Chicken Gratin

Dear food lovers,
Here is confession I think it is the time to make: I love chicken. 
I almost want to use it in every single dish I cook. It is one of my favorite indigents to work with. It is easy, however you need to combine it with the perfect ingredients to get a good quality meal. If I would have to eat chicken every day, I probably wouldn't be bored. And I am not. Thanks to our cafeteria at school, we have chicken for lunch 4 days a week. But I am not complaining about it because as I've said, I looovee chicken. 
I don't get to cook chicken a lot at home because my father is not a fan of chicken. He prefers red meat also known as the real meat in Turkey. When we say meat here in Turkey, everyone, not a single person thinks about chicken meat or anything else. 
Anyways, this recipe that I will share with you is called "Chicken Gratin". It may sound French however it is an easier version of a Chicken Pot Pie. It is an all time favorite winter recipe in our family. Because I don't use cream in this (instead I use béchamel sauce) it is vey healthy and low fat. 
If you are one like the ones who don't like turkey a lot or if you just want to try something else for Thanksgiving; I think you should give this one a shot. 
So, here is the recipe that I couldn't stop talking about:

Apple Tart-ish Pie

Happy Friday everyone!

It felt as if years passed this week. But friday is finally here. So did winter. Yes, that cold sweater and coat weather is knocking on the door now. I started to step on the dried orange leaves on the road and enjoying the sound, plus adding cinnamon to my milk everyday and baking a lot more. This means that winter is here. 

This time of the year I bake a lot. I almost only bake because I really like the warmth of carrying a delicious smelly baked good in my hands. This also makes my friends happy because I can actually bring some stuff that I baked. When I cook, I can't bring it to school and that 's why they prefer me to bake. 

My dad is a very enthusiastic apple-eater. He usually buys 4-5 kg of apple from the farmers market every week. Although we are just 3 people in the house he cannot buy less. The funny thing is he does eat them all. If I am lucky, there are some apples left and rather than leaving them to rot, I bake this recipe. 

This recipe is probably having some identity issues. I am not sure if this is an apple tart or a pie; the crust is kind or like a tart but it also has kind of like a cage on top that makes it look kind of like a pie. So, call it what you want. 

Anyway, I am sure that you will enjoy baking this because it is both simple and fun to make. I hope you'll like it. The problem with this recipe is I don't have the exact measurements. This is my grandmother's recipe so you might find out some expressions as "just enough to make the dough as thick as an earlobe". Here is the recipe: 

A Turkish Passion

Turkish Coffee is a passion. Not everyone is a fan of this coffee because it is completely different than any coffee you have ever tasted. It is very strong but delicious as well. The foam on the top is the one that makes the coffee delicious. However the foam is is not a milk foam or a cream; it is the coffee itself. 
When you order a Turkish coffee at a restaurant or somewhere in Turkey, they will ask you "How would you like to drink?". You have three options (sugar options): sweet, medium and no sugar at all. 

A Food Blast in San Francisco

The summer of 2013 was probably the best summer I've ever had. I travelled a lot this summer and had a lot of fun. As you know I love travelling and nothing makes me happy than a plane ticket and a passport together. One of the places I've been this summer was San Francisco. It was amazing. If you've been there you kind of get what I am trying to mean, and if you haven't been there I highly recommend that you visit one day. 
San Francisco is a very dynamic place. It is full of different kinds of people and also food :) Since the city has many piers and since it is on the bay, it is popular with it's seafood dishes. However some chocolate lovers may find the Ghirardelli Square more interesting. If you are not into these two, don't worry; this town is full of food. Before I tell you about the food; just check the photo of the Golden Gate Bridge. 



The first food I had here was in "The Cheesecake Factory". Thanks to "The Big Bang Theory" I always wanted to go to "The Cheesecake Factory" And when I finally got the chance to go there, I was thrilled. But I was also very shocked to see the staff wearing white clothes. I always imagined that they wore the exact uniform that Penny wore. Anyway, the uniform is not a big deal. But the food is. When I told my mom if we could go there and have lunch, she just didn't want to because she is not a cheesecake fan. But when I told her that it was not a "cheesecake factory" she just decided to give it a shot. 

Again, you have to wait about 30-40 minutes to get a table but it is definitely worth waiting. And to be honest, since this place was only 3 blocks away from our hotel, we went there 3 times. And each time was perfect. 

What I ate in Cheesecake Factory? Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Mini Corn Dogs and Onion Rings, Shrimp Platter and The Original Cheesecake (of course).

If you are not used to the American-sized portions as I am, do not order a meal. Order some appetizers and then have a cheesecake if you are still hungry because the portions are enormous and believe me you will want to spare some space for the cheesecake. 

The cheesecake was the best cheesecake I've ever had. It felt if a creamy ice cream were melting in your mouth. I was in love with this taste. Before I tasted this, I didn't use to like cheesecake but this changed all my opinions about the idea of eating cheesecake. Even my mom who doesn't like cheesecake, liked it. 

The others were also really good. The mini corn dogs were delicious. I even tried "homemade mini corn dogs" when I got back home. The homemade ones were also pretty delicious 

The alfredo pasta was also the best I've ever had. It was very creamy and the fettucini was cooked perfectly. I really like Alfredo sauce; however, it is really hard to find a good one. Normally, it is to creamy or they put to much oil in it or it is too thick. But this was just cooked perfectly. This portion was the lunch sized one and still I couldn't finish it because the small portions in America, are the normal sized portions here in Turkey. I cannot even imagine the actual size of the portion.

Also, the shrimp platter was really good. I am in love with seafood and especially shrimps are my favourite. These crunchy and juicy shrimps were just right for my taste. I also really liked the coleslaw served with it. I liked when they added red cabbage. I also tried to make this coleslaw when I got back home. Another inspiration. 

That night we (my mom, my dad and me) also tried this super cool mexican restaurant near our hotel. I really like mexican food, the spices, the sauces and everything is yummy. We ordered chips and salsa as an appetizer and fajitas for the main course. It was amazing. I really loved it. The plating and serving was also really cool. However, I don't remember the name of the restaurant :( But it is somewhere between the Union Square and The Fairmont Hotel. 

In San Francisco, I also had the best burger and fries in my life. It was really good. We went to this diner called "Gott's Roadside" in the Ferry Building. I ordered a classic cheeseburger and some garlic fries. It was my first time that I had garlic fries and I was expecting a garlic sauce served with the normal fries but this one was beyond that. It was really delicious. I know I use "delicious" a lot but I cannot find any other adjectives because it is quiet indescribable. You have to taste it. :) The burger was also really good, perfectly cooked and seasoned. Basically it was a meat loaf with some lettuce pickles and cheese between the egg buns but it was really yummy. I highly recommend that you visit this restaurant. 

photo credit: Foodspotting.com

One evening we went to "McCormick and Kuleto's" and it was fantastic. I had a classic San Francisco dinner: Clam Chowder as a starter and Petrale Sole Parmesan Crusted with Lemon Butter Sauce and Crispy Fried Capers as the main course. The Clam Chowder has a unique taste. It is rich and creamy but also a little bit smokey because of the bacon. The main course was really good, I mean really really good. It was really tasty. The fish was crusty outside but juicy inside and the sauce was also really delicious and I loved the fried capers. It was one of the best dinners I had and by the way, the restaurant has a great bay view. 







As I said San Francisco is full of seafood restaurants but "Bubba Gump Shrimp Company" is probably the best so far. I went here with a friend recommendation. It is located on the end of the Pier 39. You probably know the movie "Forrest Gump". It is one of my favorite movies of all times. And this restaurant is themed on this movie. There are many restaurants before you come here but still this place is the most crowded one. We waited about 30 minutes to get the table but it is definitely worth the wait. While we were waiting I noticed some shoes under a bench. I said "What are these shoes doing here?" but then I noticed that those shoes are from the last scene of the movie. There is a small luggage and a box of chocolates on the bench. So, just go there and put yourself in Forrest's shoes :) Bad joke, huh? No, seriously get a picture. 

Anyway, when we got to out table, I noticed a big bucket and in that bucket I saw a huge pile of napkins. So, don't be embarrassed to use your hands rather than forks and knives. Get those hands involved because it is much more fun and delicious when you use them. You can clean off all the evidence with those paper towels I told you about.
There is also a two sided licence plate looking sign on the table. One side says "Run Forrest Tun" and the other says "Stop Forrest Stop". When you flip it to the sides that says "Stop Forrest Stop" the waiter/waitress will stop and will help you. That was really cool. The restaurant is also full of some little props and some quotes on the walls, which is pretty cool. 

We ordered "Shrimper's Net Catch with Garlic Sauce" as an appetizer to share. It came in a small bucket and they poured it over a newspaper looking parchment paper. The not only looked good but also tasted really good. We don't have this big shrimp in Istanbul, so I really liked them. 

For the main course, I ordered "Forrest's Seafood Feast" by the recommendation of the waiter. I usually ask about the best food when I can't decide which one to pick. Someone I love the food and sometimes it just destroys my dreams. However this was awesome. a really good fish and chips with some fried shrimp and hushpuppies. What can I say? It was really good. I really like fish and chips but most Turkish people find it really odd to eat chips with fish because normally we eat salad and bread with it however, I also find chips quiet delicious. I just love fries like everyone. I think they go great with anything. To sum up, just give this place a shot. It is worth waiting because the food is really good. 

I ate many more stuff but these are my favorites. I hope you get a chance o try these someday :)