Prelude

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I love to cook, it is so much fun, besides it takes the stress away. I decided to share my recipes as well as thoughts/ideas worth sharing.

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Feta bun, patisserie style (Pastane pogacasi)

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There is a kind of bun in Turkey which is called "acma". My son loves it, when we go to Turkey that is all he wants for breakfast. This past year (2014) we couldn't go to Turkey, so I decided to look for recipes for acma. To my luck, what I found for acma turned out to be a recipe for feta bun, but patisserie style, which is totally different than how you would make it at home. It turned out to be the ultimate recipe for pogaca. Here are the ingredients: 1 egg 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 1/2 tbsp instant bakers' yeast 1tsp salt 1tbsp sugar 3 1/2 cups flour Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let it rise for an hour. At the end you make a small disk like shape in the palm of your hand, put crumbled feta to the middle, then fold it in such a way that the feta is inside. Put it on the tray. Once you've given shape to all, brush egg yolk on the top and sprinkle sesame seed. Bake for 30 mins at 325 degrees F.  (Picture modified from  w...
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Back to training

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A little background: I ran the virtual Providence Marathon in November 2020. It was my first marathon experience, and I loved it! Then, of course, I had to do more of that, but something a little more challenging. Please don't get me wrong; the marathon wasn't easy. The day I ran the marathon, I was supposed to run 20 miles, then I would taper down the following week; finally, 15 days from that day was the marathon day (https://www.womensrunning.com/training/road/go-couch-marathon-training-plan/). So, I did some research and landed on the racingthepanet.com page. "Yes! That's what I want to do!" and I started my training 15 days after the marathon, slowly increasing weekly mileage. By February 2021, I was at the 40-50 miles/week range, and I started to feel a "pain in the butt," literally. I was limping after 2-5 mile short runs and couldn't sit after run days. So I stopped running, hoping it will go away. A friend suggested that I see Dr. Blauwet at...
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Falafel: A Delight from Levantine Cuisine

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  Falafel is a beloved street food in Levantine cuisine . There are numerous recipes available online, with many starting with canned chickpeas. While using canned chickpeas is convenient, the texture isn't quite right. After experimenting with many recipes, I synthesized my own, which uses dried chickpeas for a superior texture. Ingredients: I. 1 lb dry chickpeas II. ½ or 1 bunch of cilantro (choose based on your preference, or substitute with parsley) III. 10-12 scallions IV. 4 tablespoons kosher salt V. 1½ or 2 tablespoons cumin powder (use 2 tablespoons if you prefer a stronger cumin flavor) VI. Red pepper flakes (adjust to your desired level of heat) Recipe: I. Soak the dry chickpeas in water overnight at room temperature. Ensure there is at least 1½ to 2 inches of water above the chickpeas. II. The next day, pat the chickpeas dry with a kitchen towel and transfer them to a food processor. III. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture reach...
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