Light-meal Spaghetti

 Wholegrain veggie spaghetti with peas, chopped tomatoes, mixed herbs and a dash of hot sauce.  Alongside a cool glass of homemade all-natural lemonade  (fresh lemon and pasteurized golden honey).  Ideal workplace lunch.

Early evening pre-dinner snacks

 

Pakoras (Pakistani fritters), samosas, cheese-veggie sandwiches sprinkled with mixed herbs & pepper, and my signature homemade natural lemonade (fresh lemon and honey).  In Pakistan people have dinner a bit late around 9.30 p.m. The gap between lunch and dinner is approximately 8 hours or more. Thus, in between, a pre dinner snack around 5.00 p.m. is an old and common tradition. In cooler weather lemonade  usually replaces tea or coffee.

Lemon pound cake

                         

Lemon flavored pound cake .. perfect refreshment with a cup of late afternoon tea .. 

Peaches, blueberries and tea

 

Early autumn, a sun-dappled parlor in a 16^th century Ottoman home nestled just beyond the edge of a sleepy village, some distance from the vibrant town of Bursa. The room is filled with soft golden light filtering through lace curtains, casting delicate patterns on the wooden floor. A lace-covered table stands near the wall, adorned with a gilded fruit basket and a vintage porcelain teacup that glows with warm amber tea.

The autumn air is filled with the fragrance of the fading roses, the leaves turning russet and the distant chimney smoke. The tastefully adorned living room carries a gentle and reflective atmosphere with the ticking of a grandfather clock echoing faintly in the background.  A breeze rustles the dull red taffeta curtains now and again. It’s the kind of afternoon that feels suspended in time.

The fruit basket holds memories for the family, the tea is an etiquette.  The moments  capture the finesse of the porcelain treasure and the fruit basket, an amazing still life aura with textures so rich as you feel the aroma of the peaches mingling with the steam of the tea contained in the cool glaze of the vintage porcelain.

A scene that whispers of quiet indulgence and timeless charm.