Turkish Recipes & Cookbooks

How to Cook dishes from Turkey

• Olive trees are grown in the densely populated region of Marmara (the area around the Bosphorus, Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara), as well as near to the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, and these regions are known for their Mediterranean style cuisines.
  
  
• Northern Turkey, near the Black Sea coast, is known for anchovies and corn.
  
  
• Central Anatolia is famous for its pastry dishes: gözleme, keskek and manti.
  
  
• Southeastern Turkey is well-known for mezes, kebabs and desserts such as baklava, kadayif and künefe.

• Adana kebap - A long grilled kebab made from ground lamb, originally from the city of Adana, where it is known as "kiyma kebabi".
  
  
• Arnavut cigeri - Fried liver.
  
  
• Börek - Dough stuffed with cheese, meat or vegetables.
  
  
• Bursa kebab - Originally invented by Iskender Iskenderoglu, and known as "Iskender kebap" (which is a trademark), this dish is a variant of döner kebap. Grilled lamb slices are based with tomato sauce and layed over pide (pita) bread, and covered with melted butter and yogurt.
  
  
  
• Cacik - The Turkish version of tzatziki (a dip found in Greek cuisine) - Yoghurt with cucumber, mint and olive oil, served cold and eaten as a side dish.
  
  
  
• Dolma - Stuffed vegetables. There are two main variants: a meat ("kiyma") mixture containing ground meat, onions, rice and spices, which is served warm, and vegetables mixtures, which are served at room temperature.
  
  
• Domates - Tomato soup.
  
  
• Döner kebap - Literally translated from Turkish, döner kebap means "turning roast". It is meat (lamb or mutton, beef, or chicken) cooked on a rotating spit. The meat is usually served in a pide (Turkish pita bread). Versions with salad and sauce added were invented by the Turkish community resident in Germany, in a (extremely successful) attempt to broaden the dish's appeal - döner kebap has become a popular fast food throughout the world.
  
  
• Gözleme - A savory pastry made by thinly rolling dough and repeatedly folding. It is then filled and browned in a pan. There are many different variations, each with their own names, including Etli (meat filling), Ispanakli (spinach), Karisik (mixed filling), Katmer (plain), Kiymali (ground lamb), Mantarli (mushrooms), Patatesli (mashed potatoes) and Peynirli (filled with feta cheese).
  
  
• Hummus - A dip made from ground chickpeas with sesame tahini (ground sesame seeds), lemon juice and garlic.
  
  
• Imam bayildi - Eggplant (aubergine) stuffed with onions, tomatoes and garlic, then simmered in olive oil, served cold.
  
  
• Iskembe çorbasi - Tripe (edible offal from the stomaches of cattle) soup. Often served season with lemon juice or vinegar.
  
  
• Karniyarik - Very similar to Imam bayildi, but also containing ground meat, and served hot.
  
  
• Keskek - A stew made from meat with wheat or barley.
  
  
• Köfte - Meatballs made from ground meat with bread and egg. There are many variants such as "kadinbudu köfte" which contains rice, and "Çig köfte" which contains raw ground meat.
  
  
• Kuskus - The Turkish version of couscous.
  
  
• Lahmacun - Sometimes known as "Turkish pizza", lahmacun is a round flat piece of dough, topped with ground beef or lamb, and served rolled up with vegetables (most commonly onions, peppers or tomatoes) or pickles.
  
  
• Mahmudiye - Chicken with almonds, apricots, black pepper, currants and honey.
  
  
• Manti - A Turkish pasta made from dough balls filled with ground meat. It is served with yogurt, flavored with herbs and spices, and warmed in olive oil or butter.
  
  
• Menemen - Eggs with green peppers, onions and tomatoes.
  
  
• Patlican begendi - A hot eggplant (aubergine) dish, also containing meat, cheese, milk and flour.
  
  
• Patlican salatasi - Literally translated from Turkish, the name means "eggplant salad". There are quite a few variations of this dish, the eggplant (aubergine) may be baked or broiled (grilled) over a open flame before peeling so it has a smokey flavor, and then mixed with yoghurt, olive oil and garlic, or with olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, and served at room temperature.
  
  
  
• Shish kebab - Grilled chicken or lamb, marinated and cooked on a skewer over an open fire. Lamb from milk-fed lambs is particularly favored.
  
  
• Sujuk - A sausage made from ground beef with spices, and allowed to dry for several weeks. It must be cooked before eating, and is a popular at breakfast and in fast foods.
  
  
• Tarhana - A dried food based on a fermented mixture of cracked wheat, yogurt and vegetables - its dryness and acidity means that it preserves well for a long time. Tarhana is eaten in the form of a soup.

• Baklava - A sweet pastry dessert made with phyllo dough, filled with chopped walnuts or pistachios, and sweetened with syrup or honey.
  
  
  
• Helva - A sweet made from tahin (sesame seed paste), flour or semolina.
  
  
• Kadaif - A dessert made from shredded dough or phyllo pastry. There are quite a few variants of this dish, including "künefe" which contains melted cheese and is served hot with pistachios and walnuts.
  
  
• Lokum - Turkish delight.

• Mediterranean Recipes & Cookbooks
  
  
• Middle Eastern Recipes & Cookbooks

Sultan's Kitchen: A Turkish Cookbook By Ozcan Ozan Periplus Editions Paperback (160 pages) List Price: $21.95* Lowest New Price: $12.30* Lowest Used Price: $9.47* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 09:31 Pacific 8 Feb 2010 More Info) Click Here ISBN13: 9789625939445 Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. Product Description: Tangy egg-lemon soup. Vegetable-stuffed eggplants sautéed in fragrant olive oil. Richly stewed lamb on a bed of pilaf. These are the flavors of Turkey, whose fabled cuisine evolved in Ottoman kitchens: those traditions are rendered by expert chef Özcan Ozan in The Sultan's Kitchen. Over 130 tantalizing recipes, complete menu suggestions, and stunning images will inspire any cook to create dishes fit for a sultan.

Turquoise: A Chef's Travels in Turkey By Greg Malouf Chronicle Books Hardcover (356 pages) List Price: $50.00* Lowest New Price: $26.50* Lowest Used Price: $26.50* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 09:31 Pacific 8 Feb 2010 More Info) Click Here Product Description: With terrain from rugged mountains to idyllic coastline Turkey has become a sought-after travel destination enjoyed not only for its beauty but its culinary wonders. In Turquoise Greg and Lucy Malouf visit spice markets and soup kitchens enjoy fish sandwiches on the Bosphorus and drink in ancient teahouses. The recipes inspired by their travels capture the enticing flavors that define Turkish cuisine from the ancient ruins of Pergamum to modern day Istanbul. Some are traditional favorites such as Little Kefta Dumplings in Minted Yogurt Sauce while many more—from Roast Chicken with Pine Nut and Barberry Pilav Stuffing to Pistachio Halva Ice Cream—are Greg's own flavored with his years of experience cooking Middle Eastern food. With its hundreds of luscious photographs Turquoise is a chance to share in this unforgettable Turkish journey.

Classical Turkish Cooking: Traditional Turkish Food for the American Kitchen By Ayla E. Algar William Morrow Cookbooks Released: 1999-04-07 Paperback (320 pages) List Price: $19.99* Lowest New Price: $11.95* Lowest Used Price: $7.98* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 09:31 Pacific 8 Feb 2010 More Info) Click Here ISBN13: 9780060931636 Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. Product Description: Turkish food is one of the world's great cuisines.Its taste and depth place it with French and Chinese; its simplicity and healthfulness rank it number one. Turkish-born Ayla Algar offers 175 recipes for this vibrant and tasty food, presented against the rich and fascinating backdrop of Turkish history and culture. Tempting recipes for kebabs, pilafs, meze (appetizers), dolmas (those delicious stuffed vegetables or vine leaves), soups, fish, manti and other pasta dishes, lamb, poultry, yogurt, bread, and traditional sweets such as baklava are introduced here to American cooks in accessible form. With its emphasis on grains, vegetables, fruits, olive oil, and other healthful foods, Turkish cooking puts a new spin on familiar ingredients and offers culinary adventure coupled with satisfying and delicious meals.

Eat Smart in Turkey: How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods & Embark on a Tasting Adventure, Second Edition (Eat Smart, 3) By Joan Peterson Ginkgo Press Paperback (140 pages) List Price: $11.16* Lowest New Price: $8.99* Lowest Used Price: $8.00* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 09:31 Pacific 8 Feb 2010 More Info) Click Here ISBN13: 9780964116887 Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. Product Description: Second in the "Eat Smart" series of culinary travel guidebooks, this paean to Turkish cuisine contains a rich historical perspective on food origins and extensive background on regional dishes, including recipes. It mixes information and inspiration to give readers the tools to journey into the culinary soul of their destination. Eat Smart in Turkey will take the guesswork out of choosing from an unfamiliar menu. Its comprehensive guide to Turkey's unique cuisine will give vacation-goers, business travelers and backpackers alike an extra dimension of travel pleasure. If you're going to Turkey, this is one book you must take along!

The Cafe Paradiso Cookbook (Atrium Press) By Denis Cotter Attic Press Hardcover (167 pages) List Price: $41.95* Lowest New Price: $29.99* Lowest Used Price: $27.51* Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks* *(As of 09:31 Pacific 8 Feb 2010 More Info) Click Here Product Description: The best vegetarian cookbook, from the greatest vegetarian chef . "This is not only the best vegetarian restaurant in Ireland, but one of the best restaurants of any kind." So states Frommers in their 2003 Guide to Ireland. Café Paradiso is an unassuming little restaurant in the heart of Cork City in Ireland yet it has been hailed far and wide as "the best vegetarian restaurant in Europe" and so is a contender for best vegetarian restaurant in the world. Fodors claims it "serves Mediterranean-style food, which is so tasty that even dedicated meat-eaters forget it's vegetarian". The reason for all this praise is the owner and chef, Denis Cotter, a quiet unassuming man, not unlike his restaurant, who, like all great chefs, is an obsessive. His obsession is to create the most exciting vegetarian dishes possible with the freshest possible produce, an ambition he has realized with remarkable success. In this book he serves up 140 recipes that make the very best of whatever vegetables are freshest at any given time of the year. Cotter's The Café Paradiso Cookbook has been hailed, in the Bridgestone Guide to Ireland, as "the best cookbook ever written by a working chef." Winner of the Gourmand World Cookbooks Award for Best Vegetarian Cookbook

The Food and Cooking of Turkey: All the traditions, techniques and ingredients, including over 150 authentic recipes shown in 700 step-by-step photographs--discover ... learn how to bring it to the modern table By Ghillie Basan Lorenz Books Hardcover (256 pages) List Price: $35.00* Lowest New Price: $48.35* Lowest Used Price: $9.95* *(As of 09:31 Pacific 8 Feb 2010 More Info) Click Here Product Description: In this exciting and comprehensive new book, Ghillie Basan explores the rich culinary history, culture and traditions of the Turkish people, the evolution of their cuisine, and the classic dishes that are known and loved all over the world.

Turkish Meze: The Little Dishes of the Eastern Mediterranean By Ghillie Basan Southwater Paperback (96 pages) List Price: $16.99* Lowest New Price: $10.62* Lowest Used Price: $9.26* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 09:31 Pacific 8 Feb 2010 More Info) Click Here ISBN13: 9781844767090 Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. Product Description: A skilful blend of Mediterranean and Asian influences, Turkish food is famous for its fresh, vibrant flavours, excellent seafood and the huge range of delectable titbits that are found on the meze table.

Best of Turkish Cooking: Selections from Contemporary Turkish Cuisine By Ali Budak Tughra Paperback (304 pages) List Price: $19.95* Lowest New Price: $13.46* Not yet published* *(As of 09:31 Pacific 8 Feb 2010 More Info) Click Here Product Description: Capturing the essence of Turkish cuisine, this compilation provides both classical and contemporary recipes. Filled with professional photos, thorough instructions, and detailed lists of ingredients, this everyday cookbook is ideal for enthusiasts of healthy Mediterranean food. Featured recipes include karniyarik, a special eggplant dish since the Ottoman times; and wedding soup, a classic item of Turkish hospitality. Savory Turkish desserts are also included, such as baklava or ashura—Noah's pudding. With a colorful exhibition of dishes from a variety of prominent chefs, this accessible guide is a must-have for food aficionados of all levels of cooking experience.

Classic Turkish Cooking By Ghillie Basan St. Martin's Press Hardcover (224 pages) List Price: $35.00* Lowest New Price: $600.00* Lowest Used Price: $47.00* *(As of 09:31 Pacific 8 Feb 2010 More Info) Click Here Product Description: With clear, detailed instructions, author Ghillie Basan describes the way in which Turkish food is prepared and defines the spices and ingredients that lend it its unique flavors. This unique collection of traditional dishes from the Anatolian heartlands and classical recipes from the Palace kitchens of the Ottoman sultans includes mouthwatering meze and fresh, light salads; succulent casseroles with dried and fresh fruit; aromatic pilafs dotted with pine nuts; unforgettable vegetable dishes - including a selection of dolmas (stuffed vegetables); and, of course, desserts from sweet and syrupy pastries to refreshing ice creams and sorbets. They are low in fat and high in vegetables, fruits, and grains -- a style of eating perfectly suited to today's health-conscious cook.