Baklava

[Hissyspit]

Dessert specialist Nadir Gullu holds a pan with a baklava made into the iconic image of U.S. President Barack Obama, dubbed "the Baracklava,"at Gulluoglu baklava bakery in Istanbul, April 6, 2009. Gullu spent five days and used 40 layers of pastry to make the baklava in honour of Obama's visit to Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday. Obama reiterated on Monday his support for Turkey's bid to join the European Union despite opposition from member states, but urged the mainly Muslim country to speed up long-stalled reforms. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (TURKEY POLITICS SOCIETY)

Hat Tip: Americablog

[Avalux]

1. I LOVE baklava but don't know if I could eat Obama baklava.

Something a bit strange about that.... :scared:

From a purely artistic standpoint though; nicely done! ;)

[roguevalley]

18. oh yum. that must be awesome. nice to see something besides burning effigies. :)

[HughMoran]

2. Mmmmmm, Baracklava!

Your subject line should be "Baracklava: IMO :)

[babylonsister]

3. I'll have that piece in the right hand corner. So delish! nt

[TahitiNut]

4. HmmmmmYUM. My baker makes excellent baklava.

Coinkcidentally, I've gotten it for 2-3 weeks straight, now ... enjoying a 'guilty pleasure.' He uses the right kind of honey syrup, excellent phyllo dough, and a good mixture of chopped walnuts and pistachios. (Now I'm gonna have to get some more tomorrow. Baklava Jones.)

[babylonsister]

5. You are such a brat.

I'm now drooling. :spank:

[Kali]

6. Make some - it's actually pretty easy.

phyllo from the store, melted butter, nuts, sugar, and water. (you can use dilluted honey)

[TahitiNut]

8. Raw honey is best, imho.

The phyllo dough is critical. It must not be chewy or tough. Crisp. Tasty. Crushed pistachios on the outside is wonderful.

MMMMMmmmmmmmYUM!

[babylonsister]

9. My only problem is,

my husband doesn't like it. Ergo, I'd have to eat the whole thing, and I just don't go there. But if I'm somewhere that's selling it, you bet. :)

[TahitiNut]

7. I'm an addict, I admit. I once bought an entire tray from Vivi's Falafels in Cupertino ...

... (because it was extra special good) and took it to my Aunt & Uncle's place in Phoenix (via airplane) for Thanksgiving weekend. I ate more than half of it myself. I was so ashamed. (Not.)

:evilgrin:

Really great baklava is just so extraordinary a treat, I can't resist.

[havocmom]

10. Damn you, Nut, and your pistachios too!

Do you have ANY idea how far I am from the nearest baklava? Hours and hours at 70MPH!

You don't know the meaning of a baklava jones! x(

[TahitiNut]

12. (Heheheh) ... Slurp.

Bakery trip tomorrow. Yum.

Want me to UPS some to you? :silly:

[havocmom]

13. you betcha!

:P

[roguevalley]

19. oh. my. god. that is awesome, tahitinut. Harry and David makes great baklava

for those who mail order. I used to watch them bake it. :P

[KoKo]

20. Pistachios....uh oh.........!

Anyway, what would great Baklava BE without the Pistachios! Ugh..

[AnnieBW]

11. Mmmm... baklava!

Yummy!

[omega minimo]

14. It's a Miracle!! A sign from the Heavens!!

K/R for OP title :spray:

[TexasProgresive]

15. SWEET!!!!! n/t

[annabanana]

16. Baklava is the main reason I wish I wasn't allergic

to walnuts. . . . (sigh)

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. Some of the best baklava I've ever had didn't have a single walnut in it.

Not a required ingredient. Almonds and pistachios do just fine without them. ;)

[KoKo]

21. My Armenian friend made the best Baklava, I've ever had. Funny thing is..

She and her husband thought they were cooking Armenian when they did feasts (Lamb Kabobs, authentic pilaf, okrah..good stuff) that were recipes they grew up with from their parents who fled Armenia after the Turkish Massacre.

Turns out they went to Turkey a few years ago and found out the way their parents cooked was TURKISH and not traditional ARMENIAN! They were good sports about it, though. Seems their part of Armenia was under Turkish occupation and that's what their own immigrant parents grew up with in cooking.

Who would figure how weird things can be in memories, recipies and influences in cooking where what we think we grew up with as some authentic dish from our childhood place turns out to be a mishmash of something else from cultural influence.

On Edit: She was heavy with the walnuts and pistachios and lighter on the honey..so it wasn't as sicky sweet as some baklava can be where too much honey was used. It was light, crunchy and the nut flavor was more distinctive not being drowned in the honey, but still enough honey to be decadent...though. :D

[Canuckistanian]

22. Beautiful! In more ways than one

First, I LURVE baclava.

Second, Turkey has HATED, HATED, HATED America for the war in Iraq. I think America was the most hated country for years in terms of Turkish opinion polls.

It's awesome that they've embraced him as a chance for peace in the region. Or at least some sanity.