Wednesday, October 14

Coming Back To The Marie Celeste



I’m back to work. The office is very quiet because Miss Whiplash ran off to Sharm el Sheikh with a new lover a week ago and has now picked up some sort of disease that is apparently keeping her in bed until next week. The boys are away filming in Kenya, except for the youngest Camera Boy who did come back with the German trophy (and it really is made of sand), I can't actually tell when he's in though because he disappears under a massive pile of cables in the kit room that all need cleaning and untangling.


My Turkish holiday is already a distant memory, just before I set off on the trip I had this exchange with my hairdresser;
She: Are you off on holiday then?
Me: Yes, Turkey
She: Lovely - a beach holiday?
Me: Not really - there'll be a lot of loafing about and eating though, I don’t think I'll be spending loads of time looking at monuments
She: Well you don’t go to Turkey to look at monuments do you?

Hilarious, but she was right, Turkey might be crammed with impressive monuments but it is also a country full of the loveliest people - the best bits of my trip were definitely the bits with Turks in. Nice thing about Turkish people is that they’re as nosey as I am, and wonderfully direct, a lady on the bus to the airport asked my nationality then, What sort of education have you had?

Most surprising moment was after an earnest young man came to my rescue in Istanbul then took me to a cake shop owned by the city’s mayor and made me try the chicken pudding (Tavuk göğsü). This fat white tubular dessert is made with finely minced chicken breast, I tried the one in the picture and can report that it is a very sweet, rubbery sort of thing (like Turkish Delight) and I could have handled it better with a knife and fork than the dainty spoon I was given, meat fibres are a strange thing to see in a pudding.

24 comments:

  1. I like chicken and I like pudding ... but not together I think.

    The cakes look yummy. I hope they are cakes!

    PS: Very nice wash basin.

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  2. Pudding yes, chicken no! But then travel is supposed to be broadening...so your outlook has been broadened by trying this thing!

    Welcome back and you will have many happy memories of this trip, for sure!

    Moo!

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  3. I too would like to be at Sharm el Sheikh. And, I'm sorry, pudding with animal parts just doesn't work for me no matter the icing.

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  4. I'd try the pudding out of curiosity...
    I wonder what they think of our mushy peas?
    Sx

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  5. What did the earnet young man rescue you from to the extent that he felt you would be better off after a chicken pudding??? Thank God you're back - haven't felt like eating in ages ;-)

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  6. uuummm that's EARNEST I meant ... ;-)

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  7. Chicken in a pudding? I am not sure anymore I want to have you here at my rescue. That sounds very... interesting. Love the directness of the lady on the bus!

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  8. I'd have had to have the pink one.

    Welcome back to blighty.

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  9. that chicken pudding sounds disgusting. sorry Turkish folk. i think i'd have to offend them by refusing to try it.

    i used to be brilliant at vanishing food that i didn't want to eat when i was 6 years old. i used the tried and true method called 'the napkin-toilet-dash' technique, it fooled EVERYONE. i think.

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  10. Hmm, I not sold on the chicken pudding idea. And I'm afraid "What sort of education have you had?" would have brought out the inverted snob in me: "University of Life, darlin' - wanna buy some carpets?".

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  11. xl it was surprisingly pleasant, but there are other nicer things. Those other cakes are nice to look at but dull to taste, the cakey bit is dry and tasteless

    who couldn't love the wash basin?

    Mrs Cow your outlook has been broadened by trying this thing!

    it has indeed and yes many happy memories.

    Bill - pudding with animal parts is just wrong isn't it?

    Scarlet I'd try the pudding out of curiosity...
    You're a girl after my own heart, like mushy peas we have plenty of our own weirdness - jellied eels anyone? (YUK!!)

    Ange - The young man helped me out when I was lost in the outskirts of the city - he put me on the right bus and escorted me to where I needed to be.

    Metropolitan Mum - don't worry my rescue remedy does not involve chicken pudding.


    Eryl - pink does look good!
    I'm looking forward to seeing you back too

    Ms projectivist Ahh the old 'napkin-toilet-dash' technique, much better than kicking it under the sofa.

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  12. Hi Gadj - but you have had so many interesting culinary experiences - ant wee anyone?

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  13. Fancy being picked up by a man who took you off to eat cake - now that would be my perfect getting to know someone date - more details please.

    And whilst we're on the subject - what is your educational background. I left after O-levels; bet you've got a degree in insect stuff.

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  14. Hi Lulu. In the back of my mind I knew there was a middle eastern dish made with minced pigeon and filo pastry that's sweet. Don't you just love google, where you can put in all that information and come up with B'stilla. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/pear-almond-and-honey-bstilla-509965.html
    cheers.

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  15. "pudding with animal parts is wrong"?

    I take it you're not a fan of black pudding or white pudding for breakfast?

    I could eat an entire white pudding on my own!

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  16. Could be worse, my hairdresser found a local husband in Sharm el Sheikh and now whenever I get my hair cut I have to hear about how disastrous he is. Honestly I don't get to talk about me at all. [Flounces off in search of perfect crushed raspberry sweater.]

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  17. Frenchie, he probably deserves a post to himself, but far too young for me (not for you though - obviously!)

    I left after 'O' levels too but later got a degree in 'Colouring-in' no relevant insect qualifications I'm afraid.

    MJ - I just did this post to lure you in.

    JoeyJoJoJoJo and Nursey - Of course there are loads of puddings with meat parts what's that tart we all eat at christmas if not mincemeat.

    which still contains suet (cow fat) and did have mince.

    Blood in a pudding doesn't make sense - but so good, white puddings not my thing though.

    Inky - The only solution is to change your hairdresser.

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  18. I thought people went to Turkey to lie on the beach and get a tan...

    I'm glad I'm a vegetarian, chicken pudding sounds diabolical!

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  19. I want a sink like that.

    (The chicken pudding looks quite disturbing)

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  20. I do recall being served cherry compôte with mutton in Istanbul many years ago.

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  21. I do wish my experiences in Turkey had been so interesting. All I had were carpet sellers and corn on the cob chaps. I feel quite despondent now.

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  22. The rubbery Chidding sounds ghastly? But what do I know?

    I'm from the Old School of yells, bells & smells and I have images of fly-encrusted denuded goat carcasses lazily swaying in the streetside shops..those bulging black eyeballs glancing to and fro at the gigantic North-American tourists parading about in socks and sandals looking for the bloody McDonalds.

    You have such an interesting Life.

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  23. Borah - the bits of Turkey with beaches and tanning don't sound very nice.

    Kevin - will that sink match your other furnishings?

    Ellis - Sweet accompaniments to savoury seems completely normal don't they? In Holland people eat rhubarb sauce with pork and I think duck is marvelous with a spot of jam ...

    Mme D - I got the corn on cob chaps and carpet-sellers too, but going solo is my answer for how to have adventures.

    Donn - I think you might be from the last century with the fly-ridden goat. Spot on with the tourist image though - Istanbul does have both Macdonalds and Starbucks enough to keep them happy.

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