House & Garden's Istanbul Slideshow

House & Garden has up a beautiful slide show of images from Istanbul. Turks have a talent for making simple look grand.

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Ottoman Script Vase from Gaia & Gino

I just saw this Cali vase from Gaia and Gino on Design Milk. It immediatly made me think of old Ottoman script.

I went to the G & G site to check it out, and, sure enough, it's a Turkish company. The Cali design is based on The amazingly beautiful Ottoman calligraphy I've seen in Turkish museums and mosques.

Recipe: Turkish Toast with Egg, Dill and Feta

This is a very simple recipe that I have been served for lunch and that I have made as breakfast and as a light dinner. It's basically a Turkish take on a savory French Toast.

Ingredients:

4 1-inch thick slices of French bread
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup mild feta (use French feta if available), crumbled
2 tablespoons mozzarella, shredded
Cooking spray or butter

Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees. At the same time, pre-heat a non-stick skillet on medium-low to medium heat.

Combine the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and 1.5 tablespoons of the chopped dill in a large measuring cup and whisk lightly with a fork. Pour the egg mixture into a shallow dish.

Coat the heated skillet with cooking spray or butter. Dredge each piece of bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat, and place into the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until bread is golden brown on both sides.

Transfer the bread slices to a small baking dish. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon crumbled feta, 1/2 tablespoon shredded mozzarella, and a pinch of the reserved chopped dill. Place into a baking dish coated with cooking spray and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes, or until bread is crisp and cheese is brown.