Soup or ‘çorba’ is an integral part of the Turkish meal plan. Served as a prelude to most lunches and dinners – or as a light meal on its own – Turks have certainly mastered the art of cooking this local favorite. This is lucky for me, I guess, as I love to both cook … Read more
This dish is surprisingly tasty and wonderfully delicious. I have cooked different versions of mousakka on a number of occassions, but none as easy as this one. Since cooking this, it has become a regular favourite on our dinner table. Ingredients: 2 potatoes 2 zucchinis 2 eggplants Vegetable oil for frying Cheddar cheese for topping … Read more
Most of us in Western countries don’t eat purslane or ‘pig’s weed’ (semizotu, in Turkish). But in fact it’s wonderfully tasty and full of things that are good for you. Turks eat it quite commonly in salads and other dishes, and it can be found in every market and süpermarket in the country. Having never … Read more
Potato & Leek borek is one of the easiest börek recipes, and is very tasty. Borek is definitely one of the most popular of all Turkish foods. Even though borekci’s (börek shops) are found all over Istanbul, I wanted to try making it for myself. Borek is most commonly enjoyed as a breakfast food, however … Read more
I love capsicums (peppers) and these are a real treat with the parmesan on the outside. Parmesan-crusted peppers is a great side dish to any dinner meal, these are easy and tasty – who doesn’t love a bit of parmesan? Admittedly, I think the longer, thinner Charleston peppers work better as they tend to hold … Read more
EZME RECIPE Ezme is one of the most popular of all Turkish mezzes, and is found at almost all Turkish meals. It is a spicy and fresh accompaniment. Actually, this version is very spicy, so you could opt to tone it down a little depending on your taste – just cut down on the chillies … Read more
Turkish Dolma with Meat Recipe: Pepper Dolma is one of my favourite Turkish dishes and I didn’t realise how easy it was to make until I tried it for myself. Of course, as I am a carnivorous person, I do prefer the dolma containing ground beef. You can serve this as a main meal (lunch … Read more
About 6 months after moving to Turkey, I was desperately craving one of my favorite foods that I ate regularly in Australia – cheesecake! Since I couldn’t find cream cheese in Istanbul (well, not the kind I was familiar with) I was at a bit of a loss. Until I visited with my mother-in-law who … Read more
A great snack food, a light lunch or an accompaniment to dinner, these bean fritters are easy to make. As beans are always plentiful in Turkey the versatile vegetable is a staple at most Turkish dinner tables, year round and can be found in various forms. Originally I made these to serve at breakfast, as … Read more
Semolina halva or irmik helvasi is a classic Ottoman dessert and Turkish people have been cooking this dessert for centuries in their houses. Sometimes semolina halva is cooked with milk, sometimes with pine nuts but it is always a very light dessert. Semolina halva (irmik helvasi) is also a dessert in Turkey cooked after a … Read more