Treason-served with pilav and yogurt.

I feel like I need to make a confession. I have been in London now a week, and have committed treason to the Queen's England the likes of which have not been seen since we opted for lattes and threw a bunch of tea into the harbor.

What pray tell is my treacherous act: kebabs. And kofte slathered in yogurt with dill and cucumber. And gozlem. And kisir. And strong, strong, turkish coffee!

Sorry gentle Brits, there is just no going wrong with garlic, onion, lemon, red pepper, lamb, mint, tahini, pistachios, tomatoes and flat bread to wrap it all up in! Why my obsession? Well, it's a far drive to get any good Turkish food in Seattle, but in London- it's everywhere!!!! The little Italian place on the corner? It's actually Turkish! The "Mexican" food stand-yep, Turks there too. The little groceries on all the corners in Hackney? Turkish ingredients abound!

Here is a little Turkish dish you can make at home easy with ingredients you can find anywhere, in case the grocery store on the corner doesn't have red pepper paste from Adana.

Menemen- Turkish scrambled eggs

ingredients:

4 eggs

1 tsp. very cold shaved butter

dash of salt and cayenne pepper

4 small ripe tomatoes(yes, this is a tomato heavy dish)

1/2 small yellow onion

1/2 a green pepper

olive oil

2 oz. feta cheese

half a lemon

toast! (how ever many slices with whatever kind of bread you have on hand)

Dice the onion and tomatoes and set aside. In a skillet on medium heat, add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Throw in the tomatoes, green pepper and onion and let the tomatoes start cooking. In a bowl, scramble eggs well with a fork. Add very cold shaved butter to eggs(this may not be too authentic but I promise you the fluffiest, creamiest eggs you will EVER have). Pour into the frying pan and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Stir with wooden spatula. Add feta and turn heat off. Let finish cooking on burner. The menemen should not be dried out-in fact the moisture from all the tomatoes will make this egg dish a little "watery" and is a little less "done" than you are used to in a diner-but don't fret, those eggs are finishing cooking-and when you spoon it onto your toast you will see how it all works out juuuuust fine. Serve on oven-warmed plates(please always warm your plates when serving eggs since eggs cool FAR too fast), and garnish with a squeeze of lemon. Whether you fork it in bites onto your toast or munch it down separately, it's just a little Turkish flavor blast.

Do it right with a Turkish coffee or make a compromise and have tea-white, like the Brits do. For my part, I promise to enjoy a steak and ale pie before I leave the UK, most likely to find it just as satisfying as a plate of peyirli borek.

for other Turkish recipes, here is one of my favorite sites: turkce.turkishcookbook.com