Yoghurt is one of the most important components of the modern Mediterranean diet and there is rarely a table where it isn’t featured in some form or other; as part of a main dish, as a dip mixed with chopped herbs, in a dessert or even as a drink. On Mondays, our evening meal often consists of various…
Category: Turkey
Turkish-style Baked Eggs with Biber Salçası
Here’s a very quick one for you. I’m dashing about all over the place right now so, for supper last night, I threw together these Turkish-style eggs. It’s another perfect dish for these cooler autumnal evenings or brunch. Ingredients 1 tsp cumin seeds A splash of extra-virgin olive oil 450g jar of roasted red peppers, drained…
Turkish Smashed Cucumber Salad with Late Summer Berries & Herbs
Just behind our home there is a wild country path that connects the river Ouse to the historic centre of York. Hardly anyone knows about it so nature rules and has created a paradise for city foragers. Right now, we have flowering baby nettles – the old ones were cut down after the heatwave and…
Turkish Yoghurt with Mint, Pul Biber & Lemon Zest
Yoghurt is one of the most important components of the modern Turkish diet and, certainly in my experience, there is rarely a table where it isn’t featured in some form or other; as part of a main dish, or as a dip mixed with a copious amount of chopped herbs, in a dessert or even…
Bebek Börek, a Spinach & Feta Filo Pie
During the winter months, the beautiful Istanbul suburb of Bebek sits quietly on the European shore of the Bosphorus as if waiting for an errant lover. It was once the favourite resort of Ottoman aristocrats who built their grand summer houses here, dozens of beautiful white jewels glittering against a backdrop of verdant jade. Not many remain…
Sami’s Koosa Mahshi, Stuffed Peppers with Sultanas, Pine Kernels and Seven Spices
Over dinner last Monday evening, my parents and I leafed through a pile of quietly ageing scrap books full of memories of their trip to Syria over 25 years ago. Our conversation focused on tickets to dusty archeological museums; faded postcards of antiquities long gone; photographs of groups of happy children curious to discover more…
Aleppo Muhammara (Red Pepper & Roasted Walnut Dip)
It was coming to the end of a long and sultry day as I languidly lay upon a heap of vintage embroidered cushions, the candle-lit lanterns flickering in the warm breeze of the early evening; the music in the background was haunting and exotic as if it were calling me from a far away place….
Kyrenia Griddled Halloumi, Tomato & Pomegranate Salad
This beautiful little dish – often served as part of a Levantine mezze table – is outrageously easy to make. It’s bright, it’s salty, it’s a little bit sweet and a little bit sour so it’s the perfect accompaniment to a creamy, lemony and garlicky hummus, slivers of tangy feta cheese and generous chunks of…
Istanbul Mujaddara-style Salad with Garlic Yoghurt
Mujaddara (also known as majadra, mejadra, moujadara, mudardara, and megadarra) is a super-umami-flavoured Levantine dish of brown lentils mixed with wholegrain basmati rice, caramelised onions and gently toasted whole spices including cumin and coriander seeds. It is usually served hot with the onion as a garnish; however, for the people who came to sample my Istanbul-inspired menu at…
Turkish Carrot & Garlic Yoghurt Salad with Carrot Greens & Pistachio Pesto
The stories that I tell are inspired by a lifetime spent travelling around the countries that kiss the coasts of the Mediterranean sea; by every restaurant and cafe I’ve had the pleasure of kicking back in; by the bustling markets, glittering delicatessens and traditional food stores that have sparked new ideas; by the forgotten recipes I…
