• RECIPES: Lakerda with Ras-el Hanout

    Recipe | Chef Deniz Tarakçıoğlu · Curator | Hakan Burcuoğlu · Venue | The Dirty Apron · Gear | Leica

    Lakerda is a beguiling staple of the meyhane—a Turkish tavern, for the lack of better phrasing. Essentially salt-cured bonito, remarkably, it’s one of the seldom dishes that’s consumed raw across Turkish tables. Coarsely sliced and traditionally served with copious amounts of olive oil and lemon juice [and a forlorn raw onion], its stark [and frankly, quite grotesque] presentation would make today’s food stylists contemplate their very own existence. What it lacks in looks however, it surely makes up in personality—delivering a titillating punch of umami to a drunk patron’s thorax. Here, with a modern, whimsical [and almost blasphemous] rendition of the traditional, Chef Deniz tips his hat to the mystifying meyhane culture that runs deep in his blood. Read More

  • RECIPES: Frittata di Baccalà, with Leeks & Potatoes

    Recipe | Chef Deniz Tarakçıoğlu · Curator | Hakan Burcuoğlu · Venue | The Dirty Apron · Gear | Leica

    Baccalà, bacalao, bachalau. Mild, flaky and ubiquitous across the Mediterranean, the venerable salted cod deserves attention not for being a friendly, entry-level fish for food dilettantes, but for its historical importance in constituting a veritable source of sustenance. Perhaps it’s this association that’s responsible for this forsaken protein’s inability to garner a spot on the right side of a hashtag. Deemed a pariah in a world it clearly dominates, Chef Deniz pays his respects to this humble, no-frills protein by introducing her to nicer friends. So be nice, and eat your history.

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  • RECIPES: Red Lentil Spread [PKA Lentil Balls]

    Recipe | Chef Deniz Tarakçıoğlu · Curator | Hakan Burcuoğlu · Venue | The Dirty Apron · Gear | Leica

    Typecast as a vehemently boring, guilt-free snack for pitiful public gatherings, mercimek köftesi [atrociously translated into the English language as lentil balls] is Turkey’s quintessential, vegetarian crowd-pleaser. Unfortunately, just like its translation, its myriad of renditions across Asia Minor have also lacked imagination [as well as moisture content]. In an audacious attempt defying legume zeitgeist, Chef Deniz tips the scales by elevating the classic—a rich, spicy and velvety concoction that’s sure to garner an even larger following than its predecessor. Cue the spreadable splendour [and the instant indignation].

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  • Channeling Port Cities, Soul Kitchen!

    Channeling the esoteric bounties of quintessential Mediterranean port cities—from Valencia to Istanbul, to Tangier—SoulKitchen! is a one-night pop-up food phenomenon that aims to manifest the joyful spirit of the Mediterranean in all things food. Drawing inspiration from the gastronomical interplay between select regions in the Mediterranean, SoulKitchen! features a tantalizing menu focused on seasonality and the sourcing of local, premium-grade produce designed to appease pescatarians and plant aficionados alike.

    Brought to you by the Curatorialist. and helmed by Chef Deniz Tarakcioglu [Café Medina] alongside the very professionals running Vancouver’s top kitchens and bars, [Chambar, The Dirty Apron, Bao Bei] this intimate evening promises to constitute an ode to the spirit of the Mediterranean. So come inquisitive, and come hungry.

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  • The Curatorialist is born with ContraKitchen!

     

    Our inaugural pop-up food phenomenon—ContraKitchen!—took place on Monday, August 28th at Vancouver’s Pacific Restaurant Supply. We fed hungry stomachs—and minds—with an esoteric menu inspired by the bounties of Asia Minor [Turkey]. Organized by the very professionals running Vancouver’s top kitchens and bars, [Café Medina, Chambar, The Dirty Apron, Bao Bei] the special evening delivered an atmosphere of a boisterous [yet infamous] kitchen staff party in a playful setting.

    At theCuratorialist., we cultivate memorable experiences aimed at galvanizing artistic communities and foodies alike. For more pictures from ContraKitchen!, you may visit our Facebook page. And for an enticing review of our inaugural pop-up dinner, click here.

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