Backbone of Anatolian cuisine: Mouth-watering grain foods

The foundation of Turkish food is, if anything, dough made of wheat flour. Besides 'ekmek' (ordinary white bread), 'pide' (flat bread), 'simit' (sesame seed rings), and 'mantı' (similar to ravioli), a whole family of food made up of thin sheets of a pastry called 'börek' falls into this category. No other bread tastes like every day Turkish bread. One realizes the wonderful luxury of Turkish bread only upon leaving the country. This glorious food is enjoyed in large quantities and is loved by all, rich and poor, simple and sophisticated. Every neighbourhood has a bread bakery that produces the golden, crisp loaves twice a day, morning and afternoon, filling the streets with their irresistible and wholesome aroma. Ekmek, pide and simit are meant to be eaten the same day they are baked, as they usually are. Mantı, small dumplings of dough filled with a special meat mix, are eaten with generous servings of garlic yogurt and a dash of melted butter with paprika. This is a meal in itself as a Sunday lunch affair for the whole family, to be followed by an afternoon nap. Börek is a dish for special occasions and requires great skill and patience, unless you have thin sheets of dough already rolled out bought from your corner grocery store. Anyone who can accomplish this delicate task using the rolling pin becomes the most soughtout person in their circle of family and friends. The sheets are then layered or folded into various shapes before being filled with cheese or meat mixes and baked or fried. Every household enjoys at least five different varieties of börek as a regular part of its menu. Along with bread, 'pilav' is another staple of the Turkish kitchen. The most common versions are the crackedwheat pilaf and the rice pilaf. The distinguishing feature of the Turkish pilaf is the soft buttery morsels of rice which readily roll off your spoon, rather than sticking together in a mushy clump.