I'm just back from Turkey and ready to sing the praises of this beguiling county and, of course its exquisite cuisine. My fellow forks, having made their own foodie pilgrimages there, are equally eager to begin the creation of our brand of uncommon epicurean adventures – Turkish style. And there is no destination more worthy of an exploration of the entwining of food, history, and culture.
Where to beg
in? Our muse and mentor, Turkey’s gourmet guru (guru-ess?) – Engin Akin – whose knowledge and passion for her native cuisine is awe-inspiring and contagious. Food & Wine calls her Turkey’s Julia Child – high praise indeed, and well deserved. We learned so much from Engin … how the cuisine evolved from Central Asia’s simple ingredients, followed by the fusion with other food cultures; the impact of religion, from the Sephardic Jews and Islam; and then, gloriously defined over the 600 year reign of the Ottoman Empire. And hey, she is some cook. It is no surprise that the cooking school program she created is truly special. We are pleased and excited to represent it.
Engin converted her family home, in the Aegean region’s tiny village of Ula, to a simple yet elegant B&B, called Nabiye Konak. It is the centerpiece of a lovely little walled compound which includes a separate sprawling kitchen. Personally designed by Engin, it beautifully melds old and new. Everything has been carefully chosen from the antique Turkish wok and the Russian samovar to the high-tech food processors that sit on the marble counters next to artisanal wooden spoons. Much of the produce is supplied by its own garden, supplemented by the bounty of the village market and its shops. Foodies lucky enough to participate can learn from Engin – and a coterie 
of village women – the art-and-science of Turkish cookery.
We chopped onions and garlic, grated eggplant, and tomatoes, stuffed swiss chard, and boreks,and ladled oodles of thick rich yogurt in to all sorts of mouthwatering concoctions. And we ate, and oohed and ah'ed – and ate some more.
In between times, we explored the village, returning to lounge in the sunny garden and drink our chai from the traditional tulip shaped glasses – and we felt, well… so Turkish.
Sound wonderful? It would surely be an integral part of any Turkish travels, and would fit nicely at either the beginning – as a loving introduction to the food, or at the end – the capstone of your adventure. We’ll have lots more information on Nabiye Konak and culinary explorations of exciting Istanbul and beyond. But we are ready now to begin planning your bespoke Turkish adventure….contact us through info@tourdeforks.com or leave a comment.
Enjoy,
Connie
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