Satellite Nation

Markus Moning ’s photo

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European Capital of Culture 2010 “Istanbul”, Turkey, the land of the civilisations.

Satellite Nation

GM bondholders ‘approve debt restructuring deal’

Turkish PM’s address to the nation praises country’s role in region

Ankara (the capital city of Turkey (Turkish:Turkiye)) – The Turkish prime minister said on Saturday that the nation’s importance and prestige in its region have been increasing gradually.

istanbul

cetin seker ’s photo

European Capital of Culture 2010 “Istanbul”

European Capital of Culture 2010 “Istanbul”

Nia Vardalos back in spotlight

Boyoz

The most widely preferred boyoz is plain, without addition of meat or

cheese or spinach stuffings, and as cooked by a handful of master boyoz

bakers in the  Izmir.

Virtually all sources agree on the Judeo-Spanish roots of boyoz. It is

a contribution to İzmir’s urban culture by Sephardic Jews evicted from

Spain after 1492 and who settled in large numbers in a number of

prominent Ottoman cities of the period, among which İzmir stood out as

one of the primary destinations. These explanations on the roots of

boyoz are confirmed by the presence of a pastry very similar to boyoz

in the culinary traditions of such other offshoots of Spanish culture

as Argentina, Chile, Peru and Mexico, where they are common especially

in the diet of Sephardic Jews, usually with cheese and spinach

fillings. In Spanish and Ladino languages, boyoz, spelled as bollos,

means "a bundle, a pack".

Finally, until recently, all master bakers who prepared boyoz in İzmir

were Jewish, and the present masters have all been trained by the late

Avram Usta, whose name is echoed to this day in the commercial

arguments adopted by some of these bakers, who market the "Boyoz of

Avram Usta".

Boyoz paste is a mixture of flour, sunflower oil and a small addition

of tahin. It is kneaded by hand and the ball of paste is left to repose

for 2- hours. The paste is then flattened to the width of a dish and

left to repose again. It is then kneaded and opened once more, before

being formed into a roll and left to repose as such for a further

period of several hours. When the tissue of the paste is still soft but

about to detach into pieces, it is cut into small balls and put in rows

of small pans and marinaded in vegetable oil between half an hour and

one hour. Their paste then takes an oval form and acquires the

consistence of a millefeuille. The small balls can then be put on a

tray into a very high-temperature oven either in plain form or with

fillings of cheese or spinach added inside.

The usual accompaniments for boyoz are dark tea and hard-boiled eggs

generously sprinkled with black pepper. Boyoz is generally consumed

outdoors, purchased from street vendors.

Drug combo helps slow lung cancer: study

Mediterranean Morning

ajtoepfer ’s photo

Sunrise on the Turquoise Coast.

Mediterranean Morning

Pakistan claims to win Swat capital from Taliban

Pakistan’s military said Saturday troops had regained control of the main town in a key northwestern district from the Taliban, in what would be a significant milestone in a month-long offensive.

Over Turkish objection, UN extends Cyprus peacekeeping mandate

European Capital of Culture 2010 “Istanbul” – The U.N. Security Council extended its Cyprus peacekeeping mandate for another six months on Friday as Turkey (Turkish:Turkiye) voted against the resolution.