Domates soslu patlıcan biber kızartma (fried aubergine and green peppers in olive oil and tomatoes) was one of the first home-cooked Turkish recipes we tried when we moved to Fethiye. We were round at a Turkish friend’s house and his mum had made some for us. Vegetable Appreciation Along with the famous Turkish green beans …
Fried chicken livers as a cold meze dish. We can’t remember where we were when we had this on our table at a restaurant one night – or when we were there. Judging by that vagueness of memory, we know it was quite some time ago. And we know we were somewhere in Turkey. I …
A huge bowl of freshly made Turkish şakşuka (shak-shoo-ka) is such a treat. This Şakşuka recipe is best eaten freshly made and cold – but it is so difficult to leave it alone and let it cool once you have combined all the perfectly matched ingredients. What Is Turkish Şakşuka? Turkish şakşuka is a popular …
It’s broad bean (bakla) season at the moment so we just had to buy a bagful of them to do a Turkish recipe for broad bean salad – iç bakla salatası. Springtime is synonymous with new growth and an abundance of produce on the local markets around Turkey. At the moment, we just feel like …
Turkish pickles! Or turşu, to give them their Turkish name. Especially when it comes to food, we all have our own guilty pleasures. When we first came to Turkey, I immediately noticed that there was no need for my guilty pleasure to be guilt-riddled at all. No; it was perfectly acceptable. A fact of life. …
If you thought you weren’t a fan of broccoli, this Turkish broccoli salad might well just change your mind! From November, and right through into the colder months of winter, the stalls of Fethiye market and Çalış market are piled high with winter greens. And there is something oh-so-tempting about the sight of emerald green …
Have you ever tried muhammara? If not, you’re missing out. Whilst it’s not a regular feature on our meze table, when we do make it, we know we’re in for a treat. Muhammara is one of those meze dishes that is to be savoured and relished. And the good news is, it’s also easy to …
Favourite Turkish salads: we love a çoban salad, a bulgur wheat salad like kısır never disappoints, chickpea salad fills a corner in the summer months. But if grilled meat is on the menu, there is one salad that is an absolute must: Gavurdağı Salatası. Gavurdağı Salad – A Tomato & Walnut Salad Packed With Zing …
It’s easily done. A simple – yet rightly much-loved – salad, like shepherd’s salad, can easily fall off the radar. But do you know what the best bit about that is? It’s when you suddenly remember one day, for no reason, that you haven’t had shepherd salad in such a long time. So then you …
We love cacık! It’s so refreshing. Since 5,000 BC. That’s how long natural yoghurt is said to have been a part of people’s lives; at least in the region of ancient Mesopotamia, that is. And that includes parts of modern day Turkey. If you know Turkey, you’ll know there’s a whole raft of meze dishes …