DUBAI — Auris Plaza Hotel Dubai and the Culinary Arts Academy of Istanbul have joined together for the first time to celebrate Ottoman cuisine in Dubai with the launch of the Turkish Food Festival. To be celebrated throughout the holy month of Ramadan in 2013, the culinary festival will offer special Turkish Iftar buffets with live cooking stations and traditional Turkish treats, and will provide for the first time a showcase platform for the Culinary Arts Academy of Istanbul to promote Turkish cuisine within the United Arab Emirates. Ottoman Iftar specialities, Turkish regional dishes and authentic Turkish produce and culinary traditions will be the highlight of the festival, with the Auris Plaza Hotel to provide a welcome setting and friendly hospitality service for families, couples, groups and food connoisseurs to enjoy the cuisine, each others company, and the joys of Iftar during Ramadan. Cem Erol, Executive Instructor Chef, Culinary Arts Academy of Istanbul, said: "Since the Academy's founding in 2004 we have sought to bring Turkish cuisine, with all its regional diversity, to the attention and taste buds of epicurean connoisseurs the world over. "As such we are extremely happy to have joined with Auris Plaza Hotel to make this possible for us, for the first time in the UAE. "It is also a great opportunity of special significance for us to be able to share our cuisine with the people of Dubai during the Holy Month of Ramadan, as people come together not only in celebration with food, but to celebrate life itself. "It provides a wonderful platform for us to demonstrate the passion, traditions and skills that go into our cuisine. "I look forward to working with Chef Dewet, the hotel's Executive Chef and his team in bringing this experience to the hotel's guests." The Turkish Food Festival at Auris Plaza Hotel, located in Al Barsha in close location to the Mall of Emirates, will feature various Turkish regional and Ottoman cuisine favourites such as; Yuvalama, a festive dish made of rice and meat rolled into small-sized balls with chick peas and a yoghurt sauce, from Gaziantep, Turkey's South-Eastern region; Enginar, an artichoke confit from the Aegean region, Muhlama, a traditional polenta from the Black Sea region, and Yaprak Sarma, Vine leaves filled with rice, meat and spices. Traditional Turkish Ramadan specialities such as; Ramadan pide (a traditional bread); gullac, a dessert of layered pastry, pomegranate and walnuts; Tursu Kavurmasi, sautéed pickled green beans with caramelized onions and an aromatic spicy oil; and Petek Bal and Kaymak, a traditional fast breaking dish of honey and thick cream, will also make a special appearance during each evening's celebrations. Additionally, a Turkish tradition of breaking the fast would not be complete without the famous Cay (tea) from the city of Rize, which will also be available. Following each Iftar, guests are encouraged to continue the evenings socializing at the Auris Plaza Hotel's indoor Hookah Lounge and open air rooftop Pool Terrace, where a selection of quality shisha along with traditional Ramadan past times such as touwla and cards are available. The Turkish Food Festival 2013 will run throughout Ramadan 2013 at the Auris Plaza Hotel. — SG
