Hot Chocolate for One

Winters are never complete without snuggly blankets and a mug of hot chocolate. Even though the Starbucks version is more tempting to the eye with a ton of whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top, I like mine plain. But if you prefer to spice up your hot chocolate you are welcome to try different options. Here are some of my favourite hot chocolate flavour combos:

• mini toasted marshmallows and Oreo crumbs
• whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top
• caramel drizzle and Twix pieces
• Nutella and toasted chopped hazelnuts. 

The recipe that I am going to share with you today begins with some goodies that my father brought from his visit to Italy. Every time he goes abroad, I ask him to bring me a bar of different flavoured chocolates. This time he brought Lindt's Sea Salt Dark Chocolate and Chili Dark Chocolate. Instead of just munching them plain, I decided to make myself a decadent cup of yumminess. The perfect thing about this recipe is that you can easily double, triple or adjust with the ingredients that you prefer. So, if you are craving a sweet beverage to warm yourself during these chilly winter days, then go to your kitchen and prepare yourself a cup of hot chocolate for just under 10 minutes:

Important Notice

Recently I learned how brutal and hurtful internet can be. Therefore, from now on I will only post recipes that are created by me. In other words, I won't make any attribution to chefs whom I respect and admire nor to their recipes. Thank you for your support and understanding. 

Çok yakın bir zamanda internetin ne kadar acımasız ve kırıcı olabileceğini öğrendim. Dolayısıyla bugünden itibaren blogumda sadece benim tarafımdan hazırlanmış tarifleri paylaşacağım. Bir başka deyişle artık kendilerine saygı duyduğum ya da takdir ettiği şeflere ya da tariflerine atıfta bulunmayacağım. Destekleriniz ve anlayışınız için teşekkürler. 

Cafe Fernando's Cinnamon Rolls

Before I give you the recipe I would like to start by apologising because I just realised that my previous post was way back in August. September and October have been extremely tiring for me since the school started with all of its stress and overwhelming coursework. But as you might now from my posts from last year, I am obsessed with winter. December, not only the first month of winter but also the month where the new year spirit buds everywhere urged me to share one of my favourite winter recipes.

The first time I had the perfect cinnamon roll was when the ultimate cinnamon pastry coveted the entire shopping mall. Just when the soft and ooey pastry warmed my hands and the smell made me fall in love with it, I started to find the perfect recipe which you can easily replicate and amaze your neighbours with the spectacular smell. 

This recipe is also from Cafe Fernando Cookbook, which I adore and quiet obsessed with if you haven't noticed. I hope you'll try this as soon as possible. Also, I promise that I will keep the content alive full of winter smelling recipes. Hope you'll enjoy and have an amazing season, full of snow and lots of joy. 

Cafe Fernando's Pistachio Ice Cream

Pistachio, in other words the green gem, is my favourite ingredient to work with and simply to eat. It is perfect with both savoury dishes and delicate desserts or as a salted snack on the go. 

Here in Turkey, pistachio is often used as a base for desserts, from baklavas to Turkish delights you can find it anywhere. Probably because we have the one of the best pistachios in the world, we try to use it everywhere; on top of a rice pudding, rolled in phyllo pastry, etc. It is dense, rich and has a sweet kick. As Nick Malgieri, a cookbook author, said "Turkish pistachios have a brilliant color that is entirely natural. The baklava is so bright and unusual people think, 'Eww, that has food colouring in it', but it doesn't"

Whenever I go to a bakery, I order pistachio macarons and a scoop of pistachio ice cream. Because nothing goes better with pistachio than pistachio itself. And I wanted to share an ice cream recipe before the winter cold starts to hit us in the face. Plus, I wanted to give my new Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker Attachment a try. 

The Ice Cream maker is easy to use, if you learn how to use it. At first, I had a very hard time attaching it because I thought that I had to unscrew something in order to put the drive assembly in. But in fact I only had to slide it. Then I poured the mixture in to the freeze bowl before starting the mixer up. Then, the ice cream froze in the bottom and sides, the dasher did not move and I almost broke it. After scraping the sides and the bottom, cleaning the mixer, and refreezing I started the mixer and then poured the mixture in while it was working. Again my Turkish habit of not reading the manual did me no good. So, if I were you, I would read the manual before hand. 

Also, I do not have a food processor so I used ground pistachios, a spatula and a mixing bowl. It was very hard to achieve the desired consistency because the syrup crystallised very quickly. But somehow I managed to prepare a beautiful ice cream. What I try to mean is that, if you have food processor, you are lucky. If you don't, get ready to work those arms like a turbo mixer and your cardio workout for the day would be done. 

This is a Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe from my favourite cookbook Cafe Fernando. Yes it does take a lot of patience to prepare the ice cream, but I assure you will be amazed with the result. Also, the measurements I provided below are in grams and 480 g of milk is not equal to 480 ml. So you have to be careful and use your scale to its full potential. I hope you'll like this recipe,

No Bake Chocolate Fridge Cake - Mozaik Pasta

Summer in Istanbul is unbearable. It is impossible to go out during the day because of the burning hot streets. That is why people go on a vacation to cool down in the crystal sea or they go out when the sun goes to sleep. 

Even though it is very hot, the weather is definitely better than the humid New York weather and garbage smelling streets. Do not get me wrong, I really liked New York but there is no place like home. Especially if your mom spent hours making your favorite food- yaprak sarma-  for your arrival. 

Although the weather in Istanbul is better, I still crave for a cool autumn weather and cozy leaves on the streets. But since it is still August, I find the answer in refreshing drinks and desserts. 

This recipe is a summer classic in our family. As a chocolate lover, I make this very often. It is also perfect as a dessert after a dinner party because it is fresh and light. The cool refreshing cake is very easy to prepare. You only have to pop it in the freezer and wait for it to set. 

The reason why I love this recipe so much is because you can add or substitute many different ingredients. Just follow the directions for the chocolate sauce and the other ingredients depends on your creativity. I used petit beurre biscuits, walnuts and some orange zest in this recipe but you can use crushed cookies, wafers, graham crackers, digestive biscuits, marshmallows, peanuts, etc. You got the idea. The sky is the limit. 

In Turkey, we call this "Mosaic Cake" because when you slice it, the biscuits and the other ingredients make the illusion of a mosaic. I really hope you try this especially during the summer,

Cafe Fernando's Almond Cookies

A cup of coffee and some flaky almond cookies with a new book in my hand I am sitting in my balcony trying to ignore screaming kids and enjoying the beautiful weather. Summer is officially here. After coming back from an exhausting volunteering project in İzmir, I can finally relax and have a time of my own. 

A couple of months ago I bought a new cooking book called Cafe Fernando. It is written by the famous food blogger "Cenk Sönmezsoy" who loves San Francisco, baking, chocolate and macarons, just like me. He has won many awards with his blog, book and original recipes. I wish I had found his blog earlier but late is better than never. 

photos from: http://bigumigu.com/haber/tasarim_gozu_olan_kurabiye_ustalari_araniyor_cafefernando 

I tried the first recipe on his book called "Cenk's Home Cookies". In Turkey, every mother or grandmother has their special cookie recipe that they can pass on to their children and grandchildren. We do not have a specific recipe written on a piece but my grandmother always bakes the best cookies by measuring with her eyes and experimenting with different nuts and fruits. And as you can imagine it might be very difficult to follow a recipe where you are asked a handful of sugar and plenty of flour. This is why I chose to try Cafe Fernando's recipe. 

photo from: http://bigumigu.com/haber/tasarim_gozu_olan_kurabiye_ustalari_araniyor_cafefernando

The cookies are so good that you cannot stop eating. It is not to sweet but has a crunchy topping and a flaky texture which is what I love in a cookie. I highly recommend that you try this because it is purely worth your time. It is time to use those almonds that you have bought a couple of months ago and that you couldn't use them because you've spent too much money on. Believe me it is worth it. I hope you'll enjoy. 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Summer is the time where I get to travel and most importantly visit my summer house in Çanakkale. It is the only time where I get to relax, enjoy the sunshine on the silky sand, read a couple of books of my choice with my sunglasses on and swim in the crystal clear sea. However what I like the most is that I get to visit a small island called "Bozcaada". It is just across where our house is and only takes 45 minutes to get there with the boat. 

The port

Bozcaada is known with its jams, wine, fish, herbs and most importantly its super cold sea. But for me a cold sea is the best after a burning summer day. I can say that warm water is definitely not for me and this is why I love Bozcaada so much. I would love to spend the entire summer there but a lot of people choose to come here during the season and it makes this tiny cute island a disaster because of the traffic, and food problems. Even the hotels are overloaded and you can count yourselves lucky if you have a loaf of bread and a bottle of water. This is why I only go there just before the season starts. 

Ayazma Beach

The classic Bozcaada lunch, roasted eggplants, fried calamari and samphire...

for more photos of Bozcaada

Three weeks ago I went there for the weekend with my entire family; my aunt, my uncle, my grandmother, my grandfather, my cousin, my father and my mother. We visited  Alesta Otel owned by one of our friend who lives in Bozcaada. She invited us for the authentic island breakfast full of jams, pişi and olives. It was spectacular. After the breakfast, we had coffee and some cookie that I baked for her. I had to hide the cookie box on our way to the island because m uncle and my cousin were trying to eat "Just one more". Everyone, even the guests that were staying at the hotel fell in love with the cookies. Later I baked a batch for my Geography class and they also liked the cookies. 

So, I am sharing the recipe for the most amazing "Chocolate Crinkle Cookies":

Note: If you bake these overnight, it will be easier to shape them. They need minimum 5 hours of resting in the refrigerated. 

Super Easy 5 ingredient Noodles in 15 minutes

April and May are the busiest months for me. With many projects due and exams, I feel lost. But when I get in the kitchen and cook something, I feel less stressed and less overwhelmed. This is why I still continue to cook even with this crazy schedule. But I do not want to spend hours and hours in the kitchen because (I can't believe I am saying this but) sometimes cooking can be a waste of time. Although I love cooking, I do not have all the time in the world. So this is where "easy to prepare" foods save my life. I get to cook and destress but I also do not fall behind with my school work. 

Just like kısır, this recipe takes only 15 minutes. I had some leftover steak and I added them to the noodles, but if you have some chicken, shrimp or any other vegetables they will work as well. If you don't have any leftover, you can just simply cook some on a lightly oiled pan. 

If you are struggling with time like me, I hope this recipe helps you save some time. 

Kısır, The Turkish Bulgur Salad

Kısır is an all time favorite dish whether it is a leftover from your mother's tea party or a side dish for a picnic. It is a cold side dish that you can easily alter according to your own likes and dislikes. In a traditional Turkish kısır, there are plenty of cucumbers and tomatoes. But as you know I hate tomatoes and also not a big fan of cucumbers. This is why I do not like to add them but you can if you want to. Sky is the limit, you can try with whatever ingredient you want to, just be brave. 

Kısır is actually a women's favorite dish to prepare especially for tea parties. It is easy and quick to prepare, requires cheap ingredients that you always have in your pantry, is delicious and extremely healthy. I know that "quinoa" is the new trend right now but believe me bulgur is just as healthy and much more cheaper (in Turkey).  

image-facts from: google.com

My mother is known as the master of kısır by our family and friends. Every time she is invited to a party whether it is a birthday party or a tea party, her friends ask her to bring some. But like many Turkish moms, she does not have a recipe that she follows step by step, she just uses her eyes and hands to measure. With this method, the recipe might seem very hard to follow if you are not personally there watching her while she cooks. 

So, I went into the kitchen and watched her every step. I did my best to give you the exact measurements. I hope you will like the outcome, enjoy. 

Homemade Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli

Since I was a little kid I, pasta used to be my favorite dish: all different kinds; boxed pasta, tri-colored pasta, homemade pasta... I loved every kind and I still do. But my favorite is the homemade one. My grandmother used to prepare pasta in summer and dried it so that we could use it through autumn. I did not want to cook the pasta because I wanted the pasta to last forever since it was sooo delicious. 

A couple of months ago, I bought a pasta machine for a really good deal but unfortunately it doesn't work properly anymore. So, my father bought a pasta rolling set for my stand mixer which I have been loving it since the first time I used it. 

Today I am going to share a ravioli recipe that was inspired from a restaurant called "Carluccio's". Whenever I go there, I order the classic ravioli and I just love it. I wanted to try that at home for a while and this weekend was the perfect time. 

Ravioli is not hard to make but it takes some time. However as much as time and effort you put in, the dish will get more and more delicious. So, I highly recommend that you spare some time on weekend to cook some ravioli. Plus it is a great cause to get your friends and family in the kitchen and help you. They can easily cut the ravioli for you while you are working on other batches. 

I hope you'll enjoy these raviolis and I can guarantee that you will because mine were gone in 10 minutes. Here is the recipe: 

Easter Bread

This recipe was meant to go on Easter but unfortunately my computer had a problem with iMovie. I had to put a tiny video clip to go with this recipe because the kneading part is a little bit different than other recipes. In order to get the perfect airy consistency, you need to fold the dough in a particular way that the air is incorporated in the dough. This is why I couldn't post the recipe without the video and it took me a while to fix iMovie. 

If we get back to the topic, Happy late-Easter everyone, 
I do not celebrate Easter but I love to bake things for my friends who do.
In middle school, one of my best friends' mother used to bake this in easter season. We loved the soft and sweet easter bread and enjoyed every crumb. I got the recipe from her mother but I did not have the chance to bake it own my own until I started a course in MSA, the culinary arts academy, during my winter break in MSA. I learned a lot and this recipe was one of them.

This time of the year, you can easily find easter bread also known as "paskalya çöreği" on the shelves of every single bakery in town with different variations but I like mine with mahlep (mahaleb) and topped with almond flakes. I believe that mahlep gives it a unique fragrant and a sweet taste. I hope you'll like this recipe:

White Chocolate, Pecan Blondies

White chocolate blondie recipe is a great alternative for people who do not like the rich taste of normal chocolate brownies. And if you are like me and love chocolate but want to try a new recipe, this is the one for you. 

I bought "The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook" a couple of months ago and I tried a lot of recipes from the book. The lemon cake, the apple pie, traditional brownies, vanilla cupcakes and now this. I trust this book so much that

I even participated in a baking contest at our school using a recipe that I haven't tried before from this book and I have no regrets. Every single recipe is so perfect that I do not need to make a lot of alterations. The sweetness level is perfect for me. Normally when I bake, I find many desserts as "too sweet", but these are just at the perfect level. I highly recommend this book for everyone because it has great recipes. And no I do not get paid for this review :D,  I just wanted to share because I find the recipes are high quality and most importantly delicious. 

My First Culinary Experience

Every year I visit my grandmother during the winter break to learn new things about the Turkish cuisine and her secrets in the kitchen. But this year I wanted to have a more professional experience and that is why I decided to visit a culinary academy to learn from professionals who are experts in cooking.

I found a course for people that are my age called "Intro to Professional Kitchen for Adolescents". I visited the Culinary Arts Academy of Istanbul also known as MSA (Mutfak Sanatları Akademisi) and the minute I entered, I knew I was going to have a fantastic time. 


I did visit MSA before this course. My friend and I attended a workshop called "Burgers and Fries" and it was amazing. We cooked two types of burgers; beef and chicken and we also learned how to make the crispiest french fries and onion rings. Since that workshop I wanted to have a broader experience and a longer course and this break was the perfect opportunity. Spending two hours in a tiny station amazed me and I wanted to have a broader experience. Then I saw a course during my winter break. From the very first second I saw the course online, I knew that I was going to have an amazing time there.  

I can say that this winter break was the best and the most exhausting one I've ever had. Every day we had a theory lecture and an actual cooking class. In the theory part we got to learn about the history and the techniques with a demo from the chef. In the cooking part we prepared a couple of dishes and applied the techniques that we learned. 

Arancini, Fried Rice Balls

Winter is one of my favorite seasons but I sometimes miss summer as well. The weather is crazy here in Istanbul nowadays. The snow storms are not leaving the city for the rest of the week and even though I love winter, the weather makes me miss the warm summer days. That is why I am going to share a recipe that I first tasted last summer and have been wanting to cook for a really long time. 

I tasted this arancini last summer in Carluccio's which is an Italian restaurant here in Istanbul. I fell in love with the creamy and crispy rice balls and wanted to try them. But whenever I cooked a risotto at home I couldn't resist and I ate it the way it is. That is why I never had any leftovers for risotto and I was very lazy to prepare a risotto from scratch just for this recipe. 

Having some leftovers took approximately a couple of months and I was finally able to cook some arancini. I loved the home cooked version better because the arancini I had in the restaurant was a little bit greasy. I served mine with some green salad on the side and it was absolutely delicious. They were so yummy on their own, they did not need any marinara sauce on the side. However if you are not like me and if you love a great tomato sauce then go for it. 

So, here is the recipe for a great alternative for a risotto: