Baklava with Pistachio

It is not easy to make a baklava that has same taste of Turkish baklava:
IT IS ONLY IN TURKEY!
However, you can make baklava with ATHENS Fillo and ISTANBUL touch!

Make your own Baklava
Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds of pistachio/pecan or walnut, chopped
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
40 sheets fillo dough
1-cup butter, melted

Baklava with Pecan/Pistachio
Needs a little work and time:
Brush a 12" x 17" baking pan with butter. Place 1/3 buttered fillo sheets on bottom. Sprinkle with 1/3 of pecan. Place 71/3 more buttered fillo sheets on top, then 1/3 more pecan, top with another 1/3 buttered fillo sheets and rest of pecan. Finish baklava with another 1/3-fillo sheets and brush with remaining butter.

With a very sharp knife, score fillo into 1-1/2" diamonds or squares. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly.

Baklava Syrup
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2-1/2 cups water
1/2 lemon
Bring all ingredients to a boil 30 minutes. After 30 minutes add lemon. Boil 15 more minutes. Pour warm syrup over cold baklava. Or, pour cold syrup over hot baklava. Cool completely, cut and serve.

NOT: Wal-Mart is selling American's Made Baklava Online. Click following link: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2349656&cat=107630&type=36&dept=2637&path=0:2637:77479:107630

OR, YOU MAY ORDER TURKISH BAKLAVA AND SOME OTHER TURKISH FOODS ON LINE: THE BEST TURKISH FOOD

www.bestturkishfood.com

PHOTO:
HELENE, NORWAY
More Helene's Pictures at MORE NEWS

Belly dancing: Swivel your way to fitness
By Stephanie Smith
CNN
Friday, June 13, 2003 Posted: 11:05 AM EDT (1505 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- In Asia, it is a dance to usher in a new birth. In Turkey, it is considered a folk dance. In a small studio in West Los Angeles brimming with women of all ages, belly dancing is a unique way to get in shape.

"There's parts of your body that after you do this dance you realize you haven't been moving those parts in years," said Iris Parker, a student in the class.

Parker's instructor, Aisha Ali, said that while swaying and sashaying through the hour-long class her students don't just move parts of their bodies, but the entire body.

"The neck moves and the shoulders move and the chest lifts and the diaphragm lifts. The pelvis goes up and down," said Ali, who has been performing and teaching belly dancing for more than two decades. "It's soft for the joints and yet it's very energetic and very aerobic."

According to Ali, a single belly dance session works hundreds of muscles, burns calories and helps students to de-stress.

"You really have to stay with it," said longtime student Jytte Springer. "It's always a challenge, a physical challenge, and that's the real workout."

Belly dancing has emerged as one of the hot new workout trends in recent years, according to the American Council on Exercise.

The fitness advocate group says belly dancing and other dances have evolved from the traditional concepts to become heart-pumping workouts in gyms across the nation.

Many students attend classes to lose weight, but Ali said other aspects of the class are what make them stay.

"Eventually they get interested in all the different kinds of music we play...and they want to know about those countries," said Ali.

....
ORIGIN OF BELLY DANCING?
There have been many theories about the origin of belly dancing, but most of the evidence links it to the Middle East and Africa. Its apparent origins come from the fertility cults of the ancient world. Some say it was introduced by the Phoenicians (an ancient maritime civilization in present-day Syria and Lebanon), others consider Egypt as a source of belly dancing. Egyptian tomb paintings dating from as far back as the 14th century BC depict partially clad dancers whose callisthenic positions appear to be very similar to those used in belly dancing.

Only In Turkey belly dancing is called as "gobek dansi". It has evolved through the influence of many different cultures throughout the centuries.

In Turkey today, belly dancing is considered as a popular part of social celebrations (e.g. weddings).

Good belly dancers have incredible muscle control. This beautiful dance is performed with the whole body, not just the "Belly." It is usually done as a solo dance and while they perform the dancers often use some type of rhythm instrument (e.g. finger cymbals) to aid the musicians.

MORE ABOUT TO BELLY DANCING?
PLEASE VISIT "ONLY IN TURKEY" PAGE!

OR

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

http://www.onlyinturkey.com/photo.html

TURKISH DELIGHTS!

TURKISH SINGER AND DANCERS ON 2003 EUROVISION FINAL...

Details: At "NEWS ONLY IN TURKEY"

...

Turks deliver Eurovision delight

By Michael Osborn BBC News Online correspondent in Istanbul The Turkish hosts of this year's Eurovision Song Contest made the show their own with a riot of colour and an exotic dash of eastern promise. Istanbul's Abdi Ipecki stadium is usually a sweaty basketball stadium, but was transformed into a stage fit for one of the biggest musical events in the world... MORE: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3718391.stm

The first purebred Turkish truck!

Ford Otosan produced a truck and a diesel engine owned completely by the firm. The truck was also produced under the license of Ford Otosan.

The Turkish automotive industry has been producing these vehicles under the license of foreign firms until now. The Ford Cargo truck and Ecotorq diesel engine, which was developed with an investment worth 50 million dollars, will be placed on sale on September.

June 11, 2003
www.hurriyet.com.tr

TO THE FORD-TURKEY WEB SITE: http://www.ford.com.tr/cargo/

Excavations in Batman Continue
Batman, TURKEY, August 22, 2003 - American archeologist Michael Rosenborg believes that the history of Batman dates back ten thousand years. Rosenborg has been doing archeological diggings in the two south-eastern provinces of Batman and Diyarbakir since 1989. Pottery, dishes and pieces of flint found during excavations in the area were sent to Oxford University to be examined.

Rosenborg and his assistant Brian Lee Peasnall said that the findings from sites in Hallen Cemi Site date back to the Neolithic period, characterized by the use of stone tools, communities largely dependent on domestic plants and animals, and involved with crafts such as pottery and weaving. Announcing that the research carried out by Oxford University had been concluded, Rosenborg said the results of the survey would be published at the university and in archeological science journals. He added that there were more than 100 archeological sites in Batman. Carrying out archeological and surface studies with the permission of Ministry of Culture since 1989, the focus of Rosenborg's study, for the past three years, has been the area between Batman-Bismil. He said that traces of ancient civilizations, which could probably shed light onto dark periods of history, were buried under water. His studies will be completed on August 30.

Turkish Cartoons at Netherlands Exhibition
Amsterdam, The NETHERLANDS, August 25, 2003 - The works of about 50 Turkish cartoonists are being exhibited at the "Oud West Culture Festival", which opened in Amsterdam yesterday. The 70-piece exhibition, with a Turkish theme, will feature, among others, the works of Semih Balcioglu, Turhan Selcuk and Oguz Aral.

Turkish cartoons and comics, reflecting past and present, form the most important component of the festival. The exhibition was organized with the efforts of Yakup karahan, Editor-in-Chief and cartoonist for the monthly magazine "Vreemd", and most of the works were compiled from Oguz Aral's personal collection. Other works on Turkish and Ottoman life by Dutch cartoon artists are being exhibited.

Speaking at the launch, Karahan expressed the significance of introducing Turkish cartoons and comics to the world. He noted Turkey's deeply-rooted tradition in the art, yet that certain Dutch people still confused Turkey with Saudi Arabia. The exhibition will run until September 8 and entrance is free.

aa / Amsterdam / The NETHERLANDS

Turkish Cuisine Travels to the Far East
Banghkok, THAILAND, August 25, 2003 - The Sofitel Hotel in Thailand's capital Bangkok has been serving Turkish cuisine to its customers. The Turkish Ambassador to Thailand, Mumin Alanat, has imported chefs directly from Turkey in his efforts to promote Turkish cuisine.

Each day different ambassadors are invited to the hotel and offered Turkish dishes. Every month, a different country's cuisine is promoted at Sofitel. In particular, Mediterranean cuisine is promoted at Sofitel including Tunisian, Greek, and Italian. Photography exhibitions and cultural objects welcome diners at the entrance to the hotel's restaurant.

Alanat said that he brought two Turkish chefs to the hotel. Hors d'oeuvres and cold dishes drew the most attention, as did traditional Turkish dishes including shish-kebap, baklava, and sutlac, a pudding made with milk and rice. Asiye Ergil, who came from Ankara, says that she is amazed by the interest shown in her cuisine. German, American, and Japanese tourists congratulate her after tasting the dishes.

It was discovered that Thailand is completely devoid of Turkish restaurants, Alanat called for Turkish investors.

/ Banghkok / THAILAND


Golden Girl Ayhan Realizes 81 Year Dream
Izmir, TURKEY, September 02, 2003 - Dreaming of winning a medal in the World Athletics Championships for 81 years, the Turkish Athletics Federation, established in 1922, has finally found its golden girl. Sureyya Ayhan made Turkish athletics history last year by becoming the European Champion. She has now added a new accolade to her brilliant career by being the second fastest athlete of the world.

The recent World Athletic Championships in Paris, witnessed the participation of about 2000 from 109 countries. Of Turkey's three athletes, Ayhan was the only one to win a medal.

Bartholomeos: Let patriarchs be non-Turkish also
Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos asked for abolishing the condition that the Patriarch should be a Turkish citizen. Bartholomeos said that there would be difficulties in choosing a new patriarch since their community shrunk from a population of 120 thousand to 2-3 thousand.

Bartholomeos said, "One of our 80 high-ranking spiritual leaders throughout the world can be chosen as the patriarch, and then this person can be granted Turkish citizenship."

Bartholomeos told CNN Turk, "Iskenderiye Patriarch in Egypt ranks the second after the patriarch in Istanbul according to the hierarchy of Orthodox patriarchate. Egypt granted him Egyptian citizenship right after he was chosen as the patriarch. This can be applied in the Turkish case. In fact, it happened in the past. When the America Archbishop was chosen as Istanbul Patriarch, Turkish officials gave him his new ID card and passport as soon as he came to Turkey."

September 10, 2003
www.hurriyetim.com.tr  

Turkey Aims to Lead the World in Gold Jewelry Exports
 

Istanbul, TURKEY, October 27, 2003 - Importing gold as raw material and exporting it as jewelry, Turkey is a step closer to becoming the world leader in the field.

Regarded as the second largest exporter of gold jewelry, Turkey is predicted to break a record in gold imports and exports this year.

World Gold Council (WGC) general director Murat Akman informed that Italy still is number one in the world; however, international representatives of the gold jewelry sector are following Turkey's latest upward trend.

Akman predicted that Italy would continue to regress and Turkey would continue its positive trend. He said that the 2003 export in the sector was expected to be nearly 128 tons and if it were to be realized, this would be a record.

Turkey exported 116 tons of jewelry last year. He informed that in countries such as Turkey and India, because of the low cost of employment, products are cheaper and thus, more competitive. He added that Turkey would lead the world jewelry market in 2 or 3 years.

Because of economic stagnancy in the U.S. and the dollar is losing value before euro, world jewelry export leader Italy's sales are predicted to drop by 50 percent. Italy's biggest export market is the U.S. with one third of its total sales.

American buyers are shying away from more jewelry purchases before the approaching new near. Due to high jewelry stocks in U.S., in the first quarter Italy's jewelry sales to the U.S. decreased by 41,3 percent. www.zaman.com

MORE ABOUT TURKISH MADE JEWELRY? PLEASE CLICK! http://www.altinbas.com/indexeng.html

Turkish Toyota Better Quality then Japanese Toyota

Yoshimi Inaba, a member of the Toyota Board of Directors, praised the quality of the Adapazari Toyota factory and said; Our factory in Turkey is of the best production quality among our intercontinental plants. It has the same quality of our plants in japan, it even sometimes exceed them. Inaba said that they are pleased to have decided to invest in Turkey. According to Inaba, Turkey has an unparalleled strategic location, for she was close to Europe, Middle East and Russian republics. Moreover, Inaba said that the quality of manpower was also very good. December 17, 2003  Spy Yildirim: I had Love Affair with an American Officer Huseyin Yildirim, a spy who was imprisoned for 15 years in U.S. and handed to Turkey said that "Because of my profession, I had affairs with women. Two of these were important. Both were American. The first one belonged to the U.S. army. She was an officer. The other was a civilian. This is a very long story." www.hurriyet.com January 14, 2004  Do you know? CELAL BAYAR (May 15, 1984, August 22, 1986) was the third President of Turkey. He remains the longest lived President of any country!  "All I did was carry out my duty as a human being" The words of Selahattin Ulkumen, a Turkish diplomat, during an interview in 2001. As Turkey's consul-general on Rhodes when Jews were being ordered to report for deportation in 1944, he stood up against the deportations and protested to the German commander in charge. In July 1944, he issued exit visas to Turkish Jews living on the island and their non-Turkish children and spouses. Forty-two Jewish families were spared. His house in Rhodes was bombed in retaliation, and his pregnant wife later died from injuries. The Jerusalem Yad Vashem Holocaust museum awarded Ulkumen the title of Righteous Among the Nations in 1990. Mr. Ulkemen passed from this life on Saturday, at a nursing home in Istanbul. Peace be with him. FAZIL HUSNU DAGLARCA ECHO When a poet Dies God Feels it first Fazil Husnu Daglarca Translated by Talat Sait Halman HEADACHE We call it headache- The wingbeats Of a dead bird Pounding on our forehead Fazil Husnu Daglarca Translated by Talat Sait Halman More about Mr. Fazil Husnu Daglarca: http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~sibel/poetry/fazil_husnu_daglarca.html