a turkish dinner

a co-worker of ishaq’s invited us for dinner
even though his wife just had a baby by c-section
3 days ago.
granted the co-worker’s mother-in-law / aunt
– husband and wife are cousins –
was there holding it down
like the powerhouses turkish aunties seem to be,
but it seemed a little early for company.

we stayed there from 7pm until after 10pm
partaking in 3 courses.
my taste buds were unfamiliar with the oral sensations of the first course:
the slightly bitter, milky taste of the yogurt, feta,
and a traditional, yogurt-based, cold soup;
the plain, familiar, taste and texture of the pilaf and the fresh bread;
the tangy, spicy, vinegary taste of the homemade pickled veggies;
the tartness of the fresh radishes;
the intense sweetness of the dark, amber honey
with firm, waxy, bits of honeycomb;
the squishy texture of some kind of cold meatball and wheat-rolled soup;
and cold water to clear the palate between swallows.

imagine all this served from a big, round, tin tray
with everyone having their own small dishes
for their own servings.
just about everything is either stuffed in the bread
or dipped in bread before being eaten.
i was the only person having a problem cleaning my plate.
auntie, in her firm, hospitable, domineering way,
kept pushing food in my hand
and telling me how to pair this with that.
i love aunties.

afterwards,
as expected,
was the traditional tea and sweets,
but then AFTER THAT
was fruit: champagne-colored grapes,
fist-sized red and green apples,
and green tangerines.
the grapes were out of season,
but the family has a dark, naturally cold, underground storeroom
where they store fruits and vegetables to be eaten year round.

i was full from the middle of the first course
but i kept eating partly because i was being forced…er…encouraged,
partly to be polite,
and partly because i wanted to taste everything
multiple times
in order to fully experience each flavor.

all i could do when i got home
was make salat
and go to sleep,
with belly and spirit full of turkish hospitality.