Kosher Dosher...“I am a culinary Heretic"

Ottoman’s Basturma is my playful quizzical name for this highly seasoned, air-dried cured beef. While researching different kinds of cured meats and styles, I came across Basturma, also called Bastirama or Pastirma.  Hmm...I thought to myself, with names like this, there must be a bloggable story behind this cured meat.  Why did I call this Ottomans Basturma? The Air-dried beef was universally consumed and loved by the former Ottoman Empire, so I thought it fitting to call it Ottomans Basturma. This cured meat has an ancient beginning. Before there was Prosciutto, Pancetta, and Bresaola, there was Basturma. Name any cured meat, and I am sure Basturma predates them all!!!! Here is an interesting tidbit (at least I think so) about the region  (What was known as the Ottoman Empire). The area had many different versions of Basturma, and although some of the names were different, the recipes and techniques were very similar. Even the Jewish p...

This idea of mine is multicultural in that depending on what you add in terms of spices and herbs it can represent many diverse cultures.    If you've read any of my other posts you know I love taking photos of my ingredients. Photos tell a story. The story involves going to the store, buying the necessary ingredients and preparing them for a special dish. This dish was spontaneous meaning I did not know what I was going to make for dinner until I saw the lamb in the meat case.  My food stories are always serendipitous and diverse.  Two pounds of Ground Lamb  Minced green onion. Note: there is also minced shallots but I forgot to take a photo. Damn I need an assistant.  Minced garlic Chopped cilantro Toasted pine nuts Golden raisins This is where the multicultural stuff comes into play. From here you can change the ingredients to r...

When did it all start for me? I've always had an affinity for fermented veggies, and after experimenting with sauerkraut and several other goodies, I had to try my hand at   Kimchi . After reading my recipe or techniques, you might be tempted to make suggestions or point out what is not authentic, but let me stop you right there. I've done extensive research on Kimchi, and there is nothing homogeneous about Kimchi in Korean Cuisine. City to city from north to south, everyone has their version, and everybody has what they believe is an authentic version. I'm quoting a friend, and I just love his take on authenticity.    "authenticity is an attempt to standardize one own's opinion as fact."  Let's talk about the amounts used in the recipe. Is it really a recipe? Not sure I would classify this as a time-tested recipe. I used all the ingredients I thought would make a great Kimchi and eyeballed al...