The Pasha of Cuisine

by Saygin Ersin

  It wasn’t unheard of for someone who had visited the House of Pleasure to return. There had been others who paid the house a visit just to watch Kamer dance, but the fact that Mahmud Bey invited the girl to his mansion the following morning was a true exception.

  It was no small matter to take a girl outside the mansion, and few customers dared make such a request. Sirrah only accorded this privilege to her most influential customers, and in exchange she asked for an exorbitant payment.

  But Mahmud Bey had plenty of influence and just as much money.

  Of course, the cook heard about it, as everyone at the House of Pleasure was talking about what had happened. Some went so far as to suggest that Mahmud Bey was desperately in love with Kamer, that he’d prolonged his stay in Istanbul just for her, and that he was in talks with Sirrah to take her back to Alexandria with him. According to rumors, the amount of money he’d promised in exchange for Kamer was enough to buy the entire House of Pleasure and all the slaves living there.

  The cook tried everything so he could see Kamer one last time before she went off to the Darıcızade mansion, but all his efforts failed. Neither the bribes he offered nor his pleading had any effect, and he watched helplessly as Kamer left the House of Pleasure in a carriage drawn by six horses.

  He spent that night tossing and turning in bed, drenched in sweat. Just before dawn there was a knock on his door. It was one of the girls who accompanied Kamer. “She’s waiting for you in the garden,” she whispered.

  The cook quickly got dressed. When he saw Kamer waiting for him under the oak tree, all the gloom he had been carrying inside vanished—but just for a moment. As he got closer, darkness seized him once again. He was overcome by such fury and disappointment that he was blind to the smile and sparkling eyes of his beloved whom he had not seen for almost a month.

  The cook stood at a cold distance from her, staring at her large necklace adorned with diamonds and emeralds.

  She stammered, “I just got here. I haven’t even been to my room yet.” Then she leaned forward to embrace the cook.

  Stiffly, he said, “Don’t go there again.”

  Kamer longed to linger in his embrace but a shudder ran through her soul. “I don’t want to go back,” she said.

  “Then don’t go.”

  “But I have no choice.”

  “Don’t …”

  Feeling the pain of the bitter truth she was about to utter, she replied, “I belong to Sirrah. I have to go.”

  The cook fell silent. There was only one thing left for him to say, something he’d often thought about. “Let’s go…. Let’s get away from here.”

  Kamer’s eyes sparkled for a moment. “But how?” she asked. “What will we do?”

  The cook had no answer.

  As they gazed at each other in the darkness, someone whispered Kamer’s name from the darkness. It was the girl who had summoned the cook. “Sirrah is awake,” she warned them.

  Kamer quickly kissed the cook’s cheek and he watched as she disappeared into the darkness of the trees.

  That was the last time he saw her.

  He didn’t hear from Kamer for weeks. According to rumors, she was going to visit the Darıcızade mansion again, but no one knew for sure. One day, Master Adem said he had business to attend to and wouldn’t be back that evening, leaving the cook to handle everything. Burdened by his worries and the work of the kitchen, the cook felt overwhelmed. One of Sirrah’s slaves stopped by the kitchen and handed the cook a small folded piece of paper.

  When he unfolded it, he felt something drop on his foot.

  It was a short letter from Kamer, saying that she was going to Alexandria with Darıcızade Mahmud Bey, and bidding him farewell.

  The cook read the letter again and again.

  When he set it aside, he saw the necklace with the small apple pendant lying by his foot.

  When Master Adem left him at the gates of the el-Haki brothers’ home, the cook suddenly felt a sense of solitude which soothed his mind.

  The el-Haki brothers were twins, and they were identical in every way, from their demeanor to their manner of speech and from the color of their eyes to their beards. But it was easy for him to tell Sa’d el-Haki from Sadr el-Haki.

  Sa’d el-Haki was an astrologer, and because he spent most his time gazing at the sky, he walked around with his head held high.

  Because Sadr el-Haki pored over books and leaned over as he tended to his patients, he usually walked around with his head bowed down.

  The cook met Sa’d first. The house’s servant, Fadıl, who was deaf as a post, did not hear the knock on the door and at the time Sadr was preparing an ointment for a patient. Sa’d opened the door, looked the cook up and down, and muttered, “Hmm, either an Aquarius or Gemini.”

  When the cook was a child, his mother had told him, “Never tell anybody your star sign.” He didn’t know why, but he’d always followed her advice. During the two years he spent with the el-Haki brothers, he would come to understand why she was right.

  When the cook didn’t reply, Sa’d invited him in and started walking toward the observatory. “Come, let’s have a look. Perhaps we already have your horoscope.”

  Feeling uneasy, the cook followed him, wondering how he could have got his hands on his astrological chart. However, when he stepped into the observatory behind Sa’d el-Haki, all the questions in his mind vanished.

  The interior of the observatory, which seemed modest from the outside, was splendorous. It had a large dome rising above exterior walls that were as tall as eight men. On the east side of the dome there was an opening which started at the point of the horizon and rose up to the sky. The pointed tip of a huge astrolabe rising up from the floor to the ceiling extended toward the heavens through the opening. When night fell, the stars would come out and Sa’d would take his place at the astrolabe, watching their movements and calculating their angles.

  All four walls of the observatory were lined from top to bottom with shelves packed with books and manuscripts. Above the shelves were drawings of the twelve astrological signs and the seven ancient stars.

  When he entered the room, Sa’d moved a ladder leaning against a bookshelf slightly to the left and quickly climbed up. After shuffling through some manuscripts, he announced, “Here it is!” Still on the ladder, he first looked at the yellowed piece of parchment in his hand and then at the cook. Smiling, he said, “I was right. You’re an Aquarius.”

  “That’s right,” the cook replied coolly.

  It was only then that Sa’d realized his guest was feeling uneasy, and he offered an explanation. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said as he climbed down the ladder. “We have to know everything about the people who come to this house. Master Adem told us everything about your past.”

  “I see,” he replied. “How about the horoscope? How did you know that?”

  Sa’d grinned. “A horoscope is created for every child born in the palace. We astrologers know each other and it is an honor to share the information we possess.”

  After a pause, Sa’d el-Haki said, “I see that you are tired. Do you have any ailments? Pains, aches?”

  The cook shook his head. “No, my health is fine.”

  “In that case, all is well,” Brother Sa’d replied. “The most important thing is health. All the rest can be sorted out.” Then he looked at the astrological chart he was holding and continued, “The stars say that what ails you is not a financial matter. Could it be a matter of the heart?”

  The cook laughed bitterly. “The nature of that ‘matter,’ as you say, is not that important. Do the stars also say when it will pass?”

  Sa’d did not respond but sat down on a small divan sandwiched between two bookshelves and gestured for the cook to sit down beside him. “The stars don’t tell us what will happen,” he said. “They tell us how we might feel, or what we might think. The state of our emotions determines our actions and our choices, and the sum of that is called destiny, my young master. For ex
ample, Venus is the star of love, enjoyment, and pleasure. If I were to tell you that tomorrow Venus will be shining under your star, it would not mean that you will meet the love of your life or find joy. It would, however, stoke your desire for love and enjoyment, which in turn would be reflected in your behavior, words, and even how you look at the world, whether you realize it or not. Don’t such things determine what sort of a day you’ll have?”

  The cook thought for a moment, intrigued. For the next two years, that look of intrigue would never leave his eyes.

  Sa’d knew all the secrets of the sky, and whenever he explained the twelve astrological signs, the seven stars, and the relationship of the stars to each other, as well as the signs, the signs’ houses, and their angles, retreats, conjunctions, and eclipses, the cook was awestruck by the divine mathematics which repeated itself with unfailing order, but never in the same manner twice, and his outlook on destiny, order, the world, and humanity changed every day.

  “Look at the sky,” Sa’d told him one hot summer night as they sat on a divan in the courtyard. He pointed to a cluster of stars just above the horizon to the east. “Mercury is in its home, Gemini, peaceful and at ease. Jupiter is three steps away in Libra. It’s in harmony with Mercury. This is beneficial for all signs, but particularly for water and fire signs. Mercury is the sign of words, speech, and trade. Right now, it is in repose, benefitting from Jupiter’s abundance. You should watch out for Saturn, however. It is four houses away from Jupiter, warning everyone against excess. This is only what three stars in three signs tell us. We haven’t even looked at the other four: the moon, the sun, Venus, or Mars. We haven’t talked about the phases of the moon, its waxing and waning, or the signs that are on the ascent and those on the descent. What’s more, these are only the things in the sky at this moment tonight, my young master. Now, close your eyes, wait a second, and then open them again. You’ll see that the sky has changed. Mercury will be in the same sign, but it will have moved one thousandth of a degree, and even this difference which cannot be seen with the eye will affect many things. Remember this: the sky is like a flowing river. No moment resembles the next. Everything is constantly changing. This is why people are so different, even identical twins.”

  Sa’d was indeed right, and the greatest proof of his claim was the existence of his twin brother, Sadr el-Haki. Only a few minutes had passed between their births but they were strikingly different, the most apparent difference being that Sa’d el-Haki was friendly and easygoing while his twin was distant and disciplined.

  The cook met Sadr el-Haki a week after he arrived at the house. As he was listening to Sa’d talk about the movements of the moon and sun through the signs, Sadr walked in, introduced himself, and apologized for the delay in meeting him, briefly explaining that he had been searching for a cure for a patient with a rare illness. “Tomorrow we will begin our lessons,” he said, “and every second day we’ll continue. Come to my room at lunchtime.”

  Sadr left the observatory just as he had come in, head bowed down. Sa’d had not mentioned anything about the timing of their “lessons” or things of that sort. Their discussions were nothing like lessons; rather, Sa’d chatted about the signs and the stars, told stories, and asked questions. Noticing that the cook was surprised, Brother Sa’d let out a small laugh and said, “Yes, he really is my brother.”

  When he went to Sadr’s room the next day, the doctor was waiting for him beside two low tables facing each other. There was a bundle of paper on one of the tables and a small inkwell with a pen.

  “Please sit down,” Sadr el-Haki said, pointing to one of the tables. The cook quietly walked in and sat cross-legged on a cushion in front of the table.

  After scrutinizing his face for a moment, Brother Sadr got up from his cushion and inspected the cook’s eyelids, asked him to look up and down, and checked his pulse.

  “You’re sitting still, but your heart is beating fast,” he said after letting go of the cook’s wrist. “Do you have a headache?”

  “No,” the cook responded.

  “Do you suffer from sleeplessness?”

  “Yes, a little.”

  “Difficulty gathering your thoughts? An inability to concentrate or converse at length?”

  The cook paused to think before answering, which gave Sadr all the answers he needed. “I see,” he said. Just as he was about to offer his diagnosis, the cook, like many people who suffer from spiritual ill-health, attempted to prove his well-being by saying, “Master Sa’d told me I was in good health.”

  After casting an annoyed look at the cook, Sadr el-Haki sat down and said, “Please don’t be confused by the fact we’re twins. He is not the doctor, I am.”

  The cook fell silent. Assured that the young man sitting across from him had learned his very first lesson, Brother Sadr began to lecture him on the actual subject of the lesson.

  “Master Fuzuli says that the favorite place in the land of the body is the city of the heart,” he began, casting a meaningful glance at his new pupil. “This city has three allies and three enemies. Its allies are relief, friendship, and hope, while its enemies are spite, fear, and sorrow.

  “Each of these have allies of their own. The allies of spite are dishonesty, animosity, and ill-will, while the allies of fear are confusion, terror, and boredom. The allies of sorrow are trouble, deprivation, and longing.

  “As for the allies of the city of the heart, the ally of relief is beauty, the ally of friendship is love, and the ally of hope is intellect.

  “As you can see, the enemies have more allies than the friends, which makes the city of the heart the most sensitive area of the land of the body. If it gets ill, so does the body, and this condition of ill-health is called ‘disease’ by the science of medicine.

  “That which we call the body is made up of four elements, just like nature itself and the sky. These elements are air, water, fire, and earth, and what we call good health is the harmony and balance between these four elements.

  “The element of air is related to blood, and its location is the spleen.

  “The element of water is located in the lungs, but it also concerns the stomach, and therefore digestion.

  “The location of the element of fire is the gallbladder. It concerns the fitness of the body, the color of the skin, and the brightness of the eyes.

  “The element of earth is located in the heart and the mind. It concerns diseases of the heart, and mental and spiritual sicknesses.

  “A decrease or increase of any one of these four elements, which in turn causes the increase or decrease of the other three, leads to the deterioration of health.

  “Master Fuzuli says, ‘Disease enters the land of the body through food.’ He is quite right. However, not only what we eat, but what we see, what we hear, what we smell, what we touch, and even what we experience can cause us to become unwell.

  “Regardless of the means by which disease enters the body, there are only three ways one can banish it: diet, medicine, and surgery.

  “Diet is the most important one, firstly because it is the most natural means of treatment, and secondly because it not only eliminates disease but also helps to protect one’s health. If diet doesn’t work, then medicine is used. If medicine doesn’t work, surgery is the last resort.

  “My young master, while you’re here, we’ll work on the issue of foods. Now, tell me. You already know about the four elements of nature. Do you know about the nature of these elements?”

  The cook shook his head.

  “Then please take notes,” Sadr el-Haki said, pointing at the sheaf of paper in front of him.

  The cook wasn’t accustomed to writing. He reached toward the pen timidly, carefully dipped it into the inkwell, and began to write.

  “Air,” began Sadr el-Haki, “is warm and moist in nature.

  “Water is cold and moist in nature.

  “Fire is warm and dry in nature.

  “Earth is cold and dry in nature.

  “My
young master, you will not only memorize the natures of the four elements, but grasp them with your entire being. Just as your art is founded on the four tastes, the science of medicine is founded on the nature of these elements. Your art of cooking and our science intersect just at that point, at the nature of the elements. Do you understand?”

  Brother Sadr looked at the cook’s uncomprehending expression for a few moments, and smiled imperceptibly. “You will see, my young master. That’s why you’re here. Let’s continue with examples. Please write this down: Garlic is a food which is warm in the second degree and also dry in the second degree. Its star is Mars.”

  Pen in hand, the cook paused in confusion. Sadr nodded as if he had been expecting him to react that way and continued: “Not only humans, but plants, animals, and even the stones and minerals in the earth have natures and stars. Think about what I said: Health is the harmony of the four elements in the human body. If that harmony is disrupted, the body falls ill. For example, if you visit a doctor complaining of exhaustion, a dry mouth, pain in your joints, and your skin is pale yellow, this shows that there is an excess of the fire element in the body. We know that fire is warm and dry in nature. We’ve also seen that garlic is warm and dry in nature. Now, here is my question: What would happen if this patient were to eat garlic?”

  The cook replied, “The dry and warm element in the body would increase.”

  “Yes, and therefore the sickness would worsen.” Then he asked, “What should you do then?”

  “Consume cold and moist foods.”

  “Correct. And what must we do in the case of your complaints?”

  The cook started to look through the pieces of paper in front of him. He knew that Sadr had said that matters of the heart were caused by an excess of the earth element in the body. Earth was cold and dry in nature, so he concluded that in order restore balance, warm and moist foods were needed.

  After a lengthy silence he gave his answer, and once again Sadr replied that it was correct. Seeing that the cook was beginning to understand, he continued, “Let’s move on to degrees. What did I say? Garlic is warm and dry in the second degree.