Visiting Semra, my adorable Turkish friend who studied cookery 60 years ago is always a great experience. She immediately whipped up a delicious meal that brought back some very happy memories for me. ...
Beef / Lamb
Içli Köfte
Içİi Köfte is high on the list of favourites for many in Turkey and is revered due to its supposed complex nature. When it is unveiled at the table there are plenty of Ooohs and Aaahs to be heard. It ...
Baked Aubergine with Meat
Semra whom I spoke about last week taught me a new way to cook ‘Karniyarik’ which I have called Baked Aubergine with Meat to differentiate from the original recipe published on this site. This stuffed ...
Lahmacun Stacks
Do you have a pack of flatbreads lying around? 'Cos this little dish is a doozy. It's based on the flavours of lahmacun topping (a flat spiced pizza that is very popular in Turkey) but it has more ...
Spinach Roots and Zucchini Stew
I spent quite a long time with a family in Istanbul and the husband was raised in Hatay. His parents would often come over and bring a steaming casserole dish with them, all ready to be placed ...
Orzo with Beef and Mushrooms
Orzo with Beef and Mushrooms, also known as Etli Arpa Şehriye Pilavı can be served by itself or with a simple salad and some crusty bread. Orzo is a pasta resembling the shape of a barley grain, hence ...
Leeks with Beef in a Tangy Sauce
Leeks with Beef is a dish that uses the very popular "terbiyeli" method of adding egg and lemon juice as a thickener at the end of the cooking process. This lends a lovely fresh flavour to it as well ...
Islim Kebab/İslim Kebabı: kofte wrapped in aubergine slices and baked in a tomato sauce in the oven
Recently I was told that the aubergine or eggplant, an essential ingredient in this dish, belongs to the nightshade family. So I thought I would google it to find out more. The result was very ...