Slowly-by-Slowly

Çiftlik Evi: Mercan Bey & M. Sniff Out Delicious Food (Yet Again)

Posted on December 15, 2013 by lizcameron

Olives as part of the meze at Mustafa Bey’s Çiftlik Evi in Gaziveren, Northern Cyprus (Image by Liz Cameron)

As you may have learned over the years here at Slowly-by-Slowly, one of the Ottoman-era puppets who inhabits my brain (with the goal of assisting me in my cross-cultural marital road trip) is Mercan Bey ( that’s “Mehr-jahn”), the Arabian Spice Trader Puppet. You can read a bit more about him by clicking right here.

Now, Mercan Bey has travelled near and far – and always sniffs out the most delicious grocery items, spices and places to eat. He is, therefore, closely related in some spiritual sense, to M., who with only about a 1% fail rate, always chooses the best places to enjoy breakfast, lunch or supper. Unfortunately, I used to think that I too have this gift, but given my 99% fail rate, pointed out to me by Mercan Bey, I have given up and given in to the whims of M. and Mercan Bey on the food-locating front when outside of the home.

Hummus – not really a Turkish thing – but we were in Cyprus after all at Mustafa Bey’s Çiftlik Evi in Gaziveren, Northern Cyprus (Image by Liz Cameron)

And so it was, that upon our escape from Kyrenia (a lovely looking, but soul-sapping city by the sea in our experience), that we ended up eating lunch at 10:30 in the morning. As we set out to the west, intending to go to the very western tip of Cyprus, (because, why not?) we wove through dusty foothills with a few girly clubs thrown in here and there – the bass thumping even in daylight, a large water damn project in the works and kilometer upon kilometer of citrus plantations. I began to snooze a bit, my head lolling back and forth in between attempts to practice reading road signs (we were in “Gaziveren” village now) and respond to M.’s happy banter, and then it happened:

So-fresh-you-can’t-imagine-how-happy-our-mouths-were salad at Mustafa Bey’s Çiftlik Evi in Gaziveren, Northern Cyprus (Image by Liz Cameron)

Both Mercan Bey and M. shouted “Eureka!” at the same time. Now, while some of you know that this was the term that gold-panners called out upon finding their lump of ore, in my life, this means “We’ve found the right place to eat – and we’re going right now!!” Of course, this set all the puppets into a riotous spin of activity – mainly involving the tying of napkins around their necks and the like…before even knowing where we were going.

And as the car careened to the right towards a dirt path through an orange grove, then I saw it, the simple wooden sign, with green letters, saying “farm house” or “Çiftlik Evi,” in Turkish.

Mint on yogurt at Mustafa Bey’s Çiftlik Evi in Gaziveren, Northern Cyprus (Image by Liz Cameron)

And after several miles of twists and turns through red-dirt farmland, waxy green citrus tree leaves and a small village with very narrow roads, we emerged into the parking lot of the proprietor Mustafa Bey’s farm house restaurant. Kenne, the Queen of Manners and Etiquette for Ladies reminds me that I must remind those of you who do not know that in Turkey, last names are often not used, especially in the countryside, so everone is Mr. Mustafa (Mustafa Bey) or Liz Hanim (Mrs. Liz). And if one is trying to be very proper and respectful, it becomes Mustafa Bey Efendi (sort of “Mr. Mustafa, Sir”). OK, Kenne is satisfied and will leave me alone to type my own post now.

Fresh bread at Mustafa Bey’s Çiftlik Evi in Gaziveren, Northern Cyprus (Image by Liz Cameron)

Born in Gaziveren, Mustafa Bey and his family left for Leicester, England, circa 1974 (the historical line-in-the sand that seems etched into the hearts and minds of all Cypriots we met). Schooled and raised in England, Mustafa Bey married, had three girls – and now has a granddaughter as well. His lifelong dream has been to return to this village, and to open a farm-to-table restaurant…and while he is clearly thrilled to be doing what he does, he was kind enough to share that it is a challenge when one’s daughters and granddaughter are so far away…not to mention a challenge given the tenuous economic situation in Northern Cyprus (i.e. not able to trade with other countries -legally- given that the country is not recognized).

Pickles (and pickled peppers) at Mustafa Bey’s Çiftlik Evi in Gaziveren, Northern Cyprus (Image by Liz Cameron)

Regardless of these worries, we continued our “eat across Cyprus” theme and gorged ourselves on the best of the farm – all of which was the most fresh tasting (and smelling) food either of us have ever eaten. From the meze of plain yogurt with mint, local olives, pickled vegetables and a nutty hummus (not often seen in our locales in Turkey – more of an Arab thing – but there it was on the Cypriot table) to the whole, gluten-rich wheat bread with ayran (salty yogurt drink), we shone with food happiness and the puppets rolled around the table in fits of glee. Karagoz himself just rolled around in ecstasy as he was rubbing his tummy as lamb-jus spilled out of the corners of his mouth.

Our salad included vegetables that SMELLED like vegetables and our entree, which Mustafa Bey introduced as “what the Greeks call Kleftiko” was a heavenly slow-cooked lamb shank with rosemary-baked potato wedges.

Lamb shank, slow-cooked (sorry vegan and veggie friends, I fell off the wagon) zt Mustafa Bey’s Çiftlik Evi in Gaziveren, Northern Cyprus (Image by Liz Cameron)

Dessert was a plate of the freshes grapefruit, apple and new dates. It was all we could do not to fall down on the lawn of the restaurant and take a nap. Luckily, Mustafa Bey pointed us in the direction of his nephew’s small hotel in exactly the most western town in Northern Cyprus – and we headed off for a nap. More on that later!

Turkey says new Cyprus talks ‘imminent’ (dailystar.com.lb)
Gul congratulates TRNC on 30th anniversary (worldbulletin.net)
Turkey will give all support for ‘peace’ in Cyprus (worldbulletin.net)

Posted in Puppets on the move around the world, Turkish Food!, Visits from the Karagöz puppets | Tagged Cyprus, farm to table, food, fresh food, Gaziveren Cyprus, Kibris, Kuzey Kıbrıs, Northern Cyprus, organic, Turkish, Turkish Cypriot | 4 Comments

Kranky in Kyrenia – Including – A 2nd Round with Soldiers

Posted on December 10, 2013 by lizcameron

Harrumph. I’d had just about enough of sitting upright all day with an increasingly resistant-to-medicine pain in my side despite the resplendent views on our way down the north slopes of Kantara castle. You can read about that lovely locale in my last post.

Karagöz egged me on as I engaged in a bit of lackluster behavior as it relates to being a back seat driver – complicated of course by my role as navigatrix. Finally, the little chorus of dancing lady puppets pulled the lever on my seat, reclined my chair & placed a cold compress over my eyes, leaving the navigation – not to mention the driving – to M.

As we left the cool breezes of the Kantara mountaintop ( &the scents of cedar, juniper and pine) for the smog of the city limits, M. Indicated that he was ready for my emotional return. This was the case as all of a sudden, we found ourselves driving right into a military compound that was in the middle of the city.

For those of you who read about our scary encounter with a Turkish military post in the late-night a few weeks ago, we did not want to repeat this experience at all. It was, however, too late, we were at the guard post and guards were using under – the – car mirrors to check for bombs. I saw sweat coming down my husband’s neck. The puppets all crowded under the seats. Kenne, The puppet known as the queen of manners and maintenance of ladylike behavior, however, hopped up on my right shoulder and swacked a smile on my face in the daintiest way possible. I was, of course on the side of the window that the soldiers would see first.

And then a miracle happened. The two young guards saluted M. who saluted back as they had referred to him as an officer – which he was when he was in the Turkish military. They presumed we were in Cyprus on vacation. After asking directions through the compound, they let us go – with soldiers saluting us all the way. We could not wait to get the hell out of there in case our subterfuge was discovered.

Bucking up like a buttercup (as my sister and mother say), I began to place our position on the map as it related to our goal location – the White Pearl Hotel in Kyrenia’s harbor district. We made it out of the military compound holiday villas and breathed a sigh of relief. And there in front of us was the white pearl.

Recommended by the Lonely Planet as a mid-range option with a fabulous roof deck lokanta and bar – we decided to try our luck on finding a room as it was off season. We found their last room – just off the reception area and smelling like anti-mold products but a bed for the night. Perhaps the other rooms are better but I’d check it out before booking. Also, their breakfast is the McDonald’s, nasty version of kahvaltı.

After wandering around the town a bit, enjoying all of the lovely old doors (see below), abandoned Greek houses and an ancient mosque, we headed home for a pre-dinner nap. As my pain and fatigue set in – M. went out on his own. Returning with a delicious salad covered in shredded grilled haloumi cheese & a sucuk tost,, he regaled me with tales from the balık lokanta (Fish restaurant) full of wealthy wealthy Turkish women imploring their husbands on the telephone to lose no more than 10,000 lira that night. Allah-hallah!

As the women picked at salads and their cell phones, their children, none more than five years old, all played soundlessly with their iPhones or iPads. There was no giggling, no child’s play, no poking one another, no playing with food. In fact sometimes the mothers got off their cell phones long enough to shovel a bite of this or that in their child’s mouth. We saw so many wealthy Turks in town to gamble – not to mention people from the Arabian Peninsula. We found this depressing.

Cyprus is full of casinos – as well as out-of-the-way girly clubs literally in the middle of nowhere all over the place. I could clearly smell human trafficking in those spots and my heart ached. It’s a depressing reality about how Turkish and Northern Cypriots and the Northern Cypriot economy is pushed into a corner with respect to making money…. Even Celebi the modern puppet shook his head at these realities.

Remembering all this, I found myself Losing my taste for the delicious repast brought to me by my kind husband, so I konked out feeling sad about the state of the world. And that was Kyrenia.

Posted in Puppets on the move around the world, Turkish Food!, Turklish Moments, Visits from the Karagöz puppets | Tagged casino, Cyprus, gambling, income disparity, Kibris, Kuzey Kıbrıs, kyrenia, soldiers | 8 Comments

Karagöz oyunları in Kantara Castle

Posted on December 3, 2013 by lizcameron

Kantara Castle

As we drove west from the Karpaz Peninsula, we set our sights on visiting Kantara Castle. Of course, the Karagöz puppets (Karagöz oyunları) were over the moon about the idea of visiting a castle beginning with the letter K. They are sometimes a little simple & silly about those things.

As we meandered through the valleys and mountains dodging sheep and goatherds and not much else, most of the puppets at on the back seat window ledge watching it all fly by. Karagöz, on the other hand, daredevil that he is, strapped himself to the front bumper and screamed “Geronimo!” all the way up the mountains towards the castle.

I did not see much of the ride up to the castle because the roads were winding – full of switchbacks – that my anxiety set in tremendously. M. was much more along the lines of Karagöz, reveling in the crazy driving and wishing he was in his hunter green MG. Reminding me still, that it was my idea to sell that car as it broke down so much.

But, marital car debates aside, when I did take my hands off of my eyes the views were amazing. We only met one other car on the way down and were both able to screeched to a halt before some intricate maneuvering allowed us to pass one another.

As we reached the top of the mountain, we passed a series of lovely but clearly abandoned estates. We guessed that these estates were British, based on the modern design and opulence with which they were built. Given the high temperatures seen in Cyprus most of the year other than November December and January, when it is only in the 70s (F) we imagined that this would be the perfect summer spot. Gentle breezes and magnificent views abounded.

There is a small parking lot at the base of the castle with three or four Turkish – Cypriot gentlemen listening to old – fashioned Turkish music blasting from a car. They were extremely friendly and the rate for admission was low. Although there is not much by way of interpretation that we might see in other locations, a helpful hand out is available.

Oh – and the puppets? As soon we parked the car they flew up the mountain dashing around the rooms running up and down the stairs and oggling the views. As these puppets were born in the 13th century – visiting a castle built in the 10th century was pretty exciting for them. We didn’t break it to them that most of what we were seeing or renovations from the 15th century.

This castle is one of three across the mountain ridge that centers Northern Cyprus – these castles were built to be able to warn one another (via large bonfire) of attack across a large swath of territory. Think: Lord of the rings – style.

We’ll let the pictures do the talking – but highly recommend that you bring a picnic lunch and sit atop the castle enjoying the magnificent views of both the Mediterranean Sea and the Cypriot countryside below.

We are still waiting for Karagöz himself to come down from the mountain!