Turkish delights on display
BY NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON World Scene Writer
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
4/25/12 at 2:48 AM
Turkish cuisine and culture will be on display at the third annual Raindrop Turkish Festival on Saturday.
The event will also serve as a grand opening and ribbon cutting for the organization's new building at 4444 W. Houston (81st) St., in Broken Arrow.
The Raindrop Turkish House is a nonprofit cultural organization that seeks to promote friendship and understanding through shared understanding and community experiences.
Admission is free, and the event is open to the public from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Organizers are expecting more than 2,000 guests.
The goal of this event is to familiarize the community with the work of Raindrop Turkish House as well as its mission in the community. The festival will feature Turkish folk dances, traditional music and many gift items, as well as original arts and crafts.
Hidayet Gozeten said that some of the foods being showcased will be baklava, kebabs, dolmas (stuffed veggies), sarma (stuffed grape leaves) and borek (pastries).
An artist of a traditional Turkish style called Ebru will be performing water marbling art shows during the festival.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. with the participation of Oklahoma Congressman John Sullivan, Broken Arrow Mayor Mike Lester, Consulate General of Turkey Cemalettin Aydin and other community leaders from the Tulsa area.
Raindrop Turkish House was founded by Turkish-Americans in Houston in 2000, and it now operates in six states: Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Gozeten provided a traditional Turkish recipe for stuffed grape leaves similar to those that will be served at the festival.
STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES (SARMA)
1 jar canned grape leaves
1 1/2 cups rice
1 medium onion
6-7 cloves garlic
Olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon red pepper paste
Salt, pepper, dried mint, lemon salt
1. Boil grape leaves for 5 minutes to get rid of excess salt. Saute the chopped onions and garlic in a separate pot.
2. Add tomato paste, red pepper paste, rice and spices. Add 1 cup water and cook on low heat until all the water is gone.
3. Break off the stem of the grape leaf and put about 1 teaspoon of the rice filling and roll. Repeat, rolling as many leaves as necessary to use the filling.
4. Line stuffed leaves into a pot tightly and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Place a plate on the stuffed leaves to prevent unrolling and lower the heat after it reaches a boil. Cook 1 1/2 hours and make sure the lid is on. Typically served cold with lemon slices, but can be served room temperature or hot if you desire.
Nicole Marshall Middleton 918-581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Enjoy Baklava and other favorite Turkish dishes during the Raindrop Turkish Festival on Saturday. MATT BARNARD / Tulsa World file
More than 2,000 guests are expected to feast on stuffed grape leaves and other Turkish dishes at the Raindrop Turkish Festival on Saturday. MATT BARNARD / Tulsa World file
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