Author
Hello! My name is Cenk (Jenk). I am a food blogger, novice photographer, seasoned home baker and a shameless chocoholic from İstanbul, Turkey. Four years ago, I started this blog to share my kitchen adventures with friends and it got bigger than I’ve ever imagined. I made some wonderful new friends along the way and look forward to many more.
My cooking adventure began during college, far away from home and my mother’s delicious food, where I shared an electric stove (with a single burner I have to add) with 30 other dormmates. It was mostly pasta or omlettes, but I managed to survive.
After graduating from college, I moved to San Francisco and that’s where the adventure really did began.
My first day in the city was nothing but trouble (read more about it here). But as the months passed by, I started loving the foggy weather, discovered friendly coffee shops and delicious restaurants and made wonderful friends, all of which gave me a reason to take root in the amazing SF.
Then I drove along Highway 1, spent amazing weekends at the Big Sur and Carmel and started calling California my second home. One day, I found myself running to the bus stop after work and decided that it was time to move back. I loved the people I worked with, but hated my job – try cold-calling 100 technology editors back to back and try to explain how ground-breaking your client’s broadband signal processors are while they’re eating lunch and you’ll understand what I mean.
I moved back about 6 years ago and not a single day had passed without missing San Francisco and my friends. I miss the city so much, I still cruise Craigslist rentals in the Marina and watch my old neighborhood from the Exploratorium’s roof cam daily. I am constantly homesick, especially when I come across my old studio at Craigslist (happened 3 times so far).
I missed the flower guy across the street with 5-feet-long hair and dirty nails. I missed the mini quakes each time the bus turned the corner. I even missed my oversexed neighbors. But most of all, I missed my tiny kitchen.
So that’s me in a nutshell. A homesick chocoholic.
In case you’re wondering “Why Cafe Fernando?”, here’s the short explanation: I am a huge fan of The Golden Girls, and my blog is named after Rose’s one-eyed teddy bear, Fernando. You can read more about my obsession with The Golden Girls here (the post also includes a recipe from the show).
You can contact me at sonmce@gmail.com or follow me at Twitter.
CAFE FERNANDO IN THE PRESS
05/04/10 – Saveur, “Cafe Fernando – Best Culinary Travel Blog 2010″
01/11/09 – Saveur, “Sites We Love: Cafe Fernando – Chocolate and Hazelnut Granola”
06/05/09 – The New York Times, “Research: The Traveler’s Best Friend”
17/02/09 – Times, “50 of the world’s best food blogs”
07/01/09 – Guardian, “Blog by blog guide to …Istanbul”
14/12/08 - South China Morning Post, “Turkish Delight”
01/11/08 – USF Magazine (University of San Francisco), “Foodie Blog Attracts Worldwide Fan Base”
11/06/08 – San Francisco Chronicle, “Turkish Delights/Living, eating in San Francisco infuses Istanbul blogger’s creations”
02/04/08 – The Washington Post, “On These Blogs, Bakers Can Find Their Fix”
09/12/07 – The New York Times, “Foodie Destination Istanbul/Cultures meet at the dinner table”
TURKISH COVERAGE (articles in Turkish)
24/04/10 - Sabah, “Yeni merakımız zevk blogları”
01/04/10 – Gusto, “İnternetin zevk günleri”
13/03/10 – Posta, “Sanal Alemin Şöhretleri…”
25/12/09 – Hürriyet, “Blog deyip geçme kur sen de”
08/11/09 – Habertürk, “Ben de Web Gezginiyim”
08/04/09 – Sabah, “Web Gezgininin Seçtikleri”
01/01/09 – Milliyet Sanat, “Iase – Yemek Bloglari”
08/09/08 - Milliyet Newspaper, “The New York Times Asked Him”
26/04/08 – Radikal Newspaper, “Award-winning Food Stories”
10/04/08 – Golden Spider Awards, “Turkey’s Best Blog”
10/12/07 – Radikal Newspaper, “Istanbul is 2008’s Food Capital of the World”
10/12/07 – Taraf Newspaper, “Istanbul: Food Capital of 2008″
21/09/07 – Hürriyet Newspaper, “Manager by day, food blogger by night”
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I have known you as a “gourmet of life”, not just in food…Not having tasted as much of your delicious recipes as I had wished, I look forward to the jello version of Istanbul if you will.
Wow! Blogging in Turkey. Funny how I keep finding people all over the world who have fallen in love with San Francisco…Turkish food is very good though…you shouldn’t complain too much.
Wow Cenk! Who knew?! I had never seen this side of you before, and I thought I loved what I knew about you before…now I’m in awe! Great job with everything! I’m addicted to your site!
My fantastic, creative, incredible brother;
My family and I love your site, you are really amazing… You don’t just cook food, you combine your love and friendship and serve… I think that’s why I am 100 kg now
I am so proud of you.
Cenk, What a great website! I wish you were still in SF. I’m going for a trip at the end of July, and it won’t be the same without you. You look great — I hope all is well. All the best, Nicole
Hey Nicole. Now you made me homesick! I hope you have a great time in SF! Eat at The Slanted Door (www.slanteddoor.com) for me.
Kiss Luke for me.
Cenk
Hi there,
I was following the links through a website that I am very fond of, and saw this one and simply loved it. Not only the beautiful pictures but also the way you describe it made me love your site instantly. Great job!
So, I did’t know you were Turkish. Really proud of what I’ve seen here. Hope I get a “hello” back
Selin (www.selincaglayan.com)
Evertything looks great here
As a big fan of cooking, eating, and San Francisco, I will be visiting your website more often…:)
amazing in every sense of the term. i found your photos on flickr, and discovered your blog and boy am i impressed! please continue posting and photographing delights!
awesome blog cenk. i am now ashamed that i haven’t checked it out yet. it is very inspiring for a lazy cook like me and i especially like the layout
Zeynep – Finally Dolly! Where the hell have you been? What happened to your blog? Can’t wait to check your photos at flickr and leave nasty comments…
Hi again Cenk. I just read your profile. You used to live here! Wow. I live in Pac Heights and loving it but my city with seven hills is still very different from your city with an equal number of hills. I’m mesmerized every single time I go to Istanbul. The sights, the sounds, the shopping and the good. Cok guzel. I long to see it al again…
I am definitely bookmarking this page. Thank you.
Thank you Alicia! Actually Istanbul constantly reminds me of San Francisco. They are both wonderful cities…
There is a bread I need the recipe for. It is called Lapinja in Serbo-Croatian, but some also call it Bosnian bread and others say it is Somen. Do you know this thin chewy wonderful bread. It is not pita/peda.
Also there is a little machine in Bosnia that my son-in-law, Sejo talks of that makes the cevaps/cevapcici. Have you this in Turkey?
BTW We live 25 miles east of SF in Alamo. We have visited Turkey many years ago and enjoyed the cuisine very much!
Mary-Anne
Hi Mary-Anne – Unfortunately I have never heard of Lapinja or cevaps/cevapcici. Sorry.. Glad to hear that you enjoyed our cuisine. I will try to add more Turkish recipes in my blog, so keep an eye.
I was on Selin’s blog, and just felt clicking your name, wondering why a man leaves comment on ‘pirasa’ (you guys usually do not like it) and just loved your pictures.
Songül,
P.S. S.F. is also my favorite city.
As I consider myself amongst a few who were privileged to taste your early works of menemen and pasta, I miss your cooking and your company.
Keep in touch.
I just found your blog which I will be enjoying. I have visited Turkey, and find that Istanbul reminded me of San Francisco in some regards…
I’m putting yours in my favorites!
Congratulations!!! I’ve just seen your blog and I must tell u that your recipes are great..I’ll try some of them then I’ll write my comments promised, but I’m sure they are soo delicious…By the way your blog is loooking really nice. Good job!
Elcin
Recently you updated your banner, and it is really beautiful. I love the beautiful dark blue sparkling with pinks, yellows, and reds. A beautiful design feature, Cenk.
Thank you Shaun! Actually, it is a painting by a very famous Turkish painter called Mustafa Pilevneli. I morphed the painting into a horizontal banner – with his permission of course.
You can check out his portfolio at http://www.mustafapilevneli.com
The website is in Turkish but you can still navigate through his paintings.
Hey Cenk, your website is absolutely fantastic. I just love it. It is so eye-catching that I cannot help myself trying some of them
Thank you Betul!
Hersey cok ama cok guzel basarilarin devami dilegi ile ben de 1 ay a kadar yurtdısına cıkacagim.Artik ordan takip ederim.
Mustafa MERİC
My daughter is off to university for her 3rd year. The difference this year is that she transfered to Vancouver to take Food Sciences because they no longer offer what she needs here…so she will be living in the dorms. You would probably have many stories to tell of your culinary days at university. She has a toaster oven, a crock pot, a kettle and a coffee maker for her room. She will have to get creative!!!!
Hi Valli – Since she is studying Food Sciences,I am sure she will be quite OK! She shoul start a blog and tell us all about her cooking adventures.
http://www.meandmytoasteroven.com maybe?
I just got trough all your posts youhave a great blog,the food are just eye-candy! love the dog Ralph!
I would love to hang at the Grand Bazaar one day with you and your shopoholic friends dipping into some creamy Hünkar Beğendi…
Love the blog, love the recipes (am working up the gumption to test drive your brioche)… Keep it happening Fernando.
Sarah – Thank you!
daniesza – We’ll be more than happy. Thank you for your comment!
your aprticot brioche on tastespotting caught my eye! yum.
im a university student with limited money and limited time but a humongous apetite for cooking, its good to see that theres so many other enthusiasts too! im gonna go try to make the brioche now! thank you! cute dog btw
Thank you Lana. I hope you like it!
Love the blog, love the recipes and adore the dog! I just stumbled upon it and I ‘m so glad I did…you are doing a great job! Thanks for sharing.
Hello again! I made my first comment on your best ever chocolate cupcakes and here I am again to make another comment . . this time about your blog. One word to describe it . . . I love it! The recipes, the pictures and everything else about your blog. I will definitely visit your website soon and often. If you don’t mind, I’d like to have your blog site as one of my favorites. Take care, and keep up the nice work! Ciao . . .
Hi Cenk! I’m a food-blogger from the SF bay area, and it’s really nice to have discovered your blog. You do have a great site going on here, and I will surely be adding you to my read-list, and also to my Food BLogroll:)
Wishing you the best in everything!
-Mansi
http://funnfud.blogspot.com
Bu siteyi tesadufen gullac tarifi ararken buldum. Gozlerim yerinden cikti.. Gercekten cok guzel.. Tebrik ederim. Takip edecegim.
Hi Cenk,
I love your website SO much. I’m mesmerized by Turkey now and am actually planning a trip to Istanbul in late-January. I was wondering what the weather is like over there though at that time. Can you please advise? Keep up the great work! Thank you so much.
Hi Jamie – Thank you! Glad to hear that you’re coming to İstanbul. I hope you enjoy your stay and the great food. Late January will be cold. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see some snow…
hey there, i just discovered your blog by accident..im totally smitten..hard to believe that’s a “guy” behind this amazing food blog!! you seem like a real cordon bleu chef!!
Cenk
Thank you very much for this absolute treat of a blog. I just moved to Istanbul from Paris. I have lived all over the place (Madrid, New York, Paris, Lausanne) and now Istanbul. This is the best gastronomy blog I have ever read
. It’s wonderfully hedonistic (in a delightful, charming and generous manner). Thank You.
I came across it by chance delighting myself in Ciya in Kadakoy last Saturday
Was a real pleasure viewing not only the many fantastic creations but the responses from appreciative surfers. I am a retired NewYorker living permanently in a suburb of Istanbul. Being married to a great Turkish cook I am eagerly awaiting her experimentation from your great site. Perhaps she will share some of her secrets with you.
One question does anyone know where to get cr̬me chantilly Рschlagsahne -light whipping cream??
This is one of the best blogs I’ve seen so far! Beautiful pictures, interesting posts, delicious food! It’s rare to see men cook let alone write about their adventures on blogs:) Keep up the good work! Merhaba from Azerbaijan. Feride (aka Farida)
WOW! you are awesome! I thought you are a cook at first.
I love your blog. I am learning from your great recipes a lot. Thank you very much. And please keep up the good work.
This photo is so beautiful.
just found your site. it’s great. i’m also ex-sf from university days, we were probably there the same time in fact (was it so long ago?!) i still cruise craiglist rentals too, lol, maybe one day… thanks for the great recipes!
Hi Cenk,
I enjoy looking through your links especially when it is related to something in Turkey! Like Pukka – Lvng guide to Ist. Thank you!
Kindest Regards…
Aysegul
Hi Cenk!
Until last week my main association with Turkey was Orhan Pamuk, now it’s you
. I came across your blog last week and have practically learned it by heart by now 
It’s awsome! Thank you for the recipes!
Margarita
Margarita – Thanks for the nicest comment. Glad to hear you enjoyed the posts!
Cenk,
I first came upon your blog after reading a article on Istanbul in the food/travel section of the NYT. Have been following your posts regularly since and have since decided it’s about time I left a comment
Needless to say, as a foodie, I enjoy the blog very, very much – though I don’t cook much at all! Just looking at the lovely photos is good enough. And of course, I adore the Istanbul posts though they fill me with a weird sense of complete yearning and homesickness for the city and its gorgeous food. So, thank you!
Szerelem – Thank you! Glad to hear you liked the posts. Come summer, there will be more İstanbul posts. Hope you enjoy them, too!
I loved reading your blog as of late. Great looking food and photos. I’m excited to move next month to a place with more than 2 feet of counter-space. I’ll be taking a crack at some of these recipes.
Great site, great photos, great recipes with a wonderful, cheerful, adventurous owner. Istanbul definitely in my list of visits and probably whole Turkey as well…
2 Thumbs up!!!
Is it possible for you to put up also video or clips of your field trips- say for example of the market?
I will try out your recipes and let you know the outcome.. LOL. Thank you for a wonderful blog!
Hugs!
You have a great blog! I cannot remember how I came upon it but I have permanently linked to you so I can always drop by whenever I want. Cheers!
What a wonderful blog, well done!!
I will visit on a regular basis and have signed up for the email alerts
Hi Cenk!
I was browsing the net for some Turkish recipes and I found your blog which is really really great. I am French married to a Turk and we live in Artvin (…. a little far awy from Istanbul but …. ).I am slowly learning about Turkish cooking and experimenting but here there are two ingredients that I have never come accross in France and that is ‘Malhep’ and ‘Keten’ (flax seeds in English I think). Do you have any suggestions / informations how I can use these in cooking? Thank you so much and I am looking forward to visiting your blog regularly now.
Wonderful site! Googling for granolas, that’s how I found your blog. I Lived in the Bay Area for 4 years before moving back. And yes, I miss SF so much
Thank you for the recipe, btw. Excellent!
Simply from having a hobby for cooking, borne out of necessity, you have landed yourself in the SF Chronicle, Washington Post, and NY Times. You must be so proud of yourself.
Your blog always puts a smile on my face and a (loud, persistent) growl in my tummy. One too many diets have been broken after viewing your recipes. I look forward to visiting your site (and cursing the day i found it) for many years to come.
But if I ever find you…i will have no choice but to kill you!
Ekin – Thank you! Yes, I am very proud. Even more proud when I read comments like this.
Cenk,
After stumbling upon your beautiful blog, I have spent half my day engrossed in you wonderful stories, amazing photography and mouth-watering recipes.
As an Aussie girl currently residing in Portugal, I can empathize with your moments of homesickness. In Portugal they have a great term for it: “saudades”, which actually doesn’t have a literal translation in English but is something along the lines of an intense and deeply experienced longing.
Enough of me prattling on, just wanted to say thank you for absolutely making my day. Certainly cheered me out of a slump.
Erin – I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed my posts. Thank you for stopping by. Also, thanks for the info on saudades, it is fun learning a word with such an important meaning. I’m pretty sure I’ll never forget it.
Hi Cenk,
I’ve spent some time in Istanbul and as a food enthusiast I’m always on the hunt for those hidden gems of the city. Stumbled upon your blog today and I must say, stunning images! Coupled with those tongue in cheek write ups, I’ll be a regular follower.
Z
Merhaba!
I just found your site while searching for Turkish recipes! I LOVE Turkish cuisine but have never cooked it.. I wonder why, since I LOVE to cook and bake just about everything… Maybe one reason is because I am pretty unfamiliar with it aside from being invited to dinner parties by my Turkish friends in San Diego yearsssssssss ago… I am hoping to learn more about the cuisine and embark on some cooking.. Turkey is one of my most desired destinations- I am indeed very fascinated by the culture, people, and cuisine! I am going to explore your blog some more right now…
Allah issmalladuk,
Leesa
Z – Thanks! Glad you liked my blog.
Leesa – Thank you. I am planning to add more Turkish recipes in the future, so stay tuned. By the way, fellow blogger Alan of Eating Out Loud has been cooking Turkish food all week long. Have a look at his blog here. His photos and recipes make me drool.
Hi Cenk,
Thanks for the link… and I’m glad that you are adding more Turkish dishes, can’t wait! I am really happy to have found your blog… I am going to start trying out some recipes. Take care, Leesa : )
Hi Cenk,
I was hoping you can help me figure out what kind of flat bread I’ve been looking for. I had some great Middle Eastern/Mediterranean takeout the other day…and the chewy flat bread was the best part. There’s no big pocket (I don’t know if pitas have to have pockets in order to be considered pitas), but there are a lot of air bubbles. It’s pretty thin, but not as thin as lavash. It seems to be cooked on a baking stone rather than fried on both side, as the bottom is brown while the top has collapsed blisters, kind of like a pizza. It looks like small holes were punched all over in order to prevent too much blistering. It wasn’t crispy at all on the outside, but relatively soft (but maybe because it was delivered and we hadn’t eaten it right away from the oven?), and it’s super chewy. It does smell like pizza crust, and it seems to have been made with all white flour. (I have a wedge of it in front of me right now, which is why I can describe it so well). Oh, but if I do pull at the bread, the sides will pull apart pretty cleanly and easily.
We had it with chicken and beef, which looked to have been cooked on skewers. The flavors weren’t too strong, but the chicken was more flavorful and had a yellow coloring to them, maybe turmeric? It also came with tzatziki I think, or some kind of yogurt sauce. We also had roasted tomatoes and white rice – if that helps at all. Oh, and it also came with diced tomatoes and cucumbers with parsley in probably lemon juice and olive oil.
Sorry this post is so long! But I really love this bread, whatever it is, and I couldn’t really find anything on the internet. I MUST bake some of my own! I hope you can help me!!! Thank you!!!
Jean – Did it look something like this? If so, it is called Ramazan pidesi. Here’s the link to Binnur’s recipe. I have never tried baking it at home.
That could be it! I’ll have to try it out as soon as I can. Thanks!
Great site, the food looks delicious. I discovered your blog from Rasa Malaysia and glad that I did. I’m going to put a link to your site on my very plain blog if you don’t mind. Thanks!
Hi Cenk! Wonderful site! I’m so happy I’ve found it. I am a yabanci living in Antalya for a year (already!) and stragling a bit with finding my way in the kitchen with many delicious fresh foods and lots of ingredients that I miss from abroad and seem to be at a loss without. To know that there is someone living in Turkey and cooking/baking Turkish but also more familiar food is a great relief! I will be trying out your recipes and letting you know how I do along the way! Thanks!
I just discovered your blog through the DMBLGIT contest. It’s got some great stuff and I like its name — Plus you’re cute too.
I’ll be adding a link to Cafe Fernando on my food blog. Good luck with ALL.
I’ll go through my September photos and sumbit something to DMBLGIT soon. Thank you very much.
Ciao, Shelly
Nibbles of Tidbits
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/
I was wondering if anyone figured out where we can find those dolma makers?
Great site
what is really a turkish kind of food? something that you can say it’s from Turkey.
How someone which sees world so colourful and beautiful can have so much pain and sadness in eyes.. Don’t keep so many questions in head and let yourself to be smiled like your photos and people who can watch them:)).
Many happiness, thanks for such nice place like here.
luvOfood, Shelly – Thanks!
Marta – Hope you like the recipes. Thank you.
Jake M – The list is too long, but here’s a start.
CornFlower – It was actually taken after long hours of baking. I wasn’t sad at all, just tired but I see what you mean. I should definitely have a more energetic photo taken. Will do so soon. Many thanks for your lovely words.
Hi there,
I love your Tuxedo strawberry and wondered if we could use the image on a mail out that we are doing please? We organise conferences and events and sometimes get asked for Turkey!
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Kind regards,
Leah
hello
came across your blog from another food blog. enjoyed browsing through each recipe. i (too) love to cook (and bake) and hopefully, i can try some of your recipes.
Love your blog! Mostly because of its traditional Turkish flavour. I think that’s what makes it so special. However, I couldn’t find any baklava recipes. What kind of a in-love-with-cooking-Turk are you without something so popular and savory as the baklava? Looking forward to see that on your site! :d
Alexandra – Thanks a lot for your kind words. Preparing baklava from scratch is very difficult to do at home. I might try it one day tough…
Ok, I’ll just wait…and keep an eye on the new posts. Until then, I’m thinking of that baked salmon in parchment (yes, I’ve browsed most of your archive and, yes, I seem to have an obsession for salmon lately!!). It seems easy to make, but the day I’ll finally find the courage to cook it hasn’t arrived yet. I guess it’s just like making baklava for you. ^_^
Como tu web lleva nombre español, me dirijo a ti en este idioma.
Llegué aquí por casualidad a través de un blog: “El tiempo de la marmota”. Me gusta la gastronomía y el mundo de la fotografía que he visto bien reflejado en tu web, por lo que te visitaré de vez en cuando si no te importa.
Creo que pronto cumpliré el sueño de ir a Estambul, puedo preguntarte cosas de allí?
Saludos.
Cenk, this is mind-boggling. I will be downloading your recipes and trying them out in my tiny NY kitchen. Congratulations on a beautiful, informative site that makes me want to cuddle my silpats and run out to buy the Golden Girls DVDs at the same time.
Hi Cenk,
I love your site, in fact my link is called “As closest to Turkey as I can get”, I love Golden Girls too, I am going to be a goldgirl myself. I so enjoy reading your articles.
Keep it up.
Visit my sometime, how about an ingredient exchange?
Chikka..
Cenk, you resemble an Indian film star – Saif Ali Khan Pataudi! your food is gorgeous… nice to see you bring out your country’s culinary traditions… I’d love to Visit turkey someday!
Would also love to see you share the relevance of the recipes – like how it is traditionally eaten, any religious / festive significance etc.. ancient cultures rarely have food standalone, there is always a significance – be it religious, ceremonial, seasonal, medicinal, etc & that is what makes food so interesting!
Hi Cenk,
Nice blog, i like it. But i just wondered why you choose to name it cafefernando?
Just curiosity.
Thanks.
Mehmet – Thanks. I named it after Rose Nylund’s (from The Golden Girls) one-eyed teddy bear. I am a big fan of the show. You can read more about it here or here (second link in Turkish).
BTW, I had the privilege to visit Istanbul last year.Short visit, but got to meet your Prime Minister (not to mix politics with cooking….)
http://theblogthatatemanhattan.blogspot.com/2007/10/48-hours-in-istanbul.html
Hey! I’ve been a follower of your blog for a long time. I’m from Canada have a degree in communications/advertising and am pursuing and education in culinary arts after working in Graphic Design (which I still love). I’m young and ambitious, from Canada and in Istanbul next week. I would LOVE to meet up with you when Im in the city. Maybe you could show me around a little bit. I think your blog is lovely and would love to have you as a guide to the city.
Cheers.
Britt.
Britt – Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I am swamped with projects and do not have time to meet up, but I’ll send you a list of my favorite restaurants via email. Hope you have a wonderful time.
Hi Cenk, will you tell us something about the gear you are using for these amazing shots??
Mrs Ergül – I use a Canon 5D mark 2. My favorite lens for food photography is 50mm f1.4.
Dear Cenk, I really like your bolg, loved the dolma gadget, where can I find it online ? since Dolma is my one and only meal !
too bad your not my friend, else I would’ve visited you all the time
love your plates too
keep up the good work
Hela – Thanks! Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the machine online. You have to visit Istanbul to buy one.
Hi Cenk,
I like the pictures of food you have on your blog. I’ve always wanted to see Turkey.
I don’t know you, but am wondering if you know of anyone (female) who may be interested in flying from San Francisco into Istanbul to take in the beautiful sights of Turkey in an easy-going budget tour, and of course, at the same enjoy the food there in summer (sometime during June through Aug).
By the way, is it safe to travel on our own in Turkey? I believe it is. Just want to hear what you have to say.
Thanks a lot!
Cheers,
LC (Ms)
LC – I don’t know of anyone, but someone might read this comment reply back… And if not, don’t worry – it is safe to travel on your own to Turkey.
HI, I hope you can help me. I am brazilian and I have been living in Istambul for 3 months and I am trying to find a single store that sells condensad milk and heavy cream. Could you please help me?
Hi Cenk, As a lover of food and my own photos I thought you would like to know that someone has portrayed one of your copyrighted images as their own: here’s the link. http://allrecipes.com/Cook/Photo.aspx?photoID=383255. Do with the info what you wish. The good news is that they led me to your site and I’ll be back when I have more time.
Linda – Thanks for the warning. I’ll contact them immediately. Great to hear I’ve gained a reader through this
Selam Cenk,
Daha evvel yorum yazmistim buraya ancak daha sonra ablam Sezgi ile konusuyorduk, megerse sen bizim lisedenmissin ve ben tanimamisim yorum yazarken. Sonradan resminden hatirladim, yaslilik iste
Neyse tekrardan tebrik ediyorum ve acaba NPR’in “splendid table” ve/veya “good food” programlarini takip ediyor musun? Ben is yerinde podcastlarini dinliyorum cok zevkli, tabii aciktiriyor her seferinde ama senin blogu hatirlatiyorlar. Dinlemediysen siddetle tavsiye ederim. Buradaki ilgilenen arkadaslarima yonlendirdim blogunu. Basarilarinin devamini diliyorum.
You rock! I love your blog and witty writing. And…..I share your obsession for the Golden Girls. I am pretty sure I’ve seen every single episode….I can’t get enough of Sophia. Thank you so much for creating this lovely space!
Not sure if you can watch it in TR, but Betty White will host the SNL this weekend!
Hi Cenk,
I have found out your blog while i was reading Oray Egin’s article today. It is really exciting to see an old friend’s success. Maybe we should arrange a kind of re-uninon soon.
Hi Cenk, I’ve been one of your readers for a long time, I don’t know over a year or maybe two
I’ve never read your “about” page but from your last post about the cookbook you’re working on I started to get curious. And I made a discovery, you are not a woman!! I started cracking up because I always pictured you as a slim dark-haired attractive woman 
I was a bit wrong!!! Anyway, thanks for the picture of yourself, and the tidbit about your history. So excited for you on your adventure of writing a cookbook!! I hope to do the same one day, I’d also love to just take a few cooking classes! But I just gave birth to our sixth child and I’m a little busy at the time, some day!! Congratulations again, I’ve loved your recipes and the very talented photos you take, it’s very inspiring, I get ideas for cooking/blogging from your site, thanks!!
As silly and stupid as I’m going to sound but I love your eyes! Ahem!
I just stumbled upon your site and ofcourse goes without saying I’m so impressed! I was in Turkey for a vacation last month and ohhh I miss Istanbul so much. And Taskim square is like my all time favrite spot ever! Loved the food. I ll now start looking around for some Turkish recipes.
There was this one place we ate at ANTIOCHIA in Beyoglu. I still dream about a roasted red and green bell pepper dip with walnuts and pomegrante molasses dressing I had there. Anyway you can provide me the recipe for it?
Hi Cenk,
I was googling to find a recipe and stumble upon your website. I was poking around to read your stories, recipes and your beautiful photos. Then I forgot what I was originally googling.
I am also living in San Francisco now and in love with this city. A few years ago, I have been to Turkey for 3 weeks, mostly stayed in Istanbul and the Bodrum peninsula, and met many, many, amazing people. Everyone I met was genuine, giving, and caring. There are many places have beautiful mountains and water, but for me, it was the people in Turkey made my trip so special.
I hope you all the best. Good luck with your cookbook. I’m going to try some of your recipes this weekend.
Carmen – I am so happy to hear you’ve had a wonderful experience here in Turkey. Many thanks for your kind words. Hope you like the recipes!
As an old San Franciscan who lives in Istanbul now I am still homesick and missing El Metate on Bryant and 22nd. I want to find a good Mexican in Istanbul, any recommendations?
Great site! already shared it with friends and family…
Hi Cenk,
What an amazing blog, i just love your recipes, photography.And on top of that you are from Turkey- my dream destination.
Really glad to have come across your blog. Till yesterday, Orhan Pamuk was the only person that came in my mind when i thought of Turkey, but now you will definitely be there.
cheers
S
Yael – Thank you! Unfortunately, there aren’t any good Mexican restaurants in Istanbul.
Cenk,
Keep doing what you are doing, always, please!
We LOVE you. We LOVE the food photos on your site. And we LOVE the wonderful narratives that accompany the recipes.
LOVE. Love. LOVE!
Lots of love comin’ at you.
Robert (& friends)
Hi Cenk,
I dicovered your blog today and it’s really gorgeous – can wait for your next
unbelievable pictures and recipes.
I really like your great kind of writing.
Greetings from Hamburg
Andreas
i would like to know what type of camera you use to take pictures….
very nice and comfortable…to see..nice site to learn also…
mohit
culinary student
india
I love the artwork that is on the top banner on your blog! Is this by any specific artist?
– Kavitha