Session #2 - Menu @February 3rd

The second Turkish Cooking class  for the Spring'10 semester will be held on February 3rd, Wednesday @6:00pm. The menu for session #2 includes Sultan's Delight, Borek, Roll Baklava, and Shepherd's Salad.  
                 To register for the next class (or any of the upcoming classes) in advance, please click here.

Session #1 - Photos

First session of Turkish Cooking Classes was held on Wednesday January 20, 2010. As always, we had a great time learning, tasting and enjoying new dishes from Turkish cuisine. Do not worry if you have missed this class, join us on February 3rd for the next one!

This is the class. We had many new Friends..

making lentil soup (mercimek corbasi)

making Islim Kebap

How to make cacik (Yogurt with cucumber)

at the last Turkish Coffee was served (Turk Kahvesi)



Seeing on the computer screen is not enough, you should come and taste it. Especially, for the lentil soup and kebap, you need to be trained by the Cooks to learn the right way to make it. We are thankful to our Cooks, we all had a great time. Hope to see you next time!

Session #1 - Recipes

Session #1 - Menu @January 20th

Atlas will hold the first cooking class for the Spring'10 semester on January 20th, Wednesday @6:00pm. We will all enjoy cooking and tasting delicious Turkish dishes together.
The menu for session #1 includes Islim Kebabi, Lentil Soup, and Flower Dessert. To register in advance, please click here.

Turkish Cooking Classes for Spring Semester will start soon @Atlas Center

The Turkish Cooking classes for the Spring semester will start soon at the Atlas Cultural Center @7712 Goodwood Blvd.

The classes will be held every other Wednesday between 6:00pm-8:00pm starting on January 20th, 2010. We will learn authentic Turkish recipes, prepare & cook them all together during the classes, and of course taste them at the end!

Everybody is invited! Participation in each class is only $10 to cover the costs of the materials. In order to register for the classes, please visit send an email to atlascooking@gmail.com with your name and contact information or visit:

http://www.atlaslouisiana.org/index.php?option=com_artforms&formid=1

Turkish Cuisine - A Legacy

Turkish Cuisine is said to be one of the best in the world, and it is actually a unique blend of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines because of the wide span of the Ottoman Empire in history. During the Ottoman period, Turkish cooking became increasingly sophisticated. In the kitchens of the palace and in the homes of nobles and officials, cooks developed high level of specialization, and so Istanbul cooking or palace cooking, which is regarded as the pinnacle of Turkish Cuisine, was created.

Turkish food has a simplicity and pureness that produces quality dishes in an astounding variety. These dishes utilize a lot of fresh produce; most commonly spinach, tomatoes, onion, garlic and especially eggplant, which holds a place of honor in Turkish cooking and can be seen everywhere from the familiar Moussaka to the more unusual Karniyarik, where it pairs up with a minced meat mixture. Eggplant can even be made into a jam in Turkish cooking. Meat in Turkish dishes is usually in the form of lamb or minced ground beef, and it is usually combined with vegetables to produce delicious results. Yoghurt is an especially important component of Turkish cuisine; in fact the English word Yogurt is derived from a Turkish word. Yoghurt is essential as an accompaniment to meat and vegetable dishes, and it is also used in pastries, soups, and even Ayran, a Turkish drink featuring yoghurt in a starring role. All of these ingredients make up delicious dishes that are steadily gaining popularity throughout the world.

Turkish Cuisine owes its development and survival to the sophisticated and delicate culinary expertise which the Ottoman palace, the grand houses and the numerous associations of cooks and confectioners passed on from generation to generation. The Turkish saying "Never mind what you ate and drank, tell me where you have been and what you have seen", shows it was considered bad manners to talk about food and this is why there is little cullinary literature in Turkish.