AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Pudding of plenty AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Pudding of plenty

It is time for a new start with the ultimate pudding of plenty. According to the Islamic calendar, the New Year started on Aug. 20. The Islamic calendar follows the lunar year, so the start of the year, as do all the holy days, and shifts by 11 days every year. The first month is Muharram, and in Turkey, the 10th day is the time to make a sweet pudding called aşure to share with others.

August 23 2020
A taste of sea AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

A taste of sea

Briny yet fresh, reviving like a fresh breeze on a midsummer afternoon on the seashore. Samphire is a gem of summer tables. It has so many names that it is easy to get confused. It may appear as marsh samphire, salicornia, glasswort, sea bean, sea asparagus or the charming name chicken claws, just to list a few. All have a reason, representing a certain property of the plant.

August 16 2020
Der Döner: Turning point of the turning spit AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Der Döner: Turning point of the turning spit

Döner must be the most worldwide known Turkish food. It is definitely the most popular street food in Turkey, equally popular in several other countries from England to France, from Greece to Israel, from Mexico to Germany, sometimes disguised under other names, sometimes dressed in other fashions. It became the Mexican ‘Al Pastor’ filled into a taco, it is ‘Gyros’ in Greece, and many parts of the world know it with the name ‘Shawarma’ the Middle Eastern version. Döner adapts to cultures, and whatever it becomes, or wherever it pops up, it turns out to be a hit. Döner is loved by the masses.

August 09 2020
Angels&Devils AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Angels&Devils

So far, the recent reconversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque has resulted in no significant physical damage to the building. It seems that the only visual change is the bluish duck-green carpet, but of course even that changes the atmosphere completely. Before the recent repurposing, the building already possessed elements of its mosque period that lasted for about five centuries, such as the mihrab, the chandeliers and the giant Islamic scripts.

August 02 2020
Beyond Bellini AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Beyond Bellini

Bellini is back! Istanbul has recently been hit by a craze of Bellini. Not the cocktail, of course, though the time is just right to enjoy the bubbly delight, but here we are on more serious matters. The portrait of Fatih Sultan Mehmed II, who led the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, hence known as Mehmed the Conqueror in Turkey, is making its way back to its hometown Istanbul, after centuries of separation. Thanks to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, it was acquired on June 25 from an auction at Christie’s in London, after a fierce competition with a sum of 770,000 British pounds.

July 19 2020
What next AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

What next?

Black and white photography always has a dramatic impact. Before even reading the article, I was haunted by the black and white image of the piece. Chairs turned upside down on tables, as if the morning mopping is just over and the restaurant is soon to buzz with life. This was exactly how I remember Gabrielle Hamilton for the first and only time we met. We had an appointment together with Rob Tate, the director of many outstanding documentaries, to convince her to shoot a food documentary in Turkey. She did not even go into details, she was convinced, and she wanted to do it. She had full trust in Rob, and that was it. She was quick and sharp, and there was no nonsense. The rest was a bit gossip of the food world. She was funny, witty, and again sharp.

July 12 2020
Back to the kitchen AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Back to the kitchen

We all know that the pandemic is not over. Still, we also know that we need to learn how to live with it. The world is trying to get going, especially the hospitality and the restaurant sector. As the restaurants start to re-open, there are several uncertainties. What will be the new normal of dining out? How will it work? What will be the rising trends? Will it be possible to go back to normal, or how can we define and shape the new normal? The questions are seemingly endless. To find answers is not easy, and obviously most will remain unanswered for some time.

July 05 2020
Slowing down AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Slowing down!

Did you know that there is a new Slow City near Ankara? Just when we need slowing down, and returning back to nature, the news that Güdül is added to the international network of slow cities, or Cittaslow as it is known, came in like a refreshing breeze of air, a gentle wind that gives hope.

June 28 2020
The new normal: From producer to consumer AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

The new normal: From producer to consumer

About a couple of weeks ago, I received a beautiful letter from one of my readers. I do not receive many, and if I do, it is usually for research matters, asking me further information on a particular topic. The letter was full of concerns about the entire missing direct link between the producer and the consumer, and thoughts on how the intermediates can be eliminated in order to create a more beneficial and sustainable market for both the producer and the end-consumer.

June 21 2020