The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-01-23
MENU OF THE TURKS
DISHES THAT COULD BE ADOPTED
BY AMERICAN HOUSEWIVES.

Vlands That Are at Once AppetizfnE,
Nutritious nnd Incxpensiyc-Popu-
lnrity OF Vegetables and Sweets.
The National Dish.
Some Of the dishes found ON Turkish
tables might well be adopted by the
American housewife, being appetizing
and inexpensive and easily prepared
from articles that are to be found here
in great abundance.
Turks do not care for salads, but pre-
fer meat, fish, vegetables and sweet
dishes. The Bosporus furnishes great
variety Of excellent fish, among them
the rcd mullet, oysters and mussels,
but the Turks have no idea Of the
choice Of cuts and simply ask for so
many okas. caring nothing SO that they
Corned beef, roast beef, steak = these
are unknown. Mutton, beef, little
veal. fowls and game are eaten. Pork
is "the unutterable flesh"
Breakfast with the Turks of all
classes consists of cup of coffee and
bread. A piece of cheese rolled into the
fat pancake Is eaten by the laborers.
This is sometimes exchanged for cakes
that arc much like pretZels. only larger
and not so hard. In the fruit season
different kinds Of fruit are added.
Black bread made of unboiled rye -four
is sold everywhere and when fresh is
delicious. With few grapes, n piece
Of the native cheese and q cup Of coffee
the richest man Is satisfied.
With all fish. Holsters and many
meats sort Of salad dressing Is served
made Of garlic, oil, breadcrumbs and
vinegar, all bruised to a cream. with
caviare or cucumber. Mussels are much
larger than in this country. They are
washed, steamed until they open, then
filled with rice, chopped onion and pep
per and butter, packed closely in a ves-
| sci and baked an hour.
Turks make few soups, as they prefer
solid food, but sardines, anchoyies and
| salted olives or pistachio nuts are eaten
before meals as appetiZers. OF vegeta-
bles, which enter largely into their
diet, the favorite is the tomato, and
scarcely any dish is considered COM
plete without 1t, though they never eat
this vegetable raw. To preserve toma-
F, toes for winter use they boil them un-
til the skins are loose, then pass them
through colanders, after which they
throw salt into the pulp. This causes it
to settle. and the water is poured off
while the residue is put into thin bags
and hung In the shade. The next day
1t is spread on fat surfaces to dry.
Later 1t Is cut into squares and laid
in covered jars. This process retains
the taste and qualities of the tomato
better than canning, and q little water
makes the pulp moist again.
Potatoes, taste for which Is an ac-
! quired one with the Turk, are first
boiled, mashed with eggs and little
Hour, then made into cakes and fried.
Beans and lima beans are boiled with
! tomatoes and butter and sometimes on
| ions. Squash is sliced and fried or
stuffed with mincemeat, onions and
! boiled rice. and then baked. Large Gu
cumbers are also stuffed with minced
[. meats and baked or are eaten raw with
salt. One good stew is made of NUT
ton and green peas. Another has all
sorts Of vegetables, like an Irish stew.
Eggplant is cooked in many ways,
some of them palatable and good. One
recipe Is called imambailde which
means that the imam for whom the
dish first was made tainted with de-
light at its excellence. To make 1t, cut
Sits In the sides of the eggplant and in
sert forcemeat Of onion and minced
chicken in the cavities. Tie strips Of
cloth around and fry thoroughly in boil
ing fat Another way is to substitute
eggplant for potato in a stew. Toma-
toes should also he added.
Moussaka, another and better form,
calls for one large eggplant, sliced rath-
er thick. without peelng. Have n
quart OF tomatoes freshly peeled or
canned and enc pound Of minced beef
Fry the beef until 1t separates. set
aside while the eggplant is being fried,
then put alternate layers of meat. egg
plant and tomatoes In a deep dish;
season and bake In slow oven one
hour.
Another delicious dish Eesults from