Istanbul, the city that straddles two continents was a whirlwind of cross-cultural interaction. We spent days visiting the Hippodrome, the Blue mosque, the Topkapi palace and the Hagia Sophia.

At the end of the day we visited the wharfs and docks where the seafood was sold straight off the boats with food vendors cooking up a treat.

We usually ate the traditional Turkish favorite of balik e met, or fish and bread. The catch of the day was fried or grilled, drained and served on small rolls with onions.

Turks are culinary purists and don't believe in using heavy sauces or spices that mask the flavors of the main ingredient. The fresh fish tasted heavenly! We washed our meal down with raki, the local brew made of aniseed. The vendors hawked their fares from simple stalls where one ate standing-up. A few vendors had small tables and chairs.

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“Balik e Met (Fish and Bread)" (Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs fish fillet
• salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• oil for deep frying
• lemon

Directions:

1. Clean and cut fish into bite-size pieces.
2. Sprinkle salt on the fish, cover and let it rest for approximate ten minutes.
3. Roll fillet in flour until completely coated.
4. Deep-fry until crisp and golden brown.
5. Place fillet on paper towel.
6. Squeeze some lemon on the fish before serving.