Thanks for Joining me!

Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.                        Fred Rogers

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So simple and yet so fresh and delicious, This plate was prepared for me by my brother Steve, on the morning following my father’s death this past June. It was his way of showing his love and support for me during a very difficult time. This plate is an example of a typical Turkish breakfast. The meal was served on a placemat representing figures from the Ottoman Empire. The placemat was one of the treasures my family had collected from living for two years in Turkey during the late 1960’s.

One common thread for our family was the time we spent living in Turkey. Our father, a high school world history teacher, had a burning desire to visit some of the places he had studied about for years. So he set about getting a teaching job in Turkey. He signed on with the DOD (Department of Defense) as a teacher. He dragged his reluctant family, three children and his wife, to a faraway country where his fourth child was born. My mother ended up teaching there as well. The experience brought us closer together as a family. When we returned home we had a different perspective on our life in the United States. We felt like strangers in a strange land. Life for us was never quite the same. We  were exposed to so many new experiences and learned about other cultures and people. There were no travel shows back then, no Rick Steves, so we learned by doing.

We traveled to different cities and villages where we saw poverty up close. Men rode donkeys while their wives walked ten paces behind them. The Turkish countryside was full of small villages, set among Roman ruins, where the water  systems were more primitive than they were two thousand years earlier. The food from the cities and villages of Turkey were such a surprise after a lifetime of plain, solid American fare.

This  blog is an opportunity for me to share my love for travel and cooking. They say food is love. I hope to share that love with you.

Today’s recipe is  called borek. It is a classic vegetarian, Turkish/mediterranian dish: made by layering phyllo sheets with spinach and feta cheese. This dish can be made in one hour and can be frozen beautifully. It is flaky, light and filling. It is perfect for lunch with a green salad and tea.

10 phyllo dough sheets

3 tbs. Olive oil

1/2 c. Skim milk

1 large egg+2 eggs yolks divided

2 tbs. Plain yogurt

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp.black pepperFor the filling:

20 oz. fresh baby spinach (washed and dried)

1 medium onion chopped

1 tbs. Olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp.black pepper

2 tbsp.sesame seeds

1 cup feta cheese crumbled

cooking instructions:

1. Whisk olive oil, milk, 1 egg, yogurt,salt and pepper in a bowl until combined.

2. Heat one tsp. olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped onion and cook until fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach, salt and pepper. Close it with a lid. Cook on medium heat, until the spinach loses most of its volume, around 5 minutes. Give it a stir and turn the heat off. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

3. When It cools down, using a mesh strainer, strain it of all of its juices. Place it in a bowl add the feta and stir it gently until it is combined.

4.Line a baking sheet ( 12×17 ) with parchment paper. Lightly brush with olive oil.

5. Place two sheets of phyllo dough and brush with 3 tbsp. of the milk mixture. Repeat the same process one more time.

6. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough and spread the spinach-feta cheese filling evenly leaving a 1/2 inch space on the edges and corners.

7.Continue with placing 2 sheets of phyllo dough and brushing it with 3 tbsp of the milk mixture TWICE.

8. Place the last phyllo dough on top and brush with 2 Tblsp of the milk mixture and let it rest overnight.

9. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest two hours or overnight.

10. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

11. Slice the borek evenly. Brush it with two egg yolks and sprinkle each piece with black and white sesame seeds.

Transfer it to the oven and bake until golden  brown. 30-35 minutes.

Serve immediately