Pumpkin Soup with Red Cabbage and Cumin Seeds (Balkabağı Çorbası)

3 cups of baked and mashed pumpkin1 onion, chopped3 tbsp olive oil3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly1/2 cup red cabbage, chopped finely1 banana pepper, chopped3 cups of vegetable stock1/2 cup yogurt1 tbsp paprika1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp black mustard seeds1 tsp ground black pepper1 tsp pepper flakes1 tsp thyme1 tsp rosemarysalt-We cut the pumpkin you see above into two, took the seeds out with a spoon, and placing the two halves on an oven pan baked...

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Turkish Feta-Potato Rolls (Fırında Sigara Böreği)

Sigara Böreği literally means "cigarette pastry" in Turkish and they are usually deep fried. However, I didn't want to have a heavy snack, so instead I baked them with instructions from my mom.Yufka, Turkish filo dough, is not as thin as the Greek one that you can find frozen at the stores here in States; it is usually round 15-20 inches in diameter. It is not easy to find Turkish filo dough here, but the Greek one is too thin and delicate for me...

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Tomato Soup with Greek Noodle Nests (Yunan Şehriye Toplu Domates Çorbası)

I found these Greek thin noodle nests at an international market. They looked so cute that I had to buy them. On the package it was suggested to cook the noodle nests in water with a little bit olive oil and salt, and to serve as a soup with lemon juice. That recipe sounded blend to me, so I decided to use them in tomato soup, and the result was very tasty. The only drawback, which is not actually a drawback, was that I had to eat my soup with the...

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White Beans (Kuru Fasulye)

White beans with rice is the traditional Turkish dish. It is to us what pasta is to Italians. If you have pickled vegetables, especially cabbage, with it, you cannot expect more. There are variations of this recipe based on what kind of meat you want to use, or you may completely skip the meat part as I do. You can cook white beans with stew beef or lamb, with ground meat, pastrami (pastirma), and/or soujuk (sucuk, Turkish sausage). My favorite...

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Celery Root à la Turque (Zeytinyağlı Kereviz)

Who likes celery root? It's a complicated issue. People who think it has a very strong smell can handle celery stalks. And there are also people like me who cannot have even a single bite from celery stalk because of its smell, but love celery root. So you have to try to see if you like it or not. As if having one strong smelling plant is not enough, this recipe requires another one: dill, the odor of which, to some, is less agreeable than many other...

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Ezo the Bride Soup (Ezo Gelin Çorbası)

Ezo was a real person who lived in the south eastern part of Turkey, close to Syrian border, in early 20th century. She had two miserable marriages, and died in Syria, homesick. There are films based on her hard, unfortunate life. But I have no idea why this soup is named after her.The most important trivia about Ezo Gelin soup is that you cannot find a single Kebapçı (Kebab Restaurant) in Turkey that doesn't serve this soup. It's the best starter...

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Zucchini with Beef and Garbanzo Beans (Kabak Bastırması)

I saw this recipe in a Turkish food blog, chez Ayşenur, and immediately decided to make it. Garbanzo beans and zucchini: how could it be bad? It certainly is delicious. Ayşenur says that this is a local recipe from Kilis, a city in Turkey near the Turkish-Syrian border.2/3 cups of garbanzo beans1/2 pound stew beef (I preferred beef but y0u can also use lamb)2 zucchinis, medium size cut in half-rounds2 tbsp olive oil1 onion, chopped2 banana peppers...

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Cinnamon Tea (Tarçın Çayı)

It's dark, cloudy, cold, rainy, in other words, miserable outside. Perfect time for cinnamon tea.2 cinnamon stick4-5 cloveshoney-Pour 2-3 cups of boiling water on 2 cinnamon sticks and 5-6 cloves. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Cover the teapot or French press with a towel to keep it warm. Sweeten with honey.optional: add 4-5 black pepperco...

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Pastirma-Leek Potato Gratin (Pastırmalı Pırasalı Patates Graten)

This is an "almost" Turkish recipe because of the pastirma. It is not easy to find Turkish or, even better, Armenian pastirma, pastrami, in  US, but it's not impossible either. I buy pastirma from international markets. To see what pastirma looks like click here.-pastirma is optional1 pound/bag of baby potatoes, red or golden peeled and sliced thinly2 leeks, chopped finely10 strips of pastrami, cut in thin slices (you can have more or less)1...

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Fava Beans à la Turque (Zeytinyağlı İç Bakla)

I wasted 25 years of my life without eating fava/broad beans, but I had my reasons. The first time I tried fava beans, they were not podded. The pod has a weird fuzzy feel and I sure cannot stand it. Years after that first experience, I tried podded fava beans, and it's been one of my favorite olive oil dishes ever since. I still cannot eat them in the pod.The only place I found fresh fava/broad beans in pod here in the states was Seattle Pike Place...

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Chicken in a Bag (Fırın Torbasında Tavuk)

This is the easiest and yummiest chicken ever. You need whole chicken legs, thighs, drumsticks, or wings--bonny and fatty parts of chicken. This recipe doesn't go well with less fatty parts like breast.6 chicken thighs1 oven bagjuice of 2 lemonspaprika, enough to cover the thighs1 tbsp ground black pepper1 tbsp oregano leaves3 cloves of garlic, mincedsalt-Place the chicken in a big bowl and squeeze lemons on top. Make sure every piece is covered...

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Garbanzo Beans with Vegetables (Sebzeli Nohut)

1 cup dry garbanzo beans or 1 can of organic garbanzo beans1 big onion, chopped1 bell pepper, chopped1 cup fineley chopped cabbage1 carrot, garted1 potato, grated1 tbsp tomato paste1 tbsp pepper paste (optional)1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp pepper flakes1/3 cup olive oil1 cup vegetable stocksalt and pepper-If you want to use dry beans, either soak them over night and then boil them until soft or use a pressure cooker. I pressure cooked 1 cup of garbanzo...

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Dill-Feta Poğaça (Dereotlu Peynirli Poğaça)

Poğaça, a kind of savory pastry / bread, is a traditional baked good in Turkey and Eastern European+Balkanic countries which at some point in history were under the Ottoman rule long enough to adopt its cuisine. Poğaças are best with (black) tea. In Turkey, people would have them for breakfast from a neighborhood patisserie on their way to work or school, or for afternoon tea time.Usually poğaças are made in half-moon shape. Several pieces of round...

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Sparkling Chicken (Maden Suyuyla Tavuk)

8 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces1 little bottle of Perrier or 1-1 1/2 cups of any sparkling (mineral) water1 tbsp chopped dill2 cloves of garlic, minced1 tsp paprika / red chili powder1 tsp ground black pepper3 tbsp olive oil1 small onion, chopped thinly in roundsany kind of fresh pepper, chopped (I used small sweet yellow Italian peppers)mushroom, chopped - as much as you wantjuice of one lemon or lime1 tbsp flour2 tsp peppercornssaltThe...

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Moist Cocoa Cake (Kakaolu Islak Kek)

1/2 cup milk4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa1 1/2 cup sugar1 cup flour1/2 cup oil (vegetable, corn, or canola)2 eggs2 tsp baking powder1/4 cup crushed walnuts1/4 raisins1/2 petite diced appleThese ingredients are for a 9.5 X 4 inch cake pan.-Mix eggs, sugar, milk, oil, and cocoa in bowl. Set 1/2 cup of this mixture aside; you will need that mixture to moisten the cake.-Add flour, baking powder, walnuts, raisins, and diced apple in the bowl. Mix well. Grease...

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Pub Style Bulgur Pilaf (Meyhane Usûlü Bulgur Pilavı)

Bulgur pilaf, a highly traditional central Anatolian dish, can be pretty boring, at least for me, when cooked regular way: with only tomato paste, oil, and maybe onions. However, pub style bulgur (my mom calls this recipe pub style, but I have no idea why) is rich in flavor + vegetables, is fun and a wholesome meal on its own.I don't know how many different kinds of bulgur there are elsewhere, but in Turkey we have two types: fine and coarse. Fine...

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Turkish Pumpkin Dessert (Kabak Tatlısı)

Pumpkin dessert is a very easy-to-make popular and traditional recipe. If you don't have a big company, you can use butternut squash in stead of pumpkin.pumpkin or butternut squashsugar4-5 clovescrushed walnutsThe ratio of pumpkin to sugar is 1 to 1/2. I used 3 cups of squash and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Peel the pumpkin, cut it into big chunks, and put in a pot. Put sugar on and let it sit over night. It will release water, so you don't need to add...

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Barbunya Beans (Barbunya Pilaki)

Barbunya is a very common and popular olive oil dish (which is cooked always/only with olive oil and served cold) in Turkey. Delicious fresh barbunya beans appear in farmer's markets in midsummer. What people usually do is to buy large amounts of barbunyas, pod them, and then keep them in the freezer for the winter. Fresh barbunyas are always preferred to dried ones. However, since it's impossible to find fresh barbunyas here in the States, I learned...

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Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard Sauce (Pazı Soslu Makarna)

1 pack whole wheat spaghetti1 bunch red Swiss chard, leaves washed and chopped into 1/2 inch wide strips (if you don't want to waste the stems, you can use them ina soup)1 onion, chopped3 cloves of garlic, sliced2 anaheim or banana peppers, chopped3 tbsp olive oil1 tsp paprika1/2 tsp black pepper1/2 tsp crushed pepper2 fresh tomatoes, diced or 1 can petite diced tomato2 tbsp yogurt or milk1/2 cup coarsely crushed walnuts2 cups grated sharp cheddar...

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Red Lentil Soup (Kırmızı Mercimek Çorbası)

for the soup:1 cup red lentils1 medium size onion1 carrot1 tbsp tomato or pepper paste (or you can do half&half)1 tsp salt1 tsp crushed pepper or red peppercorns6 cups of waterfor the sauce:2 tbsp olive oil or butter1 tbsp sweet or spicy paprika-With a pressure cooker: Put everything (onion and carrot coarsley chopped) for the soup in the pressure cooker and cook on medium for 15 minutes and then smoothen the soup with a blender-With a regular...

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Potato Salad à la Turque (Patates Salatası)

Another parsley recipe for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging which is hosted by Sher of What Did You Eat? Although parsley seems to be the dominant herb in this salad, the recipe shows the friendship of herbes4 medium potatoes--in Turkey this is made with yellow potatoes since we don't have red ones over there; however, I love it with red potatoes,too--peeled and diced (actually the number of potatoes depends on how big a salad you want)1 small...

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Lamb Stew (Kuzu Güveç)

If you want this to be a vegetarian stew, all you need to do is to skip the meat part.lamb, diced. Use as much meat as you want 1/2 pound or 1 pound (you can also substitute lamb with beef or use half lamb + half beef)1 big onion, chopped3-4 cloves of garlic1 carrot, chopped in rounds1 eggplant (not a huge american one though), peeled in striped pattern and diced1 zucchini, diced or cut in half rounds (or summer squash or both)1 or 2 potatos, diced...

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Adzuki Bean Stew (Adzuki/Japon Fasülyesi)

3 cups adzuki beans, cooked or canned (I used dried adzukis and pressure-cooked them for 10 minutes)1 cup TVP chunks (optional)1 onion, chopped3 cloves of garlic, sliced1 red pepper (anaheim or sweet Italian), chopped2 carrots, cut in quarter rounds1 red potato, diced2 tbsp pepper paste (or tomato paste)2 tbsp fresh dill,chopped3 tbsp olive oil or butter1 tsp paprika1 tsp black peppersalt-Soak TVP chunks in hot water in a bowl for app. 20 minutes....

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Adana Style Stuffed Eggplants and Zucchinis (Adana Usulü Patlıcan ve Kabak Dolması)

Years ago, my mom went to Adana--one of the "kebap" capitals of Turkey--to visit her cousins. In stead of kebap, she brought back this eggplant + zucchini dolma recipe. In Adana, they usually use sundried eggplants and zucchinis; however, in the northwestern part of Turkey it's not easy to sundry vegetables as it is in the southeastern part, so we modified the recipe by replacing sundried vegetables with fresh ones.With the following ingredients...

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Bread Topped with Tomato-Parsley et al (Fırında Domates ve Maydanozlu Ekmek)

When I was a kid, the biggest torture for me was to have stale bread for breakfast, and this recipe was my mom's genius invention to market stale bread to us. It worked well; it is still my favorite breakfast. Everything you expect from a Turkish breakfast is here on a slice of bread: tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, parsley, banana peppers, and eggs. Those little slices loaded with deliciousness go well with (Turkish) tea at both breakfast and afternoon-tea...

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Pear Experiment #2: Poached Pears with Bourbon (Armut Tatlısı)

Hey Nolan, I don't want to make you envious, but there's an ABC Bourbon night this Friday. Inspired by Rustic apple dessert and bourbon night, I came up with this pear dessert. I applied Betül's cooking and coloring ideas for apples on pears, and it worked just fine.4 firm pears, peeled and cored (you can core the pears either before cooking or while eating; it's your call)2 cups of water1 1/2 cups of sugar (if you want a really sweet pear, you should...

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Experiment Pear #1: Groundscore Gingered Pear Pie (Armutlu Zencefilli Pay)

This recipe is from Epicurious.com (originally it was Gingered Pear Pie with Golden Raisins), but we’re suggesting some adaptations… As with the cherry pie, you may derive the most satisfaction from stealing the pears from an unattended tree. In this case, ripe pears will fall from the tree, so you can feel like you are just tidying up the resident’s yard. The pears will be softer if you let them ripen for a few days before baking. One adaptation...

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Penne Baked with Tomato Sauce ( Fırında Domatesli Penne)

This is a very flexible recipe; you can use any kind of pasta you want or you have at the moment. I usually make this recipe with macaroni, but this time I tried it with penne.You can be really creative with the sauce, too.1 pack of whole wheat pennewhat I used for the sauce:4-5 tomatoes, grated or 2 cans of petite diced tomato2 tbsp tomato paste1 small onion, chopped2 cloves of garlic, sliced2 peppers, chopped (I used sweet red Italian peppers,...

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