Chic and Bubbly

Hello again. It has been almost a decade. Life unfolded in ways I couldn’t have planned. I left an engagement. I returned to Turkey. I lost my grandmother. I fell in love again. I married. I moved across continents. I became a mother. Somewhere along the way, in 2017, I discovered calligraphy. It felt intimate and grounding from the very beginning. A quiet language made of ink and patience. Then, in March 2024, I lost my mother. She was my elegance, my discipline, my tenderness. For a while, everything softened into silence. This September, for the first time since losing her, I found my way back to calligraphy and watercolor. Not as a hobby. Not as distraction. But as a return. And that return feels like healing. Today, I want to open this new chapter with you. I am offering modern calligraphy and watercolor workshops designed for elevated birthday celebrations, intimate gatherings, corporate events, and artful children’s experiences. From hand-painted sports balls for young...

I know it is ridiculous but I love watching Food Network  at the gym. I  fell in love with this plum cake "tatin" recipe by Ina Garten  when I was watching Food Network at the gym the other day, and baked it the same night, immedieately! Sooo easy to make and really delicious. This is how my cake looks: (Recipe by Ina Garten for Food Network. ) Thank you, Ina! Enjoy! 

    Ingredients: 2 cups Penne pasta 2 tomatoes 2 garlic cloves, crush and chop them 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon capers 1 tablespoon grated Pecorino Romano 10 pitted black olives, cut them in half 10 anchovies, cut them in half Crushed red pepper flakes Salt Pepper Garnishes: Grated Pecorino Romano, fresh basil sprigs     Preparation: (Makes 2 serving) Start boiling the pasta water with little bit of olive oil and salt.   In a sauce pan, sauté garlic, olives and capers in olive oil over medium heat for one minute. Add tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Add anchovies, red pepper flakes, salt (lil' bit, anchovies are already very salty!) and pepper. Stir occasionally, for about 20 minutes.    Pasta's water is ready! Hurry up, add the pasta! :) Follow the directions on your pasta box for al dente. Make sure to r...

1.  My kingdom: My kitchen. 2. I love listening to music when cooking, and so this counter is where I set up my laptop and play my favorite music stations, such as Pink Martini, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Gotan Project, and Frank Sinatra on Pandora.com . 3. Some of my kitchen tools. I love my kitchen knives set by J.A. Henckels . They make cooking much more easier! If you love to cook, I would definitely recommend you to invest in a nice set of kitchen knives. 4. Cutting boards. I use different cutting boards for fruits and vegetables, raw poultry, fish and seafood, and raw meat. 5. I created a small little section where I keep olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice cooking wine, and sherry cooking wine on a round-shaped plate. 6. My microvave and oven. On top of the oven, there's my porcelain teapot with a yellow-calla-lilies, one of my favorite flowers, design.

Part 3: Traditional Turkish Sesame Pastry (Kandil Simidi) Ingredients:   2 sticks margarine 2 egg yolk (keep the egg white for topping) 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoon vinegar 3 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup vegetable oil or olive oil 1 tsp salt 4 cups flour Topping: 2 egg white 1 cup sesame seeds Preparation: (Makes about 45 pieces)   1.       Place everything in a large bowl and knead until the dough becomes soft. 2.       Preheat the oven to 400 F. 3.       Divide the dough into two equal balls. Roll each half in to a circle, about 1/5 inch thick. Cut with a sharp knife into small balls. 4.       Place them over a parchment paper. Brush top with egg white and sprinkle some sesame seeds. Bake until the top off the pastries turn light brown color.     Afiyet Olsun!   Part 1: Whi...

Part 2: Cacik, or as our Komsu (Neighbor) calls it, “Tzatziki.” Ingredients: 320 oz. Non-fat plain  Chobani Greek Yogurt 2 cloves of garlic (press them with a garlic press) 2 medium size cucumbers ¼ cup dill, chopped 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon salt Crushed red pepper flakes Preparation: (Makes 4 serving) This recipe is by my brother and here is how he describes the preparation: Put everything in a large bowl, mix, and serve! Bahahaha boys! :) Enjoy! Part 1: White Beans with Meat (Etli Kuru Fasulye) + My Mom’s Pilaf (Pilav) Recipes Part 3: Coming Soon!