Turkish folk, modern pop and Holly Valance

I never anticipated my first ever Foodie Five post would feature the name Holly Valance in it, and though I risk losing a few readers by doing so, I’m going to stick it out. You see, I didn’t know it at the time but good ol’ Hol introduced me to Turkish music, way back in 2002. Her song Kiss Kiss, which I didn’t particularly like, is actually a cover of Tarkan Tevetoğlu’s original, which is bloody awesome. Tarkan was born in Germany and raised in Turkey, and grew up to be an award-winning singer and the country’s “prince of pop”, or so says Wikipedia.

Listening to Tarkan sing the original and watching him in the music video – fine as he is – being chased around town by a swarm of beauties, it occurred to me that you don’t need to understand the lyrics of a song to appreciate it. Case in point, the moment the tune started, I was bopping unselfconsciously along, and when the time came, even pursed my lips to execute the chorus.

Needless to say, I feel it would be poor form to continue rolling my eyes whenever Ms Valance is mentioned. Her music career may have tanked, but she gave me my first taste of modern Turkish pop. And, for that, I’m forever grateful.

Having enjoyed this, I decided to look into traditional Turkish folk music.

These guys are good, and have a synchronicity that blows my mind. To see what I mean, skip forward 40 seconds into the video above. The wooden instrument they’re each wielding is called a bağlama – a long-necked lute that’s commonly played in a wicked finger-picking style. Similar string instruments are played not only in Turkey, but in Kurdish, Persian, Afghan and Assyrian music.

I'd say the only thing that could have enhanced my experience of Efendy (not including an additional serve of pastry-wrapped prawns), would be to have had these guys performing, their distinct bağlamas filling the restaurant with yet another element of Turkish brilliance.

April

The Foodie Five visits Porteno

As the Foodie Five headed out to Surry Hills to visit the much talked about Argentinean restaurant, Porteno, we had no idea what an exciting night was about to unravel.

Check out our video review... and make sure this restaurant makes it onto your bucket list!

Porteno
358 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
Phone: (02) 8399 1440
www.porteno.com.au

A Foodie Five conversation: Debriefing after a brush with the stars

Liz: There was a defining moment in the Foodie Five's dining experience at Porteno. It wasn't seeing the whole lambs and pigs being roasted over the asado (giant spit), nor was it being dazzled by the coiffed rockabilly get-up the staff. It was a moment after the meal, in the courtyard outside the restaurant when two men hurried past our little group.

Bianca dug her fingernails into my arm and said, "Oh my God. That was Tobey Maguire". 

It was all downhill from there. 

Jen: There was another moment, Liz, that put us even further on the downhill slope. Something to do with you taking a photo of the barman?

Liz: I was wondering why the other diners were looking at me while I was taking a photo of the spunky bartender. I thought they were impressed by my dress...or the big, professional-looking SLR I borrowed from Jess.

Jess: I reckon it was the camera too, but it could have been the fact that while you were snapping happily away at the barman, LEO DICAPRIO was standing RIGHT NEXT TO YOU!

Bianca: Yes, Leo DiCaprio, as in, “I’m king of the world!” and “Good night to you but not me.” That Leo, in case you were unsure.

April: I'm crying right now on the inside...

Liz: Ok, I missed him. But while I was looking at the world through the narrow lens of a viewfinder, you were all standing around chatting. THERE ARE EIGHT EYES BETWEEN YOU...what’s your excuse?

Jess: What can we say? We’re true foodies, we don’t let anything distract us from the dining experience...

Bianca: I cannot believe we told all those people coming out of the restaurant that Tobey and Leo were inside and they were able to get back in and have a sticky beak, then when I tried to go back in to go to the “bathroom”, the doorman refused me entry!

Jen: That’s not as bad as what he said to me when I tried ... “It’s not gonna happen.” Jeez. 

Liz: Some of us were more heartbroken than others at the missed opportunity to get a movie star endorsement on the Foodie Five blog. I always thought the first time I’d see Bianca cry, it would be over a delicious plate of pho or something...

Jess: I know! B, I've never seen anyone dance around in such MISERY. I think I got you wailing and rocking back and forth on your haunches on camera. 

Bianca: Leo’s my favourite star of all time! I did get a consolation hug from his body guard, who was lovely, but still...

Want to hear more about our brush with Leo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, plus see an exclusive interview with diners who got up close and personal with the stars? Stay tuned for The Foodie Five video post, coming soon! Oh, and we’ll tell you about the dining experience at Porteno, too!

Bringing the Efendy magic into my kitchen with Zucchini Fritters

While I really enjoy cooking, and sometimes have some absolute hits - I'm not daring to liken myself to the amazing Chef Somer when attempting to make zucchini fritters. The Foodie Five were all impressed with the succulent fritters on our review night, so I thought I'd try and replicate the experience. 


I'll admit early on that my version didn't end up tasting amazing...but they were quite fresh and light. I think it would be nice accompanied with a green salad for a light lunch! As I've recently joined Weight Watchers, I don't want my Foodie Five adventures to lead me off track. So I was delighted to learn that the fritters only came to 2 ProPoints each. So that would be incentive to make them again seeing as though they are a healthy snack or starter.


Here's my attempt at being Nigella :)
It wasn't until I started editing this video that I realised there's a real art to presenting...and boy do I need to work on it! 

The recipe was compliments of the SBS Food website:
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/709/Zucchini_fritters_with_dill


Ingredients

600 g zucchini
Sea salt
1 small onion, grated
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
100 g fetta, crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons rice flour
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Method

Grate the zucchini coarsely and put into a colander. Sprinkle lightly with salt and toss, then leave for 20 minutes to drain. Rinse the zucchini briefly, then squeeze it to extract as much liquid as you can and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Mix the zucchini with the onion, garlic, fetta, herbs and eggs in a large bowl. Sift on the flours, then season with pepper and stir to combine.

Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until sizzling. Drop small tablespoons of batter into the hot oil and flatten gently. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve piping hot.

A raki education

a real Turkish experience

He said the first sip would be the hardest and he was right. 

‘He’ is Fatih, our lovely waiter at Efendy preparing me for my raki tasting, a strong aniseed flavoured  Turkish aperitif.

Somer Sivrioglu, chef and owner at Efendy has left the kitchen to consult me on Turkish wine but tells me that for a real Turkish experience I should be drinking raki. I can’t argue. 


It’s 45% alcohol, twice distilled and mixed with ice and water for cloudiness. The milky coloured mixture is popularly called aslan sutu which literally means ‘lions milk’, I think it’s because you need a lion heart to drink it. 

I try three varieties of raki, the first is Yeni Raki, the most traditional, reasonably priced and the strongest of the lot. It has an instant hit of aniseed, like you have soaked a piece of fennel in alcohol and taken a big juicy bite. Yeni raki is stronger than newer varieties because it is traditionally made from already dried grapes, sultanas.

This takes me to Efe Raki, made from fresh grapes and noticeably more mild but don’t be thinking the hit isn’t there. It is slightly fruitier than Yeni with a smoother, milder finish. 


The third and last is the tekirdag, this variety is very fresh made from grapes and aniseed and rested in oak barrels which gives it a slightly yellow tinge. This one in particular is mostly found west of Istanbul. 


By my third swig of raki (all three before dinner I should add) I'm feeling like maybe I should wait and drink it with my food. I keep a little bit in each glass aside and have a few sips with the hot and cold mezze plates. It's then apparent why Somer gave me this to try instead of Turkish wine. The fresh grape and aniseed flavours compliment the food so incredibly well.


Besides, the first sip really is the hardest or maybe I just have a lion heart.