Cafe Fernando

Parmesan and Black Pepper Biscuits

If someone ever compiles a list of “The Most Bizarre Projects Ever”, I am pretty sure that at least three of the ones I was assigned during my ten years in the corporate world would make it to the top of that list.

Here are a few: I was woken up on a Sunday night and was ordered to do some damage control for one of our billboards, which was supposed to welcome a VIP from the headquarters arriving in Istanbul the next morning. Apparently, during the heavy rain that day, a couple drops of water leaked into the billboard, which “had the potential to cause” a tiny section close to the edge of the ad curl (which would be impossible to detect from the VIP’s limo on the road, but still unacceptable). I was ordered to rush to the site with a ladder (the billboard was 12-feet tall) and a hair dryer to dry the ad (I promised to take care of the situation, hung up and went back to sleep). On another occasion, again involving welcoming a VIP guest, we were planning on hanging banners on electric poles with our ads printed on them. Before they were printed and hanged, I was asked to test, in a lab environment, the maximum wind speed they could withstand “by creating artificial winds at several different speeds” (I just laughed). I saved the best for last: I was ordered to put together a PowerPoint presentation summarizing a love scandal that had broken out in the office, to be sent to our headquarters abroad.

What’s even more bizarre than these requests is the fact that, over time, I’ve somehow gotten used to them.

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Chocolate Mousse Recipe

I’ve told you about the best part of working from home, but I realized I haven’t mentioned some of the not-so-delightful sides.

First of all, according to your friends, you no longer have a “job”. What they call a job requires an office – preferably, one with stale coffee and decade-old carpeting. So, when they call you in the middle of the day and invite you out to lunch, grab a coffee or go lamp shopping for their new house, don’t expect them to take your “I am busy!” response too seriously.

Besides, what work? After all, you are only baking a cake and taking its pictures.

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My First Cookbook

I am writing my first cookbook. And I can’t believe I just said that.

Five months ago, I received an e-mail from a Turkish publishing house, asking if I’d be interested in writing a cookbook. The moment I read that e-mail, I stood up and started walking around the house, looking for stupid chores to keep my mind occupied. I had been waiting for that e-mail for a long time, but never thought I’d react that way. My stomach tangled up and my IQ must have dropped 50 points because I suddenly found myself in front of the mirror examining my teeth. Then I went to the kitchen, poured some cold, leftover coffee from the morning, sat down and wrote back.

Five months later, my IQ is back to normal. I am still nervous and panicked, but very happy – delirious even. It has been almost five years since I’ve started blogging and it would be a lie if I had said the thought of writing my own cookbook never crossed my mind. Developing recipes, styling food, taking photos and hunting at eBay for props are true passions of mine (and as of April became my job description), and I would like to do those things for the rest of my life, but working on a cookbook is a huge responsibility. I always thought I would find enough time only when I retire, move to Carmel and open up my antique store there. I would have all the time in the world then. But now? Now I have to finish the book in a year (maybe two). And I will not only write the book, but also do the styling, take all the photos (every recipe will have a photo) AND – if I can do it- design it.

As of now, the cookbook is scheduled to be published in Turkey only. Unfortunately, that means the majority of you won’t be able to enjoy the recipes, photos and stories, but I have this wild dream of publishing it in English as well and hope that it comes true one day.

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