Jacqueline Chambers
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My Turkish Cryptonite

4/12/2022

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When I go to Turkey, there is one mezze I cannot pile high enough on my pita. Even better, Murat’s Auntie makes us a large container every time we come, so for the entirety of our trip we have some for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack every day. The delectable dip is a mixture of walnuts, red peppers, and a variety of spices, and I had not tasted anything quite like it until Murat’s aunt sent over her secret sauce during my first visit.
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It’s called acuka (ah-joo-KAH) and is very similar to muhammara without the pomegranate syrup (at least the version I am familiar with). I had not realized how prevalent this mezze was throughout Arab nations and in Turkey and hadn’t come across them in the States. Or perhaps I did, and just nothing tasted like the homemade version that'd spoiled me.
As Murat and I neared the end of the homemade jar during my first visit, I mentioned that he should get the recipe from his Auntie. As is typical when on vacation, we forgot to ask before packing up and returning home. On the subsequent visits we were treated with the same gift each time, and I started to more aggressively remind Murat to get the recipe. I had to make this at home. I found the reason for Murat’s reluctance to share the recipe when he finally admitted, “Jacqueline, Teyze doesn’t give away her recipes.” Was it a joke? “But we’re family!” I protested. But her recipes are of such epically secret proportions that family or not, it didn’t matter.
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So, I determined that through trial and error, I would figure out how to make acuka myself. I searched many recipes online, and even found out that some call acuka ‘magic sauce’ – ya, it’s that good. A big reason why I may not have run into it so much here is because the main ingredient is pepper paste. While this might be found at Turkish specialty grocers, it’s not exactly easy to get in the US.
So my first task was to figure out how make the pepper paste. Without the paste, there would be no acuka. I combed the internet and watched YouTube tutorials, and realized that traditionally the pepper paste is sun dried in large saucer-like plates on rooftops. Not exactly a viable option for me. But like always, the internet pulled through.
​

Using Auntie Saniye’s YouTube channel (at least one auntie was willing to share their secrets!) and the recipes found on A Simple Pantry's, Tanya Zouev’s and The Aegean Delight’s pages, I was able to learn the spices and techniques that go into making acuka. Our kitchen became a test kitchen and experimental acuka lab. Through multiple iterations and taste tests, I feel that we have an almost-authentic homemade Turkish mezze at our fingertips. It’s not quite Murat’s Auntie’s, but in some ways, that’s the fun of it. To keep tweaking the recipe slightly every time, adding notes to my Google Doc, and hoping that one day, it tastes just like Ferser Teyze’s.
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The Acuka Recipe:

Step 1 - Make Pepper Paste:
  1.  Set oven to broil. Place rack within the top-third of the oven.
  2. Place a thin layer of oil on a sheet pan and lay four - five red bell peppers on pan. Broil 5-7 minutes per side, until blackened. Remove from oven and place in a large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely, around 1 hour.
  3. Using gloves, peel the skin and remove the seeds from each pepper. Keep the skin and seeds in the first bowl, and put the pepper flesh in a second bowl. Place a sieve over the second bowl and slowly add the peeled skins, seeds, and any water from the bottom of the first bowl into the second. You are straining the liquids into the bowl with the flesh until none remains. Discard remaining solids from the sieve.
  4. Blend pepper flesh and liquids in a food processor and puree until smooth.
  5. Add mixture to a pot and cook over low heat, stirring every 20-30 minutes, until reduced by half, about 2 hours !)
  6. Once paste is complete, add to a jar and top with a generous helping of olive oil.
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Step 2 - Make Acuka:
 Ingredients:
  • ¾ cup pepper paste
  • ½ cup walnuts and a little extra
  • Splash EVOO
  • Spices:
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin (or 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds)
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes → do ½ teaspoon if serving to tastes that dislike spice
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
    • 1 teaspoon thyme
 
Directions:
  1. Chop walnuts in food processor.
  2. Mix spices in mortar and pestle until blended and crushed.
  3. Combine pepper paste, walnuts, and spice mixture in bowl. Mix until fully smooth and incorporated. Add EVOO during mixing until you reach smooth consistency. 
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Winning in the Kitchen

4/25/2019

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Despite the lack of kitchen space in our lovely hobbit hole, we still manage to get creative and enjoy finding and trying new recipes.  Right now, it doesn't matter that our shelves are at maximum capacity, and that the top of the fridge, above the cabinets, underneath the bed, and all manner of nooks and crannies have become storage centers for dishware and dry goods.  We're learning to live with that, and know that more space will come soon enough.  Luckily we are both organized and borderline anal-retentive, so we manage to fit everything into the tiny spaces like a puzzle.

The other night, I made sweet potato and black bean tacos.  It was my second time making it, and now I've confirmed that it's a recipe that will be used over and over again.  It's easy, it's healthy, it's delicious, and - you get to eat a burrito (or several) for dinner.  Could there be any other result besides absolute enjoyment when dinner includes tortillas and guacamole? 
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Small Wins

4/10/2019

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A couple weeks ago we were visited by a film crew in our little hobbit hole.  No, there was no nearby robbery, neighborhood fire, or transportation delay that needed locals to spew their commentary.  The camera crew arrived due to, none other, than my brussels sprouts video!
Earlier last month Misfts had a promotion on Instagram that encouraged customers to share with the company why they subscribed to Ugly Produce.  Once you shared your thoughts, you would be placed in a raffle to win a free veggie box.  That sounded like a good deal to me, and I hoped my brussels sprouts video would give me an edge in the raffle!  
Two or three weeks went by, and I completely forgot about submitting my brussels adventure for the raffle.  It was quite a surprise when I opened my inbox and found an email from the Misfits Head of Marketing.  She told was going to be featured on a Reuters report, and asked if I would like to be a part of it. 
Two days later we had a reporter and cameraman at our door.  I think they were slightly taken aback by the size of the tiny home, but we made it work.  A lot of footage was taken and many questions were asked for a very short sound byte, but the time spent was fun and interesting.  We also ended up getting a free veggie box, as they sent one over for the shoot.  I may not have won it in a raffle, but the end result was just the same! 
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Click the pic to be taken to the report! 
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A Surprising New Hobby

4/4/2019

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​As one who lives to eat, I’ve never understood those who eat to live.  My relationship with food is a joyous one, and my life is enhanced by experiences at restaurants and family made home-cooked meals that give you both permission and encouragement to take seconds, then thirds. 
 
Despite my love affair with food and my constant thought of ‘when will I eat next?,’ I never felt at home in the kitchen or comfortable doing the cooking myself.  It even made me slightly anxious, and often left me paralyzed with visions of smoking pots and fires in the oven, quickly followed by me grabbing my phone to order take out.  Suddenly, in the last few months I’ve come around to the idea of experimenting in the kitchen, and I’ve found I really enjoy it!  Often when I begin, I have no idea how a recipe will turn out and have many doubts regarding my culinary abilities mid-way through, but most of the time, it actually turns out very delicious.
 
I’ve been documenting some of my trials (and errors) and wanted to share my adventure in Brussels (spouts) that happened a few weeks ago.
I've since made this recipe again and they came out just as delicious.  Even Murat, who swore up and down he'd never eat brussel due to traumatizing childhood memories involving boiling the offensive vegetable,  took seconds.  High praise indeed!
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    Jacqueline

    Reflecting on my experiences with the world, my neighborhood, and my home. 

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