½ cup food quality fresh rose petals

¾ cup water

1 tsp lemon juice

2 cups milk

¼ cup rice flour

¾ cup sugar

1 tbsp poppy seeds

200 glabne cheese

2 tbsp dried rose petals

Preparation:

1. 4-5 hours before preparing the pudding, rub the rose petals with half of the sugar and refrigerate.

2. Place the rose petals in a pot, add water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the consistency of a sauce is reached. Add lemon juice and allow to cool.

3. In a separate pot, mix the milk and rice flour, ensuring that there are no lumps. Cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil, continuously stirring in the same direction.

4. Lower the heat and simmer until it thickens. Add the rest of the sugar, adjusting the amount to taste.

5. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Then add poppy seeds and labne cheese and stir rigorously.

6. After a few minutes of stirring, add the dried petals, making sure they are evenly dispersed. Pour into a serving bowl, drizzle with the rose petal sauce, and serve.

Ingredients

8 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh (cut into pieces of 4-5cm in size)

3 medium sized onions

3 garlic cloves

2 spicy green peppers (depending on spice level preference)

Ginger (sized at about 4cm) grated

½ tsp of saffron (depending on preference)

1/3 cup of corn oil or sunflower seed oil

50gr. butter

2 and ½ cups of chicken broth

2/3 cups of yoghurt

2/3 cups of cream

2 lemons

2 tsp of cumin

2 tbsp of dried ground cilantro

2 tsp of ground turmeric

1 tsp of jalapeno

2 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

Fresh cilantro, to garnish

Preparation

1. Chop one onion, one clove of garlic, and one green pepper and put them in a blender.

2. Add the juice of one lemon and bring the mixture to a paste like quality in the blender.

3. Add the saffron to a pot of boiling water and let it sit.

4. Heat the corn oil and sunflower seed oil in a pan. Then add the chicken to fry.

5. With the help of a strainer, remove the chicken pieces from the pan and leave them on a plate.

6. Cut the remaining two onions into large slices and saute them in the remaining oil until soft.

7. Add them cumin, dried ground cilantro, ground turmeric, and jalapeno and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken to this mixture.

8. Add hot chicken broth to the mixture and let it boil for 2-3 minutes.

9. Add the paste you prepared in the blender to this mixture.

10. Cook for about 10 minutes on low heat, occasionally stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon.

11. Add the saffron along with the water it was boiled in.

12. Cook for another 20 minutes, until the chicken becomes tender.

13. Add salt, pepper, and yoghurt (the sauce should have taken on a dark hue by now, if not, increase the heat and let the water evaporate).

14. When the chicken is cooked decrease the heat and add the cream.

15. Add the juice of the remaining lemon and turn off the heat.

16. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.

Ingredients: (Serves 1 person)

100 gr wild mushroom

50 gr leek

50 gr potatoes

25 gr onion

5 gr olive oil

100 gr cream

100 gr milk

2 gr truffle oil

5 gr salt

Preparation:

1.Dice the mushroom, leek, potato, and onion.

2.Add the olive oil to a saucepan, then add the diced ingredients and fry over medium heat for 5-6 minutes.

3.Add cream, milk, and salt, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4.Put the mixture through a blender. Then pour it into a bowl, sprinkle with truffle oil, and serve.

Ingredients:

1 kg Jerusalem artichokes, peeled

25 g butter

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 celery roots, diced

2 cloves of garlic, diced

1.5 lt vegetable broth

150 g cream

Preparation:

1.Set aside 3 little Jerusalem artichokesand chop the rest.

2.Heat the oil and butter in a pot over medium heat.

3.Sautee the onion, garlic and celery roots for 5 minutes; be careful not to let them brown.

4.Add the Jerusalem artichokesand mix; cover and cook for 5 minutes until fork tender.

5.Add water, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

6.Add ½ teaspoon of salt and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.

7.Blend the mixture with 100 ml of cream in the blender, until it is pureed.

8.Thinly slice the remaining 3 Jerusalem artichokesand dry thoroughly with paper towel.

9.Heat the sunflower seed oil and fry the slice in batches of five; be sure to fry until each slice is crispy.

10.Remove from frying oil onto paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Service:

Heat up the soup, whisk the remaining cream and pour over soup in the serving bowls. Garnish with the fried slices Jerusalem artichokes.

Salmon Noodle

Ingredients:

150 gr Salmon fillet

5 ml Mirin

20 ml Dark soy sauce

5 ml Sesame Oil

15 ml Oyster sauce

10 ml Olive oil

10 gr Miso

60 gr Egg noodle

10 gr Shallot

5 gr Fresh ginger

3 gr Fresh coriander

2 gr Nigella seeds

2 gr Roasted sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Mix half of the mirin, dark soy sauce, miso, and sesame oil in a cup.

2. Finely chop the shallot and ginger, and add them to the mixture.

3. Pour the mixture on the salmon fillet, and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.

4. Boil the noodles and drain.

5. Add the remaining sesame oil and dark soy sauce, and all of the oyster sauce in a frying pan with the noodles, and let it absorb.

6. Put a fork through the noodle and form a roll for service.

7. Add the olive oil in a hot frying pan. First cook the skin side, then flip.

8. In the meantime, mix the nigella seeds with the sesame seeds in a cup.

9. Then cut the salmon into pieces, and dip in the seed mixture.

10. Place the salmon next to the noodle, and serve with finely chopped fresh coriander.

Mini Lamb Chops

Ingredients:

150 gr Lamb chops (as a whole and without bones)

10 ml Olive oil

50 ml Red wine

6 pieces of small bread rolls

6 leaves of baby spinach

50 gr tomato paste with walnuts (available for sale at Backyard)

Mix of fresh herbs (spinach, rocket, thyme, marjoram)

Salt & pepper

Preparation:

1. Cut the bread rolls in half, and bake the lower parts in the oven for 3 minutes.

2. Then spread the tomato paste on the breads and place a leaf of baby spinach on each.

3. Add olive oil in a hot frying pan and sear all four sides of the lamb chops.

4. Add salt, pepper, and red wine, and let it absorb.

5. Remove the lamb from the heat, slice it, and add on the bread rolls. Serve with mix of fresh herbs.

Quail Eggs and Truffle Oil

Ingredients:

2 slices of brioche

60 gr Cream cheese

20 gr beyaz peynir (feta cheese)

125 gr Baby carrot

100 gr Baby zucchini

10 ml Olive oil

6 Quail Eggs

20 ml Grape vinegar

Black lava salt

Truffle Oil

Salt & Pepper

Preparation

1. Boil the baby carrots for 6-8 minutes.

2. Cut the baby zucchinis lengthwise in four pieces, and cook each side for 1 minute on the grill along with the carrots.

3. Cut the brioche into 6 small pieces and bake in the oven for 3 minutes.

4. Spread cream cheese on the toasted breads.

5. Place the grilled vegetables on the breads, and add crumbled beyaz peynir on top. Put the bread in the oven and bake for 2-3 minutes.

6. In the meantime, boil water in a small saucepan, and add the grape vinegar. Poach the eggs for 1 minute.

7. Take the quail eggs with the help of a slotted spoon.

8. Cut the sides off poached eggs, and place them on top of the breads.

9. Sprinkle black lava salt on the eggs, drip 2 drops of truffle oil on each, and serve.

Pink Cloud

Ingredients:

4 cl Vodka

2cl Raspberry liquor

2 cl Strawberry extract

1cl Mastic extract

7 cl Milk

1 cl Cream

Preparation: Mix all and serve.

Eucalyptus Colins

Ingredients:

4 cl Gin

2 cl Sugar syrup

2 cl Lemon juice

1 cl Eucalyptus extract

1 cl Blue Curaçao

Preparation:Mix all and serve.

Tequila Lemonade

Ingredients:

6cl Tequila

0.5 cl Liche extract

7 cl Lemonade

Preparation:Mix all and serve.

Looking for creative ways to shake up your New Year’s Eve party? Here is a cocktail recipe from Cevat Yıldırım, the award-winning bar chef of Lucca and bartending/mixology instructor at Mutfak Sanatları Akademisi (Culinary Arts Academy).

Ingredients:

5cl Raspberry Syrup

8cl Prosecco

Preparation:

Mix the ingredients and serve in champagne glasses.

In honor of our 20^th anniversary, we asked Civan Er, chef at the award-wining Changa restaurant, to create for us a dish inspired by Istanbul. He came up with this heavenly dessert, which is a fun take on traditional baklava, bursting with traditional Turkish flavors, yet totally modern.

Ingredients:

16 pieces thin phyllo dough cut into 5 x 20 cm pieces

50 grams haloumi cheese

1 tablespoon butter

For frying:

1 liter sunflower-seed oil

50 grams butter

For the syrup:

350 ml water

200 grams sugar

A couple of drops of lemon juice

For the Custard:

50 grams pistachio nuts, skins removed

100 ml milk

30 grams granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

For garnish:

1 pomegranate

Preparation:

1. To make the custard, mix the pistachios and milk in a food processor and refrigerate mixture for 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, place the haloumi into a bowl of water and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to allow the water to soak up the salt. Remove from water and grate cheese. Set aside.

3. Strain the pistachio and milk mixture using a cheese cloth or fine colander. Then add the sugar and the egg yolk, and heat this mixture in a saucepan over low heat until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and cool the mixture in a bowl filled with ice water.

4. For the syrup, heat the water and sugar in a saucepan over a low heat. When the sugar has melted, increase the heat a little and add a couple of drops of lemon juices when it reaches a syrupy consistency.

5. Remove from heat, and cool the syrup to room temperature.

6. Cut the pomegranate in half. Rap the back with a spoon while holding it over a bowl in order to extract the seeds. Set aside.

7. Layer two pieces of phyllo dough. Place one tablespoon of grated haloumi cheese on one end, then fold carefully into a triangle. Use melted butter to seal the edges. Repeat this stage with the remaining pieces of phyllo dough.

8. Heat the sunflower-seed oil in a frying pan, and fry the baklavas until they turn a light golden brown. Just before you remove them from the pan, add 50 grams of butter to the oil for flavor. Remove the baklavas with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

9. Next, place the baklavas into the syrup mixture and let them soak for 1 minute.

10. Meanwhile, distribute the pistachio custard onto your serving plates.

11. Remove the baklavas from the syrup and serve on the bed of pistachio custard, two per plate.

12. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve warm.

Adım Adım 62 Çorba is a collection of soup recipes by Burak Aziz Sürük and Cengiz Çakıt, the two young cooks of Ömer M. Koç. The book is in Turkish, but we highly suggest that our English-speaking readers get the book and a good Turkish friend as a translator.Here is a sample recipe from the book:

Ingredients:

4 beets (peeled and diced)

1 dried onion (diced)

1 green apple (sliced into 8 pieces with its core removed)

3 spoons of red lentil

1 spoon of olive oil

10 cups of water

Black pepper

Himalayan salt

Preparation:

1. Roast the onion with olive oil until it turns pink.

2. Add the beets to the onions and keep on roasting for 2-3 minutes.

3. Then add the green apples, red lentil, and water.

4. Boil them for about an hour, occasionally add water if necessary.

5. After an hour, take it out of the oven and put it through the food processor.

6. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and serve.

If you want to add a Turkish twist to your Thanksgiving dinner, makekabak tatlısı(pumpkin dessert) instead of pumpkin pie for dessert.

Ingredients: (serves 6)

1kg pumpkin

400g / 2 cups sugar

100g / ¾ cups walnuts, diced

1 healing tbsp butter

200ml / ¾ cup water

Clotted cream, as desired

Preparation:

1. Peel the pumpkin, cut into 6cm slices and place in a large pot

2. Add ¾ cup water and butter. Cover and simmer, occasionally adding water if necessary

3. When the pumpkin begins to soften, add the sugar

4. Continue simmering for about 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender, glossy and slightly caramelized

5. Plate, sprinkle with walnuts and top with a dollop of clotted cream

Skip the traditional sides and go for this delicious bulgur dish!

Ingredients: (serves 6)

3 cups coarse bulgur

6 cups beef stock

300g whole chestnuts

2 small red onions, chopped

8 tbsp butter

100 g / ½ cup small, plump raisins

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp allspice

1 bunch dill, finely chopped

Sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut an “X” into one side of the chestnuts. Boil in salted water for up to 10 minutes. Shell and halve the chestnuts.

2. Slice the halved onions horizontally to create half moon-shaped pieces.

3. Make sure that the bulgur and raisins are free of stems and foreign objects.

4. In a heavy saucepan, cook onions in 3 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until golden brown, 5-7 minutes.

5. Add beef stock, remaining butter, raisins, cumin, allspice and sea salt and bring to a boil.

6. Add the chestnuts and bulgur. Cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes; reduce heat to low and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes until all the liquid has absorbed.

7. Remove from heat and stir only after it has rested for 15 minutes.

8. Spoon onto a serving dish, sprinkle with dill and serve.

Saffron is infamous for being the world’s most expensive spice—and with good reason. Growing saffron is quite demanding and arduous: saffron crocuses are planted between 15th of August and 15th of September; they blossom between 15th of September and 15th of November, and must be picked before sunrise within three days of blossoming. The spice is used in a variety of dishes, most famous one being the saffron rice. Another well-known use for saffron is in a Turkish dessert called zerde.

Ingredients:

1 pinch saffron

1 tablespoon rosewater

4 cups milk

¼ cup rice

1 cup water

Pine nuts and raisons, for garnish

For the thickener:

1 ½ tablespoon rice

6 tablespoon cornstarch

2 egg yolks

¾ cups milk

Preparation:

1. Moisten saffron in rosewater until it begins to dissolve and change color.

2. In a pot, bring milk to the boil and add the rosewater and saffron mixture and then the sugar.

3. Remove any foreign objects from the rice and soak in water for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse well.

4. In a separate bowl, boil the rice in 1 cup of water. When the water has been absorbed and the rice has become a bit soft and mushy, add the hot milk and rosewater mixture. Simmer on low heat for a few minutes.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk rice flour, cornstarch, egg yolks and milk and add to the pot and simmer for an additional five minutes.

6. Pour into individual serving bowls, allow to cool and refrigerate.

7. Garnish with pine nuts and raisons and serve.

Ingredients

For the sandwich:

- Flat and round peasant bread

- 1 bouquet of rocket

For the chicken:

- 1 kg. chicken (free-range)

- 1 onion (large)

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 carrot

- 1 leek

- 1 clove

- 1 sprig of fresh oregano

- Salt

- Black peppercorns

- 2.5 l. water

For the sauce:

- 200 gr. stale bread (to make breadcrumbs)

- 500 gr. walnuts

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 60 ml. vinegar

- 3-5 dried tomatoes

- 3 gr. coriander seeds

- 2-3 sprigs of fresh coriander

Preparation

Chicken

1. Clean the chicken. Make sure no red spots or internal organs are left, as this will blur the color of the bouillon.

2. Place the chicken in a pot after cleaning thoroughly.

3. Put the sliced onion, bay leaves, carrot, leek, clove, and fresh oregano in the pot.

4. Add some salt and black peppercorns.

5. Add enough water to cover the chicken. (The 2.5-liter indication in the ingredients list can change according to the size of your chicken.)

Note: It is best if your free-range chicken is fat. As this recipe doesn’t include any oil, it is easy for the dish to turn tasteless, whilst a fat chicken gives the dish a nice flavor. The chicken bouillon that is being prepared now will be used in the recipe later on; therefore, it is better to cook it with a minimum amount of water, which will allow the bouillon to get a more concentrated flavor.

Sauce

1. While the chicken is cooking, put the bread in the oven at 100-120°C for 20 to 25 minutes; then put it in the food processor to make breadcrumbs.

2. After placing the walnuts in the oven at 150°C for 5 minutes, pound the walnuts with a mortar and pestle set. The pounding will also release the oil from the walnuts, which will add a rich flavor to the chicken.

3. To enhance the flavor of coriander, heat the coriander seeds in a pan on low-heat.

4. Pound the garlic with a pinch of salt.

5. After having prepared all the ingredients, take a look at the chicken. Chances are it hasn’t cooked properly yet. A free-range chicken has more muscles than a regular chicken, as it is free to move around. Even though this increases the cooking time, you’ll get a more flavorful chicken. It takes nearly 2 hours for a free-range chicken over 1 kg to cook properly.

6. Once the chicken is done, take it off the heat and put it aside to let it cool.

7. Pour the chicken bouillon through the sifter to separate the vegetables, and place the chicken in a bowl that will allow it to cool down faster.

8. Once the chicken has cooled down, cut the chicken in pieces, and remove the cartilage and skin as these create an unpleasant feeling in the mouth.

9. Mix the walnuts, coriander seeds, garlic, and breadcrumbs in the food processor.

10. Then, add the dried tomatoes, vinegar, and fresh coriander (if you like) to the food processor and mix again.

11. Carefully add the chicken bouillon to the mixture, which should have a paste-like consistency. While adding the bouillon, make sure that the mixture doesn’t get too watery. All you need is enough bouillon to cover the chicken pieces. Also make sure that the paste doesn’t remain too solid, because you want the flavors to mix well. Keep in mind that the breadcrumbs will continue to soak up the bouillon, so the dish will be drier when served.

12. Now, add the chicken pieces to the mixture and mix well. The coriander gives freshness to the dish, while the dried tomatoes add some sweetness. Don’t serve the dish immediately; let flavors to mix properly. You’ll get a better result if you leave it in the fridge for half a day.

Sandwich

1.For the sandwich, slice the bread in eight triangular pieces.

2.Cut each slice in half and warm both sides of the bread in the oven or on a pan. Take a good amount of the chicken mixture and spread it over the bread, place some rocket leaves on top as a finishing touch, and top it off with another slice of bread. Your sandwich is now ready to serve.

Pilaf with saffron

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice

50 gr of butter

2 ½ cups of lukewarm water or chicken stock

1 cup of boiled chickpeas

1 teaspoon of saffron or turmeric

1 tea cup of almonds

½ tea cup of currants

½ tea cup of raisins

5-6 dried apricots

1 cinnamon stick

Salt

Preparation:

1. Soak the rice in lukewarm water for half an hour, then drain and wash it.

2. Melt the butter in a pan, and then add the saffron and rice to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, brown the rice for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add 2 ½ cups of lukewarm water. Or, you can also choose to add 2 ½ cups of chicken stock for a more flavorful rice.

4. Add the boiled chickpeas, almonds, currants, raisins, dried apricots, cinnamon stick, and salt.

5. Cook the rice on low heat. Once the rice absorbs the water, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a paper towel, close the lid, and let it sit for a while.

Rose Sherbet

Ingredients:

Leaves of 7 roses (scented, for marmalade)

2 cups of sugar

5 cups of water

2 cinnamon sticks

Juice of half a lemon

Preparation:

1. Rub the rose leaves with 1 cup of sugar, put them in a bowl, and then add the lemon juice. Cover and let it rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

2. Add the water, the rest of the sugar, and the cinnamon sticks, and bring to a boil.

3. After it cools down, sieve it and serve it with ice.

Ingredients: (serves 6)

• 1 kg green beans or French beans
• 2 medium yellow onions
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, whole
• 5 medium tomatoes
• 10 damson plums
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1 lemon, juice of

Preparation:

1. Peel and cube tomatoes.
2. Slice lemon into thin rings.
3. Slice onion into thin rings.
4. Pour half of the olive oil into a pot. Sauté onions and garlic with half of the sugar.
5. Cut off the ends of the green beans, trim them and snap in half. Add to the sautéed onions and season with salt. Add green beans and gently press them down in the pot without stirring. Sprinkle the remaining sugar and pour in lemon juice.
6. Add the cubed tomatoes and press down.
7. Slice the plums in half and remove pit. Place on top of tomatoes, flesh side down.
8. Place lemon slices over mixture and add ½ cup water.
9. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender.
10. Place in serving dish and serve chilled.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of stale peasant bread
• 2 cucumbers
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 1 cup of basil
• 6 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons of vinegar
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Peel and dice the cucumbers.
2. Remove the seeds and dice the tomatoes.
3. Chop the red onion in thin slices.
4. Chop the basil.
5. Wet the bread under running water, and then squeeze the excess water out.
6. Cut the breads into small cubes and put them in a bowl.
7. Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and basil into the bowl and mix them.
8. In another bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper.
9. Pour the olive oil mixture on the salad.
10. Wait at least 30 minutes to serve it.

Ingredients (Serves 1 person)

- 1 avocado

- 1 lime

- 1 tomato

- 1 red onion

- 5-6 bunches of fresh coriander

- 20 ml red wine vinegar

- 30 ml olive oil

- 180 gr swordfish

- 2 bay leaves

- 2 cherry tomatoes

- ½ red bell pepper

- ½ lemon

- Seasonal greens

- Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Add the ingredients on the skewer in the following order: cubed red bell pepper, cubed swordfish (approximately 30 gr), 1 bay leaf, ½ lemon slice, swordfish, cherry tomato, swordfish, and red bell pepper. Season it with salt and pepper, sprinkle with olive oil, and cook it on the grill until each side gets grill marks (approximately 1 minute on each side).

To prepare the avocado salad, cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Dice the avocado without removing the peel. Scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl and add lime juice from one lime to prevent the avocado from turning brown. Add the diced tomatoes, red onion, and fresh coriander leaves, and season with red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt.

To prepare the seasonal greens, mix the greens in a bowl with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put two swordfish skewers, avocado salad, and seasonal greens on a plate and serve.

Ingredients

• 15 strawberries
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 3 ounces white chocolate

Method

1. Chop chocolates and place in separate bowls.
2. Place these bowls over a pot of barely simmering water and let stand until melted.
3. Stir until smooth, set aside and let cool for a few minutes.
4. Dip strawberries in white chocolate and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
5. Dip sides of the strawberries in bitter chocolate. Back to the refrigerator for 10 more minutes.
6. Dip a thin paint brush in bitter chocolate and draw the bow tie and buttons.

For more mouthwatering recipes from Cenk Sönmezsoy, visit Cafe Fernando.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

- 4 globe artichokes

For vinaigrette:( for 240 ml. / 8 fl. oz. / 1 cup sauce)

- 6 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

- 2 tablespoons vinegar

- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

- 1 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar - Salt, to taste

- Ground black pepper, to taste

- 120 ml. / 4 fl. oz. / ½ cup virgin olive oil

- 1 hard-boiled egg

Preparation of vinaigrette:

1. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, dill, sugar, salt and ground black pepper in a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk the ingredients together, and while still whisking, add the olive oil, a drizzle at a time. (This will gradually form a thick sauce.)
3. If desired, a finely chopped hard-boiled egg can be added to the vinaigrette.

Final preparation:

1. Remove the stem from the globe artichokes with a sharp knife, leaving the base flush.
2. At about halfway down, cut through the petals horizontally with sharp scissors.
3. Cut through the centre flower head (horizontally and at the same height), with a sharp knife.
4. Place the globe artichokes in a saucepan of boiling, salted water. (You may need to weigh them down by placing spoons over the artichokes.)
5. Simmer over medium heat for 35-40 minutes. (To test when the artichokes are cooked, pull on one of the outer petals, and if it comes away easily, it is ready.)
6. Drain when cooked, and leave sitting on their bases to cool.
7. Remove the center yellow petals.
8. With the aid of a knife, carefully remove the base of the flower head.
9. Place the globe artichokes in a soup bowl.
10. To serve, you may either place the vinaigrette beside in a small bowl or, alternatively, pour it into the center of the globe artichokes.

- Start by taking the outer petals, and dip them into the vinaigrette before removing the soft part with your teeth. Have a large empty plate at hand for the discarded petals.

- When the outer petals come to an end, pour the remaining vinaigrette into the center of the artichoke to enjoy “the heart”.

- This dish may be served as an entrée

Recipe From: Remix I

Preparation:
• Place water and bouillon cubes in a large saucepan and bring to a boil
• In a separate saucepan, melt butter and add the rice and stir slowly for 3 minutes
• Take a ladle of the simmering stock and pour into the rice, stirring until the liquid is absorbed
• Next, pour in another ladle of stock and repeat the process.
• After pouring in the 3rd ladle of stock, add the chopped herbs, lemon juice, salt and white wine.
• Continue with 4th ladle of stock and test the rice for consistency; if it not yet cooked, add in a 5th ladle of stock and remove from heat
• Add Parmesan cheese and stir
• Upon serving, sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and garnish with grated lemon zest

Related Content:

Isn’t it Rice: A closer look at risotto and pilaf
Which is your Choice: Risotto or Pilaf?

Recipe From: Remix I

Preparation:
• Wash and strain the rice. Place in a pan, cover with boiling water and add a small quantity of salt and let it stand for 30 minutes. Next wash the rice in cold running water until the water is crystal clear.
• Melt the butter or heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add chopped onions and sauté until they are transparent. Add the pine nuts and stir until they have taken on a pinkish hue. Then add the rice, currants, allspice, sugar and salt and stir.
• Pour in the water, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and add the chopped dill.
• Clean, wash, de-bone and dry the anchovies and flatten them by opening from the center.
• Grease a deep, oven proof round bowl. Coat the outer skin of the anchovies with corn flour and place them along the bowl’s edges with the tails facing upwards. On the center, pour in the rice (ensuring that the anchovies remain intact) and then continue placing the anchovies over the mixture until the entire bowl is covered with sardines.
• Cook in a preheated oven at 170 Celsius for 15 minutes. Remove and turn the bowl over in a serving dish – remove and serve while hot.

Related Content:

Isn’t it Rice: A closer look at risotto and pilaf
Which is your Choice: Risotto or Pilaf?