Edirne, Turkey
July, 2012

Mix all the ingredients, except the chicken wings, in a large bowl. Remove and discard the tips from the chicken wings. Place the wings in the bowl and turn to coat with the mixture. Leave to marinate in a cool place for at least 30 minutes, or for a couple of
hours if possible.

Remove the wings from the marinade, place on a cooking sheet and cook in a preheated oven at 400°F for 25—30 minutes, or until cooked through. Baste once or twice with the marinade during cooking. Finish off under a hot broiler, for not more than 5 minutes.

Buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Two-Ladies-Ride-Again/dp/0609603795/

An older man with hands behind back. A woman with scabs.
Edirne, Turkey
July, 2012

Here’s the recipe I did for the first episode – I made the drink with tahini and pekmez.

Hamam’in gulu: (“Rose of the Hamam”)

3 parts rum
1 part sherry (or brandy)
1 part tahini/pekmez mix (heavy on the pekmez)
1/2 egg white
Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Pekmez is grape molasses which goes wonderfully mixed with tahini and served on bread as an important part of a balanced Turkish breakfast. Normally, I prefer a 2:1 tahini-pekmez mix, but for this drink, you need considerably more pekmez for sweetening.

Turkler geliyor ve Turkler gidiyor… Benim Türkler Yürüyor dizinin ilki!

Episode #2 of my latest artwork, a video project called TURKS WALKING, is up! 36 seconds. The woman with the headscarf is in a hurry, and the man in white turns.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the corn, milk, eggs, butter, flour, sugar, salt, and pepper and mix well. Pour into the prepared dish.

Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/LaBelle-Cuisine-Recipes-Sing-About/dp/0767903145

• 5 pounds assorted greens (collard, kale, mustard, and turnip greens, in any combination), tough stems discarded
• 2 medium onions , chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 jalapenos , seeded and minced, optional
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) smoked turkey wing
• Seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Tear the greens into large pieces. Wash the greens well in a sink full of cold water. Lift the greens out of the sink and transfer to a large bowl, leaving the grit to fall to the bottom of the sink. (Be sure you get all the grit out of the greens. If necessary, wash again.) Do not drain the greens in a colander.

In a large pot, combine the onions, two cups water, oil, and jalapenos, if using. Bring to a boil over high heat. Gradually stir in the greens, allowing each batch to wilt before adding more greens. Bury the turkey wing in the greens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the greens are tender, about 30 minutes. Do not overcook the greens or they will lose their color and fresh flavor. Remove the turkey wing. Discard the skin and bones, chop the turkey meat, and return to the pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the greens to a serving dish. Serve hot.

Buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/LaBelle-Cuisine-Recipes-Sing-About/dp/0767903145

Turkler geliyor ve Turkler gidiyor… Benim Türkler Yürüyor dizinin ilki!

Today I’m delighted to announce the release of the first installment of my latest artwork, a video project called TURKS WALKING. All episodes will range from 30 to 60 seconds in length. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 ounces unsalted butter, melted plus additional for greasing
3 cups fresh corn kernels, ears (4-5, you can use frozen)
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
9 ounces Monterey jack cheese or 9 ounces Monterey jack pepper cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 (4 ounce) can whole green chilies, drained, patty dry and cut into 1/2 inch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F Generously butter a 2 quart rectangular casserole dish.

In a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup corn kernels with melted butter and eggs.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients, except parmesan cheese.

Add pureed corn and mix well. Pour into casserole dish, sprinkle with parmesan and baked for 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden.
(note: you can broil for a couple of minutes at end to get golden spots on top).

All numbers below are parts to indicate proportions.

Hurricane:

6 Rum
1 Sweet lime juice
1.5 Passion fruit puree

Autumn Wind:

3 Apple cider
2 Whisky
1 Cinnamon Schnapps
Bitters and lemon juice to taste

Chocolate Thunder:

1 Bailey’s
1 Rum
1 Kahlua
4 Coca-Cola

Note: keep the coca-cola separate until serving; careful when pouring, as it will create a head like a root beer float; afterwards, you can keep the leftovers of the 3-alcohol combination outside of the refrigerator

Shitstorm:

3 Ginger beer
1 Bourbon

Chill both ingredients separately, and only combine when pouring.