Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!
Happy Independence Day - July 4th! I was recently in New York City which is like Heaven for a foodie like me. Ever since I spent an amazing week and a half in Turkey several years ago, I have been a devoted fan to all foods Turkish. Living in Tampa Bay, I don't have a wide choice of Turkish restaurants. Gengiz Khan Turkish Grill and Restaurant works in a pinch, but if I am really jonesing for Turkish food I have to drive to Orlando to go to my favorite "local" Turkish restaurant, Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine (my favorite is the one in Orlando but the Winter Park location is nice too).
While in New York, one of my favorite Turkish restaurants is ABA Restaurant. It is unassuming, chill and relaxed with tasty food. But one of my favorite things to do would be to get a cheese gozleme from "Mmmm... Enfes" Turkish bakery.
Gozleme is like a very thin Turkish flatbread or doughy crepe that is rolled up on itself with toppings and grilled. I love a simple cheese and herb filled gozleme. It is filling and satisfying.
A couple months ago I was on my way to Budapest for work with a layover at JFK airport. Since I now associate NYC with Turkish food, when I heard I was stopping at JFK I instantly said to myself "I wish I had time to go into the city to buy a gozleme."
As it turned out, my flight into JFK was delayed and I had to run to my gate to make sure I didn't miss my connecting flight. But guess what was across from my gate? A Turkish bakery in JFK selling GOZLEME! Seriously? Is this a dream? Is this a mirage? Did my stomach magically conjure up a Turkish bakery stand? When did my belly learn how to do something else other than retain large amounts of abdominal fat?
I realized that it did not make sense to question the miracle. I needed to ENJOY the miracle. I ordered two gozleme to go and then jumped back in the line to board the plane. As my plane headed to Paris (and then a connecting flight to Budapest), I was connecting my mouth to a hot, savory and rich gozleme. My magical belly was very happy.
So last week I was back in New York City and my stomach was craving Turkish food again. I decided to run out to Mmmm... Enfes bakery for ... you guessed it ... gozleme. I went online to Google the address when I saw a note that the Turkish bakery was "permanently closed."
I let out a wail so loud - a repeat of the tragic sorrow I felt when I learned that the Australian chain of savory and sweet mini pies called "Pie Face" had closed all of their NYC stores. WHY? WHY? WHY? Oh the tremendous sadness of it all!
I was disgruntled, but I was also hungry. I decided to walk down to Herald Square and look for lunch alternatives. I also needed to do some clothes shopping as my haphazard packing for the NYC trip led me to pack all the wrong clothes for the unseasonable cool late June 2015 weather.
I went to Macy's Herald Square and grumpily dove through floor after floor of clothing. I actually found some great deals, but I'm like an angry toddler when I am hungry. I was pissy and unruly.
After having an internal hissy fit, I gathered my bags from three different stores and set out to finally find some lunch. My frown turned upside down when I realized that Urban Space NYC was holding their annual "Broadway Bites" event - where local restaurants have booths to sell their amazing food. (I am a sucker for Red Hook Lobster Pound's booth!)
My stomach grew sad as I realized that last June 2014 I had been at this very spot, enjoying a cheese gozleme and tart cherry juice from the Mmmm... Enfes Turkish Bakery booth at "Broadway Bites." Then I looked up ... and guess what I saw?
THE MMMM.... ENFES TURKISH BAKERY BOOTH! I guess their storefront is closed but the booth for this one month foodie event still lives on!
I ran over and ordered a cheese gozleme with conviction and vigor!
I was so excited to get my cheese gozleme that I did not take a fancy, pretty picture of it - and as such my poor gozleme looks like the creature from Alien - but let me assure you, it tasted WONDERFUL.
I will be honest, I would rather my magical belly be able to pick billion dollar lottery winning numbers than make Turkish bakery stands appear out of thin air. But since I can't choose my magic, I am just going to be grateful that at least twice in my life I have really wanted gozleme and then they magically appeared. I'll take whatever "Law of Attraction" benefits I can conjure up.
So on this Independence Day, I am repurposing it as Gratitude Day. I am grateful for my health, happiness, family, friends and my magic belly! I wish you all the best of everything in your lives! Thank you for reading!
Happy Independence Day - July 4th! I was recently in New York City which is like Heaven for a foodie like me. Ever since I spent an amazing week and a half in Turkey several years ago, I have been a devoted fan to all foods Turkish. Living in Tampa Bay, I don't have a wide choice of Turkish restaurants. Gengiz Khan Turkish Grill and Restaurant works in a pinch, but if I am really jonesing for Turkish food I have to drive to Orlando to go to my favorite "local" Turkish restaurant, Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine (my favorite is the one in Orlando but the Winter Park location is nice too).
While in New York, one of my favorite Turkish restaurants is ABA Restaurant. It is unassuming, chill and relaxed with tasty food. But one of my favorite things to do would be to get a cheese gozleme from "Mmmm... Enfes" Turkish bakery.
Gozleme is like a very thin Turkish flatbread or doughy crepe that is rolled up on itself with toppings and grilled. I love a simple cheese and herb filled gozleme. It is filling and satisfying.
A couple months ago I was on my way to Budapest for work with a layover at JFK airport. Since I now associate NYC with Turkish food, when I heard I was stopping at JFK I instantly said to myself "I wish I had time to go into the city to buy a gozleme."
As it turned out, my flight into JFK was delayed and I had to run to my gate to make sure I didn't miss my connecting flight. But guess what was across from my gate? A Turkish bakery in JFK selling GOZLEME! Seriously? Is this a dream? Is this a mirage? Did my stomach magically conjure up a Turkish bakery stand? When did my belly learn how to do something else other than retain large amounts of abdominal fat?
I realized that it did not make sense to question the miracle. I needed to ENJOY the miracle. I ordered two gozleme to go and then jumped back in the line to board the plane. As my plane headed to Paris (and then a connecting flight to Budapest), I was connecting my mouth to a hot, savory and rich gozleme. My magical belly was very happy.
So last week I was back in New York City and my stomach was craving Turkish food again. I decided to run out to Mmmm... Enfes bakery for ... you guessed it ... gozleme. I went online to Google the address when I saw a note that the Turkish bakery was "permanently closed."
I let out a wail so loud - a repeat of the tragic sorrow I felt when I learned that the Australian chain of savory and sweet mini pies called "Pie Face" had closed all of their NYC stores. WHY? WHY? WHY? Oh the tremendous sadness of it all!
I was disgruntled, but I was also hungry. I decided to walk down to Herald Square and look for lunch alternatives. I also needed to do some clothes shopping as my haphazard packing for the NYC trip led me to pack all the wrong clothes for the unseasonable cool late June 2015 weather.
I went to Macy's Herald Square and grumpily dove through floor after floor of clothing. I actually found some great deals, but I'm like an angry toddler when I am hungry. I was pissy and unruly.
After having an internal hissy fit, I gathered my bags from three different stores and set out to finally find some lunch. My frown turned upside down when I realized that Urban Space NYC was holding their annual "Broadway Bites" event - where local restaurants have booths to sell their amazing food. (I am a sucker for Red Hook Lobster Pound's booth!)
My stomach grew sad as I realized that last June 2014 I had been at this very spot, enjoying a cheese gozleme and tart cherry juice from the Mmmm... Enfes Turkish Bakery booth at "Broadway Bites." Then I looked up ... and guess what I saw?
THE MMMM.... ENFES TURKISH BAKERY BOOTH! I guess their storefront is closed but the booth for this one month foodie event still lives on!
I ran over and ordered a cheese gozleme with conviction and vigor!
I was so excited to get my cheese gozleme that I did not take a fancy, pretty picture of it - and as such my poor gozleme looks like the creature from Alien - but let me assure you, it tasted WONDERFUL.
I will be honest, I would rather my magical belly be able to pick billion dollar lottery winning numbers than make Turkish bakery stands appear out of thin air. But since I can't choose my magic, I am just going to be grateful that at least twice in my life I have really wanted gozleme and then they magically appeared. I'll take whatever "Law of Attraction" benefits I can conjure up.
So on this Independence Day, I am repurposing it as Gratitude Day. I am grateful for my health, happiness, family, friends and my magic belly! I wish you all the best of everything in your lives! Thank you for reading!
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