Liver Stew & Burnt Ice Cream

Here in Kas we found our favorite lunch spot, Cafe Emre, a small family run restaurant specializing in traditional homestyle Turkish fare. The first time we walked past, we noticed that the restaurant was very busy and the customers were all locals. Both good signs. So we made our way to the counter, pointed to a few items which were delivered to our table along with bread, salad and Turkish tea. We soon discovered that we had ordered the soup and Stew lunch specials. Tammy had the Kofte (Turkish meatball) and potato soup, while I quickly realized that I had ordered the Turkish liver stew. While Tammy was quite pleased with her choice, I was ecstatic. This dish had an amazing depth of flavor and took liver to a new level. After tasting both of the dishes, made in the small kitchen, it was clear that they were prepared with fresh ingredients. Each helping was loaded with large chunks of potatoes, carrots, and meat in a hearty slow cooked broth.

Oh, and all this joy for about $4.00 each!

One of the joys of traveling is the opportunity to sample new and different region specific foods. Here in Anatolia Turkey, I was anxious to try yaniksi dondurma, or burnt ice cream. The smoky flavor of this goat's milk based ice cream comes from purposely boiling the milk until it sticks to the pot in a controlled burn. After cooling, it is churned to produce the final frozen product. While I enjoyed the sharp smoky flavor of my yaniksi dondurma, Tammy, shall we say, had an entirely different opinion.

A more detailed description of this ice cream process is available at the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity website. Part of the foundation's mission is to draw attention to small scale regional food products at risk of disappearing within a few generations. Overall, an interesting website:

https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/yanks-dondurma-burnt-ice-cream/