Almost Turkish

I'm in Turkey and enjoying all the food I cannot find in the US and frequenting my hometown's twice-a-week farmers' market for fresh produce. It seems like July is a wonderful month for peppers of all kinds. Inspired by the  exuberance of fresh ...

Of all the sweets that come from Turkey baklava is probably the most famous and delicious. Although there is no consensus on the history of the dessert, it is believed that baklava descended from an Assyrian dessert consisting of dried frui...

Stuffing green leaves with ground meat, herby rice, or grains is a common practice in Turkish cuisine. Although not as popular as grape leaves, stuffed chard is a staple dish for both Black Sea region and eastern Anatolia. The two different types of ...

Although I gave different versions of mücver recipes so far, I haven't posted "the" mücver recipe. In Turkey mücver is usually made after stuffing zucchinis, using the carvings. But it is a delicious dish on its own featuring all the fresh herbes of ...

The Aegean cuisine in Turkey is known for its greens.  It is truly unbelievable how many different green plants/weeds and in how many different ways the Aegeans can cook. Among all those greens fennel is a popular one. Although it...

Bowl kebap is one of my mom's specialties. Although I have been very picky about red meat dishes all my life, bowl kebap is something that I never said no. I have been craving it recently and noticed that I had never made it here. Almost four weeks a...

Baked cabbage with ground meat can be described as either a kind of no-pasta lasagna, börek, or mousakka. However you name it, it is simply delicious and healthy. If not witness the preparation of the dish, it might be even impossible to tell it...

I don't know if you have noticed that I like bulgur, different types of bulgur, and anything with bulgur. I like bulgur especially in kofte form such as this, this, and this. Bulgur kofte is yet another bulgur dish in kofte form. The r...

If you are a libertine, don?t turn from the cup of pure wineIf you are wise, take your glass in the direction of Galata?Pious one, should you see those Frankish (European) boys but onceYou would never cast an eye on the houris in paradise?Everywhere ...

I have been receiving complaints from readers, friends, and friends of friends about lack of new recipes on the blog. I know; it's been a while. I've been busy and lazy at the same time. But here we go.Dried eggplant dolma is a popular winter dish ma...

The move is finally over and we have been Californians for almost two months now. I am loving the Palo Alto farmer's markets (who wouldn't when you can buy a celery root for a dollar!) and cooking a lot; just not blogging. Finally emergence of fresh ...

The apartment that I lived in Ankara was on the first floor of one of those old 4 story buildings with just two apartments on each floor and a back yard that the residents didn't care about. A month after the move I remembered there was a back yard a...

A couple of years ago there were quite a number of fisherman boats tied at the Yenikoy coast in Istanbul serving as seafood restaurants. Although those floating restaurants had limited menus, they served the freshest and by far the cheapest seaf...

A popular appetizer / meze for Turkish brandy, raki and red meat, and a very common winter salad. 2 medium size beets1 cup yogurt (better to use strained yogurt)1 clove of garlic, minced1 tbsp olive oil1 tbsp finely chopped dill or 1 tbsp basil flake...

Although the most popular way to prepare leeks is in olive oil (a vegetarian recipe served lukewarm or cold), leeks with ground meat or with stew beef are also widely enjoyed winter dishes.3 leeks, washed and cut in 1/2 inch rounds1/2 lb or more stew...

A great twist to a very traditional recipe: white beans, which are generally referred to as the national dish of Turkey.1 medium size eggplant, diced1 cup of dry cannellini beans, soaked over night or 1 can of cannellini beans1/4 lb stew beef [for a ...

I had celery root rounds first at a tea-party in Turkey as one of the 7 or so dishes that the host prepared for an ~3 hour tea-party! Apparently the recent tea-party trend in Turkey is to impress your guests with the number and the presentation ...

This vegetarian kofte is one of the most popular appetizers of Turkish cuisine.1 cup red lentil1/2 cup fine bulgur1/2 cup olive oil2 cups of water1 medium onion, very finely chopped1 tsp cumin1 tbsp tomato + red pepper paste (if you cannot find red p...

Making Turkish egg noodles, eriste--originally a Persian term meaning strips--is usually or was a good reason for gathering for the neighborhood women. A group of women would come together at someone's house. Some would make the dough, some would kne...

This Black Sea Region recipe is a recipe from my dad's side of the family. My aunt invites the rest of the family over dinner (in addition to all the special occasions) when she cooks three special dishes. Number one is manti, number two is dolma, an...