Turkish Cooking
Let’s get busy in the kitchen and make up some Dolma, Stuffed Grape Leaves!
When I was young and heading for our trips to turkey, my grandmother would ask me what I would want her to make for when we arrived. The answer was always vegetarian stuffed grape leaves. I could it piles and…
Turkish elements and tools to create a beautiful table
Experiencing Turkish food isn’t just about what happens in the kitchen, but also setting the table. There is care and attention given to all aspects of the meal from colors, textures, service as well as the food! Turkish and Mediterranean…
Must-Try Traditional Turkish Drinks
I know that I talk about Turkish Coffee and Turkish Tea all the time, but have you heard of these other fun drinks from Turkey? I grew up with drinking Ayran in the Summer, Raki brings back memories of dinners…
Baklava, Sweet & Savory
Many people are familiar with Baklava, the thin sheets of filo dough layered with nuts and butter. But, are you familiar with Baklava’s Savory Sister, Börek? If we go all the way back, way waaaay back to when the Turkic…
Building a Turkish Pantry: Spices, Supplies, & Tips
She collects the spices and aromas that the Assyrian gathers, and the rich Arab; those that are harvested by the Pygmy peoples and by India, and that grow in the soft bosom of the Sabaen land. She collects cinnamon,…
Taze Fasulye: Green Beans get a makeover when they do the tango with tomatoes!
Before we would leave for our vacation to Turkey in the summers, we would always call my grandparents just before for last minute requests. Each time, my grandmother would ask me what I would like her to make for my…
Some Like it Hot: Turkish Pepper, Various kinds & how to use them
When I was young, my grandmother would teach me and my cousins how to eat hot peppers. I remember sitting outside in the garden and my grandmother would take one of the long, thin green hot peppers, Sivri Biber. She…
Gözleme, Turkish stuffed flatbread
Last week was all about cooking comfort food for the freezer. After cooking up a big batch of spinich and onions, it was time to make the dough for some Gözleme. I ended up making a double batch of dough…
Fava, The Ancient Magical Bean
Rumor has it that it was the fava bean that Jack used to grow his giant beanstalk in the favorite fairy tales. Not surprising since the fava bean stalk can grow over 6 feet tall! This ancient bean from Asia…
Simit, A Ring of Flour
One of the things I love about Turkish food is that you can see history in so many dishes, unchanged for hundreds of years. I had no idea that the simple Simit, Turkish Sesame Bagel, has remained unchanged since the…
Linden Tea & our family’s “Witch’s brew” recipe
Cold season in my house growing up meant pots of linden tea simmering most of the time. In Turkey, linden tea is the go to flu fighting tea to drink when you get that first tickle of feeling sick. When…
Just a simple breakfast
Meals in Turkey and the Middle East are about gathering together. There is no micro wave pop tarts or instant oatmeal. It’s about starting your day with a ritual of putting on your pot of tea, letting it rest while…
