Retete turcesti

• Turkish cuisine was popularized by the Ottoman empire in Eastern Europe and throughout the Middle East and many common recipes reveal Turkish influences, including yogurt salads, fish in olive oil, stuffed vegetables and vine leaves, and syrupy filo dough desserts. Newly baked bread is a staple and lamb and chicken are the main meats. Pork is forbidden by Islam and hence not common. Seasonal vegetables and fruits, including eggplants, peaches, figs, olives, dried apricots, as well as all kinds of nuts are very popular. Pilafs (flavoured, spiced rice), prizolla (thin cut lamb chops which are seasoned with sumac, thyme, and quickly grilled), sucuk (a spicy sausage), pastirma (sun dried, cumin-fenugreek coated, preserved beef), shish kebabs (roasted meat on skewers) and milk puddings are specialties of the region.

• Thinking of Turkish food, the first images that come to mind are probably meze, the thousand different small plates for sharing, or the great variety of börek (pastries made with yufka, phyllo dough) or the omnipresent kebabs. Rarely do we think of cheese, and at most we might think only of something white and brined, similar to feta. But we would be doing a great disservice to Turkish gastronomy.

• Then came the infinite world of tulum, cheeses preserved in sheepskin, like Pergamo cheese or the incredible Konya Karaman küflü peynir, which involves an initial aging in sheepskin followed by further aging in caves, where the cheese develops the distinctive blue veining that makes it one of a kind. But it is with the extraordinary diversity of stretchedcurd cheeses that Turkey really comes into its own: from the braided cheese of Diyarbakr to Antioch's örgü, as coiled, long and narrow as a rope, to kerti from Erzurum, which has an unusual shredded texture and notes of fennel and fresh grass..

• The traditional Turkish drink is Raki, an alcoholic drink made from different fruits. Raki is usually drunk with cold dishes like tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and seafood. Ayran, a yoghurt drink made by diluting yogurt with water, is also very refreshing.

• Both coffee and tea (or chai)play an integral role in Turkey’s social life.

Tea and coffee houses are social hubs where news and gossip are exchanged. Turks prepare tea using a double tea pot and drink it in clear, tulip-shaped glasses. Turkish coffee is served hot from a special coffee pot called cezve.

Popular food recipes

Muhammara (Red Pepper Walnut Dip)

INGREDIENTS: • 1-1 ½ cup roasted red peppers, drained • 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs • 1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice • 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses • ½-1 tsp ground cumin • ½ tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional) • 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil • ½ tsp salt to taste

DIRECTIONS: Blend all the ingredients but the olive oil in a food processor blend until mixture is smooth. You may also leave it a little chunky if you like it that way.

Stir in oil gradually. Transfer muhammara to a serving bowl and if desired, garnish with fresh parsley/mint.

Serve it with crudities, pita triangles or fresh bread.

May be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Serve at room temperature.

Muhammara is also very good at breakfasts.

ENJOY

Turkish Panini (Sucuklu-Sebzeli Tost)

INGREDIENTS: • 1 long sandwich bread • 4 slices of sujuk • ½ cup spinach, washed • ¼ onion, julienne cut • 2-3 slices of Mozzarella/Swiss Cheese (any amount) • 2-3 slices of tomato • 1-2 Tbps olive oil • Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS: Cut the sandwich bread in half and brush both inner sides with olive oil. Stuff with Mozzarella/ Swiss cheese, onion, tomatoes, sujuk and spinach.

Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Heat the gridler/Panini maker up. Then, press gently the Panini until the cheese is melted or 2-3 minutes (do not press hard).

Serve hot.

ENJOY

Eggs with Sujuk (Sucuklu Yumurta)

INGREDIENTS> • 2-3 eggs • 8-10 slices of sujuk/summer beef sausage, skin removed • A pinch of salt to taste • A pinch of paprika

DIRECTIONS: In a skillet or frying pan cook sujuk/summer beef sausage slices over low heat, till they release the fat and turn a little golden brown.

Turn each side with a fork, do not overcook (2-3 minutes is sufficient). Make some room for the eggs and then crack the eggs.

Sprinkle some salt and paprika.

Cook till the whites are cooked.

Serve warm. Eggs with Sujuk is good to go at breakfast and brunch.

ENJOY

• • • •

2-3 yumurta 8-10 dilim sucuk/ summer beef sausage, soyulmus Bir tutam tuz Bir tutam kirmizi toz biber

Teflon bir tavada sucuk dilimleri yagini salip hafif kizarana dek kisik ateste pisirin (2-3 dakika). Her iki tarafinin da kizarmasi icin bir catal yardimiyla cevirin. Fazla pisirirseniz kururlar. Sonra yumurtalar icin biraz yer acin ve yumurtalari duzgunce kirin.

Sarilarinin dagilmamasi icin dikkat edin. Uzerine tuz ve kirmizi biber serpin ve beyazlari pisene dek kisik ateste pisirin.

Sicak servis yapin. Sucuklu Yumurta kahvalti icin cok guzel bir alternatiftir.

AFIYET OLSUN

Cigarette Borek (Sigara Boregi)

• • • •

½ lb (200-250 gr) Phyllo Pastry 1-1 1/2 cup feta cheese 1/3 cup fresh parsley/ dill, finely chopped ½ cup oil for frying

DIRECTIONS: • Mix feta cheese and dill/parsley in a small bowl. Place Phyllo Pastry sheets on top of each other and cut them in half. Then again cut the 2 pieces crosswise from the corners and form 4 pieces. Place 1 tsp of filling on the wide sides and fold the corners inside. Then, roll them up (see the picture) and soak the end to water and close it up. Roll all the sheets up in the same way (you can use 2 pieces of sheets together since the sheets are very thin, but it is up to you).

• Sizzle the oil in a large skillet and fry the both sides of Cigarette Boreks over medium heat till their color turn into a light golden brown color. After that, place them on a paper towel to soak the excess oil up.

• Place them to a serving plate and serve warm.

ENJOY • P.S: If you are using Turkish-style pastry sheets, cut them in 16 triangular-like pieces and then follow the intructions described above to roll up and fry.

• P.S: The Phyllo Pastry dries quickly, so roll them up quickly or cover the ones you aren’t using with a clean cloth.

½ paket (200-250 gr) Phyllo Pastry 1-1½ su bardagi ufalanmis beyaz peynir 1/3 su bardagi taze maydanoz/ dereotu, dogranmis ½ su bardagi siviyag, kizartmak icin

Peynir ve maydanoz/ dereotunu bir kasede karistirin. Yufkalari ust uste tezgahin uzerine yayin ve enine 2 parcaya bolun. Sonra her parcayi kosesinden caprazlamasina kesin ve 4 parca elde edin . Sonra genis kisimlarina 1 tatli kasigi ic malzemeden koyun ve ust kenarlarini ice dogru kivirin. Sonra rulo seklinde dolayin.

Uc kismini su ile islatarak yapismasini saglayin.

(Yufkalar cok ince oldugu icin 2 yufkayi birden de sarabilirsiniz.)

Yufkalar bitene dek bu islemi uygulayin. Genis bir tavada yagi kizdirin ve sigara boreklerin her iki tarafida kizarana dek orta ateste kizartin.

Sigara boreklerini kagit havlu uzerine alip, fazla yagini almasini saglayin.

Servis tabagina alin ve sicak servis yapin.

AFIYET OLSUN

Menemen (Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables)

• • • • • • • •

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups green pepper, chopped 1 cup diced tomato 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 eggs, beaten 3 tbsp oil ½ tsp salt 1 pinch of black pepper (optional)

2 su bardagi yesil biber, dogranmis 1 su bardagi domates, dogranmis 1 kucuk sogan, ufak dogranmis 2 yumurta, cirpilmis 3 yemek kasigi sivi yag 1cay kasigi tuz Bir tutam karabiber (istege bagli)

Place the oil and onions in a pan and sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes over low-medium heat. Then, add peppers and salt. Close the lid and cook until the peppers become soft by stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, stir and cook for 5-6 minutes with the lid closed. Finally, add the beaten eggs and stir. It’s done when the eggs are cooked. You can sprinkle some black pepper on top if you like.

Menemen is a very good and famous dish for breakfasts.

Serve it with bread while still warm.

ENJOY

!

Bir tavaya yagi ve soganlari koyun, 2-3 dakika orta ateste kavurun. Sonra biberleri ve tuzu ilave edin. Kapagini kapatin ve biberler yumusayana dek ara sira karistirarak pisirin. Sonra domatesleri ilave edin, yine ara sira karistirarak kapagi kapali olarak 5-6 dakika pisirin.

Son olarak cirpilmis yumurtalari ilave edin ve karistirin.Yumurtalar pisince ocaktan alin. Uzerine karabiber serpebilirsiniz (istege bagli).

Menemen kahvalti icin guzel bir alternatiftir.

AFIYET OLSUN

Yarimca (Fried Dough With Filling)

• 3 cups flour ½ cup yogurt 1/3 cup olive oil 1 egg 1 tsp salt ½ tsp baking powder ½ cup water (maximum) 2 cups oil for frying Filling Ingredients: 200 gr (1/2 lb) feta cheese 1/3 cup fresh parsley /dill, finely chopped OR 5-6 potatoes, boiled and smashed 1 tsp dried mint ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper • Mix all the main ingredients by adding the water slowly. Knead, till the dough is set (the right consistency when it doesn’t stick anymore). Place the dough on a floured surface and cut it into two pieces.

Roll each piece in the thickness of your wrist.

Then cut the rolls in 1 inch wide pieces.

On the floured surface, flatten the dough with your hands or a roller (for about ¼ inch thickness). See the picture. In the center of the flattened dough, place 1 tsp of filling, spread it and close in the shape of half moon. Compress the edges tightly.

Prepare all the dough in the same way and place them on a paper towel, making some room for not to stick each other.

Sizzle the oil in a pan and fry both sides of the dough pieces till they turn to golden brown. Serve the Yarimcas warm.

• ENJOY

3 su bardagi un 1 cay bardagi yogurt 1 cay bardagindan biraz az zeytinyagi 1 yumurta 1 tatli kasigi tuz ½ paket / ½ tatli kasigi kabartma tozu 1 cay bardagi su (en fazla) 2 su bardagi sivi yag, kizartmak icin Ic Malzeme: 200 gr beyaz peynir 1/3 su bardagi dogranmis maydanoz / dereotu YA DA 5-6 patates, haslanip ezilmis 1 tatli kasigi kuru nane 1 cay kasigi tuz ½ cay kasigi karabiber Hamur icin gereken malzemeleri karistirin. Suyu azar azar ekleyerek hamurun kivamini tutturun. Unlanmis bir tahtanin uzerinde hamuru ikiye bolun ve her bir parcayi bilek kalinliginda rulo haline getirin.

Rulolari iki parmak genisliginde parcalara kesin ve her bir parcayi unlu yuzeyde oklava ile ya da elinizle yarim santim kalinliginda acin. Actiginiz hamura 1 tatli kasigi ic malzemeden koyun ve kenarlarini sikica bastirarak, ay seklinde kapatin. Tum hamuru bu sekilde hazirlayin ve yarimcalari kagit havlu uzerine, birbirine yapismayacak sekilde dizin. .

AFIYET OLSUN

EZME

INGREDIENTS: • • • • • • • • • • • •

2 tomatoes 1 red pepper 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 1-2 Tbsp parsley, chopped finely ½ lemon’s juice 1 tsp tomato paste 1 tsp red pepper paste ½ tsp or more chili pepper (optional) 1 tsp fresh mint (optional), chopped finely 1-2 Tbsp olive oil Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS: Mix lemon juice, olive oil, tomato and red pepper paste in a small bowl. Chop all the other ingredients very finely or use a chopper. Add salt to the olive oil and tomato paste mixture. Mix all the ingredients all together.

• Serve fresh.

• ENJOY

2 domates 1 kirmizi biber 1 kucuk sogan 2 dis sarimsak 1-2 yemek kasigi maydanoz, ince dogranmis ½ limonun suyu 1 tatli kasigi domates salcasi 1 tatli kasigi biber salcasi 1 cay kasigi yada daha fazla aci pul biber (istege bagli) 1 tatli kasigi taze nane (istege bagli), ince dogranmis 1-2 yemek kasigi zeytinyagi Tuz Limon suyu ve zeytinyagini kucuk bir kapta karistirin. Icine domates ve biber salcasini ilave edin ve iyice karistirin. Diger butun malzemeleri minik minik dograyin ya da mutfak robotu kullanarak iyice parcalayin. Zeytinyagi ve salca karisimina tuzu da ilave edin diger malzemeye ilave edin. Hepsini guzelce karistirin.

Bekletmeden servis yapin.

AFIYET OLSUN

Çiğ Köfte / raw meat balls

• • • • • • • • • • • •

INGREDIENTS: 3-4 big onions ¼ cup lemon juice 1 lb lean ground beef 2 tomatoes 5-6 cloves garlic ¼ cup canola oil 2 lb fine bulgur (cracked wheat) 2-3 Tbsp salt 5-6 Tbsp isot (crushed hot pepper) 1-2 Tbsp cumin 750 gr red hot pepper paste/ tomato and pepper paste mix

• Process the onions in food processor. Then, take it along with bulgur in a large mixing bowl. Rub the mixture in between your palms, to give bulgur a full onion flavor (about 10 minutes). Add pepper paste/ pepper and tomato mix paste, salt, isot and cumin. Keep rubbing all the ingredients in between your palms pressing hard. Then, add the ground beef and push the mixture through the bottom of the bowl strongly. Dip your hands in cold/ ice water occasionally to ease the process. Keep kneading for about 30 minutes and make sure the bulgur is softens enough.

• Meanwhile, crush tomato and garlic in the food processor, and then add into the bulgur mixture.

Add lemon juice and canola oil as well. Knead for a couple of minutes and grab walnut size pieces or bigger if desired. Place them right inside your palm and squeeze gently to give the right shape as seen in the picture.

• Serve with lemon wedges and lettuce leaves.

• This recipe yields to 120-130 pieces of cig kofte.

• Serving size: 6-8 pieces ENJOY

3-4 buyuk sogan ¼ su bardagi limon suyu ½ kg yagsiz dana kiymasi 2 domates 5-6 dis sarimsak ¼ su bardagi kanola yagi 1 kg ince bulgur 2-3 yemek kasigi tuz 5-6 yemek kasigi isot 1-2 yemek kasigi kimyon 750 gr aci biber salcasi/ biber ve domates karisik Sogani mutfak robotunda guzelce pure haline getirin.

Bulgur ile sogani genis bir kaba alin ve iki avucununuzun arasina alip ovalayarak guzelce birbirlerine yedirin. (Yaklasik 10 dakika). Biber ya da karisik salca, tuz, isot ve kimyonu ilave edin. Bir sure daha iki avucunuzun arasinda doverek malzemeleri yedirin. Kiymayi da ilave ettikten sonra butun gucunuzu kullanarak elinizin Bu sirada domates ve sarimsaklari mutfak robotundan gecirin ve kiymaya ilave edin. Limon suyu ve kanola yagini da ekledikten sonra bir kac dakika daha yogurun.

Ceviz buyuklugunde ya da arzuye gore daha buyuk parcalar alin ve avunucuzun icinde sikarak cig kofte seklini verin.

Yaninda limon ve marul yapragi ile servis yapin.

Bu tariften yaklasik 120-130 cig kofte cikar.

AFIYET OLSUN

FAVA/ Puree of Yellow Split Peas

• INGREDIENTS: • 1 lb fresh/frozen/dry fava beans, peeled 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped ½ tsp sugar 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt to taste • Garnish: 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ½ lemon’s juice 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped DIRECTIONS: If you are using dry fava beans soak them in water and leave overnight. Place all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Then simmer until fava beans get soft (15-20 minutes for frozen/fresh fava beans and 60-80 minutes for dry fava beans).

Drain and mix with a blender until forming a smooth paste like mixture. Adjust the salt amount as you like. Transfer to a 1-2 inch deep serving dish or bowl. Flatten the surface.

Then cover and leave it in the fridge for 1 hour to cool. Then cut into square or diamond shapes. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and put the dill all over.

ENJOY

½ kg taze/kuru ya da dondurulmus bakla ici 1 sogan, dogranmis 1 havuc, dogranmis 1 cay kasigi seker 2 yemek kasigi zeytinyagi 1 tatli kasigi tuz Uzerine: 3-4 yemek kasigi sizma zeytinyagi ½ limon suyu 1/3 su bardagi dereotu, dogranmis Kuru bakla ici kullaniyorsaniz bir gece onceden suda islatin ve gece boyunca bekletin. Butun malzemeleri bir tencerede kaynatin ve kaynayinca hafif atese alip, baklalar yumusayana dek pisirin (kuru bakla icin 60-80 dakika, taze ve dondurulmus bakla icin 15-20 dakika).

Suyunu suzun ve blendir ile pure haline getirin. Tuz miktarini isteginize gore ayarlayin. 4-5 cm derinliginde bir servis tepsisine ya da kasesine aktarin uzerini duzlestirin ve buzdolabinda 1 saat kadar sogutun.

Sonra kare ya da baklava dilimi seklinde dilimleyin.

Uzerine sizma zeytinyagi ve limon suyu dokun. Son olarak dere otunu yayin ve servis yapin.

AFIYET OLSUN

Kisir (Taboule-Turkish Bulgur Wheat Salad)

• 1 ½ cups cracked wheat (fine bulgur) 1 onion, chopped 2 tbsp tomato paste 1/3 cup olive oil 1 ¾ cups boiling water 1 tomato, chopped finely 1 cucumber, chopped finely (optional) ½ bunch of fresh parsley/dill, chopped finely 2-3 leaves of lettuce, chopped finely 1-2 green onions, chopped 1/3 cup lemon juice ½ tsp cumin 1 tsp dried mint 1 tbsp salt to taste DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl place fine bulgur and add boiling water. Stir and leave bulgur for 5-10 minutes to absorb all the water. Make sure that bulgur is not wet. The size of bulgur should be doubled .Meanwhile, place olive oil and onions in a skillet and sauté over medium heat. Then add tomato paste and salt, sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Add this mixture to puffed up bulgur and combine them using your hands. Then add lemon juice, cumin and dried mint. Mix them all and let them cool.

Finally, add tomato, cucumber, green onions, lettuce, parsley /dill and mix them all.

You can serve Kisir with lettuce leaves. Kisir is also good to go withpickles or pickled chili peppers and Ayran.

• ENJOY

1 ½ su bardagi ince (koftelik) bulgur 1 sogan, dogranmis 2 yemek kasigi domates salcasi 1/3 su bardagi zeytinyagi 1 ¾ su bardagi kaynak su 1 domates, kucuk dogranmis 1 salatalik, kucuk dogranmis (istege bagli) ½ demet taze maydanoz/dereotu, ince dogranmais 2-3 yaprak marul/kivircik, ince dogranmis 1-2 yesil sogan, dogranmis 1/3 su bardagi limon suyu 1 cay kasigi kimyon 1 tatli kasigi kuru nane 1 yemek kasigi tuz Buyuk bir kaseye bulguru koyun ve uzerine kaynak suyu bosaltin.

Karistirip, bulgurun butun suyu cekip pismesi icin 5-10 dakika bekleyin. Bulgurlarin islak olmamasina ve buyun suyu cekmis olmasina dikkat edin. Bulgur miktari suyu cekince iki katina cikacaktir.

Bu sirada zeytinyagi ve soganlari bir tavada orta ateste kavurun.

Sonra domates salcasini ve tuzu ilave edip 1-2 dakika daha kavurun.

Bu salcali sogan karisimini pismis bulgura ilave edin ve ellerinizi kullanarak salcali karisimi bulgura iyice yedirin. Sonra kimyon, nane ve limon suyunu ilave edip karistirin ve biraz sogumasini bekleyin.

Kisiri marul ya da kiviricik yapraklari ile servis yapabilirsiniz. Ayrica Kisir, salatalik yada aci biber tursusu ve Ayran ile guzel gider.

AFIYET OLSUN

Cacik /Seasoned and Diluted Yogurt

• 1 cucumber, shredded 1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed or grated ½ tsp salt 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional) 1 cup yogurt ½ cup purified water (optional) ½ tsp dried mint (optional) DIRECTIONS: In a bowl place the grated cucumber( You can peel the skin before shredding , I have shredded without peeling, because it is healthier that way), smashed garlic, salt and yogurt. Stir them well until the yogurt becomes smooth and even.

Then add the water and continue stirring till the yogurt completely dissolves in the water. If you like it thick, skip adding the water. Before serving you can add some dried mint and olive oil on top (optional) You can serve cacik both with the meat and vegetable dishes.

You can also make cacik without garlic.

ENJOY

1 salatalik, rendelenmis 1-2 dis sarimsak, dovulmus ya da rendelenmis 1 cay kasigi tuz 1 yemek kasigi zeytinyagi (istege bagli) 1 su bardagi yogurt ½ su bardagi icme suyu (istege bagli) 1 cay kasigi nane (istege bagli) Bir kaseye rendelenmis salataligi (rendelemeden once salataligin kabugunu soyabilirsiniz, bend aha saglikli oldugu icin kabugunu soymadim), dovulmus sarimsagi, tuz ve yogurdu koyun. Yogurt putursuz olana dek karistirin.

Sonra suyu ilave edin ve yogurt su ile iyice karisana dek karistirin. Arzu ederseniz su koymadan da yapabilirsiniz. Servis yapmadan once kuru nane ve zeytinyagi ilave edebilirsiniz(istege bagli) Cacigi et ve sebze yemeklerinin yaninda servis edebilirsiniz.

Ayni zamanda cacigi sarimsaksiz da yapabilirsiniz.

AFIYET OLSUN

Style Pasta Salad /Turk Usulu Makarna Salatasi

• • • • • • • •

½ lb elbow pasta ¾ cup carrot, diced ¾ cup sweet peas ¾ cup corn ½ cup pickles, diced 1 Tbsp canola oil 3-4 Tbsp mayonnaise 3 Tbsp yogurt

DIRECTIONS: • Cook the elbow pasta with 1 Tbsp canola oil in salty water as directed in the package. Rinse and drain.

• Meanwhile boil carrots and sweet peas for about 3-4 minutes. Immediately rinse under cold water and drain.

• Mix yogurt and mayonnaise in a bowl and stir in carrots, sweet peas, corns and pickles. Mix them all. Combine with drained pasta.

• Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

• Serve immediately, otherwise it dries out.

ENJOY

250 gr dirsek makarna ¾ su bardagi havuc, kup seklinde dogranmis ¾ su bardagi bezelye ¾ su bardagi misir ½ su bardagi kornison tursu, kup seklinde dogranmis 3-4 yemek kasigi mayonez 3 yemek kasigi yogurt 1 yemek kasigi kanola yagi Dirsek makarnayi paketin uzerindeki talimatlara gore 1 yemek kasigi kanola yagi ilave ederek tuzlu suda pisirin. Soguk su altinda yikayin ve suzun.

Bu sirada, havuc ve bezelyeyi yaklasik 3-4 dakika haslayin. Hemen soguk su altina tutun ve suyunu suzun.

Bir kasede, mayonez ve yogurdu karistirin.

Makarnayla beraber geri kalan malzemeyi ilave edin, hepsini karistirin.

Istege gore maydanoz ile susleyebilirsiniz.

Hemen servis edin, yoksa makarna salatasi kuruyarak tazeligini kaybedecektir.

AFIYET OLSUN

Pumpkin Filled Pastry (Kabakli Borek)

• INGREDIENTS: • 3 Turkish pastry leaves (yufka) • 1 ½ cups sugar • 300-350 grams pumpkin, shredded • ½ cup walnuts, crushed (optional) • ¼ cups milk • 2-3 Tbsp canola oil • 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

DIRECTIONS: Grease a wide oven tray and place a pastry leave covering the bottom with no overlapping. Try to make the pastry as flat as possible. If using cinnamon, mix sugar with cinnamon. Spread about half of the shredded pumpkin over the pastry and do the same with sugar. If desired add crushed walnuts for more flavor. Then, cover it with another pastry leaf making a flat layer. Continue with pumpkin, sugar and walnuts. If your tray is not large enough to accommodate all the pastry leaf, you may always tear the pastry leaf to fit the tray and use the torn parts for making another layer. Finally, cover the top with the last pastry leaf (yufka). Mix milk and canola oil and spread it all over the top evenly. Sprinkle with some sugar for a crispy top.

Bake the Pumpkin Borek in the preheated 400 F (200 C) oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the top gets light brown. Slice it into squares and serve either hot or cold.

ENJOY

Water Borek/ Su Boregi

INGREDIENTS: • 5 eggs • 2 Tbsp yogurt • 1 Tbsp salt to taste • 4 Tbsp water • Flour • • For boiling: • 1 Tbsp salt to taste • ¼ cup olive oil • 1 pot cold water • 1 pot boiling water • • For filling and top: • ½ lb ricotta/ feta cheese • 1 egg • 150 gr butter, melted • 1 Tbsp yogurt • 1 Tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS: Mix all the dough ingredients, adding flour slowly. Knead until the dough becomes as soft as your ear lobes. Leave the dough for a rest for about 30 minutes. Then knead again and divide into 10 equal pieces. With the help of a rolling pin flatten each piece as thin as you can go.

Fill up the 2/3 of a big pot and add 1 Tbsp salt and ¼ cup olive oil. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile prepare a big pot of cold water. Place each piece of flattened dough into boiling water and boil for 10-15 seconds. Immediately place the boiled flattened dough inside the cold water pot. Rinse and squeeze gently in your hands. If the cold water gets warm change it with cold water regularly.

Grease a big Pyrex dish and place the cold flattened dough and spread it evenly over the Pyrex. Brush all over it with melted butter and place the other piece on top and do the same procedure for 4 pieces. After brushing the fourth piece, spread half of the cheese evenly and continue doing the previous procedure until the seventh piece. Brush the seventh piece with butter and spread the remaining cheese all over. Place the remaining 3 dough pieces and brush them with butter as well.

Mix the egg, yogurt and olive oil. Spread this mixture all over the top of the water borek. Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and bake for until the top gets light brown (for about 30-40 minutes). When it’s baked take it out and let it cool for a few hours.

Serve it either warm or cool.

ENJOY

Tarhana Soup (Tarhana Corbasi)

3 yemek kasigi tarhana 2 yemek kasigi domates, ezilmis/rendelenmis 2 yemek kasigi tereyagi 3-4 su bardagi tavuk suyu/su+bulyon 1 tatli kasigi tuz Uzeri icin, kizarmis ekmek/beyaz peynir

• INGREDIENTS: • 3 tbsp tarhana 2 tbsp crushed/grated tomatoes 2 tbsp butter 3-4 cups chicken broth/water+bouillon 1 tsp salt to taste Croutons/feta cheese for garnish

DIRECTIONS: Place the tarhana and 1/2 cup of water in a bowl. Leave it alone for 1-2 hours for tarhana to dissolve a bit stirring occasionally. In a pot, take butter and tomatoes. Saute over medium heat.

Then, add in the rest of the ingredients.

Cook over low-medium heat stirring constantly. Adjust consistency of the soup as you like by adding more water if you prefer.You can serve Tarhana Soup with crumbled feta cheese or croutons on top.

ENJOY

Tarhanayi ½ su bardagi su ile birlikte bir kaseye alin. Ara sira karistirarak cozulmesi icin en az 1-2 saat bekletin. Bir tencerede tereyagi ile domatesi orta ateste kavurun.

Sonra, geri kalan malzemeleri ilave edin ve kisik ateste surekli karistirarak pisirin.

Corbanin kivamini arzu ettiginiz gibi su ekleyerek ayarlayabilirsiniz .Tarhana Corbasi’ni uzerinde kizarmis ekmek parcalari ya da beyaz peynir rendesi ile servis edebilirsiniz.

AFIYET OLSUN

Turkish Butcher's Meatballs (Kasap Kofte)

• • • • • • • • •

2 lb ground beef 1 tsp salt to taste 1 onion, grated 2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped ½ tsp thyme ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp black pepper ½ tsp crushed red pepper

DIRECTIONS: • Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Knead until the ground beef absorbs the ingredients.

• Grab egg size or bigger pieces and make balls rolling them in between your palms. Then, flatten the meat balls as seen in the picture.

• Cook both sides over the grill until they get browned. Serve with salad and/or greens.

ENJOY

1 kg dana kiyma 1 tatli kasigi tuz 1 sogan, rendelenmis 2-3 dis sarimsak, ezilmis ½ su bardagi maydanoz, ince dogranmis (istege bagli) 1 cay kasigi kekik 1 cay kasigi kimyon 1 cay kasigi karabiber 1 cay kasigi kirmizi pul biber

Butun malzemeleri genis bir karistirma kabinda guzelce karistirin. Elinizle guzelce yogurarak baharatlarin kiyma ile ozdeslesmesini saglayin. Yumurta buyuklugunde ya da daha buyuk parcalar koparin ve avuc iclerinizde yuvarlayarak esimde gorulen kofte seklini verin. Her iki taraflari da kizarana dek izgarada pisirin. Yaninda yesil salata ile servis edin.

AFIYET OLSUN !

Stuffed Collard Greens (Kiymali Kara Lahana Sarmasi))

• INGREDIENTS • 2 bunch collard green • 2 onions, chopped • 1 ½ cup rice, washed and drained • ½ lb ground beef • 1 tsp tomato paste • 1 tsp dried mint • ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped • ½ tsp pepper • 1/3 cup canola oil • 1 tsp salt to taste • Hot water

DIRECTIONS: Wash the leaves several times to make sure they are all clean. Remove the center stalks from the leaves and cut the large leaves into three triangular pieces. Cut the smaller leaves into two pieces.

Take the collard greens in a pot and boil for 2 minutes in salty water. Then, drain and let them cool for a while.

Combine all the other ingredients, but the water in a big bowl.

Take one piece of leave and place one Tbsp of filling on the larger side. Then, fold the sides inside and roll it as seen in the picture. Repeat the same procedure for all off the pieces.

Place all the rolls side-by-side in a large pot. Add hot water just to cover the rolls. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Then, turn the heat down and cover the lid. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until the rolls are tender.

Serve it warm preferably with yogurt or cacik.

ENJOY

Adana Kebab (Adana Kebabi)

• 1 lb lean ground mutton • 50 gr fat from lamb tail, finely chopped • 1 tsp crushed red pepper • ½ tsp black pepper • ½ tsp cumin • 1 tsp salt to taste • Skewers or chop sticks DIRECTIONS: • Leave the crushed red pepper in ½ cup of water for about 2-3 hours, to get them softened. Then drain.

• Mix all the ingredients with your hands. Grab a fist size mixture and skewer it. Squeeze it on the skewer until it gets smooth and lengthens to acquire the shape shown in the picture. Cook on a grill or oven. You can grill some vegetables as well on the side. Refrigerate the skewered Adana Kebab overnight to get a better flavor.

• Serve with warm pita bread • ENJOY

500 gr yagsiz koyun kiymasi 50 gr kuyruk yagi, cok ince kiyilmis 1 tatli kasigi pul biber 1 cay kasigi karabiber 1 cay kasigi kimyon 1 tatli kasigi tuz Metal ya da cop sis Kirmizi pul biber yarim su bardagi su icinde yaklasik 2-3 saat bekletin. Boylece pul biber yumusayacak ve pisirisken yanmayacaktir.

Butun malzemeleri cukur bir kabin icinde iyice yogurun. Yumruk buyuklugunde bir parca alip, sise gecirin. Avucunuzla sikarak, asagi yukari hareket ettirerek resimdeki sekile benzer kebaplar yapin.

Bir aksam boyunca buzdolabinda bekletin.

Mangal/izgara ya da firinda pisirin. Yaninda cesitli sebzeleri de izgara yapip kebap ile ikram edebilirsiniz.

Adana kebabi sicak lavas ya da pide (pita) ve Kebap Salatasi ileservis yapin.

Afiyet Olsun

Ali Nazik

• 2 medium eggplants 1-2 green pepper (optional) 150 gr ground beef 1+1 tbsp canola oil ½ cup garlic yogurt ½ tsp black pepper 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional) 1 tsp salt to taste DIRECTIONS: Make holes in the eggplants with a fork to make them roast better. Roast them and peppers in the oven or over the grill till they get soft. Let them cool. Remove the skins of both eggplants and peppers. Chop them finely; add half of the salt (1/2 tsp) and sauté with one tbsp of canola oil for about 3-4 minutes.

Transfer to a serving plate. If desired, mix the eggplants with half of the garlic yogurt.

2 orta boy patlican 1-2 yesil biber (istege bagli) 150 gr kiyma 1+1 yemek kasigi kanola yagi ½ su bardagi sarimsakli yogurt 1 cay kasigi karabiber 1-2 yemek kasigi taze maydanoz, dogranmis (istege bagli) 1 tatli kasigi tuz

Cook ground beef with one tbsp of canola oil and stir in black pepper and the remaining salt. Place cooked ground meat over the eggplants and the garlic yogurt on top. You can garnish with parsley. Also if desired place 2 tbsp of butter in a small frying pan and melt over low-medium heat. Once it starts spitting turn the heat off and stir in ½ tsp paprika. Pour all over the dish.

Patlicanlarin uzerine bicak ucuyla delikler acin ve firinda ya da izgarada yumusayana dek kozleyin.

Yesil biberleri de kozleyin. Soguduktan sonra biber ve patlicanlarin kabuklarini soyun ve kucuk kucuk dograyin. Bir tavada bir yemek kasigi kanola yagi ile patlican ve biberleri tuzun yarisini (1/2 tatli kasigi) ilave ederek, 3-4 dakika kavurun. Servis tabagina alin. Isterseniz sarimsakli yogurdun yarisini patlican ile karistirabilirsiniz.

Bir yemek kasigi kanola yaginda kiymayi karabiber ile kavurun ve geri kalan tuzu ilave edin. Sonra kiymayi patlicanlarin uzerine dokun ve en uzerine sarimsakli yogurdu dokun.

Uzerini maydanoz ile susleyebilirsiniz. Arzuya gore uzerine kirmizi biberli kizdirilmis tereyagi dokulebilir.

ENJOY

AFIYET OLSUN

Turkish Meatballs (Kofte)

• 2 lb ground beef/ beef and lamb mix 1 big onion, grated 1 egg ½ cup dry bread crumbs 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional) • 1 tsp summer savory ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp black pepper 1 tbsp salt to taste DIRECTIONS: Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl using your hands. Then knead it like dough to bring all the ingredients together. Grab egg size pieces and round them in your hands like a hamburger or make finger shape meatballs as seen in the picture.

Grill or fry them in a pan with some canola oil till both sides turn golden brown.

Serve Turkish Meatballs with fried potatoes shepherd salad or kidn,ey bean salad.

This recipe makes about 20 meatballs.

ENJOY

1 kg kiyma (dana ve koyun karisik olabilir) 1 buyuk sogan, rendelenmis 1 yumurta ½ su bardagi ufalanmis bayat ekmek ici 1/3 su bardagi taze maydanoz, ince kiyilmis (istege bagli) 1 tatli kasigi sater 1 cay kasigi kimyon 1 cay kasigi karabiber 1 yemek kasigi tuz Butun malzemeleri buyuk bir tepsi ya da kasede elinizle karistirin. Malzemelerin butunlesmesi icin hamur yogurur gibi karisimi bir sure yogurun.

Sonra yumurta buyuklugunde parcalar alin ve elinizle yuvarlak kofte ya da uzun parmak kofte seklini verin.

Kofteleri izgarada ya da tavada bir miktar sivi yag (tercihen kanola) ile her iki tarafi kizarana dek pisirin .Kofteyi yaninda kizarmis patates, coban salatasi ya da piyaz ile servis yapabilirsiniz.

Bu tariften yaklasik 20 tane kofte cikar.

AFIYET OLSUN

Steak Fajita

• ½ lb beef strips 1 onion, sliced circularly 1-2 green peppers, chopped in bite sizes • Marinade: 1 tbsp olive oil 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced ½ tsp salt to taste ¼ tsp cumin ¼ tsp black pepper DIRECTIONS: Mix all the marinade ingredients and rub the beef strips with it. Then leave the beef strips in marinade and keep in the fridge for about 3-5 hours.

Then in a skillet cook the marinated beef strips over low-medium heat.

When their water evaporated, stir in onions and peppers. Sautee for 3-4 minutes, till they become soft. You can sprinkle some salt over.

Steak Fajitas are good to go with Tortillas or Pita Bread.

ENJOY

250 gr dana eti, 1 cm kalinliginda parmak uzunlugunda kesilmis 1 sogan, yuvarlak dilimlenmis 1-2 yesil biber, lokma buyuklugunde dogranmis Marine sosu: 1 yemek kasigi zeytinyagi 1-2 dis sarimsak, dovulmus/rendelenmis 1 cay kasigi tuz ½ cay kasigi karabiber ½ cay kasigi kimyon

Butun marine malzemelerini bir kasede karistirin ve et parcalarini bu malzemeye bulayip elinizle ovarak etlere yedirin. Etleri marine malzemesine yatirip buzdolabinda yaklasik 3-5 saat bekletin.

Sonra, genis bir tavada etleri orta ateste suyunu cekip yumusayana dek pisirin. Sogan ve biberleri ilave edip. Karistirarak 3-4 dakika boyunca hepsi pisene dek pisirin. Isterseniz uzerine tuz ilave edin. Tortilla ya da pide ekmegi ile servis yapabilirsiniz.

AFIYET OLSUN

Shish Kebab (Sis Kebap)

• 1 lb boneless beef or lamb 1 tsp salt 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp paprika 1tbsp lemon juice Green/yellow/red pepper, cut in big chunks 2-3 medium onions, cut into 4 Any kind of vegetables you like Wooden/ metal skewers DIRECTIONS: In a bowl, combine salt, garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika and lemon juice.

Cut the meat uniformly sized 1 to 2 inch cubes for quick and even cooking.

Then add the meat into marinade sauce and mix them all. Leave for marinating at least 1 hour, preferably one night in the fridge.

• Drain the meat and discard the marinade sauce, do not use it again.

Put the meat and vegetables on skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, leave them in water for 30 minutes, to prevent them catching fire over the grill.

Cook Shish Kebabs on the grill, electric grill or you can bake them in the oven at 400F (200C) till all sides are golden brown and tender.

• ENJOY

½ kg kemiksiz dana ya da koyun eti 1 tatli kasigi tuz 1-2 sarimsak, dovulmus 2 yemek kasigi zeytinyagi 1 cay kasigi kimyon 1 cay kasigi kirmizi toz biber 1 yemek kasigi limon Yesil/kirmizi/sari biber, buyuk lokmalar halinde kesilmis 2-3 tane orta boy sogan, dorte bolunmus Her turlu istediginiz sebze Tahta/metal mangal sisi Bir kasede, tuz, sarimsak, zeytinyagi, kimyon, kirmizi toz biber ve limon suyunu karistirin. Etleri 34 cm lik kupler seklinde dograyin.

Marine sosuna etleri ilave edin ve guzelce karistirip, en az 1 saat, tercihen bir gece buzdolabinda bekletin.

Pisireceginiz zaman marine sosunu suzun ve atin, geri kalan sosu tekrar kullanmayin.

Eti ve sebzeleri sislere dizin. Eger tahta sis kullaniyorsaniz, sisleri en az 30 dakika suda bekletin. Tahta suyu cekip, mangal esnasinda alev almayacaktir.

Sis kebablari mangalda, elektrikli izgarada ya da firinda 200 C (400 F)de her taraflari kizarana dek pisirin.

AFIYET OLSUN

Turkish Dumpling (Manti)

Manti is one of my favorite Turkish traditional dishes. Manti is very popular and common in Turkey. It takes time to prepare, but it’s really worth of your time! You should try it to taste a real Turkish flavor. Preparing manti is very fun and easy if you make it a team work.

• INGREDIENTS: 3-3 ½ cups flour 1 egg 2/3 cup lukewarm water 1 tsp salt to taste Filling:½ lb ground beef 1 onion, finely chopped/shredded ½ tsp salt to taste ½ tsp black pepper •

•

For cooking: 8 cups water 1 tsp salt Sauce:2 cups yogurt 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced ¼ tsp salt to taste 3-4 tbsp butter/oil 1 tbsp tomato paste/2/3 tsp paprika 2-3 tbsp water Dried mint Sumac

DIRECTIONS: In a bowl place the flour, crack the egg and add the salt and water. Then knead till you get a firm and smooth dough. Knead for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure to make it firm to flatten easily later. Cover it with a damp towel or cloth and leave for a rest (1530 minutes) .

Meanwhile in a plate mix all the filling ingredients and set aside.

Divide the dough into 2-3 pieces, take one piece and place on the floured counter. Cover the rest of the dough. Then with a rolling pin flatten the dough as thin as you can (as thick as the ridge of a knife). Then, cut it with a knife or roulette into ¾ inch (1 ½-2 cm) square pieces.Then place ¼ tsp filling over each square.Then stick the both traverse edges diagonally, by pressing with your finger tips . Do the same procedure for the remaining dough .For cooking, boil the water in a big pot and add salt.

Then add all the manti into the boiling water. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent them sticking to each other. Make sure not to close the lid.

Cook over medium heat till manti gets soft (for about 10-15 minutes).

Meanwhile prepare the sauce. In a bowl mix yogurt, salt and garlic. In a small pan; melt the butter/oil and stir in tomato paste and water. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat. If you prefer using paprika, just add paprika into melted butter/oil and turn the heat off after one minute. Do not add water while using paprika.

Drain the cooked manti and transfer it into serving plates. Let it cool for a while and pour the yogurt sauce over. Finally pour about one tbsp of butter/oil mixture all over (adjust the amount as you like). And if desired sprinkle some dried mint and sumac over the Turkish Dumplings .This recipe makes 6-7 servings .

ENJOY

Turkish Ground Beef Pide/ Kiymali Pide

• INGREDIENTS: • 5 cups all purpose flour • 2 cups lukewarm milk • ½ cup lukewarm water • 1 Tbsp active yeast • ½ tsp sugar • 1 tsp salt • • For the filling: • 2 lbs ground beef 1 big onion, finely chopped • 1-2 banana peppers, finely chopped • 2 cups of tomatoes, finely diced • ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped • 1 Tbsp pepper/tomato paste • ½ cup water • 1 tsp salt to taste • ½ tsp cumin

DIRECTIONS: Take the filling ingredients in a big bowl and mix them all.

Keep it in the refrigerator prior to use.

Add yeast and sugar into 1 cup of milk in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Then mix in the other ingredients and flour. Knead until the dough becomes elastic and a little sticky, about 8-10 minutes. Put dough in a clean bowl and cover with a towel or cloth Let rise for 2 hours in a warm place. Punch down, cover and let dough rise again until doubled in size about 45 minutes .

Cut it into 18-20 pieces and roll them in ball shape. Cover them to prevent drying out.

Meanwhile take one piece and over the lightly floured counter roll it out with a roller. Make a boat shape for about the shape of a loaf of bread (or any size you like).

Place 2-3 Tbsp of ground beef filling and spread it all over.

Then, flip the sides ½ inch over the pide and to make a boat shape squeeze the ends and make sure to stick together.

If desired brush the flipped edges with olive oil and bake in a 400 F (200 C) oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the edges turn light brown. Bake all pides the same way.

Serve warm with lemon wedges and kebab salad if desired.

This recipe makes about 17-20 pieces.

P.S: If desired pour some beaten eggs over the pides prior baking in the oven.

ENJOY

Turkish Borek

INGREDIENTS: • 1 lb (454 gr) Phyllo Pastry / 4-5 yufka 3 L (13*9*2”) Pyrex casserole dish 2 eggs ½ tsp salt 2/3 cup milk 1/3 or ½ cup oil 1 tsp sesame seeds 1 tsp nigella seeds (optional)

For this recipe you can use one of these fillings.

Feta cheese filling 200 gr crumbled feta cheese or Mexican crumbling cheese ½ bunch of parsley or dill chopped (optional) 4 tbsp yogurt (optional) Put the ingredients in a bowl or plate and mix them.

Ground beef filling 200 gr ground beef (% 75 or %80) 1 onion, chopped 1 tomato, diced or 3 tbsp tomatoes, in a can or ½ tbsp tomato paste ½ tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper ½ tsp cumin 1 tbsp oil (canola/sunflower/vegetable/corn) • Place the oil and ground beef in a pan and cook until the meat changes in color. Then add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes over lowmedium heat. Add the tomatoes or tomato paste and salt. Cook for 6-8 minutes over low heat and stir occasionally.

Spinach filling 1 pkg (300 gr) frozen chopped spinach or spinach in a can 1 onion, chopped 2 tbsp oil (canola/ sunflower/vegetable/corn/olive) ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper (optional) If you are using frozen spinach do not thaw. On the other hand, if you are using canned spinach, drain it.

For the fresh spinach, wash, drain and chop.

Place the oil and chopped onions in a pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes on low-medium heat. Add the spinach, salt and cook for 8-10 minutes with the lid closed but stirring occasionally. When it’s done, sprinkle black pepper (optional).

Potato filling 2 large or 3 medium potatoes, boiled and smashed 1 onion, chopped 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp oil (canola/ sunflower/vegetable/corn/olive) ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper (optional) ¼ tsp cumin (optional) In a pot boil the potatoes and smash them. Meanwhile in a pan place the oil and onion, and sauté for 2-3 minutes on low-medium heat. Then add the tomato paste, salt and smashed potatoes. Cook for 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally. Finally sprinkle the black pepper and cumin (optional)

Turkish Borek

• Leek filling • 1 bunch of leek, washed and drained • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese/ricotta cheese (optional) • 3 tbsp oil 1 tsp salt • 1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped (optional) • Cut the leeks lengthwise and chop thinly.

Then place them in a skillet with oil and salt.

Cook over medium heat till leek absorb all its juice. Add parsley (optional) and feta/ricotta cheese (optional) and mix them all.

• Eggplant filling • 2 eggplants, washed and peeled 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup ground beef (optional) 3 tbsp oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp paprika In a skillet, saute onions, oil and ground beef (optional) over low heat. Chop eggplants finely and stir into the skillet. Add paprika and salt, then cook till eggplants are soft and tender (10-12 minutes).

Main Procedure In a bowl place the eggs, oil and milk. Mix them with a whisk. You will use this mixture between every two or three layers of the pastry and on top of the borek.

After greasing the Pyrex dish, place two or three layers of pastry/ 1 yufka on the bottom and let it go over the sides of the dish.

Spread 3 tbsp of the mixture on it and put some of the filling you are using and spread it evenly. Take the other 2-3 sheets of pastry and wrinkle them up in order to fit to the dish. Continue layering in the same way; first the liquid mixture and then the filling.

When you place the last pastry sheets, fold the sides of the bottom sheets over. Pour the remaining liquid mixture on top of the borek and sprinkle nigella and sesame seeds.

Preheat the oven to 350 F(180 C) and cook for about 45 minutes, until it turns golden brown. Serve warm.

ENJOY

The Imam Fainted-Turkish Ratatouille/Imam Bayildi

• This French dish called byaldi, a version of Ratatouille, has actually its origin in a Turkish dish: Imam Bayıldı, “the imam fainted”. It is a traditional Ottoman Dish with olive oil.

• INGREDIENTS: 2 lb eggplant 1 big onion, sliced round/chopped 2-3 tomatoes, diced/grated or 1 ½ cup crushed tomato 2-3 green peppers/bell peppers 4-5 cloves of garlic, sliced 1/3 bunch of parsley, chopped 1-2 cup canola oil for frying 2 tbsp olive oil 1tsp+1 tsp salt to taste • 1/2 tsp sugar ½ tsp black pepper 1/3 cup hot water 1 lemon’s juice

DIRECTIONS: Wash eggplants and peel them striped. Take the green parts without damaging the tops. If eggplants are small and thin; fry them over high heat (Frying whole eggplants over high heat, prevents them to absorb much oil). Place them over a paper towel and then arrange over an oven tray. With a spoon cut them lengthwise and open.

Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt all over .If eggplants are large (like the ones in USA); cut them in 2 or 3 pieces lengthwise. Then fry both sides over high heat. And then place over a paper towel. Arrange them over an oven tray and sprinkle 1 tsp salt all over .Chop half of the peppers. In a skillet, sauté onions with olive oil. Then stir in garlic and chopped pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes and add tomatoes, sugar and salt. Cook over low-medium heat till the mixture gets thick. Stir in parsley and black pepper and turn the heat off.

Fill eggplants with the mixture evenly. Slice the remaining peppers in strips and arrange over the eggplants.

Preheat the oven 400 F (200 C) and pour 1/3 cup hot water in tray. Drizzle lemon juice over eggplants and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Serve Turkish Ratatouille warm or cold as you like.

ENJOY ***This is a vegetarian dish.

Sekerpare

• INGREDSIENTS: • 250 grams butter (at room temperatue) • 2 eggs ½ cup semolina ½ cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract/powder 3 ½ -4 cups flour Walnut quarters or almond/hazelnut for top • Syrup: 3 cups sugar 4 cups water 1 Tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS: First prepare the syrup by boiling sugar and water for 3-5 minutes. Then, stir in lemon juice and leave aside to cool.

Meanwhile, mix softened butter, sugar, eggs and semolina. Then, add flour slowly and knead at the same time. Add baking powder and vanilla. The dough should be soft and non sticky as cookie dough. Take walnut size pieces and make round ball shapes using your palms. Arrange them over a greased baking tray and press gently over each one sticking a piece of walnut/almond/hazelnut. Bake them in a preheated 350F (180C) oven until they turn light brown for about 30-40 minutes.

Pour the cooled syrup over hot Sekerpares right after taking them out of the oven. Use either a spoon or ladle for uniform distribution. Leave the Sekerpares inside the syrup for at least 4-5 hours before serving.

You may cover them with another tray to decrease the absorption time.

ENJOY P.S: Makes about 35-40 pieces.

Stuffed Kadaifi (Kadayif Dolmasi)

INGREDIENTS: • 1 lb kadaifi • 150 grams butter • 1 cup walnuts/pecans, in chunks • • For the Syrup: • 3 cups water • 2 ½ -3 cups sugar • 1 tsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS: First mix sugar and water in a pot and boil the syrup for about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and let it cool.

Melt butter and drizzle all over the kadaifi. Using your hands, try to mix the butter with kadaifi evenly. If the kadaifi pieces are too long, break them into smaller pieces with your hands. After tossing the kadaifi, take a small Turkish coffee cup and fill half of it with kadaifi and make a hole in the middle. Place about 1 tsp walnuts/pecans inside and fill the rest of the cup with more kadaifi. Gently press on top of the cup. Grease an oven tray and flip the cup upside down on the tray.

Make sure to press on top of the kadaifi before flipping, otherwise the shape won’t come out well.

Use the same procedure for all the kadaifi left.

Bake it at 350 F (180 C) preheated oven until they get light brown. Pour the cold syrup over the hot stuffed kadaifi right after taking out of oven. Let it absorb the syrup for at least 3-5 hours.

ENJOY

Kunefe

• INGREDIENTS: • 500 gr (~1lb) shredded dough • 4 Tbsp butter • 300 gr unsalted cecil cheese (mozzarella works too) • 3 cups sugar • 3 cups water • Ground pistachio for garnish

DIRECTIONS: In a pot, prepare the syrup mixing 3 cups of sugar and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Then turn the heat off and let it cool.

Melt the butter and pour all over the shredded dough.

Mix it using your hands and make sure they get mixed up well. Meanwhile, split the shredded dough into small pieces by pulling them apart with your fingers. Grease a middle size oven tray or Pyrex. Then, spread half of the shredded dough and press down using your hands. Slice unsalted cecil cheese or Mozzarella (about ¼ inch thick).

Place sliced cheese over the shredded dough evenly and then, cover with the remaining half of the shredded dough. Again press down to compress using your hands.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and bake Kunefe until the top turns light brown. Then, take it out of the oven and turn upside down with the help of a flat tray. Again bake until the other side turns light brown. Pour the cooled syrup all over the hot Kunefe and set aside for 5-7 minutes before serving.

After the syrup is absorbed slice the Kunefe as you like and garnish with ground pistachio.

ENJOY

Tulumba Dessert (Tulumba Tatlisi)

• INGREDIENTS: • Dough:1½ cup flour 1½ cup water 2 tbsp margarine/butter 2 tbsp starch 1½ tbsp semolina 3 eggs ½ tsp sugar ¼ tsp salt • Syrup:2 ½ cup sugar 2½ cup water 1 tsp lemon juice Canola oil for frying

DIRECTIONS: To prepare the syrup, place sugar and water in a pot.

Bring to a boil and stir in lemon juice. Boil for about 5 minutes and let it cool.

In a pot, put water, sugar, salt and margarine/butter. Let the margarine/butter melt over medium heat. Stir in flour and stir continuously to form thick dough. Cook for 5-6 minutes over low heat such as cooking halvah.

Transfer the dough in a wide bowl and let it cool down.

And then, add semolina and starch. Knead with your hands. Add the eggs one by one and knead until forming a lump of sticky and creamy dough.

Fill the dough into a pastry bag with a ½ inch diameter star tip. Fill a frying pan with canola oil and make one inch dough pieces, cut the ends with scissors and place them in the oil. Let them double in size over medium heat by shaking the pan lightly (make sure oil is not that hot, otherwise the tulumba will be raw inside). Once they rise, increase the heat and fry all sides of tulumba pieces.

Place the fried tulumba over a paper towel and then place them into the cooled syrup immediately.

Take the out and place over a serving plate. Serve Tulumba Dessert plain or with thickened cream.

ENJOY

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Ground Beef (Etli Lahana Sarmasi))

• INGREDIENTS: • 1 head white cabbage ½ lb ground meat 1 big onion, chopped finely 1 cup rice, washed and drained 1 tomato, diced/1 cup crashed or diced tomato in a can 1 tsp tomato paste (optional) 1 tbsp salt to taste ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp black pepper 1-2 tbsp canola oil 1 ½ cup hot water 1-2 tbsp butter ½ lemon’s juice

DIRECTIONS: Take out the outer leaves of cabbage. In a large pot place the cabbage and cover it with lightly salted water. Bring it to boil and turn the heat down to medium high.

Boil it till the outer leaves start to loosen and get softer (2-3 minutes). Remove the soft leaves from the core and place them on a big plate or tray. Return the cabbage to the pot and repeat the first step until all leaves get soft and removed. Let the leaves cool for 8-10 minutes.Remove the center stalks from the leaves with a knife.

Then cut the large leaves into three triangular parts and the smaller leaves into two equal parts.If you like small rolls you can obtain about 50 pieces, but if you like bigger ones then there would be 30-35 pieces. I prefer making bigger rolls, so I cut the bigger leaves into 2 and use the small leaves without cutting.

Meanwhile, in a pot place 1 ½ cup hot water, rice and half of the salt. Once it boils, turn the heat low and simmer till the rice absorbs all the water. In a wide skillet first cook the meat with canola oil till its color turns to brown. And then, stir in onions and sauté for 23 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste (optional) and the rest of the salt. Cook for 3 minutes and sprinkle the spices. Transfer the cooked rice over the cooked ground meat mixture and combine them all.

Now it’s time to roll the stuffed cabbages .Take one piece of cabbage leaf and place 1-2 tbsp of filling (according to the size of the leaf) on the wider side and fold the sides inside and roll. Repeat this for the remaining leaves .

Arrange cabbage rolls in a large pot, chop butter in small pieces and scatter it on top. Pour lemon juice and cover half of it with boiling water. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat low and cover the lid. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the rice cooks thoroughly. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes .

Serve Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Ground Beef warm, with yogurt oryogurt sauce .

ENJOY

Turkish Baklava (Baklava)

• Baklava is a traditional and authentic Turkish desert. It is especially being made on religious holidays to serve the guests.

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb Phyllo Dough, thawed 250 gr butter, melted 1 ½ cup walnuts/pistachios (coarsely ground) • Syrup: 1 ¼ -1 1/3 cup water 1 ½ -1 ¾ cup sugar 1 tsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS: For the syrup; boil the sugar and water until the sugar is melted. Then stir in lemon juice. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes and let it cool .

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x14 inch Pyrex dish/tray. Unroll Phyllo dough. Cover Phyllo Dough Sheets with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in the Pyrex dish/tray and butter their top thoroughly. Repeat this process until you have 14 layered sheets. Then sprinkle and spread evenly half of the walnuts/pistachios on top. Continue to add two sheets of dough and butter brushing as you go for another 14 sheets. Then spread the remaining nuts and layer the last 12 sheets with 2 sheets of dough at a time and buttering as you did before. At the end, butter the top.

Dip a sharp knife into hot water and cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts.

Bake for about 25 minutes at 375 F (190 C), then turn down to 325 F (165 C) and bake for additional 30 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

Remove baklava from oven and again dip the knife in hot water and cut the baklava all the way down from the same cut lines. Then immediately spoon syrup evenly along the cut lines. Let it cool at least 3-4 hours before serving.

Sprinkle some pistachios or walnuts on top before serving.

Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

ENJOY

Turkish Sesame Bagel (Simit)

• INGREDIENTS: • 1 ½ cup lukewarm water 7 gr instant yeast 3 egg whites 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp salt 100 gr (7 tbsp) butter/margarine, soft in room temperature 3 ½ or 4 cups of all purpose flour • For topping: ½ cup sesame seeds 1/4 cup oil

DIRECTIONS: In a bowl mix all the ingredients except flour. Then slowly add flour and knead for about 10 minutes. Form soft, elastic and sticky dough, then cover it with a clean cloth or plastic wrap.

Leave for 1 hour in a warm place.

Place the dough on the counter and punch to release the air in it and cut into 8-10 pieces. With your palms round them and form little balls .Then with each ball make 30-40 cm long strips and form a ring shape by sticking the ends. Place some water in a wide plate (also you can add 1 tbsp of grape molasses) and sesame seeds in another plate. Dip one side of them into water and then to the sesame seed.

Place them on a baking tray with baking paper, making some room between each other and cover. Leave them for about 2 hours till the rings puff up and double in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 F (230C) and bake for 7-8 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 F (So they will be soft inside, crunchy outside) and bake for 18-20 minutes until they are golden brown. When you take them out of the oven you can brush the top surfaces of Simits with some oil.

Serve warm with cream cheese or feta cheese, black olives andTurkish Tea. Simit is good to go at breakfasts or lunch.

Simit is a traditional and favorite pastry in Turkey.

ENJOY P.S: Do not use metal container when kneading or resting the dough. Metal spoils the texture of dough.

Turkish Coffee (Turk Kahvesi)

INGREDIENTS: 1 tsp Turkish coffee 1 tsp sugar 1 Turkish coffee cup of purified water Put the coffee and sugar in the coffeepot (cezve) and stir. Fill the Turkish coffee cup with water, leaving some room at the top. Then pour it to the cezve. Depending on how many cups of coffee you want, repeat the previous process.

Put cezve on high heat and stir with a spoon to let the sugar dissolve and coffee to mix with the water.

When it starts being foamy on the surface, take some of the foam with a spoon and put into the coffee cup.( It is for a foamy Turkish coffee) When bubbles form on top and starts rising, take the cezve off the stove and pour the coffee into the cup.

There would be grinds at the bottom of the cup, do not drink this part.

You can serve the Turkish coffee with a glass of water and a piece of chocolate.

ENJOY

Turkish Coffee has been an important part of Turkish Culture. There is an old saying about it. “ Bir fincan kahvenin kirk yil hatiri vardir”(A cup of Turkish coffee will be remembered for forty years.”) It means that the person who offers the coffee is to be respected and remembered for a long time for the sake of his offering. For many people, the most enjoyable side of Turkish coffee is when another person reads the coffee grains, which is a kind of fortune telling.

Turkish Tea (Turk Cayi)

• 1 tbsp Turkish Tea leaves 3 cups purified water 1 cup purified water (to wash the tea leaves) A pinch of sugar • DIRECTIONS:

Fixing Turkish Tea With Caydanlik Caydanlik consists of two kettles. The small one is the brewer (demlik), to put the tea in and the larger is to boil the water.

First place the Turkish Tea leaves into the brewer and in order to obtain a clear, bright and healthy tea, wash them with purified water and then drain. Otherwise the immediate contact of the tea leaves with boiled water would result in the lost of the Vitamin C and affect the minerals in it. Also boiled water damages the tannin (tanen) material and it causes anaemia(kansizlik).

Add a pinch of sugar to adjust the strongness of the tea.

Put the 3 cups of water in the larger kettle and put the brewer on top of it. Then place the caydanlik over medium heat and let the water boil. Pour the half of the boiled water into the brewer over the washed tea leaves.

You can add some more water in the bottom kettle and boil it (if the water seems not enough). Let the tea brew for about 5-8 minutes over low heat.

Using a tea strainer, pour the tea to the tea glasses. Fill 1/3 of the glasses with tea and the rest with boiled water. You can adjust the brew amount as you like. You can use a few drops of lemon juice, for a lighter taste. Also you can add some sugar to taste.

To obtain aromatic taste you can add 1 tsp of bergamot to the brewer and 2-3 cloves to the water.

Fixing Turkish Tea With Coffee Machine If you do not have caydanlik, you can try the coffee machine to make Turkish Tea. It will not be as delicious as the tea made with caydanlik, but it is an option. Just place the Turkish Tea Leaves where you normally put the coffee and use 4 cups of water. And start the machine. Meanwhile boil some water to adjust the lightness of the tea. When it is done you can adjust the tea with adding some boiled water. Pour the tea to the tea glasses or cups ENJOY!