This tart was first cooked for me by Canan, whom I met in the summer of '92 in Bodrum. Canan comes from one of those families who was totally inspired by great Turkish food and a deep love of cooking ...
Hot Cross Buns
It's a very different Easter this year and many people will not be celebrating in any sort of ordinary way but one thing we can do though, is enjoy a Hot Cross Bun or two or three! These are ...
Chocolate Pear Tart
This delicious pie is currently sitting at the top of our All Time Favourite Dessert list. The chocolate shortbread pastry can be eaten by itself. It is that good. And if marzipan or almonds ...
Home Pickled Gherkins
Late Autumn is when the ‘kornişon’ or small gherkins appear in the markets. They actually appear twice a year but if you are interested in pickling them, you need to make the pickles with the Autumn ...
Drying Aubergines – Preparing for Winter
I know it is now November but keeping up with all the winter preparations that Turkish women cover in the last moments of summer is actually really tricky. At last, I am able to cover another very ...
Tarhana – A Labour of Love
Tarhana is one of the oldest known instant soups. Possibly the first of its kind, created centuries ago by the Turks living in Central Asia and then spreading widely. Combining many foods that ...
Erişte
I was very lucky to be invited to Arzu's house to see how she made erişte. She had set aside her Sunday to work with her sister making enough erişte to last her through the winter. I had not met her ...
Jujubes, Chinese Dates or Custard Apples
Not so many people will recognise these little gems called Hurnap or Hünap in Turkish. You may have heard of them, known as Jujubes, Chinese Dates or Custard Apples. They are definitely not your ...