Salut ! I hope you guys enjoyed this episode :) Remember to share this video on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit etc... It feels good to feel your support and it also always help me a lot. Here is the 'Kofte' recipe from this ep, coming up straight from Refika herself 😁✌️: ------------------------------------------------ Turkish Grandma Köfte Recipe ------------------------------------------------ ½ kg (1,1 lbs) ground beef (plate, rib or brisket) 3 full tablespoons bread crumb 3 little onions 1 tablespoon yogurt or 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 egg 2 tablespoons olive oil 15-20 stems of parsley 1,5 teaspoons black pepper 1,5 teaspoons sea or rock salt 1,5 tablespoons cumin 1 tablespoon coriander seed 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon cinnamon ------------------------------------------------ Grate 3 onions or use food processor for it. Make sure that onions are not planed too much, like puree. Puree makes köfte mixture too juicy to shape the meatballs. Mix ½ kg of ground beef , onions, 1 egg, 3 onions, 1 egg, 3 full tablespoons of bread crumb, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of yoghurt ; you can also use 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar instead, in a large bowl. Yoghurt, vinegar or any acid helps to tenderize the meat. Add 1,5 teaspoons of black pepper ,1,5 teaspoons of sea or rock salt, 1,5 tablespoons of cumin, 1 tablespoon of coriander seed, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Knead around 7-8 minutes until the meat and spices are mixed very well. Add finely chopped 15-20 stems of parsley and keep kneading a bit more. Cook a small ball of köfte to taste; if it needs, add more salt or spice according to your taste. Divide the köfte mixture into 15-20 balls and press them to flatten. If you want, you can make other shapes as well. Press them between your palms and fingers of your both hands. Be sure that they are not loose. If they are loose, it will be hard to cook. You can add a little more bread crumbs always to keep the mixture together. Put the cast iron pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot enough, place the köftes in to the pan. Don’t flip the köftes before one side is cooked, otherwise they can fall apart. When they are cooked, it will be easier to flip them. Acouple of minutes will be enough to cook each sides of köftes. Rest the köftes for another couple of minutes before eating. Voila! You are ready to eat Turkish grandma köfte!

Alex!! It was so cool to have you here at the studio. I'm glad you enjoyed our made-up köfte recipe!

8:36 "That's why I love you so much. Really do invest in understanding of food." Don't we all, Refika

I feel like I am watching some guy get his PhD in Meatballs. I’d like to read the dissertation once you’re done lmao

This lady is such a gem! It must have been wonderful hanging out with her, shes such a nice personality.

Turkish Cuisine is totally underrated. im german and i have many turkish friends and everytime i get invited to eat with them its like a rollercoaster of awesome flavours. love goes out to the turkish food and people! EDIT: and as someone with hungarian decent i share their love for papricas :D

"The flavor comes from the hand" this was an under-appreciated quote in my opinion. Very nice.

I had no idea Turkey was so beautiful. I hate the way our media system in US shows other countries. They are generally 10x more beautiful in reality.

Once I went to this random turkish grill in Berlin, ordered Köfte and had the best meat experience of my life.

I love the way Refika talked about transmitting our energy into the food we make. I totally relate to that. I feel that when I have the time and energy to make a nice meal for family and friends, it is one of my favorite ways to say, “I love you!” When I get to see the happiness on their faces when they eat, I can tell they have received what I have offered.

petition for Alex to make Refika's lahmacun wish come true

She is so cool. I love how they just connected together. It addes to the whole experience.

"Take it roll it punch it, Repeat it. Take it roll it punch it, Portion it. Take it roll it punch it, now grill it ! Gastronomic. Gastronomic.

I believe this serie is not merely about meatballs. It's about building a better world. No kidding. 😉❤️

I really love your new take on long-length, multiple episode series exploring a single subject

For the love of humanity, PLEASE do a video on Lahmacun! I learned about that stuff from my refugee friends from Mosul, Iraq. They take a lot of influence from Turkish cooking. This midwestern American needs some serious Lahmacun lessons. Everyone I make it for is dumbfounded, and seriously, nobody here knows about it. That stuff is the GOAT no cap

I cannot properly explain how much I love this series and seeing the interaction with these cooks from all over, sharing our individual traditions and specializations. Thank you so much Alex.

OMG she is a delight! Those meatballs looked fab, and I can't wait to see your take on a classic. You've also inspired me to create a 'series' like you do. I love the way your stories unfold. Not sure i'll pull it off as well as you do but it'll be fun trying! Been a subscribers since you had about 200k subscribers. You've come a long way brother!

honesty I think "kofte" is the biggest revolution since the french revolution. It has broadened my mind. It is a meatball, but it is not a ball. that's so philosophical and deep

I have been to Turkey a few years ago, I discovered some of the most tasty food. Turkey is a amazing culinary culture Thank you 😊

My little heart can’t stand the amount of beauty in this video

This was AMAZING! I only just made Refika's Köfte recipe today for my fiancé. It was to die for.❤️

4:01 as a turkish man i can confirm to you that whenever ur eating outside in a city there will atleast be 2 cats just walking under the tables and againt your legs, lmao

I just watched Refika's video and come here to see yours. I am so glad you and Refika's collab. She is really good cook and person. I hope you enjoyed your time in Turkey.

I am so happy to see this video Alex. Köfte is absolutely great especially with piyaz (bean salad). And Refika is probably one of the best guides you could have had when it comes to introducing local Turkish cuisine.

Here on Karkkila Finland, we have a place called Köfte, run by Turkish guys. Circle has closed.

awww she's so cool and so cute!!!!

Hey Alex! I'm glad you enjoyed your trip. Thank you for presenting our cuisine in such a good way and giving our beloved Köfte the attention it deserves!!! There are a lot more things about the Turkish cuisine I think you would be amazed to discover. Again, thank you for this. We were honored to have you.

kofte is one of my all time favorite foods.. I need to go back to Turkey

Köfte, Alex, Refika in İstanbul!!! What else I can expect from youtube... It is so nice to see you appreciate the authentic flavours. Hope to see you again in Turkey

A great episode about Turkish Köfte. If you interesting in learning Homemade Turkish Baklava one day, let me know :)

This may be the first time I've seen a food youtuber acknowledge that they need to stop talking and eat the food hot.

I'm just realizing that I've been making a type of köfte all my life, my family makes 'hamburger' patties this way, almost all ingredients in this recipe, it's my great great grandmother's recipe and she was Lebanese, I think my nan adapted a family recipe and transformed it into hamburgers and instead of chilli flakes we put ancho chilli to make it more Mexican, I'm very intrigued.

the way u transition those clip is amazing,you have a talent for cooking,for science,for programming,making videos.....now that im thinking you know everything mdr

Seeing you making and trying Turkish food makes my heart SO happy! One of my favourite channels on KZfaq. Keep up the good work!

I am so surprised right now. She is my favourite turkish cook! Thank you for this amazing video. Lots of love from Turkey. ☺️

This new series is on a level of any cooking show I might see on the TV. I applaud you Alex and look forward to your continued adventures.

This is the best video you've ever made, you top yourself every time Alex thank you so much!!!

Sadly people think we Turks only have Döner, but we have a really rich cuisine thank you for that video.

Alex, thank you so much for introducing Refika to us! She is an amazing presence in the kitchen and I have subscribed to her too.

If Alex was a cartoon character, this would be his outfit

I need to try these. I love your passion for understanding and appreciating food!

I really love this sort of cooking travel show. The world needs more of this. Especially since Anthony Bourdain passed away.

Alex, your videos remind me every time I see them of the inextricable link between food and culture, and they continue to cultivate my passion for cuisine. Thank you for what you do, and keeping young home cooks like me motivated :)

The two of you have such synergy in the kitchen. I was genuinely sad when you left.

Actually, this reminds me more of the “burgers” here in the Philippines. Instead of balls, it’s more patties. Made with carrots and onions, and goes best with mushroom gravy.

This makes me as a turkish Person so happy!😂

in Turkish when youre served nice food you tell the chef "elinize sağlık" as a sign of respect and thanks! :)

Wow, this is fantastic. Two great KZfaq chefs meeting, sharing recipes. A lot of great flavors around the world to learn and respect. Food is about tradition, love and sharing - and a great way to learn about other cultures.

7:24 : New Daft Punk single !

These two have chemistry like crazy! I love them together

I could not be happier and more appreciative of this video, one of my favorite Turkish gastronomy people, Refika, being in this video is also a treat! Thank you for shining a light on my beautiful city, Istanbul, and our source of pride, Turkish cuisine Alex. Also, as a Turkish living in France, I appreciate this video even more

@Alex This entire series is like a savoury black hole! I love it so much, i was so down at the start of this epidemic and felt so lost in the kitchen due to scarcity. But you re-invigorated my cooking fire! Thank you!

omg my 2 favorite youtube chefs combined together... love this video

3:06 LMAO she is adorable!

Great to see you in Turkey with Refika love you both so much

Alex! This meatball series is some of your best work. Thank you and keep it up please!

That’s what I’m talking about my man this video was perfect. Beautiful beautiful beautiful.

Çiğköfte is also amazing.

This episode was so, so heartwarming to watch. Seeing you cook and eat with people you love, who love food just as much as you do, in places like that, brings me so much joy. You two were right: it doesn't get much better than this.

I am so happy that finally some "bigger" foreign youtuber is exploring the wonderful food culture of my homecountry. Thank you very much for spreading the love we give through our food Alex!!! Thank u 💘

Şu yorumlara bak... Allah razı olsun Alex ülkemizi ne güzel tanıtmış.

This is such a beautiful video. So cinematic.

Such a warm episode, so much love between you two :D

Alex. I’m a huge fan. I’ve seen every single one of these videos. The camaraderie and flat out love you and this lady showed each other is exactly why I love cooking. The bond it creates between people is inspiring. Thank you, truly, for allow us to share this intimacy with you my friend. I hope one day to cook with you. Have a great day.

3:27 I totally agree with the concept that energy is passed on your food when you cook. My mom would always say that she would fail at cooking her rice whenever she was upset. She would kind of lose the cooking timing that would make her rice so freaking good :>:

this was so fun! now i have to figure out how to find Turkish food in ATL.

this dude is just so fucking genuine & authentic. Coming from a family of chefs and appreciators of food, this dude's spirit about & love for not just the flavor but the craft & the experience makes him feel like family to me. Glad i discovered you alex!

You've made me want to go to Turkey! Not just for the food, but the people who all seem wonderful. Thank you!

Can we just appreciate how good this video looks

Alex you r the best.. hope to make all 350 types for you.. great story telling aswell.. bravoooo 😘🙏🌈

I love how Alex is fascinated by all the shapes of the meat and so on ... I can feel all the passion of gastronomy in his channel. Thank you Alex !

Alex... I love what you do. Your interest in food and its preparation is inspiring to all those who follow your channel. Another thing about you is that the people with who you cook and learn from are genuinely enjoying your company and the zest for life that you bring.

i litterally can not hadle this, i love refika i love alex and they made a video together. Iconic 😍

This is a collaboration I definitely wasn't expecting.

honestly so fun to see alex, as someone whith a VERY scientific approach to food, someone who tries to control every variable, meet up with a culture which is based upon strong tradition but also, when it comes to execution they just wing it...he struggled to explain why the köfte was so great because he probably just used some basic everyday ingredients, a tried and tested seasoning routine and a lot of gut feeling and love for cooking...turns out you cant blue fridge theorize your way to the psychological factor of cooking, eating and friendship

What an amazing adventure! I love all of your content but this series has to be my favorite so far.

I laughed hard when you mixing that köfte like blender :D I really like your content alex, greetings from Turkey.

Damn, you were in my neighborhood! I wish I could've catch you on the street just to say hi :(

Thank you for introducing me to Refika! I loved this episode, you guys are living the dream, as ye said, and it made me happy to see ye both so happy!

Hi Alex! My name is Atif, And I stumbled across your channel a few months ago. What a fantastic job you do and what an awesome series on meatballs! I recently have been cooking meatballs myself and you have inspired me to explore a bit with it as well. But aside from the regular goodness you do, your work with the series is is phenomenal. No exaggeration, I’m talking Anthony Bourdain level stuff! Not only is it educational and entertaining from the cooking aspect but I really felt the emotion in all of your interactions as you traveled. Definitely inspiring work, and especially inspiring for me because I am currently in the frustration of wanting to start a KZfaq channel myself but unfortunately not having his skill set or a passion to drive me in a particular vision. That being said, I’m still going to start and see if something works. Thank you for being an accidental mentor!

In Serbia we call these "ćevapi" and they are a speciality in southern part of the country, they are even somewhat famous and are called "leskovački ćevapi(roštilj)"

I just love this meatball series. Seem the only thing the Swedes did to the Turkish recipe was make the balls round and ad lingonberry. I think I would love all these meatballs whereever they came from

Two of my favourite cooking channels in the same video! I didn't know I needed this collab. Thank you for visiting my home Alex

Love the vibe between you two. Great as usual Alex, it's so much fun to follow your adventures, and it was awesome to see you visit my home town the last episode :)

It looks so good. Please, share the recipe~

Seeing my most loved chefs together is gorgeous. İ love you guys

Bravo à toi pour cette série de vidéos incroyables! Arriver à nous démontrer à la fois les différentes raisons techniques qui justifie toutes ces recettes qui existent autours du monde et en même temps partir goûter ces différentes recettes, un grand bravo!

I absolutely love the passion Refika has describing the flavors and techniques of the food. And the city itself is gorgeous. This was a delightful stop on your meatball adventure, Alex.

My favorite youtuber to watch with my American boyfriend Alex, cooking with my favorite youtuber to watch with my Turkish mother Refika!

i didn't know Turkey was so beautiful, it makes me want to go!

How is this video only 12 minutes long? This video was amazing! Perfectly edited and jam packed with entertainment. Amazing!!!!

salut alex! this series where youve traveled to further learn about a dish you love so that you can make your own “perfect” version is so fascinating! you should try doing this with other foods as well!

I was just looking if you published this video. I caught it on time :)

offff canım Köfte çekti aga yaaa.. :)

Great episode Alex. You managed to capture the experience perfectly, I could almost smell the sea breeze, taste the wood smoked meat and feel the love and emotion of sharing such an enjoyable meal in such an amazing setting. Also, I want a wall of copper pans like that one day!

i saw in REFIKA'S kitchen video and i am here now, this video is amazing, please you cook again together, it is perfect video

Whaaat . No German "Boulette", espacially the berlin ones xD or "Königsberger klöpse"... i am shocked xD xD

The first dish you eat in our country is called čevapčić

You really need your own tv show. Some producers out there is going to find you one day, you got the talent to make people want to eat what you eat, you have the looks, you have the charisma, you have the know how. I wish you luck Alex.