October 2006
Turkish Delight
by Celia Cheng
To celebrate my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary we took a family trip to explore Turkey, a culture and country unfamiliar to all of us. Spending four days in Istanbul, one in Cesme and two in Bodrum was not nearly enough to soak up all the goodness of Turkey, but it was a start and I can’t wait to go back.
While planning the trip, I solicited information and recommendations from my Turkish friends here in New York for areas to visit and places to eat. I was also introduced to a new friend, Cem Cantas, who lives in Istanbul. Despite the fact that we had never met before, Cem took us to dinner and gave us helpful information to make our initial visit as pleasant as can be.
Though Istanbul is not the capital, it’s the economic and cultural center of Turkey. This city is unique in that it’s situated on two continents, Asia and Europe, which are divided by the Bosphorus strait. The former capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, Istanbul is rich in history and culture so we decided to devote four days to this massive city.
Cesme and Bodrum are both great summer vacation spots on the Aegean coast. Though we visited during off-season, the weather was gorgeous, so we enjoyed not only the sun and water, but privacy as well. We explored a quaint little town called Alacati in Cesme, with historic stone houses, antique markets and a harbor renowned for windsurfing. The Times put Bodrum in the limelight this past summer with an article on its rising status as the St. Tropez in Turkey. The bed and breakfast where we stayed, Macakizi, is a wonderful beachfront resort that rivals any five-star beach resort.
Since we spent the most time in Istanbul, I decided to focus on a couple of exceptional restaurants and stores there. The images I’ve chosen to showcase do not directly correspond to the restaurants I discuss. One image depicts my adoration for the simplicity and freshness of Turkish breakfast — an enticing selection of vegetables, cheeses and breads. Another reveals my love for the bread ring covered in sesame called simit, or the remnants of one from Macakizi. I just love how the plate becomes littered with a zillion little sesame seeds. Even the bowls of individually wrapped sugar cubes were beautiful.
The colors for this feature are a representation of both the popular evil eye amulet that can be found in every corner in Turkey, and the blues of the amazing bodies of water we came in contact with, whether dining along the Bosphorus or sun bathing on the coast of the Aegean Sea in Bodrum.
I hope you will become as intrigued and enamored with Turkey as I am.
