Stoke-Newington. It's just like Turkey, only colder.

It only took me a day to find my first "miracle-food" here in London, and I owe it all to Stoke-Newington.
That's the neighbourhood where I currently make my home.
And its the hood's Turkish influence that's bringing me the goodness.
So that first miracle-food, is a miracle first off, because it only costs £1.50. It's called "gozleme," and it's a flat bread stuffed with either spinach and feta, or spicy potatoes. I'm sure there are other varieties... but I haven't stumbled over them yet.
Anyhow, just one of these babies makes a great meal. Perfect for lunch. For a while I was going in the shop almost every day.
There are two women who run the show there. One of them sits on a little stool less than a foot high, flattens and stuffs the bread, then cooks it on what looks like an upside down wok. She wears a headscarf, never utters a word. The other woman takes the cash, she's the smiley chatty-one. The last time I went in there she started asking, "How have you been? Where have you been? Is everything alright?"
She actually hadn't said much to me up until that point, not much, other than telling me if I wanted a baklava, I'd have to buy a whole box. So I guess I was a bit surprised at her concern. Surprised, but touched.
I think I'm ready to take my relationship with the gozleme ladies to the next level. I have a phrase, for the quiet one. Please, don't take offence to my Turkish mis-spelling. Here it is:
Elé nezé saaluk.
Health to your hands.
I like that. Its beautiful. Why don't we have sayings like that in English? Or am I just so accustomed to them that I don't even notice?
My next miracle food was the hummus-kebab. It costs only £2, and doesn't necessitate the eating of any of the meat on the massive, rotating spit. I'll eat that at some point I'm sure... but the hummus-kebab keeps it light. The first time I ever ordered one, I realized that I'd forgotten my wallet. I told the guy behind the counter to put the sandwich on hold and was about to run off but then the boss yelled, "Stop! Just take it, it's no problem."
Of course, the next day I popped in and dropped of the £2.
The third miracle-food is my current favourite. Yet again, we're looking at £1.50. And the taste, ohhhhh, the tasty-goodness of the Lamashun, is unparalleled. Basically, it's lamb wrapped up in a flatbread with salad and garlic-sauce and hot sauce.
That noise, you ask? My stomach, growling.
So this is my taste of Turkey, but in the snowy-English spring.
I'll get the real thing on Sunday.