Saniye'nin Sofrasi~Saniye's Beautiful Breakfast

Friends and I had a wonderful breakfast with Saniye hoca, the director of women's affairs of Chicago. The first time I met her was at our Cultural Center. I had just won the Asura contest and she had come to make 4000+ bowls of Asure to serve to our new friends from Church. We had huge pots boiling full of asure. She worked very hard to cut all the ingredients, mix and make sure they didn't burn. We were working side by side and there was a heavy box we had to move. I said oh I'll get that. She looked at me and smiled and said "Oh no I can do it I am from Rize!" Rize is a magnificent city of beauty and of agricultural producers. Rize's women are strong inside and out. Daily they cut large kilos of tea and haul it down from the sides of the steep hills/mountains. When she told me this I immediately loved her. I thought she will be a wonderful addition to our Cultural Center here in Chicago. Although she is not doing as much physical labor as she did there, we still keep her very busy here. Her and Mercan abla are always planning wonderful programs like last weekends Bazaar/Bake sale.
Our breakfast was so delicious too. She served us french fried potatoes with a tomato and herb salsa topping, and homemade apple compost. We had feta cheese and plates with creamy honey. My son's favorite was the sucuklu yumurta or eggs with dried sausage. Last but not least we had Turkish olives and hot Rize tea. This is a traditional daily breakfast. Afiyet olsun

Amy'nin Sofrasi~Amy's Puerto Rican Spread

Last Monday some friends and I drove to Chicago. We went to visit our friend Amy at her gorgeous home. We have been friends for almost a year now. I absolutely adore her. She is such a fun person and a wonderful mother to her daughter Destiny. She is a perfect addition to our friends circle! I was so excited to go to her home because she


said she had something fun for us to try. It was a crazy night. Amy's friend came to help her prepare everything. Both of them share the same cultural background. We had fried Plantain

bananas and meat and potato stuffed pastries. There were side dishes of rice topped with stewed bean and potatoes. I think the most fun of all was the dark/white chocolate fondue pot.

We dipped strawberries and bananas pretzels and cookies. Whatever was on the table we slathered in chocolate.
Later we all gathered in the living room and tried to watch The Message. You can watch it from You Tube in parts. One of our new friends Jamie came with her sweet little boy also. It was a wonderful evening that ended way too soon. Afiyet Olsun!

Emine Hoca'nin Sofrasi~Emine Hoca's Dinner

Some time ago, friends and I were invited to Emine's home. She is such a kind person. I know her to be extremely devoted and compassionate about her school, family and devoting time to her community. I do so enjoy my time with her.
Some months ago she had a sweet baby girl. We all know that she must keep her very busy. We were so blessed to have shared time with her and best of all the food! Where do I begin, everything tasted superb. I especially loved the Erzurum Soup. It had mini meatballs in a yogurt soup, mint and some onion. It was really delicious. We sat down to a table of baked chicken, stuffed grape leaves and dolma. There were juicy stuffed eggplants and peppers. She also had a side of homemade macaroni noodles with yogurt and sauteed ground meat, and a fresh green salad. I wish you could taste how delicious it was. We need taste-o-vision. Afiyet Olsun

Ayten Teyze'nin Davet Sofrasi~Ayten's Dinner

This past week I had the pleasure of having dinner with friends at Ayten teyze's home. She has a gorgeous flat in a town near me. It is decorated so beautifully. Mostly decorated with the things she collected over the years. Some Turkish and some American things all blended together. Ayten teyze has lived in American for 40 years and has 3 beautiful children, their families and precious grandchildren. She is a very independent strong lady that I respect very much.
As you see in the pictures she prepared a wonderful feast for us. Baked chicken, fried squash with carrots, rice sauteed in tomato sauce, cauliflower casserole with cheese and bread crumbs. One of my favorites was the bean and carrot dish. On each plate she placed a salad with a light dressing and a slice of egg for decoration. For dessert she mad a fruit gelatin, and Turkish Sutlac or rice pudding. We really enjoyed ourselves. What a beautiful lady. Afiyet olsun!