The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-01-16
MENU OF THE TURKS
DISHES THAT COULD BE ADOPTED
BY AMERICAN HOUSEWIVES.

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 red 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
get meaty pieces with few bones.
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 are 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, a piece
of the native cheese and 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 cream, with
caviare or cucumber. Mussels are much
larger than in this country. They are
washed, steamed until they open, then
filed with rice, chopped onion and pep
per and butter, packed closely in YES
sci and baked an hour.
Turks make few soups, as they prefer
solid food, but sardines, anchovies and
salted olives or pistachio nuts are eaten
bles, which enter largely into their
diet, the favorite is the tomato, and
scarcely any dish is considered COM
plete without it, though they never eat
this vegetable raw. To preserve toma-
toes for winter use they boil them I'M
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
it is spread on fat surfaces to dry.
Later it is cut into squares and laid
in covered jars. This process retains
the taste and qualities Of the tomato
better than canning, and a 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
-four, 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 vegeta bles, 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 it's excellence. To make it, 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. SAnother way'is to'substitute
eggplant for potato in stew. Toma-
toes should also be added.
calls for one large eggplant, sliced rath-
er thick, without peeling. Have a
quart Of tomatoes freshly peeled or,
canned and one pound of minced beef.
Fry the beef until it separates, sec
aside while the eggplant is being fried
then put alternate layers of meat. egg
plant and tomatoes in a deep dishi,
season and bake in slow oven enc.
hour.
Another delicious dish results frems
placing sliced onions. tomatoes and
ships bread or soda biscuit in layers,
with generous piece of butter. in a.
covered dish. Bake slowly four hours.
PLAT, the natioual dish of Turkey, is
served invariably at every dinner. Rice
always forms the foundation, and the
most popular variety is that where
nothing but butter. tomatoes and rice
is used. Take three-quarters of a
pound of Carolina or Egyptian rice,
wash until perfectly clean and while
still wet place in a pan with one-quar-
ter of pound of butter. Stir over the
fire until the rice has absorbed the but,
ter and become light golden color.
Add the rice to three pints of strained
tomato juice, boil the whole up once.
then draw aside to cook, without STIR
ring, for twenty-five minutes. When
done, melt another quarter of a pound
of butter, and when the pilaf is dished
up ponr 1t over the top. Each kernel
should be separate. The color will be
a rich light brown.
Yalanje-dolma is popular dish with
foreigners as we'll as Turks. Scald
some fresh green grape leaves. Take
a half pound of rice and fry in. butter
as for pilaf. Mince some onion and
parsley very fine and add them to, the
rice with salt and pepper Stuff each
leaf with the mixture. fastening the
little bundles with cloves. Lay then
i'm a kettle, the opening downward
keep them in place and just enough
water to keep them from burning Sim
mer for three-quarters of an hour
New York Tribune.