Past Activities 2008 - Turkish American Cultural Society of New England - New England Turk Amerikan Kultur Dernegi - TACS-NE

with Chef Ozcan Ozan

A special culinary event, organized specially for children and their parents as we celebrate April 23^rd, the Children’s Day.

This interactive event introduces children ages 8-14 the Turkish cuisine. They will feel as they have traveled to Turkey as they taste local ingredients and authentic recipes, learn basic cooking techniques, and enjoy dinner together.

Chef Özcan Ozan, owner of the Sultan’s Kitchen restaurant and author of the cookbook, The Sultan’s Kitchen, prepares various recipes of authentic Turkish food.

The International Children’s Day, celebrated in many countries on different days of the year, had its origin in Turkey in 1920 and later in the World Conference for the Well-Being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland in 1925. The United Nations General Assembly recommended in 1954 with a resolution that all countries institute a Universal Children’s Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children and of activity promoting the welfare of the world’s children.

"Once upon a time there was, and once upon a time there wasn’t, in ancient times, when the sieve was in the straw, when fleas were camels and camels postmen, when I rocked my mother’s cradle, after having crossed mountains and valleys, a little woman came from far away to stay in Isabella’s house. The entire time she was a guest in this house she wondered how she could share a bit of what she knew how to do with all of Isabella’s friends. This little woman knew how to make neither paintings nor large frescoes, nor statues, nor did she know how to play music. She wanted to bring so, so much light to recite in the courtyard but she was told that nothing in Isabella’s house could be touched or changed...everything had to remain just as she had left it...and so many places were untouchable... It was a difficult task for a little woman because the only material available to her was herself... She was an actress, every now and then she opened up her heart a little and acted... Then she renounced the curtains, the light, the images and she decided to offer up her voice and her stories... as her grandmother once used to do...Then three apples fell from the sky, the first on the head of the one who was telling the story, the second on the head of the one who was listening and the third on the head of the characters in all her tales.”

March 13, 2008 at 6:30pm
March 14, 18, 19, 2008 at 3:30pm

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Turkish actress and Artist-in-Residence at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Serra Yilmaz, explores heartbreaking and hilarious episodes of the human experience in a series of performances throughout the Museum.

Internationally-acclaimed actress Serra Yilmaz is known for her work in Turkish and Italian theatre, film and television. Over her career Yilmaz has worked with directors such as Omer Kavur, Ferzan Ozpetek, and Umit Unal and has appeared in many films including Motherland Hotel, Harem Suare, 9, Facing Windows, His Secret Life and recently, Saturn in Opposition (will be screened at the 7th Boston Turkish Film Festival, March 29, 7:15pm at MFA).