 The festive pudding is the centerpiece of the New Year's table, which is often decorated with dried fruits, nuts and pomegranates.Turkish author Elif Şafak has scenes involving "ashure" in "The Flea Palace" and "The Bastard of Istanbul".In "The Flea Palace" Şafak writes, "As they boiled there on the stove, all the ingredients prattled on in unison but each in its own language," and in "The Bastard of Istanbul" Mustafa recalls childhood memories of eating the bowls of dessert he had been entrusted to distribute to his neighbors.