Afternoon tea and pastry with Guest Chef Yann Duytsche in the Gazebo Lounge at Cırağan Palace Kempinski

When Istanbullis want a sweet treat, they frequently head to the Gazebo Lounge at the Cırağan Palace Kempinski. The lounge has that see-and-be-seen stir of elegant people discussing engaging things while enjoying exceptional edibles. Were the food not so outstanding, it would be easy to take one's eyes off the edibles to appreciate all of the assembled aficionados of delectable desserts.

But it is actually impossible to stop looking at the food. The Gazebo Lounge features the pastry of Master Chocolatier and Philadelphian, Executive Pastry Chef William McCarrick, who was recognized by the entire Kempinski hotel chain when his dessert was selected 2013 Dessert of the Year in a blind taste test.  His creation is a sweet called the Bosphorale, combining bergamot-scented Earl Grey tea from the Black Sea region, and Turkish apricots from Kayseri with the finest Swiss Valrhona chocolate under a shiny glaze.

Talent greets talent:

Chef William McCarrick on the right

host to Chef Yann Duytsche, on the left

This year the Gazebo Lounge is celebrating its dessert destination status by inviting three world-class guest chefs to share their creativity with the Istanbul food-obsessed community. Pastry Chef William McCarrick suggested Frenchman Yann Duytsche as the very first guest chef for the Gazebo Lounge at Cırağan Palace Kempinski. Yann Duytsche is from northern France in Lille but finds himself drawn to the food cultures of the Mediterranean. He owns his own pastry shop in Barcelona, Spain named 'dolç par yann duytsche.'

 

Chef Yann suggests anyone visitng his shop in Barcelona try his signature breakfast sweet, the Karre Mango Croissant, and then take home his bestselling dark chocolate and passion fruit cake plus two or three kinds of cookies.

 

When Chef Yann asked where I was from, I shared that I was American. He said "America has delicious dessert creations - maybe not so sophisticated -but we all make them: cheesecake, cookies, brownies, and carrot cake."



 The chocolate club sandwich features

a crisp caramelized puff pastry. 

Chef Yann begins to assemble his

chocolate club sandwich

with help from Zeynep.

 

Notice the luscious green pesto

made of roka (arugula) and pine nuts.

It's a trend new to me to feature vegetables

in pastry.

 

A smudge of pesto

and a splash of carrots & apricot

nest a sandwich of thin luxe dark chocolate

with lighter chocolate inside.

"I like to play with a dessert that

one almost wants to pick up with one's hands."

The Chocolate Club Sandwich 

Having a guest chef come to Istanbul for a weekend is very much like having a top musician come in and give a master class, only in this case, it is a master class in pastry. "Yann is one of the top pastry chefs in the world," said Chef William. "I worked with him in 1989 in France for a week. We have kept in touch since then. Yann and I have had conversations through the months before he came about what he would make when he was here. His style has a sense of humor - you can see it in what he calls his chocolate club sandwich."

Cırağan chefs come out of the kitchen

to commemorate the moment

The energy in the Gazebo Lounge was sky-high as Yann and Zeynep, who was assisting him, began to assemble desserts for tasting. "The entire team is really excited to have him here," said Chef William. "I told my team to rest up on their day off and don't go shopping or be on their feet. The would need all of their energy for this moment."  I realized what sound advice this was later when Chef William showed me an app on his phone that showed he had walked 17 kilometers the day before just in the course of his work at the hotel.

The Valrhona chocolate ingots

created an inspiring foundation

for creation.

These desserts

have achieved global appreciation

and not just because of the gold leaf

on top.

 

Chef Duytsche led a team of Spanish

pastry chefs to first place

 at the Club de la Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie

(World Pastry Cup Club) in Lyon, France,

the premier world event for the pastry-making elite.

Chef Yann's creations will be featured at three afternoon teas from 3-5 p.m. Friday (yesterday), Saturday and Sunday. His creations will also be the showpiece of the Sunday brunch.

"Chef Yann is interested in the newest trends. The creative brief I gave him was to push the boundaries even farther." When Chef William McCarrick explained some of what the two of them had planned for Sunday brunch it sounded delicious, and frankly, gravity-defying. Also, on Sunday they will feature a festive cake at brunch enjoyed by Lionel Massi, a sportsman well known to Europeans.

 Another pairing well-matched for Istanbul:

a crunchy chocolate base supporting eggplant.

It was delicious.

 

Surely, the addition of vegetables

means all of this pastry is good for us.

 

Chef Yann has created desserts with

asparagus, tarragon, even potatoes.

He said it is easy to bring sweet vegetables

to pastry, and each element has sense in context.

And what is Chef Yann most excited to learn during his stay in Istanbul? "He's most interested to learn about baklava, because the hotel has our very own baklava chef. We made him a savory mushroom baklava to sample," said Chef William.

Chef Yann also added that "he enjoyed eating at Tuğra, the Ottoman-inspired restaurant in the Cırağan Palace Kempinski that overlooks the Bosphorus. I want to see the markets too, to see how Oriental meets Occidental."

What he most enjoyed sharing with the staff in the Gazebo Lounge is his combinations of ingredients, the sophistication of presentation, and his specific aesthetic. "It's like creating a garden. Pastry doesn't need decoration. The decoration comes by how it is all arranged."

Many of the city's writing foodies

enthusiastically watched the preparations.

Large newspapers and

food website representatives

 were present

plus solo bloggers like me.

A Japanese inspired dessert:

Doraiaki

My selection of treats

served alongside a very elegant

presentation of

Earl Gray English tea.

One of the most fun parts about participating in this

was meeting other writers,

especially Turkish ones.

Two young culinary students

who write for http://iyiyemek.com/:

Burak Özbay on the left and Gizem Dinçbaş on the right.

Burak said this about his studies,

"You don't pick gastronomy to study.

Gastronomy picks you."

Chef McCarrick and his mentee, Ayşe

Chef McCarrick wanted to make sure I met one of his team members, Ayşe. Having cooked all over the world in Switzerland, Austria, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Phillipines, Malasia, Bali in Indonesia, Dubai, London, and Istanbul he felt particularly strong that his legacy at Cırağan Palace Kempinski must be more than "putting cakes on the counter."

He said, "Ayşe is like a flower that just needs to be watered. She has tremendous potential as a chef. I want to help women succeed in this role because she will need thick skin to rise in this industry. Turkey doesn't have a tradition of women moving past helpers or assistants. When I was just starting out as a chef in Delaware, a chef helped me move to Switzerland to learn from another great chef. Part of bringing a guest chef to Istanbul, is to make opportunities happen for up-and-coming chefs to learn all around the world. When someone has personally met you it makes it easier for them to take a risk on you being on their staff for a few months." As I watched Ayşe's face beam under Chef McCarrick's words, I had to turn away less the catch in my throat and the tears in my eyes peaked out.

Thank you, gentlemen,

for an exquisite afternoon tea

and an inspiring day

watching your excellence in action.

I could see why the Gazebo Lounge is the "heaven of desserts" where people in Istanbul go when they feel like having a sweet. It is an avenue to all of the sweet things in life.

You May Also Enjoy:

An afternoon of nargile at Cırağan Palace Kempinski

 

Dinner on the Bosphorus at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski's Bosphorus Grill

 

My first Hammam in Istanbul at the Çirağan Palace Kempinski Hotel, Part One

 

Part Two of My First Istanbul Hammam Adventure at Çirağan Palace Kempinski Hotel

Yes, Empty Nest Expat is on Facebook. 'Like" my page and follow my blog.

An afternoon of nargile at Cırağan Palace Kempinski

 My friend Barb and I had planned to meet a bunch of friends in Istanbul's Yıldız Park for a fitness challenge this weekend. Unfortunately, none of them showed up! We lost our motivation to explore the park. "Let's go across the street to the fumoir in the Cırağan Palace and I'll teach you to smoke nargile," I said. So we did.

First, we wanted to explore the palace.

A view of the Palm Court

from the Grand Staircase.

Imaginative use of glass

creates an aesthetically-pleasing

 foyer within the grand stairwell.

The glass chandelier was unlit

but we could imagine its warm glow.

Cırağan Palace Kempinski artwork

of ladies like us

enjoying the Bosphorus

back in the day.

A view of the Bosphorus

from the Sultan's balcony.

The hospitable and lovely Barçak

at the Hendrick's gin cart

Nargile pipes at rest

The eye-catching array of nargile water pipes

and the pots of fruit flavors

waiting for us to choose.

I suggested apple flavoring

because it is most popular.

Our drinks arrived

and rested on cloth coasters.

They were served alongside Mediterranean treats

of olives, hazelnuts, and cashews.

An Istanbul still life!

The drinks were so quenching!

A refreshing slice of cucumber

set off a glittering gin and tonic.

The drink on the right was gin
infused with rose flavoring.
It was called the Sebestian Vettel
(named for a famous Formula 1 driver).
We selected it from the part of the beverage menu
that showcased drinks
celebrities chose when they stayed there.

Barb said Hendrick's gin was especially known for the

herbaceousness of its flavor.

Naruttin primed the coals

and showed us where the flavoring

went in the pipe.

I'm always struck how by deeply

nargile staff breathe in the smoke.

They prime the pump

by getting the coals burning.

Barb about to try her first puff.

Each smoker uses a disposable tip

that they remove every time they pass the pipe.

It is the yellow part at the top of the pipe.

Barb's first puff of nargile.

Not a bad spot for a relaxing

afternoon conversation.

The expat life!

With typical American attitudes about smoking (we're both against it and find it unattractive), neither of us thought we'd ever try nargile. Yet living in Istanbul makes one appreciate the joy of slowing down, breathing deep, and engaging in conversation with a fellow human being in an unhurried, almost meditative manner.

 

I like this tradition better than the American tradition of staring at a screen in a sports bar and not talking to each other much. Sharing nargile seems very intimate and close. Besides, it was fun to watch the staff set up for a wedding happening later that night under the palms.

 

You May Also Enjoy:

 

Dinner on the Bosphorus at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski's Bosphorus Grill

 

My first Hammam in Istanbul at the Çirağan Palace Kempinski Hotel, Part One

 

Part Two of My First Istanbul Hammam Adventure at Çirağan Palace Kempinski Hotel  

Yıldız Park Bridal Beauty

An exquisitely dressed bride

smiles on her way to her photo shoot

Every weekend in Yıldız Park in Beşiktaş, brides come to have their photos taken amidst the greenery of the park. It is so fun to see the variety of head coverings and dresses. This bride's beauty stopped me cold.

Istanbul finds out today if it will host the 2020 Olympics

Istanbul's promotional video

for the 2020 Olympics

Today the citizens of Turkey find out if their Olympic bid for the 2020 Olympics will be awarded to them. I wish all Turkish citizens "Iyi şanslar!" on their bid. Turkey would be the first Muslim country to ever be awarded the Olympic Games. As a country with a young, growing population, it would be a terrific fit. Yes, there would be all kinds of problems to be solved, such as smooth traffic flow, but I believe Turkey is up to the task!

Five Minutes of Magic

I saw the man first.
He was in a long royal purple tunic with white pants.
A cult member, surely, I thought.

Then I rounded the corner
and saw another man in the same dress.
Ha! A cult convention.

Then I came up against the limits of my knowledge.
It couldn't be a cult.
There were so many of them.
Not just men. Whole families.
And so many beautiful women.

 

 Her sandals.

Those "I Dream of Jeannie" sandals!

 

Happy.
Joyous.
Crackling with energy.

I laughed at myself, recognizing my own American parochialness.
Don't we always compare new information to our old information?
I understood instantly these were a people I had never seen or met before.

One

exquisitely dressed woman

after another

poured out of the hotel.

"Where are you from?" I asked.
"Pakistan, he said. "We are here for a wedding."

The island of Jamaica

sent spectacular sunshine.

"Are you from Pakistan too?"
I asked a gorgeous young woman
dressed differently than the others.
"No, I'm from Jamaica." she said.

"Of course you are!" I thought,
marveling at Istanbul's constant ability
to make the ordinary encounter extraordinary.
I'm sure Jamaicans at Pakistani weddings are a common sight,
don't you think?

Do they have ring bearers

at Pakistani weddings?

I wondered.

A tween

in all of her finery.

I'll picture these lovely people

when I read a story about Pakistan

in the future.

 

I'll picture this little girl

in all of her bracelets

and veils.

The beautiful Pakistani women

blew me kisses

from the bus

as they left.

 

I hope they had a wonderful time.

The Woman in White

Twilight beckons on the Bosphorus

But the Woman in White is unmoved.

Recommended Reading for Thoughtful Americans: "The Limits of Power" by Andrew J. Bacevich

Andrew J. Bacevich

I have wanted to read the book "The Limits of Power" ever since hearing Andrew J. Bacevich at the Wisconsin Book Festival a few years back. An idea he expressed there that made my jaw drop was that America's empire building was the activity of citizens uninterested in reforming their own nation.

Referring to the work of United States theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (author of the serenity prayer), Bacevich felt expansionist militaristic activity represented almost an addict's way of denying the reality that there are "limits to power."

His book was just as compelling as the talk I had originally heard. I admired his ability to dissect American thinking from within America.

Bacevich urges readers not to look to their politicians with blame for their dependence on foreign oil, necessary military expansion to access it, and demands that the world conform to America's way of thinking. He argues the politicians have just sold Americans what they want to buy: a foreign policy based on grandiosity without the budget or wherewithal to achieve it.

“History will not judge kindly a people who find nothing amiss in the prospect of endless armed conflict so long as they themselves are spared the effects. Nor will it view with favor an electorate that delivers political power into the hands of leaders unable to envision any alternative to perpetual war.

Rather than insisting the world accommodate the United States, Americans need to reassert control over their own destiny, ending their condition of dependency and abandoning their imperial delusions. “ - page 13

I found this to be deeply inspiring, deeply patriotic reading. Bacevich asks Americans to ask more of themselves. Bacevich's book made me want to read everything else he has written. He has a new book soon to come out called "Breach of Trust: How Americans Failed Their Soldiers and Their Country."

 

"The Limits of Power" is part of a whole series of titles called "The American Empire Project" devoted to asking Americans to consider whether empire is the highest expression of the American idea. More titles can be found at www.americanempireproject.com

 

If you would like to hear an interview with Andrew J. Bacevich from when the book was published, click here for part one. To learn more about this public intellectual who attracts interest from both sides of the political aisle, click here. 

 

Andrew J. Bacevich believes Americans are still in denial and not ready to face that we are choosing a life of dependency on foreign oil and credit. He says there is nothing in the preamble to the Constitution to try and "remake the World in our image" and our perpetual war to 'spread freedom' actually detracts from freedom at home.

 

While Americans view our projection of military power as a strength, Bacevich actually argues our perpetual war is a way of delaying our acknowledgement that we have chosen to squander our power (and our moral authority, when we choose global preemptive war) for our generation and generations to come.

 

An example from the book of what Americans should be working on vs. what we are working on:

For the United States, abolishing nuclear weapons ought to be an urgent national security priority. So too should preserving our planet. These are the meta-challenges of our time. Addressing them promises to be the work of decades. Yet ridding the world of nuclear weapons is likely to prove far more plausible and achievable than ridding the world of evil [something Bush said he would do - an example of American foreign policy grandiosity]. Transforming humankind's relationship to the environment, which will affect the way people live their daily lives, can hardly prove more difficult than transforming the Greater Middle East, which requires changing the way a billion or more Muslims think. -page 178

What do you think? Is American engagement with the world attempting that which we can not pay for or even accomplish (eliminating evil, establishing Western democracy in countries that don't have it)? What's your view? How would America go about changing our priorities, especially when continuing with perpetual war and lack of reform benefits those in power?

 

 

 

You may also be interested these other posts:

 

Understanding Iran: The Power of One Graphic Novel called "Persepolis"

 

"The Restoration of Order: The Normalization of Czechoslovakia" by Milan Simecka