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Housed in an attractive single storey stone building, Taş Mekan with its high wooden beamed ceilings, blazing wood fire for winter and the delightful shaded courtyard, provides a charming setting for dining out at any time of year.
Recently refurbished, new owner Murat Karataş has created a welcoming space to encourage guests to tarry a while and enjoy delicious tapas and good wine, a dining experience you won’t want to miss.
You may have already taken a peek through the window as you passed by …next time, why not go on in and have a look…
Don’t just take a peek, go on in and take a look
Welcome to the delicious world of tapas
Tapas refers to a style of serving food that originated in Spain.
Tapas are simply a small portion of food, served hot or cold. Anything can be served “tapas style”, from cheese and olives skewered on a stick, to baked feta cheese, to piping hot prawns in a spicy garlic sauce.
Choose a selection of mouthwatering dishes from the tapas menu which will be served on small plates, ideal for sharing and enjoying different flavors.
The social meaning of tapas is about much more than sharing food though: it’s all about the pleasure of sharing and savoring food, friendship and happiness.
Come in, WE’RE OPEN!
Taş Mekan opened its doors with a pre-opening event over the weekend. The restaurant is currently open on reduced hours and is offering a pre-opening menu of a selection of tapas and desserts.
Twisted Apple Pie
From Friday 6th November, Taş Mekan will be officially open on its regular opening hours offering a full menu including a variety of platters, main dishes and desserts as well as a selection of tapas.
Guests dining at Taş Mekan before Friday 6th November will receive a complimentary cheese platter and wine taster.
Complimentary platter and wine taster
Talking about wine
Tapas are traditionally served with alcohol and Taş Mekan has a selection of wines from the Lykia vineyards for your enjoyment. There are also beers if you’re not a wine drinker.
Of course, you don’t have to be planning an evening meal to enjoy what Taş Mekan has to offer.
While away some time with a glass of wine and a platter of tapas for lunch or as an afternoon snack – or simply enjoy coffee and cake.
Murat and the team will be happy to see you.
Owner Murat, chatting with guests
Celebrate “tapas style”
If you’d like to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or any special day, contact Taş Mekan and talk to the team about a tapas party.
More information
Taş Mekan is located in Tuzla Mahallesi, just behind BravoExclusive Furniture store on Süleyman Demirel Blv.
Click on the Google map below for directions.
Opening hours to Friday 6th November:
Monday to Sunday: 17:00 to 00:00.
Opening hours from Saturday 7th November:
Monday to Sunday: 12:00 to 00:00.
Guests can either make a reservation* or just walk in.
It’s autumn and pumpkins are ripe and plentiful, just in time for Halloween.
History of the Jack-o-Lantern
Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence. Photo credit: Boston.com
People have been making jack-o-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.”
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o’lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o’lanterns.
Whilst we may think of pumpkins primarily as Jack-o-Lanterns, there are many delicious recipes for the flesh – that bit many people throw away when pumpkin carving!
With Halloween just round the corner, here are a few recipes for you to try for yourselves.
Candied Pumpkin Dessert with Walnuts (Kabak Tatlısı)
This lovely light dessert is wonderful served with crushed walnuts. In Turkey, it is also served with thick cream (kaymak). If you can’t get kaymak, clotted cream also complements this dessert well. You can also add a few cloves or cinnamon sticks to the juice before baking, if you’d like to spice up this dessert.
Pumpkin dessert drizzled with tahini and topped with crushed walnuts.
Many recipes call for pumpkin purée so here’s a recipe.
Pumpkin purée
Photo courtesy of Foodal
Ingredients
750g pumpkin or butternut squash
Method
To steam the pumpkin, peel and seed it, then cut into evenly sized cubes. Put the cubes in a steamer or colander set over a pan of simmering water and cook for 10 mins. Test with the point of a knife and cook for a further 5 mins if not cooked through. Mash and leave to cool. Alternatively, to microwave the pumpkin, cut it in half (no need to peel it or cut out the seeds) and sit cut-side up in the microwave. Cook for 20 mins, then check the flesh is soft by poking it with a fork. Keep cooking if you’d like it softer. Scoop the flesh into a bowl, then mash and leave to cool.
Choosing your pumpkins
Different varieties of pumpkin make different purée textures and flavours, so while you can use any pumpkin for purée, they’ll give different results. You can also try using different varieties of winter squash: butternut squash have orange flesh, a very dense texture and a sweet flavour, while kabocha (Japanese squash) have yellow flesh, an earthier flavour and turn fudgy once cooked. The orange pumpkins you see everywhere at Halloween usually don’t have much flavour and can have watery flesh.
Recipe courtesy of BBC Good Food
Savory Pumpkin Hummus
Photo courtesy of All Recipes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
3 cloves garlic
¾ teaspoon salt
900g chickpeas (boiled or canned)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
425g pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup toasted pumpkin seed kernels, or more to taste
1 pinch paprika
Method
Pulse lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and salt together in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add chickpeas and olive oil and pulse until smooth. Add pumpkin, cumin, and cayenne pepper; process until well blended. Transfer hummus to a container with a lid and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Fold pumpkin seeds into hummus; garnish with paprika.
Throw a Halloween party and use a carved out pumpkin to serve this creamy hummus.
Place all the ingredients in the blender, in order. Blend, starting on a low speed and quickly shifting to high. Blend until smooth.
Serve immediately.
Serves: 1 | Serving Size: 1 glass
Recipe courtesy of My Fitness Pal Recipes
Frozen pumpkin cheesecake
This no-bake, make-ahead cheesecake is perfect for Halloween or Bonfire Night, or as an autumn dessert for the dinner table.
Ingredients
300g gingernut biscuits
350ml maple syrup (or honey), plus extra to serve
350g full-fat cream cheese
300g pumpkin purée
300ml double cream
Method
Blitz 250g of the biscuits in a food processor with 125ml of the syrup (or honey) until it resembles fine crumbs. Line a 20cm tin with baking parchment, then firmly push the crumbs into the base, transfer to the fridge and chill for 30 mins.
Beat 100ml of the syrup (or honey) with the cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Whip 200ml of the cream with 100ml of the syrup to soft peaks. Fold into the cream cheese mixture, then spoon over the base and level the top. Cover and freeze overnight.
Lightly whip the remaining cream with the remaining syrup (or honey) and dollop over the cheesecake. Crumble over the remaining biscuits and drizzle over some extra syrup. Leave to rest for 5 mins before serving.
Recipe courtesy of BBC Good Food
Health benefits of pumpkin
As well as tasting delicious, pumpkins are nutritious and linked to many health benefits.
Click on the link below to read an informative article from healthline:
If you visit the fruit and vegetable markets during September and October you’ll be sure to see mounds of a small red fruit that look like dates.
Photograph courtesy of Nichola Chapman
They’re not dates, so what are they?
What are they?
They’re jujubes, – small sweet, fruits that look like dates. Similar to an olive in size, fresh jujube fruit has crisp, sweet flesh reminiscent of an apple. Though it has the consistency and taste of an apple when ripe, it tastes a lot like dates when mature.
The immature fruit is green in color, but as it ripens it goes through a yellow-green stage with mahogany-colored spots appearing on the skin as the fruit ripens further.
Photo Credit: Agric Wa Gov Au
The fully mature fruit is entirely red.
Shortly after becoming fully red, the fruit begins to soften and wrinkle (hence the similarity to a date. The fruit can be eaten after it becomes wrinkled, but most people prefer them during the interval between the yellow-green stage and the full red stage.
Photograph courtesy of Nichola Chapman
In Turkish, jujube is called “hünnap,” or depending on the region, “innap,” or “ünnap,” coming from the Arabic “innap.” Jujube was one of the favorite fruit preserves at Topkapı Palace, where there was a special kitchen for jam-making known as a “reçelhane.”
Jujubes (Joo-Joo-Bees) are also commonly called red dates, Chinese dates, Korean dates or Indian dates.
Ways to eat jujubes
Jujubes, fresh or dried, make a tasty and nutrient-boosting snack, and they can be used in place of apples in recipes.
Try adding sliced jujubes to your autumn salads. Toss with baby spinach or rocket, walnuts, blue cheese, and a sweet vinaigrette.
Refreshing jujube and spinach salad. Photo Credit: Abakus Foods
Slice thinly and add to oatmeal or yogurt for added sweetness.
Bake sliced jujubes with pork chops in the oven like you would apples.
Make jujube chips by slicing thinly and placing in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees until dehydrated.
Cover jujube dates with water and soak overnight. Cover with wet cloth to keep dates submerged in the water.
Place rehydrated dates in Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Add sugar and 1 cup water. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes. Natural release 10 minutes then quick release pressure. Let dates cool.
Remove pits from dates. Place in a food processor with any remaining liquid. Process until smooth. Strain pulp. This should yield about 11 ounces of jujube date puree/jam.
They’re good for you too
Jujubes have an impressive nutritional profile. Like dates, jujube fruit is loaded with energy, essential vitamins and minerals, which provide its many health benefits.
Photo Credit: Dr Axe Food is Medicine
The health benefits of jujubes
Photograph courtesy of Nichola Chapman
Treats Cancer
Jujube extract is filled with phenolics that boost its antioxidant activity. This means that the antioxidant enzymes found in jujube work more swiftly to get rid of free radicals and prevent cancer.
Improves Sleep And Treats Insomnia
Jujube has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve sleep and treat insomnia since time immemorial. This is because it contains saponins that have a sedative and hypnotic effect, which make it perfect for inducing sleep. Having a cup of warm jujube tea right before you go to bed could give you restful sleep and treat insomnia in the most natural way possible.
Improves Heart Health And Decreases The Risk Of Heart Disease
There are several ways in which eating jujubes can do wonders for your heart health. First, it is loaded with potassium and low in sodium, which makes it easier for your blood vessels to relax and maintain a good level of blood pressure. It has also been found to work as an antiatherogenic agent, which means that it prevents fat from getting deposited in and clogging your arteries.
Boosts Immunity
When it comes to boosting your immunity, it really doesn’t get better than the jujube. This little fruit is packed with vitamins A and C that are powerful antioxidants. These essential nutrients fight against free radical damage that is responsible for a compromised immune system and could lead to cancer, heart disease, and rapid aging.
Controls Weight
Jujubes are low in calories and have absolutely no fat. Additionally, they have a high fiber and protein content, which means that they can fill you up fast and prevent you from indulging in unhealthy snacks between meals and putting on weight. So, it comes as no surprise that jujubes are a huge hit among fitness freaks.
Jujubes have many more health benefits. You can find out more in the article below.
Please join us for a scrumptious hands on Turkish cookery class (including how to make home made baklava) where you will be cooking a Turkish feast together with together with Ozlem. We will cook the below menu from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book together and then sit down and enjoy our creations at the Yakamoz Hotel’s beautiful grounds.
Details:
Date and time: Tuesday, October 20th, 9.30am – 1.00pm
Venue: Yakamoz Hotel, Ovacık
Cost per person: 45 GBP (cash) per person – the cost includes all ingredients, recipe pack for everyone and Ozlem’s instruction and sit down lunch together afterwards. 20 GBP of deposit payment is requested upon registration.
If you would like to join us at this fun and friendly hands on cookery class, please contact Mehmet Güven to reserve your place.
Antakya’s Arab kebab with minced meat, aubergines (or the vegetarian version, please let us know if you prefer vegetarian)
Potato and bulgur patties with pomegranate molasses
Sautéed carrots in garlicky yoghurt
Baked cauliflower with cheese, onions and herbs
Home made baklava with walnuts
Turkish coffee or tea
Signed copies of Ozlem’s award-winning cookery book, Ozlems’s Turkish Table: Recipes from My Homeland will also be available at the events (25 GBP or Turkish equivalent).
As always, your wellbeing is our priority and social distancing and safety measures will be observed.
Ozlem and the Yakamoz Hotel are so looking forward to welcoming you with Turkish hospitality!
Please join us for a scrumptious Turkish style lunch at the Yakamoz Hotel, Ovacık where Ozlem Warren will give a talk on Turkish cuisine and demonstrate how to make potato and bulgur patties with pomegranate molasses.
She will sign her cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, if anyone would like to buy a signed copy.
Details:
Date and time: Tuesday, October 20th, 1.30pm – 4pm
Venue: Yakamoz Hotel, Fethiye
Cost per person: 160 TL (includes Turkish style lunch served to your table, a complimentary glass of wine and Ozlem’s demo and talk).
To reserve your place please contact Mehmet Güven.
A deposit of 50 TL will be requested upon reservation.
Turkish lunch menu at Yakamoz
Starters:
Purslane in garlicky yoghurt, Ezme, Hummus, Radish salad in tahini and lemon sauce
Main course:
Karniyarik – Aubergine halves with minced meat filling, Borek – Spinach and cheese filo pastry, Aubergine, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil, Mercimekli Mualla, Potato and bulgur patties, rice pilaff
Dessert:
Baklava, Pumpkin dessert, Kabak Tatlisi
Complimentary glass of wine is included in the lunch menu.
Signed copies of Ozlem’s award-winning cookery book, Ozlems’s Turkish Table: Recipes from My Homeland will also be available at the events (25 GBP or Turkish equivalent).
As always, your wellbeing is our priority and social distancing and safety measures will be observed.
Ozlem and the Yakamoz Hotel are so looking forward to welcoming you with Turkish hospitality!
Ozlem Warren, International cookery teacher and the author of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, is delighted to be visiting Guru’s Place Cookery School in Kalkan, on Wednesday, October 21st, at 9.45am – 2pm, to co-teach hands-on cookery classes, with owner Huseyin Kayır.
We will cook together delicious Turkish recipes from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book after which, we will all sit down and enjoy our cooking, with a glass of wine. Ozlem will be teaching southern Turkish specialties from her cookery book.
Details:
Date: Wednesday, October 21st, 9.45am – 2 pm
Place: Guru’s Place Cookery School, Kalkan – Turkey
Menu:
Mucver – Courgette fritters with cheese, onion and dill (and its baked version)
Baked mini meatballs in tomato and pepper sauce
Bulgur pilaff with sauteed aubergines and freekeh
Antakya’s flat breads with cheese and za’atar
Biberli Ekmek
Revani – zesty semolina sponge cake
Turkish coffee and tea
Cost per person: 50 GBP (Glass of wine, recipe packs and ingredients included in the price.) Deposit payment of 20 GBP is requested upon registration.
Also, signed copies of Gourmand award winning Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is available during the class (cost per book is 25 GBP or TL equivalent).
If you’d like to join the classes, please contact:
Sumac (pronounced soo-mak) is one of the most useful but least known and under-appreciated spices.
What is Sumac?
Sumac comes from the berries of a decorative bush that grows wild in all Mediterranean areas and is an essential ingredient in the cooking of Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Iran.
The decorative Staghorn Sumac bush
The dark purple-red berries are sold dried or ground and have a lovely, nearly purple color, and an appealing lemon-lime tartness that can be widely used.
Sumac drying in Seydikemer
Ground sumac
In Iran, they use ground sumac as a condiment, putting it onto the table with salt and pepper. You can try this yourself and it will complement most dishes.
Using ground sumac instead of lemon juice or zest immediately enhances dishes, giving a fascinating and exotic twist.
It’s great sprinkled on chips, rice dishes, and Middle Eastern fare such as hummus, bean or chickpea salads. It’s a great lifter of sandwich fillings and something as simple as cheddar and sumac is a winning combination.
Oven-baked chips with sumac. Photo by Spice Trekkers
Simply sprinkle over yogurt as a dip, too.
Grilled Summer Vegetables with sumac yogurt dip. Photo by Season with Spice
It is a key ingredient in Zahter, a very popular spice in southern Turkish cooking.
It goes well with vegetables, grilled lamb, chicken and fish.
Oven-roasted chicken with sumac and pomegranate molasses
