Posted by Emily Koh, May 1, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Eating pork is becoming increasingly popular in Turkey, but perhaps not for the reason you think. The BBC reports that many are blaming Turkey's dwindling pork industry on an Islam-backed agenda by the government, which is now primarily made up of Muslims. Butchers like Lazari Kozmaoglu—who calls himself the last pork butcher in Istanbul—have been around for more than 40 years, slicing and dicing for the locals, are now finding themselves in a tight spot:
Lazari's being prevented from slaughtering pigs and the stock of meat in his freezer is running critically low.
He owns an abattoir but the Agriculture Ministry has refused him a licence to operate it, saying it does not meet strict new regulations.
Curiously, all the other slaughter houses that once dealt with pork have been closed too. Lazari's reluctant to say what he suspects is happening.
"There are only 2,000 Greeks left in Istanbul," he grumbled. "None of us dares speak out." Curiously, all the other slaughter houses that once dealt with pork have been closed too. Lazari's reluctant to say what he suspects is happening.
"There are only 2,000 Greeks left in Istanbul," he grumbled. "None of us dares speak out."
Could Turkey be looking at a pork-less (or at least significantly less pork-ish) future?
Posted by Robyn Lee, March 20, 2008 at 5:00 PM
On her recent trip to Istanbul, Turkey, Umami came across a simit vendor balancing a tall, neat pile of the circular bread on a board with one hand.
If only I could come across vendors bearing towering piles of bread on the streets here; I'd be so happy.
Posted by Lucy Baker, December 19, 2007 at 9:00 AM
Christmas is less than a week away, which means it's time for my mother and me to resume our annual debate: Is it too soon for another turkey dinner?
I say yes. Thanksgiving was barely a month ago, and my memories of the meal (unlike the half bag of cranberries in my fridge and the shriveled sweet potato in my vegetable drawer) are still fresh. Not to mention the fact that I ate leftover turkey sandwiches for days afterward.
For the upcoming holiday feast, I think a roast beef would be perfect, particularly when rubbed with fresh herbs, studded with garlic, and finished with port sauce. Lobsters, in their festive red shells, would also be lovely. Or why not try our hands at preparing a true Christmas goose?
My mother disagrees.
Continue reading »
Posted by Alaina Browne, November 21, 2007 at 2:00 PM
These days there are more online videos demonstrating how to carve a turkey than you can shake a stick at. I got to know the San Francisco Chronicle's Olivia Wu a bit when I attended Taste3 earlier this year, so I'm favorably biased toward her demonstration (above) of how to properly check the temperature of your turkey, and two different carving techniques. Wu's technique is similar to what today's New York Times calls the butcher's method.
Not really. An ounce of white meat has four fewer calories than the same amount of dark meat, but dark meat has more nutrients. There was no mention of the hidden health benefits of crisp turkey skin.
If you are skilled with knitting needles, you might want to get to work this weekend on your own Jive Turkey Hat, the perfect accessory for your Thanksgiving celebration.
Posted by Ed Levine, November 9, 2007 at 8:00 AM
"People have to get over their fixation with green vegetables. Green beans are disgusting. Our meal is all shades of white, brown, and orange."
Christopher Kimball is an unlikely media mogul. He's the founding editor and publisher of Cook's Illustrated, the bespectacled host of America's Test Kitchen on PBS, and the proud owner of many bow ties. We caught up with him a couple days ago on the phone to talk turkey (day) with him. It turns out that, among other things, the man hates green beans, and he's not afraid to admit it.
How do you approach Thanksgiving at Cook's Illustrated?
How we approach Thanksgiving goes to the heart of our philosophy. Today, most people's repertoire in the kitchen is unlimited. (Once upon a time people knew how to make 100 dishes, at most.) As a result, nobody ever gets good at anything, because they don't do anything twice. In our magazine, we keep doing the same thing over and over again. So in our Thanksgiving issue we stay focused on the things people want to make: turkey, mashed potatoes, pie crust, biscuits.
How is your coverage different from the other food magazines like Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine?
The editors at the other food magazines write for their friends and themselves. They feel compelled to do something different every year because they're bored. People want mainstream American cooking, and that's what we give them.
What does Chris Kimball serve at his own Thanksgiving? Keep reading.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, November 8, 2007 at 5:15 PM
Bacon-wrapped turkeys by janelbot and Poppy Wright.
Why roast a turkey not wrapped in bacon when you can roast a turkey...wrapped in bacon? The prevalence of bacon-wrapped turkey photos shows that it is quite popular. Try out Chow's Bacon-Wrapped Turkey with Pear Cider Gravy recipe and watch the accompanying video to create porky turkey goodness in your own kitchen.
Posted by Alaina Browne, November 7, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Ed wrote earlier this morning:
"There seems to be more and more choices every year, and I don't know about you, but I think there's a conspiracy afoot to befuddle and confuse us with these choices.
Just consider what we are confronted with: fresh, frozen, frozen basted, free-range, free-roaming, all-natural, heritage fresh, heritage frozen, organic, wild, kosher fresh, kosher frozen. It's mind-boggling."
To help you navigate your way through the turkeys, we've put together a brief guide to reading turkey labels.
Continue reading »
Posted by Zach Brooks, September 12, 2007 at 12:00 PM
There are turkey sandwiches, and then there are (cue the Hallelujah music) TURKEY SANDWICH!
The difference? The former is usually made from a thinly sliced substance cut off a giant hunk of meat that sort of resembles a turkey breast, while the latter is a much more serious affair, requiring the roasting (and shredding) of an actual turkey before both the white and dark meat are piled high into what will become a (cue the Hallelujah music) TURKEY SANDWICH!
The New Crockery Cafe is a small mom-and-pop hole in the wall in the design district of San Francisco that specializes in the music-inducing kind of turkey sandwich. Every morning for 18 years they've roasted a whole 35-pound turkey, just for lunchtime sandwiches—and unlike at Thanksgiving, they never have leftovers. Around 10:30 a.m., the turkey comes out and is shredded just in time for the lunch crowd to arrive. By 1:30 p.m., the turkey is usually gone, a surprising feat, until you find out the sandwich costs less than $6.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Roberts, November 27, 2006 at 8:00 AM
About the author: Adam Roberts is The Amateur Gourmet. His book, The Amateur Gourmet, will be published by Bantam/Dell in summer 2007.
