the blue curtain #5
what's cooking?
The perks of being
I swam in the ocean for the first time this year. It was cold, exciting, and took a little bit of courage. You know, the kind you need when entering a party where you don’t know anyone. I wore a swimsuit with ruffles and did a somersault underwater. I watched the sunset on the beach and danced in the sand. I felt like a kid. The joyful waves belonged to the Atlantic on the Portuguese coast.
I was in Lisbon visiting dear friends — a promise made at a boozy dinner in February. I’m glad I was being foolish that night. Lisbon was marvelous, and the friends reminded me of what fine humans are made of. Sometimes one forgets. Sometimes one gets distracted by obligations, the monotonous noise of daily life, deadlines, and responsibilities. But is any of this ever that serious?
At the beach, we talked about how different our generation lives compared to our parents. We are in our thirties; we share apartments, we travel to different countries to see our friends, we deal with visas and residence permits, and we do our work with laptops and smartphones — some days in cafés, some days in bed, some days in offices. We have little to no savings; we might never own a house, and we don’t know if we want children. We constantly question love and can debate for hours what a so-called “good relationship” means. We are mostly busy trying to let go of someone or something. Old ideas about security, for example. We spend our money on books, breathing sessions, rent in big cities, wine, and surprising plates in tiny restaurants. Our happiest days are those with the least screen time. We aim for balance above all. We dream and we stumble, often at the same time. Our lives, though, are the product of generational inequality and old creeps in grey suits who believe in eternal growth. This is a fact—a sad, cruel, and sometimes unbearable one. But our lives are not. We have to leave our comfort zone every day, but everyone knows that magic only happens outside.
Wandering the streets of Lisbon, you’ll find beauty in abundance. I'll spare you from excessive gushing and instead give you a crisp list of a few favorites:
Salted Books: Bought Miranda July’s new book “All Fours” there and yes, it is as good as everyone says.
Baraza Yoga: Lost my mind, fell in love with my body – no words.
Tati: Churritos with blue cheese and pickled onions are a revelation.
Marquise: café and bakery with a dreamy garden for dreamy people with laptops.
Paula Rego Museum: The Portuguese painter tackled it all: feminism, colonialism, racism, the patriarchy.
Magnolia: Pick a bottle from their selection of natural wines, marvel at the ceiling, ask for a couple glasses, take a friend or two, and enjoy your wine in the park across.
OFA KARRI: You could bring home a can of sardines from Lisbon or a set of historic tiles, or you buy one of Margaux’s divine body oils.
Elleonor: Colorful object and clothes made by artist Leonor Cunhar, sold at Curva.
Fine Humans. Seven Questions.
As mentioned in my very first newsletter, I would love to share this space with others. So, I created an interview column for “the blue curtain”. The aim is a light, cheerful one: to introduce people I adore and ask them 7 questions.
My first guest is Berfin Erdoğan. I could’t be more thrilled to start this series with her. We got to know each other through secret game nights in Istanbul.
Berfin is an exceptionally inspiring and mindful person who brightens up any day (or night), kisses your cheek loudly, and has stirred up Istanbul’s culinary scene with her team like no other. She works as a chef and creates very beautiful, fun and kool pop-up dinners (the art director of it all is Günsu Sarı, who you already met here).
Or in Berfin’s own words: “I was born on December 15, 1994. I grew up in Kuzguncuk, İstanbul. I have always been interested in tasting different kinds of foods since an early age, so I thought I might as well learn how to make them. I studied Restaurant Entrepreneurship at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. I live in İstanbul now, basically making dinner parties to make people and myself happy.”
Berfin, welcome to “the blue curtain”! Tell me, how do you like your eggs?
I really don’t like eggs, but if I have to choose, I would go for a very cheesy omelette with heavy drops of Frank’s Red Hot sauce on top.
You are chef. If you were to describe your cooking style with a song: Which one would it be?
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) by Talking Heads.
Which dish is terribly underrated and deserves more love?
Fried rice.
What are your summer plans?
We are very excited to do a pop-up dinner with Sungur at Mangal2 in London the first week of July. We’re also planning on doing a couple of dinners in the south of Turkey.
The harsh truth about being a chef that nobody tells you?
Mostly always eating standing up, the only social life you’ll have is drinking with colleagues and probably not becoming famous.
What does your dream kitchen look like?
I really feel like my kitchen at home is a dream come true, which we built from scratch with an architect friend of mine, Ezgi Çiftçi.
The next one would probably be in a warmer setting, preferably with a counter built outdoors, featuring more colors and stone textures.
Honestly: What is the coolest cooking show to watch?
I have two answers for this one. First, and perhaps not the coolest: “Kitchen Nightmares”. I enjoy watching all the drama revolving around food, and Gordon Ramsay is always a joy to watch. For my coolest choice, it has to be “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”. There's no need to explain this legend; his show is a captivating exploration of food, culture, and the human experience.
Coming up next in Newsletter #6 is a very special treat by poet and writer extraordinaire Lara Lakay.
Stay tuned & Fuck mortgages
x Carolin
P.S.: Do you enjoy “the blue curtain”? Follow. Share it with your friends. Drop some coins. Support however you can. You know.