English charm & Turkish delights

Eating and traveling with Teo and friends after 6 months in Rome

Hi, dears! I have so much to share with you! Today: a rambling account of my travels with Teo thus far — first to London and Abingdon, U.K., then to Istanbul and Çeşme, Turkey. Expect lots of gushing and food and gratitude, per usual. 

London

Teo and I met up last week in London, where it was 40 degrees cooler than it was in Rome, and stayed in a hotel in the city center for one night just the two of us. We stayed in the tiniest, coziest room you ever did see, and left only to dine at a restaurant called Ducksoup, where I’d wanted to eat ever since I found out that my Roman friend Flavia used to work there. Flavia is a phenomenal chef, just like her twin sister Giorgia, so I knew the food would be good. Deep-fried eggplant with garlicky yogurt, nutty Manchego with pickled cherries, tender poached chicken with mushroom broth and barley, and so on. We over-ordered (I always overestimate my appetite), but how could we not?

Deep-fried eggplant at Ducksoup

Abingdon

The next day, after a delicious udon brunch at Koya, we took the train to Abingdon, where my dear Ballymaloe friend Georgia and her boyfriend Reece live. Abingdon is a little town near Oxford, and Georgia and Reece’s home there is the definition of English charm!!! Tease me all you want for saying that, G & R, but how could I not feel at home with:

room-temperature butter on the counter, waiting for toast

a bed with crisp, clean sheets 

tiny tomatoes ripening in the back garden, resisting the cold English weather

a shelf of color-coded cookbooks

tall glasses of cold water 

a collection of neatly labeled spices hanging on the kitchen wall

hot French press coffee every morning with warm milk to top off each mug

a Georgia insisting that I drink my orange juice and pack fruit for the road

a Reece watching Arsenal highlights and making beans on toast in the morning 

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When the 4 of us weren’t hanging at home, we did all sorts of nice English activities like meander through the Blenheim Palace grounds and participate in trivia night at the pub. How cute is England, you guys?!

Our room at Georgia and Reece’s house

Reece in the garden

Smothering Georgia with my love!

Oxford tourist pic

Istanbul

As quickly as we arrived in the U.K. we left for Istanbul, Turkey. The impetus for visiting Istanbul was singular: SERIN CELIK, our Turkish darling. Those of you who’ve been reading for a while probably remember Serin, but for those who haven’t, Serin is a close friend whom I first met while working at Cervo’s in NYC, where we were both line cooks. She was raised in Istanbul and moved to New York for college the same year that I did. Despite living parallel lives downtown and uptown, Serin and I didn’t meet until a year after our respective graduations when I started at Cervo’s, where Serin had already worked for several months. Serin and I connected almost immediately upon my arrival at Cervo’s, shucking oysters and sipping mezcal margaritas and taking the C train home late at night. It’s been a gift to share in the newness of professional cooking with another young woman whose temperament is so similar to mine.

Over the past year, Teo and Serin have also become close friends, so it was a no-brainer when she floated the idea of us meeting her in Istanbul over the summer.

First of all, did we all know how huge Istanbul is? Over 15 million people live there! It is a HUGE city, and each neighborhood feels so different from the next. I knew it’d be beautiful, but I couldn’t anticipate the holy simplicity of mosque courtyards or the clarity of the turquoise ocean or the majesty of colors and scents that awaited us at the Grand Bazaar. Teo and I are both lucky enough to have traveled a lot in our relatively short lives, and we were both struck by how different Istanbul felt from anywhere we’d been before.

Serin in a mosque courtyard

Teo and I were the first of Serin’s New York friends to visit Istanbul, which felt like a real honor. I’ve always felt that it makes a big difference to know your friends’ families and have a sense of where they come from. Serin’s dad Nuri has her deep-set eyes and big laugh, while her mama Feride has her strong, petite stature and calming presence. Nuri and Feride both exude love and affection, constantly kissing and hugging Serin and thanking me and Teo for visiting. Their apartment feels remarkably tranquil given its urban location, and I mostly credit that to the garden they’ve nurtured for over 20 years, which is full of bay and palm trees and ivy that they’ve planted and watched climb and prosper. Also, theirs is the cleanest apartment I’ve ever seen — all glossy surfaces and neatly stacked dishes and fresh towels. 5 stars for Hotel Celik!

The majestic palm tree in the Celiks’ backyard

We began each day in Istanbul gathered around the garden table with a Turkish breakfast spread, typically consisting of local cheese, bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and seasonal fruits. Originally, I was sure that this ritual was only to welcome us on our first morning, but the Celiks insisted that they eat this way every morning, whether or not they have guests. I’m so inspired by the ritual of mezze-style, savory breakfasts, and of connecting with your family before the work day begins.

Turkish breakfast pt. 1

During the day, Serin guided us around her city. I particularly loved visiting the Basilica Cistern, which was breathtakingly ancient and intact, shopping at the Grand Bazaar, where I loaded up on sumac and dried lemons, and seeing the Hagia Sophia from above, thanks to a sky-high hotel rooftop bar. Food-wise, we ate so well, as I knew we would with Serin as our guide. A sticky-sweet square of baklava on the ferry across the Bosphorus was a highlight, as was dinner at Smelt & Co., a playful, modern Turkish restaurant in an old house on an unassuming street.

Crossing the Bosphorus

What else is there to say? There are stray cats at every turn; the stonework is magnificent; the tea is drunk in tulip-shaped glasses; the coffee is bitter and strong; the water is clearer and more inviting than any city water I’ve ever seen.

Çeşme

Serin grew up vacationing in Çeşme, a coastal town near Izmir, and determined that it was worth it to go there together for a couple days. I’ve done very little beach-going in my life (my parents are mountain folk!), so I’ve never thought of myself as a beach person, but that might have to change because I am mad for Çeşme! The coves are ruggedly beautiful and the water is silky and salty, crystallizing on your skin in glittery clumps. Home base was a hotel in Çeşme managed by a friend of Serin’s who mentored her at her first-ever job. He didn’t speak much English, so I made sure to use Google Translate to embarrass Serin by gushing about how much she’s thriving in New York and as a chef. Sorry not sorry, Serin!

Beach!

The full moon view from the hotel rooftop

Not far from Çeşme is the Aegean wine region, and we took advantage of our proximity by driving our rental car to a vineyard called Urla for a wine tasting one evening. I wish Turkish wine were more accessible in New York because my goodness is it good.

Urla winery

 After a couple blissful days of swimming, drinking wine, and eating, the three of us headed back to Istanbul. And soon thereafter, Teo and I reluctantly said goodbye to Nuri and Feride and Istanbul and began our journey back to New York via Oslo (where we are now).

The Celik family (& us!)

All in all, we’re feelin’ like lucky beans to have friends all over the world who welcome us into their homes, and to be privileged enough to travel and nurture our relationships with them. Thank you for reading once again. Writing weekly Dishes allows me to relive the goodness of each and every week, and my brain is brighter and lighter for it.

Lots of love to all of you,

Phoebe