JOY AND BAKLAVA
I love humour and people with a sense of humour (but I may have said that already) And if you asked what do I want mostly I think I would say peace. The kind of peace that comes with strength and joy. And what kind of peace comes with strength? The one in which there is progress and growth, the one that requires power (not violence!).
I think joy is more understandable, but I'll write a little bit 💥 about that too.
So peace where there is progress and growth, where there is strength and perseverance is not tiring if there is momentum, and what can give the most momentum than joy? And joy doesn't just happen, joy lifts you up, it transcends hardship and that's why it's so important to work with strength. But not with austerity, not like soldiering.
Can laxity and discipline ever go together? Sound strange! Some people think the two are opposite, but maybe not. I think it's possible to be disciplined and cool at the same time...but it's not easy 😊...I mean to be disciplined 😊. Especially when there are so many tempting things around you. Whatever that means to everyone.. For example, here in Turkey, for me: sweets. They are everywhere. They surround you. No escape. 😊One is more tempting than the other.
And now let's talk about THE BAKLAVA.
This is a typical sweet. I'm not saying it's Turkish, because it's also found in neighbouring countries, just under a different name or a slightly different way.
I think almost everyone who has never been to Turkey has already met with it. It's such a delicious sweet that it's sold abroad, and where it's made
This is a typical sweet. I don't say it's Turkish because it's also found in surrounding countries, just under a different name or a slightly different way.
I think almost everyone, even those who has never been to Turkey has already come across with it. It's also almost certainly sold abroad where you come across a Turkish a Greek or a Syrian etc. restaurants.
There are so many different things to fill the delicious dough that baklava is made of. Here in Istanbul they sell it in many places, in many qualities, shapes, flavours, colours.
My favourite (of course) is walnut. I don't know why everyone is worshipping pistachios, which I think are good but walnuts are much tastier. So baklava, for those who have never tried it, is a must 😊 (at least I highly recommend it)
Here mothers, grandmothers who used to make cakes are makeing it themselves at home. Not easy! In fact it's hard 😊 I mean making it.
Putting the dough itself together is not that hard. You need good qualityflour, milk, eggs, oil, baking powder and a little vinegar (not everyone adds this).
What's more difficult is rolling out the dough. You need to stretch it very thin, almost transparent and round it, at least I think that's the most authentic way to stretch it. When the dough is ready (you need several round sheets), melted butter and the spread melted butter and the chosen filling between the layers. The very top of the cake is a layer sheet. Once this layered thing is done, the dough is cut into cube or rhombus shapes before baking it. While the cake is baking (which is baked until golden brown) they make the syrup (which is the base of many Turkish cakes) It's actually a sugary water...especially sugary😊
When the baklava is baked and the syrup has cooled, it is poured over the cake. If they didn't do this then it would be a very dry almost inedible, tasteless cake. But the sugary syrup is absorbed by the cake and that's how you get the sweettaste and that special softness that comes with crispiness.
Wonderful. It can be eaten for any occasion, but you don't really need an occasion.
And luckily, it's so common here that you're sure to find a place to buy baklava in your area (if you live in Istanbul) within 10 minutes walk. Specifically great in winter with coffee, tea (cay) or just by itself.
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