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Şekerli Türk Kahvesi

Milena’s Cooking Adventures — Yesterday Was Monday

First of all, my apologies for falling off the cliff of inactivity into the abyss of forgetfulness. In other words, sorry I haven’t posted in ages. I’ve had some personal things to juggle, but they seem to be well juggled now. I’m hoping I can get back to my regular Tuesday posting. Oh, is today Friday? Well, yesterday was Monday. So no worries.

For many years, I have pined for the salep and Monteida olive oil and simit that my dear lovely college roommate (let’s call her S) used to describe for me and bring me back from her trips to Turkey. After consistently hoarding knock-off mostly fake salep in my sock drawer for years and hissing and growling at anyone who came near (salep is illegal to export, for those of you who wonder why I found it so precious) I finally jumped over to that country to see the beauty of its food for myself.

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Continue reading Şekerli Türk Kahvesi

Kefir Pancakes for a Homesick American

Milena’s Cooking Adventures

The lack of a real stack of fluffy pancakes in France is the lead cause of my dépaysement, my homesickness, my deep-seated unrootedness in this country. If only I could go out to almost any restaurant and receive the four-pancake-high tower of pure calories that I crave, slathered in butter and drowned in maple syrup, then– I could be truly happy.

What’s the phrase? You make your own home? Well, who knows if France will ever feel 100% like home, but god dammit if I can’t make the home, at least I can make the pancakes. Continue reading Kefir Pancakes for a Homesick American

In which my Dissertation Invades my Cake

Milena’s Cooking Adventures

Happy New Year!

And deepest apologies for such a delay in posting. I’ve been settling into living in France, diving through layers and layers of bureaucracy, meeting new people, making new year resolutions, and generally setting up my little nest here. As 2019 reveals itself, I thought I’d look back at the past, back when my dissertation was devouring my life to such a point that I decided the only way to fight back was to bite back. Literally. Don’t worry, you’ll understand soon enough. Keep up.

Continue reading In which my Dissertation Invades my Cake

Traveller’s Notes

Milena’s Adventures

I’m currently travelling around Europe with my twin brother, and so today’s post is a conglomeration of different snapshots rather than a recipe.

Some vignettes from the last few weeks…

  1. My niece’s birthday cake! She turned 6 right after the whole family adopted two wonderful kittens, so the cake was kitten-themed. Her mother and I worked together to make the cake (and my other niece made the black cat’s body!)
    the culprits in action
  2. Chocolate chip cookies cookies cookies cookies cookies (that I then froze). Check out Sunaina’s Quest for Chocolate Chip Cookies for her own thoughts on the thin chocolate chip cookie (mine were chunky and a little too round for my liking from having been in the freezer)!
  3. Balloon flowers! (Somehow I remembered how to make balloon things…)

     

  4. Piroshki and some very silly hedgie wine!
  5. Leftover piroshki filling made into fried potato-cakes with sriracha-chili mayonnaise dip
  6. Sherry banana bread muffins with raisins
    we are good and boozy
  7. The dear friends who are travelling with me 🙂

    (I made this tiny little one because my friend handed me yarn and a crochet hook, but for a crocheted octopus of your own, check out Kisses or Stitches on Etsy)

    Happy travels, wherever you may be!
    brekkiesprout