2023-09-19 00:35
We're transforming a Turkish classic: In Turkey, a traditional winter favorite is spinach cooked with onions, peppers, or tomato paste, and served with rice alongside a dollop of… Read More
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Almost Turkish Recipes Blog
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2023-08-12 01:05
Years and years ago when we moved to the south for a couple of years, I decided to give fried okra a chance, despite it being my least favorite vegetable. To my surprise it turned out… Read More
2023-08-06 20:16
This Cretan style zucchini dish/meze is an absolute summer favorite. Cretans create magic with zucchinis and this one is no exception. 3 medium sized zucchinis, peeled and ribboned. Do… Read More
2022-06-21 00:03
Branzino or European sea bass is one of my favorite fish and until recently it was hard to come by in US. Nowadays, not only staple places for European seafood like Whole Foods, but also Tra… Read More
2022-06-12 14:35
Purple basil-ade, or basil sherbet as they call it in Turkey, is a very old recipe that has become popular in the last couple of years. The way it is served is quite sweet for my taste so he… Read More
2022-06-10 05:10
Haydari, a sine qua non for rakı tables, is a perfect summer side dish or dip. It is great with grilled meat or on toasted bread. Traditionally it's made by mixing strained/Greek yogurt… Read More
2021-09-17 23:56
This is a classic tavukçu marinade i.e. grilled chicken restaurant marinade and it is both adult and kid favorite in our house. You can use any part of chicken, but I do lov… Read More
2021-09-15 02:22
This is a classic tavukçu marinade i.e. grilled chicken restaurant marinade and it is both adult and kid favorite in our house. You can use any part of chicken, but I do lov… Read More
2021-08-24 23:27
Ekşili Köfte, a very popular meatball dish cherished by kids and adults alike has differing variations in different parts of Turkey; in some parts tomato or pepper past… Read More
2021-03-01 19:35
I love corn in any form and these cornmeal savory pancakes are one of my favorite brunch or lunch specials.2 cups of cornmeal / corn flour2 eggs1/2 yogurt1 cup milk2 tsp baking powder1/4 cup… Read More
2021-02-16 23:01
A yeasty dough rolled with ground meat and walnuts and a dash of cinnamon is what we all need for afternoon tea. It takes a while to make regarding the yeast and the wait for the rise… Read More
2021-02-11 17:57
Menemen, Turkish style scrambled eggs, is enjoyed both as breakfast or a wholesome meal. It is best in summer when sweet green chilis and juicy tomatoes are in abundance. Best part of m… Read More
2021-02-09 04:28
For every eid/bayram one of my aunties used to make "the traditional" version of this dish, common among Balkan immigrants in Thrace, north western Turkey: lamb pieces cooked in white rice… Read More
2021-02-05 21:40
This is my new homesickness and feel-good cake!1 cup yogurt3/4 cup olive or sunflower oil3 eggs2 1/2 cups flour1 tsp baking powder1 tsp salt1 cup feta/white cheese1/2 cup grated mozzarella c… Read More
2021-01-20 01:12
This is my interpretation, or I'd love to say improvement, of an '80s classic, moist cocoa cake which was, beyond dispute, the indispensable part of '80s in Turkey; every mom made it and eve… Read More
2021-01-11 19:39
A great Thracian specialty! Just like menemen, peppers with cheese can also be served as a side dish, main dish, or a breakfast treat. Many people enjoy lorlu biber for breakfast or lunch… Read More
2021-01-05 22:24
This is my recipe for merging two of my favorite comfort foods: sautéed spinach with eggs, for which spinach is sautéed with onions on a wide shallow pot or pan and eggs… Read More
2021-01-01 21:43
Back in the day when I used to live in Ankara, on my way home I used to stop by a well-known supermarket right by my house for its extensive salad bar; and the mushroom and olive salad was m… Read More
2020-12-11 00:41
Beet greens, stems and leaves, although usually discarded, are in fact quite healthy, sweet, and delicious when cooked in simple ways. There are a couple of different ways of cooking beet gr… Read More
2020-09-28 20:47
If you are a lentil lover, this could be one the most delicious and nutritious salads. While studying for my qualifying exams at the library all day as a graduate student, green lentil salad… Read More
2020-09-22 18:34
In Orhan Pamuk's 2014 novel A Strangeness in My Mind, we read Istanbul and Mevlut's story, a street vendor who comes to Istanbul at an early age from a village in mid-Anatolian city Ko… Read More
2020-09-20 23:58
It is barbunya beans season, again! These delicious nutty beans with red or dark purple speckles packed with a long list of health benefits (google it!) are also called borlotti, cranberry… Read More
2020-09-19 22:13
Piyaz is what we call bean salads in Turkey, but the term is actually Persian and means "onion." Piyaz is usually prepared with cannellini beans and kneaded onion; dressed with olive oil and… Read More
2020-09-15 16:36
Cannellini beans, referred to as dry beans or simply as 'the dry,' along with rice is THE traditional Turkish dish. If there's pickled vegetables on the side, especially cabbage, v… Read More
2020-09-13 01:16
Dolmas, stuffed bell peppers, in Turkey are almost exclusively green; however, the green bell peppers there are tiny and beautifully thin, that's perfect for stuffing. I never even attempt t… Read More
2020-09-10 21:32
Bowl kebap is one of my mom's specialties, the kind that you request every time you go back home. It is family favorite in our house as well; even the picky ones love this dish. Bowl ke… Read More
2020-08-31 23:23
When I saw this particular fried eggplant dish, originally called "eggplant fish" in Turkish, for the first time on the menu of a cute small tavern in an Aegean town, I snubbed. Why wo… Read More
2020-08-20 01:03
Long before Dr Mehmet Öz, aka Dr. Oz, started to appear on morning shows on Turkish TV channels and regularly on Oprah to talk about healthy eating habits with a great emphasis on purs… Read More
2020-07-29 23:01
Poblanos are the best substitutes out there for Turkish bell peppers for stuffing. It is quite rare to stuff spicy peppers in Turkish cuisine. However, the spiciness that poblanos bring to t… Read More
2020-07-24 06:53
Shepherd’s salad (çoban salatası inTurkish) is the unchallenged center food of Turkish summer tables. When you go to köfte/kebab or a small scale neighborhood restaura… Read More
2020-05-26 23:30
Potato salad, I had to say à la Turque not to have it confused with any of its American or European cousins, is an herbed filled, green heavy savory deliciousness. It is a great side… Read More
2020-05-24 21:20
Carrot salad with yogurt is one of the greatly respected rakı companions. Although it is made at homes not so frequently, usually for big dinner parties or special occasions like New Ye… Read More
2020-05-15 03:51
Poğaça, a kind of savory pastry / bread, is a traditional baked good in Turkey and Eastern European+Balkanic countries that crossed paths Ottoman culture and cuisine. Poğa&c&hell…Read More
2020-05-03 22:33
In Turkish cuisine, most "pırasa" dishes, originally praso from Greek, are attributed to Albanian Turks. Not only leeks feature predominantly in Albanian immigrants'… Read More
2020-04-30 01:41
The eastern Thrace is the north western or the European part of Turkey. The region (except for Istanbul) is mostly occupied by people who migrated from the western Thrace (Greece and Bulgar… Read More
2020-04-20 22:08
I have young and quite picky clientele at home for whom I have to cook and not disclose my ingredients. This, of course, is not easy with many dishes, but soups are great for food plotting… Read More
2020-04-16 00:58
There are so many meatball dishes in Turkish cuisine that if we can easily make a multi-volume cookbook out of them. Among all the meatball recipes, Izmir koftesi, i.e. Izmir meatball, a spe… Read More
2020-04-11 21:50
This light and healthy cauliflower recipe makes one of the easiest and most delicious cauliflower dishes. The dish has two versions: vegetarian and with ground beef. The ground meet version… Read More
2020-04-07 03:54
Chickpea and beef stew is one of the oldest and most beloved dishes in Turkish cuisine. Now that we're all at home and have pantries stocked up with legumes and grains, it's time to have a c… Read More
2020-03-10 17:34
Red lentils might be the most preferred and loved ingredient for soups in Turkish cuisine. There are multiple variations of the staple red lentil soup such as the restaurant style red lentil… Read More
2020-01-26 01:53
This deliciously colorful and healthy soup is known simply as the "pink" soup in our house, since I prefer not to disclose to my young and picky eaters all the vegetables that goes in this s… Read More
2020-01-13 05:45
Piyaz is what we call bean salads in Turkey, but the term piyaz is actually Persian and means "onion." This gorgeous, super healthy and nutritious salad is usually p… Read More
2020-01-05 21:24
Let's start the new year on a sweet note. This "cookie" that is made with baklava phyllos is relatively new in Turkish dessert scene, yet it quickly became irresistible. The cookies are like… Read More
2019-09-27 17:01
During summer months roasted eggplant salads are very common in Thrace, where my hometown is. Thrace (Trakya in Turkish) is the northwestern corner or the European part of Turkey. Thrace is… Read More
2019-09-12 00:35
Light zucchini dishes in olive oil are the best for hot summer days, especially when zucchinis are in abundance just like now. This one has been one of my favorites with yogurt on the side s… Read More
2019-09-07 01:14
The moussaka, originally an Arabic dish, has been prepared and served in differing ways across the Middle East for centuries. However, it's the Greek version, modernized and de-Turkified in… Read More
2019-08-28 16:53
Güveç (Gue-vech) is a Turkish term that defines both slow cooked stews and the clay pot, glazed or unglazed, that they are cooked in, just like tagine. The stew could be vegetari… Read More
2019-08-19 18:09
Mücver, if you ask me, is "the" zucchini dish. It is usually fried and served with yogurt, especially garlicy yogurt on hot summer days (here is a link to the fried version: recip… Read More
2019-06-29 19:09
When I was a kid I loved having freshly baked steaming hot bread, but then who wouldn't. Also, having hot bread every morning in Turkey was and still is possible. People usually know when th… Read More
2019-06-25 21:19
Zucchini salad with yogurt is a favorite summer time cold delicacy. It is served as a side dish at afternoon tea gatherings along with any kind of pogacas or filo dough pastries, or as a mez… Read More
2019-05-19 20:33
Fava beans, aka faba, broad, Windsor, or horse beans, are among the oldest cultivated plants. Although they've been planted and enjoyed in the Middle East, Europe, and South America for mill… Read More
2019-05-17 23:11
I have hard to please young clientele at home when it comes to chicken. If it is served in any other form than nuggets and tenders, they complain that it's chewy and implement famous '… Read More
2019-01-28 05:13
In my first couple of years in the US, I couldn’t get over how popular hummus was in this country. I was surprised because hummus had managed to become popular despite how it was prepa… Read More
2018-10-30 03:32
Although kara lahana [literally black cabbage,]collard greens are a staple in the American South, they are grown and enjoyed exclusively in the Northern part of Turkey, i.e., the Black Sea… Read More
2018-10-11 16:05
Beet greens, stems and leaves, although usually discarded, are in fact quite healthy, sweet, and delicious when cooked in simple ways. There are a couple of different ways of cooking beet… Read More
2018-10-08 00:39
Kısır is the Turkish or a different version of a Mediterranean/Arabic dish called tabbouleh. Although there are many differences between these two dishes, the main one is that the… Read More
2018-09-12 05:10
It is barbunya beans season. These delicious nutty beans with red or dark purple speckles packed with a long list of health benefits (google it!) are also called borlotti, cranberry, roman… Read More
2018-06-06 21:38
2018-05-29 21:16
One of the indispensable dishes of summer time dinner tables. It goes well with any kind of grilled meat and olive oil dishes. And as a bonus, it's one of the all time kid-favorite Turkish r… Read More
2018-05-26 04:58
Eggplants... we love them. We cook them in any way imaginable; we bake them, dry them, fry them, pickle them, purée them, roast them, split them, stew them, stir-fry them, stuff them… Read More
2018-05-17 17:02
Olive oil dishes, dishes that are cooked exclusively with quite-shocking-to-some amount of olive oil and served cold or at room temperature, are the vegetarian staples of summer tables in Tu… Read More
2018-05-01 02:40
The prettiest, the most vibrant pickle ever, the pickled red cabbage, is offered as a delicious meze/tapas/side at many Turkish restaurants across the country. I'm a total pickle freak… Read More
2017-11-10 22:52
It's the season for celery roots, aka celeriac, and quinces and these two go marvelously well together in this Aegean inspired dish.1 celery root, ~1,5-2 lb, peeled and cubed1 quince, p… Read More
2017-06-25 12:35
Şekerpare, a traditional Turkish dessert with a Persian name (Şeker-pare: sugar-piece), is sugar cookies soaked in heavy syrup and topped with pistachios or almonds. Şekerpar… Read More
2017-03-30 04:36
Celery root, also known as celeriac, is an awesome root highly common and popular in Europe but still waiting for its time in US. It is a different variety than regular celery (stalks). Its… Read More
2017-02-24 18:31
Zöhre Bozgeyik, aka Ezo the Bride, was a real person who lived in a small village in the south eastern part of Turkey in the city of Gaziantep close to Syrian border in early 20th centu… Read More
2016-11-02 04:33
Green pea stew is one of the most common stews in Turkish cuisine. It was usually made in the summer months when the peas are in season and deliciously fresh. However, with freezers becoming… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
Although "the" fritter, or mücver in Turkish, dish in Turkish cuisine is the zucchini one (here's the recipe), variations are popular as well. Among the different versions of … Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
This ginger look-alike, hard-to-peel root has many names in English among which I like sunchoke or sunroot the best. I liked the sun in those names but never really understood why a root tha… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
Savory corn meal or corn flour bread was something my mom used to bake for breakfast on cozy/lazy weekends. And hers is a special one because corn bread is usually quite plain. However, to m… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
After using spinach leaves in various dishes (you can find some here) or boreks (and here), saving the stems for other dishes and salads is very common. There are many ways of cooking… Read More
2016-02-23 23:37
Turkish phyllos are thicker, a quality which makes it much easier to deal with them. The ones sold here at the markets are very starchy (great for desserts), really thin, and dry and break a… Read More
2015-12-10 23:22
In Turkey end-of-summer tomato bounty usually means time to can or jar tomato sauces or to make tomato paste. Unfortunately I am too lazy for any of those. I decided to say good bye to the s… Read More
2015-12-10 21:29
The move is finally over and we have been Californians for almost two months now. I am loving the Palo Alto farmer's markets (who wouldn't when you can buy a celery root for a dollar!) and c… Read More
2015-12-10 21:27
The Aegean cuisine in Turkey is known for its greens. It is truly unbelievable how many different green plants/weeds and in how many different ways the Aegeans can cook… Read More
2015-12-10 21:25
If you have happened to be around someone from Turkey during the month of May then you probably know how people of Turkey are crazy about their sour green plums. (These tart, crunchy plums d… Read More
2015-12-10 21:25
Since I haven't posted a new recipe in a while, I wanted to break the silence with a heavily delicious or deliciously heavy one: priest's beef stew or ragout. This succulent ragout recipe co… Read More
2015-12-10 04:33
I don't know if you have noticed that I like bulgur, different types of bulgur, and anything with bulgur. I like bulgur especially in kofte form such as this, this, and this… Read More
2015-12-10 04:31
If you are a libertine, don’t turn from the cup of pure wineIf you are wise, take your glass in the direction of Galata…Pious one, should you see those Frankish (European) boys… Read More
2015-12-10 04:30
Of all the sweets that come from Turkey baklava is probably the most famous and delicious. Although there is no consensus on the history of the dessert, it is believed that baklava… Read More
2015-12-10 04:28
I'm in Turkey and enjoying all the food I cannot find in the US and frequenting my hometown's twice-a-week farmers' market for fresh produce. It seems like July is a wonderful month for pepp… Read More
2015-12-10 04:19
Pickled beets is one of the easiest and, at the same time, the most delicious pickled vegetables of Turkish cuisine. It is considered one of the indispensable mezes of the Tur… Read More
2015-12-10 04:19
A couple of years ago there were quite a number of fisherman boats tied at the Yenikoy coast in Istanbul serving as seafood restaurants. Although those floating restaurants had limited… Read More
2015-12-10 04:19
A popular appetizer / meze for Turkish brandy, rakı and red meat, and a very common winter salad. 2 medium size beets1 cup yogurt (better to use strained yogurt)1 clove of garlic, mince… Read More
2015-12-10 04:11
1 lb fresh fava beans in pod1/2 lb fresh peas in pod3 green onions, finely chopped~1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves~1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill~1/4 cup finely chopped parsley~1… Read More
2015-12-10 04:11
The apartment that I lived in Ankara was on the first floor of one of those old 4 story buildings with just two apartments on each floor and a back yard that the residents didn't care about… Read More
2015-12-10 04:03
Stuffing green leaves with ground meat, herby rice, or grains is a common practice in Turkish cuisine. Although not as popular as grape leaves, stuffed chard is a staple dish for both Black… Read More
2015-12-10 04:03
I have been receiving complaints from readers, friends, and friends of friends about lack of new recipes on the blog. I know; it's been a while. I've been busy and lazy at the same time. But… Read More
2015-12-10 04:01
If cooking every dish (sweet and savory) in olive oil is one of the most important characteristics of the incredibly healthy Cretan cuisine, boiling all greens including weed… Read More
2015-12-09 21:26
Baked cabbage with ground meat can be described as either a kind of no-pasta lasagna, börek, or mousakka. However you name it, it is simply delicious and healthy. If not witness th… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
This recipe is perfect for overcast winter-ish (We're in Palo Alto, cloudy sky is as winter as it gets!) Sunday afternoons. In Turkey, afternoons like this would be incomplete without a brew… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
It's quince season, and I love that you can find them everywhere in Northern California. Quince is simply unknown to many Americans but for those of us from Europe/MidEast it's an indispensa… Read More
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