SILAN ROASTED PEAR AND DATE CAKE
This recipe developed from my go-to Rosh Hashana dessert of date cake and roasted pears, I would serve them side by side and drizzle the roasting liquid from the pears over vanilla ice cream for an easy yet festive dessert. I have always felt that pears were a totally undervalued fruit and cooking them either […]
Meat Stuffed Aubergine (Eggplant)
This quintessential dish of stuffed aubergines actually has its roots in Turkey though it is found in the cuisines of all its neighbours. There is something about cooking the filling inside the aubergine that makes it even more savoury than when it is cooked on its own, it creates a true celebration of otherwise humble […]
COURGETTE (ZUCHINNI) FRITTERS
Makes 15-20 fritters A great classic of Turkish cooking, courgette fritters can be found all over Istanbul both in shops and at home. Try them yourself! Easy to make and absolutely delicious. 700g (about 3 medium) courgettes (zucchinis) grated, on the large holes of a box grater 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 eggs 30g (1/4 […]
BLACK-EYED PEAS IN TOMATO SAUCE
Black-eyed peas have always been part of my family’s Rosh Hashanah tradition, a symbolic food that, though totally delicious, only reaches our table once a year. It was wonderful to find that in Turkey, black-eyed peas are eaten regularly as a side dish cooked in a simple tomato sauce. If you can’t find dried black-eyed […]
Honeycomb 2.0
My obsession with honeycomb and perfecting the recipe continues. I’m still not 100% satisfied with the golden syrup version of this honeycomb but the corn syrup version is outstanding. Having always thought that golden syrup and corn syrup are interchangeable it turns out they aren’t at least in this recipe. But have a try with […]
SPINACH BOREK
In this very Turkish typical dish, we replaced the salty feta with tofu and pine nut butter. Feel free to use the same amount of feta as tofu if you prefer a dairy version, just be careful how much salt you add to the spinach as the feta is quite salty. For Filling: 2 tablespoons […]
CHICKEN PILAV
Pilav is the original form of the English word pilaf, meaning “a grain” – usually rice – that is browned in fat before being cooked in a seasoned broth, often with the addition of vegetables and/or meat. This is the underpinning of so much of the cooking of the Middle East, we couldn’t imagine not […]
PINE NUT PUREE
A simple way to add a creamy element to your table without having to use dairy – we love how just one ingredient can create such a complex and delicious spread. 350g pine nuts Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat, constantly stirring until the pine nuts start to toast, […]
Red Lentil and Apricot Soup
This is the most common of Turkish dishes served all day long, even for breakfast. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 95g (½ cup) dried apricots, cut into quarters 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 (400g) tin (can) chopped […]
