September

Ramadan Bayram

In the Republic of Turkey, where Ramadan celebrations are infused with more national traditions, and where country-wide celebrations, are referred to as Bayram. It is customary for people to greet one another with "Bayramınız Kutlu Olsun" or "Bayramınız Mübarek Olsun" ("May Your Bayram Be Holy"). "Mutlu Bayramlar" ("Happy Bayram") is an alternative phrase for celebrating Bayram.
Referred to as both Şeker Bayramı ("Bayram of Sweets") or Ramazan Bayramı ("Ramadan Bayram"), Eid in Turkey is a beloved public holiday, where schools and government offices are generally closed for the entire period of the celebrations.
It is a time for people to attend prayer services, put on their best clothes (referred to as "Bayramlık", often purchased just for the occasion) and to visit all their loved ones (such as friends, relatives and neighbors) and pay their respects to the deceased with organized visits to cemeteries, where large, temporary bazaars of flowers, water (for watering the plants adorning a grave), and prayer books are set up for the three-day occasion. The first day of the Bayram is generally regarded as the most important, with all members of the family waking up early, and the men going to their neighborhood mosque for the special Bayram prayer.
It is regarded as especially important to honor elderly citizens by kissing their right hand and placing it on one's forehead while wishing them Bayram greetings. It is also customary for young children to go around their neighborhood, door to door, and wish everyone a happy Bayram, for which they are awarded candy, chocolates, traditional sweets such as Baklava and Turkish Delight, or a small amount of money at every door, in an almost Halloween-like fashion.
Municipalities all around the country organize fundraising events for the poor, in addition to public shows such as concerts or more traditional forms of entertainment such as the Karagöz and Hacivat shadow-theatre and even performances by the Mehter - the Janissary Band that was founded during the days of the Ottoman Empire.
Helping the less fortunate, ending past animosities and making up, organizing breakfasts and dinners for loved ones and putting together neighborhood celebrations are all part of the joyous occasion, where homes and streets are decorated and lit up for the celebrations, and television and radio channels continuously broadcast a variety of special Bayram programs, which include movie specials, musical programming and celebratory addresses from celebrities and politicians alike

Ramadan Kebab

Special Bread made in Ramadan

Ingredients
• 1 pound of ground beef or lamb
• Fresh mint to garnish
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped in cubes
• 2 tbs margarine
• 3 cups of yogurt
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4-5 Pita bread, cut in squares
• Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes

 

Directions
Cook onion for a couple of minutes than add the ground meat and salt and black pepper. Stirring often, cook the meat. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes. Set these aside, keep the lid on.

Mix yogurt with garlic well, with a fork. Keep it in room temp.

In a saucepan sauté red pepper flakes in margarine, for 3 minutes. Warm up the bread in the owen for 5 minutes. On an each dinner plate place Pita squares and sprinkle it with 2 tbs warm water. Right away spread the sautéed meat over the bread. Then spread some garlic yogurt on top. Pour over the sautéed red pepper to garnish. Sprinkle some mint on top.

Baklava
(It is also a traditional dessert prepared especially for Ramadan Bayram)


Ingredients
• Sugar 3 ¼ cups
• Starch 2 cups
• Water 2 ½ cups
• Butter or margarine 1 ¼ cups
• Lemon juice 1 teaspoon
• Pistachio nuts (uncrushed) 2 cups
• Flour 4 ½ cups
• Salt ½ teaspoon
• Olive oil 1 ½ tablespoons
• Eggs 2


Directions
Servings: 12
Place the sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan, boil for 10 minutes, add the lemon juice and bring to boil again for a short time. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Crush or grind the pistachio nuts. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add salt and and mix. Slowly pour the oil, make a hole in the middle and add the eggs and very slowly add the water. Knead into a medium stiff dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for about 10 minutes. Divide the dough into balls and roll each ball out very thin, sprinkling with starch until half a millimeter thick. Place half of the rolled out dough into a baking pan of 35-40 cm. diameter. Sprinkle pistachio nuts on the top sheet. Place the remaining sheets. Cut the layered pastry sheets into squares or diamonds. Heat the butter without burning it and pour over the pastry. Bake in a barely moderately heated oven for approximately 40-50 minutes until it is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside for 2-3 minutes and then pour the cold syrup over the pastry, cover and let it soak the syrup.