Food Part II – the feasting continues

As if there is nothing else to write about, I’m going to yammer on to my hearts content about the food that I have consumed thus far. By thus far, of course, I mean within the last 24 hours because they have been, in short, gustatory heaven. My previously sad existence revolved around düner and durum and street food of many shapes and sizes. Today, to say I branched out would be an understatement. I spent the better part of over 12 hours today looking at, preparing, masticating, swallowing, and digesting foods of all shapes, sizes, colors, and difficulties of pronunciation.

To simplify things, allow me to provide some context. Today started bright and early as my room mate and I went to drive to a very removed forest within the city to have a picnic with some of his other classmates. A few grocery stores and a wonderful car ride in a convertible complete with Alexandra Stan, Ke$ha, and a fantastic jubilee of international and Turkish music later, we arrived. We had salad, mineral water, çay, meats, and breads, and cheeses, and watermelons, and probably a bunch of other things I’m forgetting right now. Long story short, we ate quite a bit.

Shortly there after, a few of us drove up to where the Bosporus meets the Black Sea and had yet another mini-meal there. It involved several foods that I do not know the name of including two desserts that were unlike anything I’ve ever had before. One was a dish made of figs with a dusting of nuts and a little sliver of very creamy cheese on top – AMAZING. The other I could only describe as crème brûlée-like. It was a warm pudding-like substance that tasted of butter and pecan with a browned crusty laver on top, floating on which were two pecans. It was incredible. This dining experience also featured fried mussels with a fantastic yogurt sauce, a salad with pomegranate dressing, and fresh fish – you know how I like my seafood, and it was superb. The view was equally fantastic as we watched ships come in and out of the little marina.

You would think that after all that I’d be through, but oh no…… I rode into Taksim (the city center) on the metro where I poked around a bit and got the chance to fully experience Istanbul’s population. Let’s just say that last time I was packed in like I was tonight in Taksim and on the ride back out to the suburbs, I was attempting the insane – traveling during the Full Moon Festival in China (Just to put that in perspective, imagine the American travel rush for Thanksgiving combined with Black Friday and Christmas eve and cram it all inside of one train station). Anyway, I decided to reward myself for a day well spent, and got myself a delicious chai tea latte while simultaneously continuing my hunt for the ever-illusive Istanbul Starbucks Mug – I was in a dairy kind of mood, so the chai hit the spot…... for a while. When I finally arrived back in my neck of the woods, Florya, I was almost at my front door when I stopped and took note. There were simpy WAY too many people out for it to be quarter ‘til midnight, but a quick check of my watch confirmed that it was, indeed, almost midnight and there were people with children perusing the shops that were still open. I kid you not, there was a guy getting a shave in a barbershop… at midnight…. In a residential part of town – not even the city center. This place rocks. Of course upon discovering the unexpected wave of late-night energy these Turks seem to have around here, I walked over to the main pedestrian street to see what was happening. It was love at first sight. To fully express why it was love at first sight, I’m going to have to channel Julie Andrews and put it (at least initially) in song form.

Lit-up café signs and jeans from a sketch van
Fruit stalls are open and nowhere a trash can
Some venders all selling some very fake rings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cones full of ice-cream and brand new converses
Wallets and knickknacks and cheap L.V. purses
Blue plastic beads strung up on some strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Needless to say, I had almost as much of a blast wondering around there for 20 minutes or so as I did writing the above verses. Anyway, I thought it worthy to note that my local Burger King, according to what I assume are the days of the week in Turkish and the numbers that one can only assume to be times next to them, stays open until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays and closes at Midnight all other days of the week. From the looks of it, the Domino’s does as well. Sadly, Little Caesar has an earlier bedtime as he was already put down for the evening when I walked past.

Tomorrow is being designated as a far more “cultural” day, so stay tuned for some slightly more erudite commentary, and fewer posts that seem like the daydreams of a human hippopotamus… maybe.