Since we love food it is pretty natural that we also love learning how to make local dishes. The only thing we planned before heading to Istanbul, was our cooking class with Cooking Alaturka. The classroom/restaurant can be found in the Sultanahmet, behind the Blue Mosque. Upon arrival, we were offered coffee or tea (choose the tea) and given the list of dishes we would be making. The class started at 4:30pm and was about 4.5 hours long (including dinner). We made a total of 5 dishes and were able to enjoy them with the 8 other people in our class.
Our Menu:
Ezogelin Corbasi – Red Lentil and Bulgar Soup – this soup was amazing and I was obsessed with it. The red pepper paste that is in the soup really makes the soup. Recipe here.
Imam Bayildi – Eggplant Braised in Olive Oil – stuffed eggplants braised in olive oil, you can’t find a better side or main dish than this one! I might switch it up a bit and add some meat, but it is also perfect as a vegetarian dish. Recipe here.
Kabak Mucveri – Zucchini Patties – zucchini, cheese fried to golden perfection! I don’t know that I will be making this dish at home (you know frying and all that), but if I could convince someone else to do it for me I would certainly eat a plateful of these. Recipe here.
Etli Yaprak Domasi – Dolmas – Vine Leaves Stuffed with Minced Meat – these dolmas were different than the others ones that I have tried, for starters they are served warm (not cold). I love the meat stuffed kind and these were exceptional! Recipe here.
Incir Tathsi – Walnut Stuffed Figs in Syrup – stuffing these little dried figs with walnuts was a bit of a challenge, but well worth the effort. They are a sweet little dessert that would go perfectly with a strong pull of espresso. Recipe here.
As usual the cooking class was exactly what we wanted. We learned a handful of new dishes, met some great people, and stuffed ourselves to the gills.
