arts & entertainment >> book fair Beyhan Cagri Track: "Turkish cooking is very Dishing Diversity spontaneous." Cookbook author shares personal stories and delicious recipes at Book Fair tasting. Suzanne Chessler Contributing Writer B eyhan Cagri Trock, who grew up with a Jewish mother and Muslim father, learned early about the problems religious differences can cause in families, but she also learned about accepting diversity and finding love. Trock brings that story — and the authentic traditions she experienced — to what has become both a personal his- tory and cookbook, The Ottomon Turk and the Pretty Jewish Girl (Cupper James Publishing; $35). The title refers to her parents, Berta "Beti" Revah and Hayri "Zeki" Cagri. A discussion of the book and a tasting of some Sephardic and Turkish foods fre- quently found on her dining room table will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Jewish Community Center's Annual Jewish Book Fair in West Bloomfield, where Trock will meet up with relatives. Her husband, Bruce Trock, an epide- miologist at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, grew up in Detroit and is a graduate of Henry Ford High School as well as the University of Michigan and Michigan State University; his brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Kathleen Trock, currently live in West Bloomfield. "I'm finding that the Jewish-Muslim mix ALBONDIGAS AGRISTADA (MEATBALLS IN EGG-LEMON SAUCE) Everyone loves this traditional Sephardic recipe. Succulent, juicy meatballs bathed in a lemony-egg sauce. Oh boy. Doesn't that make your mouth water? Albondiga, the Ladino word for meatball, is derived from the Arabic al bundaq, meaning "round." My mom's sister Ida Dana learned this dish from her very talented mother-in-law, Sultana. Nicknamed Suzan, Sultana was a marvel in the kitchen and taught Ida practically everything she knows about cooking. How lovely then, that Ida taught the recipe to her granddaughter Brielle Dana, Sultana's great-granddaughter. And now Brielle kindly shares it with you! By the way, Ida named her daughter Suzy after her mother-in-law. Unlike 44 November 8 r 2012 114 makes people interested," Trock says dur- ing a phone interview from her Bethesda, Md., home. "People are curious about how something like that would work; they also want to know about the Sephardic Jewish part of it. "Jews who were part of the Ottoman Empire and have since left for places like Israel, Argentina and Cuba remember their grandparents coming from Turkey, speaking Ladino and cooking these foods. They're remembering an older generation. "If I had to choose between being Jewish and being Muslim, I would have to deny half of my parentage. I can't do that. My parents raised us to seek God any way we could. We did Chanukah and Ramadan. We went to synagogue and mosque, and I found the same ideas about reverence, sacrifice and social justice!" Trocks parents, disowned by their families for 12 years before a rapproche- ment with her mother's relatives, came to America to start a new life. Separated from her architectural work for three years during the economic downturn, Trock came to the book as a meaningful activity to provide heritage resources for her two grown sons from a previous marriage. "It became important for me to put down the information so that I wouldn't feel guilty that all of this would disappear the Ashkenazim of Europe, Spanish (Sephardic) Jews have no problem nam- ing their children after living relatives. In fact, it's considered an honor. Meatballs: 1 lb. ground beef 1-2 Tbsp. bread crumbs or matzah meal 1 medium onion, grated 5 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped 1 egg 1 /2 tsp. salt 1 /2 tsp. cumin 1 /4 tsp. or sprinkle black pepper 1 /2 cup water 1 /4 cup vegetable oil dash of salt Sauce: 1 /2 cup flour or matzah-cake flour forever:' says Trock, who also refers to the Catholicism experienced by her sons. "It took me two years to write the book, take the pictures and self-publish in Canada last March. My mother's sister and her sister-in-law taught me Jewish cook- ing. I learned the Turkish cooking from my dad." Among her favorite recipes, presented here and detailed in the chapters providing cultural background and general prepara- tion tips, is one for a Sephardic dish, meat- balls in egg-lemon sauce. Another, leeks and carrots in olive oil, represents Turkish influence and fulfills kosher requirements. "Jews in my family cooked a lot of Turkish recipes that became part of our culture and cuisine," she says. "The ones that are specifically Jewish have Spanish names because they came from the 15th century, when the Jews left Spain because of the Inquisition. "What I love about Turkish cooking is that it's very textural. You get your hands into natural ingredients. You smell them, and you throw them in without measur- ing, although I have included specific measurements for the book. "Turkish cooking is very spontaneous. In our house, we always danced while we were cooking. We had music playing, and my aunt and I would belly-dance." Returned to architecture — this time residential — with the economic upturn, Trock finds that her circle of friends is growing through readers who contact her. "They share their stories and family experiences:' she says. "They talk about how I've ignited memories, and they send me pictures of their families and the food they make on Facebook." Beyhan Cagri Trock will discuss her book and serve up some of the eth- nic dishes she recommends at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov.14, at the Jewish Book Fair at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. $15 for the tasting. Reservations: (248) 661- 1900; www.jccdet.org . 1 /2 cup water 2 eggs juice of 1 lemon 1 /2 tsp. salt % tsp. sugar plus additional water To make meatballs: Place ground beef in a medium-sized mixing bowl with bread crumbs, onion, parsley, egg, salt, cumin and pepper. With wet hands, blend ingredients together, punching mixture down and working it very well to tenderize meat and blend spices thoroughly. Wet hands again, and roll small meat- balls inside your palms (about the size of a walnut). Place in a large skillet. Add 1/2 cup water, vegetable oil and a dash of salt. Cover skillet, leaving room for a little steam to escape. Cook meat- balls 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Albondigas Agristada To make sauce: Combine flour and 1/2 cup water in a medium-sized bowl. In another small bowl, whisk together eggs, and add to flour mixture. Stir in lemon juice, salt and sugar. Set aside.