by the beach or in luxury all-inclusive hotels. Whatever people's views on this (it's certainly a move away from tradition) it's no doubt going to give a huge boost to domestic tourism in Turkey and therefore to the Turkish economy. Interesting times ahead. (Click here to read last year's post on Kurban Bayram)

Shopping at Patlangıç market

So what about the effect of Kurban Bayram on our Fethiye lives in November 2011 and what is the relevance of the two photographs in the post? Well today, we've enjoyed our first ever visit to a different Fethiye market: Patlangıç Pazarı. Usually, we go to our local Çalış Pazarı every Sunday...except we (thankfully) remembered yesterday that Sunday is the first day of Kurban Bayram. No market! Aaarrgggh, no food!

Of course, we could have survived the 4-day festival by nipping into the Fethiye supermarkets during their reduced opening hours but we decided to be troopers and make the trek to the Saturday Patlangıç market. We're glad we did! I don't know if it was just the change of scenery but we enjoyed our little stroll around the seasonal fruit and vegetables today. Despite the trek, we'll be regulars over winter.

What made us smile though was the other shoppers. Hey, it's the day before families descend on each other's homes for greetings and food. It was like Christmas Eve in Asda! We've never seen so many bulging carrier bags. How many onions can one person possibly need? (You can never have too many it appears.) Some stall holders were doing a fantastic job at multi-tasking while others were getting a bit flustered - carrier bags being thrown to customers, money being passed, change being given, customers waving full bags of goods wanting them to be weighed NOW, other customers shouting, '____ ne kadar?' (How much are ____?'  

And we wanted to say, 'Give the guy a minute. You can see he's obviously very busy.' But tomorrow is the day of the sacrifice, the day people think of and share with others less fortunate themselves, when much food is prepared in Turkish  homes...and again we related events to our own experiences and remembered Asda on Christmas Eve. Every man for themselves... 

Kurban Bayramınız kutlu olsun!

Turkish Street Food: Tantuni Kebab

For us, the most excting part of being in Istanbul is the food; mainly the street food. Last year, we couldn't keep away from the deep-fried hamsi at Karaköy fish market, returning on numerous occasions over the few days we were there. When we were back in Fethiye, we drooled at the very thought of hamsi ekmek, so much so that Karaköy fısh market was the first place we headed to when we arrived in Istanbul last month. 

But while hamsi ekmek (oh, and mustn't forget the famous Taksim ıslak hamburger) were our best Istanbul 2010 foodie memories, Istanbul 2011 has certainly not disappointed. We have returned to Fethiye with a new street food memory that gushes with just as much drool factor; the tantuni kebab.

Emine Ana in Beyoğlu

While mulling our options of what we were going to eat one evening, we were wandering aimlessly around the side streets of Beyoğlu and all of a sudden, there it was: Emine Ana - Mersin Tantuni Kebab. We've read so much about the tantuni kebab over the last couple of years - it appears Mersin tantuni is the new black - and had been itching to try one. Happening upon this place was surely meant to be? Well, we decided that was the case and went inside.

The unexpected aroma of freshly chopped mint hit us as soon as we opened the door and we perched on little stools, the only customers in the building. It may have said tantuni on the sign outside, but was going to be a tasty tantuni? As we were thinking this, a plate of mint, rocket, parsley and lemon was placed on the table followed by pickled chillies (turşu). A good start!

Tantuni kebab originates in Mersin, Southern Turkey

The guy stood over us, waiting expectantly. We needed to speak.

'Errrm, tantuni?' I tried to sound confident and knowledgeable but my questioning tone obviously gave me away. I didn't have a clue what I was asking for.

'Dürüm? Yarım?'

Brilliant. We'd asked for the right thing and now we just had to decide between dürüm (a wrap) or yarım (a half bread). No competition when we've got rumbling tummies to quieten. Yarım it was. 

Tiny chunks and strips of previously cooked beef that had been waiting to one side of the huge, circular pan were scooped into a gravy-filled pit in the centre and swirled around in the sizzling juices. Meanwhile, our bread was sliced through the middle and pressed around the edges of the metal plate, soaking up stray juices.

Looks great but this tantuni kebab needs some little additions

Within minutes, our tantuni kebab was presented open, wrapped loosely at the bottom in paper. The paper proved very useful. Nothing dry about this sandwich. Before we delved in, leaves were added, cumin was sprinkled and chillies were strategically placed along the top of the beefy filling.

NOW the tantuni kebab is ready to eat

The paper was carefully reapplied to the bottom of our sandwiches, we picked them up, and we simultaneously bit into our first ever tantuni kebabs. A momentous moment! Tender, juicy pieces of beefy goodness melting on the tongue; warm, soft, gravy-soaked bread; crispy salad leaves with peppery rocket flavours partying with the zing of the mint...and then the hot pickled chillies. No need to speak to each other. Eyes, eyebrows and nods said it all. We've devoured some decent kebabs in our time, but this...

We returned to Emine Ana for more tantuni kebab the night after! 

• Emine Ana Tantuni is on Sırasilviler Caddesi in Beyoğlu.
• We were there at a quiet time as further research has revealed that we were lucky in happening upon Emine Ana Tantuni. It's a popular joint with a great tantuni reputation.

Fethiye Winter Preparations - It's November

Since we returned from wintery Istanbul, we've been revelling in perfect autumn weather in Fethiye. Each day is filled with that we've-got-to-get-outdoors-and-make-the-most-of-this feeling as daytime temperatures reach the pleasant early to mid-20 degrees. But, as we said yesterday, the reminders that the seasons are on the change are felt as soon as the sun begins to go down.

Longer autumn shadows and the new steel frame at Cafe Doğa Sefası

Due to its climate, it's no surprise that Fethiye is very much based around the great outdoors, so what happens when the colder weather gives clues that its arrival isn't too far away? Back in July, we wrote a post about Cafe Doğa Sefası; the latest business to open along the new Fethiye harbour. As with most places along the harbour, we've enjoyed sitting here over summer, enjoying a few drinks with friends. But we had been wondering whether they were going to be open in winter due to it having no indoor space.

Why did we wonder that? We should know by now in Fethiye that a no-indoor-space place can (seemingly) miraculously morph into an enclosed area within a matter of days...without the business having to close during the work. A few days ago, the finishing touches were added to a large steel frame that we presume is going to become Cafe Doğa Sefası's respite area from the cold to come.

Sunset opposite Cafe Doğa Sefası

Even when we were sat at the cafe just recently, the sun suddenly started to go down - it's still catching us out - and the temperature immediately dropped. (The couple in the photo were enjoying a romantic moment and a glass of wine but soon started to row back in fits of giggles when the light started to fade!) We were in t-shirts that had been adequate a few minutes before but now we were cold so it was home time. We went to the desk to pay the bill...

Cafe Doğa Sefası covered area

...and were very impressed by the new 'inside.' Don't think we'll mind too much about sitting here in a few weeks. Shall we say it again? We love winter in Fethiye.