The Revolving Plate

Turks are extremely hospitable. And part of their gift of hospitality is their ability to make very tasty food. One cultural tradition that I absolutely love is the sharing of food. Turkish women are always stopping by and dropping off plates of food. Whenever I visit my best friend downstairs, her mom always has a plate of food waiting for me. Sometimes I’m served börek (a layered pastry with cheese, meat, or spinach), gözleme (quesadilla-ish), çorba (soup), or kurabiyeler (homemade cookies). It’s always delicious, but amounts to a fourth meal. I have two choices: 1) Finish eating everything on my plate, and later go out to buy all new clothes or 2) Take most of the food home and let Scott eat it. I like the second option much better.

In Turkish culture, a plate can never be returned empty. I return the plates with a mixture of Turkish and American foods, and occasionally a Mexican enchilada that must really seem far-out to them. My caramel-topped cinnamon rolls have been the biggest hit, but my mom’s Monster cookie recipe is a close second.