Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Menemen and Breakfast in Istanbul



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you think Paris is a moveable feast, it will help to think of Istanbul as an unending block party where lusty flavors fill bowls that never seem to empty. The feast begins at breakfast where tables laden with fresh fruits and vegetables are balanced with the local cheeses and wonderful breads that helped give Turkey its reputation as a food lover's paradise. A typical breakfast includes a unique and slightly milder version of feta cheese called called beyaz peynir. You'll also find wedges of a semi-soft sheep's milk cheese called kasar. There are platters and bowls of butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jam, honey and a spicy Turkish sausage called sucuk. If you are lucky you might also be served pastirma, which is a thinly sliced air-dried beef that is spicy like pastrami. There will be filled flaky pastries called börek and the ubiquitous Turkish bagel-like rolls called simit. There are bowls of hard boiled eggs and a Turkish egg specialty called menemen. The dish contains eggs, onions, green peppers and tomatoes and it can be scrambled or prepared in the same fashion as a frittata. Interestingly, tea is the beverage of choice for breakfast in Turkey. There is some humor in that. The Turkish word for breakfast is kahvalti, which we were told means before coffee, but we couldn't find brewed coffee in the whole of Istanbul. Believe me we looked. There was lots of the instant variety but we never found a place that served the real thing. That led to much grumbling from the Silver Fox and other aficionados who like their morning coffee strong and intravenously. Today's recipe is for menemen, an egg dish that's crossed borders and worked its way into the cuisine of many countries. In Turkey it's made with a lot more olive oil than I've used in the recipe that appears below. I've cut back to keep you from talking about me, but you should know that Turkish cooks use copious amounts of olive oil and they are very healthy people. Banana peppers are usually used to make this dish, but if they are unavailable bell peppers can be substituted. I really hope you'll try this. It truly is delicious and very easy to make. Here's the recipe.

Menemen...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
8 eggs, lightly beaten
2 onions, diced
2 green peppers, sliced crosswise or diced
4 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Sauté onions and peppers in olive oil until tender. Add well-drained tomatoes and cook for 5 to 7 minutes longer. Add parsley and season lightly with salt and pepper.
2) Pour eggs over mixture in pan. Stir until cooked. Yield: 4 servings.

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35 comments :

Anonymous said...

In your first sentence you described exactly how I expect Turkisch food to be;))

Ginny Hartzler said...

What an unusual dish, I have never seen or heard of it before. It looks like it would be so light, but perhaps the eggs belie that.

Julia said...

Turkish breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and I LOVE menemen. It took a while to try it because it never looked appetising but it's sooo good. :)

Sorry, there was a typo in my previous comment.

Chiara said...

That looks wonderful Mary! Have a great week !Blessings....

Alicia Foodycat said...

A Turkish breakfast sounds like my idea of heaven! Yum.

Big Dude said...

Both the menemen and the whole breakfast spread sound like something I would enjoy immensley.

Jayanthy Kumaran said...

wow..sounds unique n very interesting..beautiful cliks..
Tasty Appetite

Tanna said...

I think I would love food in Istanbul... right up until the no coffee issue!! I'm with the Silver Fox on that one!

These eggs look delicous and something both Evan and I would enjoy very much. Thank you, Mary.

blessings ~ tanna

ps that pumpkin fudge looks mighty tasty, too!!

Unknown said...

This dish look wonderful! A lot like an italian frittata.

Kim said...

I love this dish and I would really like to have breakfast in Istanbul!

That Girl said...

I'm a cheese girl and I love grabbing kasar from our Mediterranean market.

Unknown said...

Wow, Mary, after reading the laundry list of items found on the table, I want to go to Istanbul for breakfast... right ... now! Goodness, I think I just drooled on the keyboard :)

Claudia said...

I so see this for breakfast. Such a good way to start the day. Funny about the coffee - in France - I had something called "Turkish coffee" and I swore the spoon stood up in all the coffee sludge. A wee bit too strong for me but maybe the Silver Fox would like it.

Linda said...

I have a favorite Istanbul restaurant I frequent, but never for breakfast! This sounds awesome and I love learning about different culture's food!

Anonymous said...

Egg prices are rising ... but still, even at $3 a dozen for local, organic, Omega-3 what-have-you eggs, we're still talking less than fifty cents per serving. Great looking dish..

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

Very different dish. This might be my first visit here. You have some yummy dishes. I look forward to spending time here. One hint, turn off the word verification, some bloggers shy away from commenting.
You can turn it off in Settings, then click comments. Scroll down to
Show word verification...Click No.
have a wonderful day....Linda

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I hope to someday experience a Turkish breakfast first hand. In the mean time there are wonderful dishes like this.

Joanne said...

Turkish breakfasts sound fabulous! I know I would have loved this omelet.

Cuisine de Provence said...

Didn't you try Turkish Coffee in Istanbul? It is wonderfully fragrant and strong. And then there is Starbucks, of course....

Unknown said...

You obviously had someone expert taking care of you while you were here in Istanbul! Turkish breakfast is the best in the world as far as I am concerned and that's what I eat every day of the year. But one thing: kahvalti means breakfast, there is no connection with coffee. This is the land of çay or tea and it has to come in a glass or else it just doesn't taste the same! Silver Fox should have gone to the more modern cafes for his coffee!!

Barbara F. said...

I want to go to Turkey now, since reading about your trip! I am sure I would enjoy the food as well as the history and culture. xo

Sonia said...

wonderful post and loved this dish.... !

Priyanka said...

Great recipe. Stunning pic. A very well written post :)

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Your recipe background story is priceless! I can just see it all in my mind! Wonderful and colorful description!
So fun to think I have been making a version of menemen for years and never knew it!
A real Turkish delight of a post! I have enjoyed every last morsel...er.. word!
Yvonne

A Paixão da Isa said...

hummm muito bom gostei beijinhos e boa semana

Sue/the view from great island said...

This looks like a wonderful breakfast, although I agree with the Silver Fox, I can't start a day without lots of strong coffee.
Your accounts of the food you had during your trip are really fascinating.

Christina Kim said...

Interesting dish, I have heard so much raves and reviews about Turkish food and their beautiful scenery that it makes me wanna pack my bags and go there just right now!:p

Priyanka said...

Hi Mary, Thanks for visiting.
And yes you can use the young lamb, but it would take lesser time to cook

Tender B. said...

I never thought of Turkish food in such a way. You've changed my thinking with your recent posts. Dish looks great!

Karen (Back Road.Journal) said...

I'm a natural born traveler and would love to travel to Turkey...my husband not so much. I would enjoy starting the day as you described. Thank you for sharing the experience and the recipe.

Pilar said...

Turkish breakfasts sounds delicious.
Mary, thanks to visit me, you are very kind.
I love your recipes and photos; I knew it, but I had never said anything. I enjoy visiting you.
Excuse my bad English.
Besos

Barbara said...

I'm not a coffee drinker, so having tea for breakfast would suit me fine!
I love this frittata, Mary.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if I've ever had specifically Turkish food. Gorgeous looking breakfast, that's for sure! Thanks for stopping by my blog, glad to hear you're giving vegetarian a chance :)

Erica (Irene) said...

I love this post......My husband of 24 years is Turkish and I make this dish menemen for dinner or breakfast at least a few times a month......Almost every day we have the Turkish breakfast....and then we are not hungry til' dinner time.
Istanbul really is a great place for food, basically all of Turkey is....the bazzars with the fresh veggies and fruit are amazing and they actually tatse different then what we get here in North America....so fresh and tasty like they supposed to be.

Thanks for sharing this post.....

My Little Space said...

What an interesting breakfast. Looks really tempting & colourful...just perfect for breakfast. Haven't been blogging much lately. Will try my best to catch up all your post.
Hope you're having a fabulous day, Mary.
Cheers,
Kristy

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