Stuffed Chard with Bulgur and Cheese / Lorlu Pazı Sarma

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 Sea region and eastern Anatolia. The two different types of stuffed chard I had had were with ground meat and cracked corn, so I was very excited when I found this recipe for stuffed chard in a book in Yasemin's kitchen. The recipe is from Sahrap Soysal, a popular...

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Fennel with Meat (Etli Rezene)

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. Among all those greens fennel is a popular one. Although it has numerous health benefits, fennel has a distinct flavor resembling anise that a lot of people, including myself, cannot stand. Mainly for this reason, although intrigued, I avoided cooking...

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Spinach Stem with Wheat Berries (Buğdaylı Ispanak Kökü)

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 cooking a lot; just not blogging. Finally emergence of fresh spinach at the market made it. In Turkey, when you have a bunch of fresh spinach you can cook a variety of different dishes with green spinach leaves: such as "the" spinach dish,   spinach dish known...

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Dried Eggplant Dolma (Kuru Patlıcan Dolması)

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 here we go.Dried eggplant dolma is a popular winter dish mainly in the southeastern part of Turkey. Reasonable size eggplant are cut in half, carved, put on strings, and dried out in the sun to cherish eggplant deliciousness in the winter. You can find strings...

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Semolina Sponge Cake (Revani)

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 but onceYou would never cast an eye on the houris in paradise…Everywhere is filled with paradisiacal boys and girls, Revani,Who enters it looks no more to the highest heaven(from The Age of Beloveds by Walter Andrews and Mehmet Kalpakli)  These lines which depict the...

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Bulgur Kofte (Bulgur Köftesi)

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. Bulgur kofte is yet another bulgur dish in kofte form. The recipe belongs to my mom and has long been a family favorite. Bulgur gives a nice, nutty flavor to otherwise a regular kofte recipe. We usually enjoy it during summer days since it is lighter than...

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Baked Cabbage with Ground Meat (Fırında Kıymalı Lahana)

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 the preparation of the dish, it might be even impossible to tell it's cabbage.1 small to medium cabbage1/2 lb ground meat2 medium onions, finely chopped3 garlic cloves, minced (my addition)2 big tomatoes, diced or 1 can diced tomatoes2 tbsp tomato paste3 tbsp olive oil1...

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Collard Greens Soup (Karalahana Çorbası)

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. A month after the move I remembered there was a back yard and looked over to check it out. Among the things that you can find in the back yards of apartment buildings in Turkey are gazebos, junk, flower beds, people playing "okey," a tile-based game...

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Baked Halva with Carrots (Güveçte Havuçlu Helva)

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 menus, they served the freshest and by far the cheapest seafood, the best salads (especially Tuana), and surprisingly simple yet delicious desserts (Takanik was the #1 when it came to desserts). All those boat restaurants moved tot the land after the ban;...

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Beet Salad with Yogurt (Yoğurtlu Pancar Salatası)

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, minced1 tbsp olive oil1 tbsp finely chopped dill or 1 tbsp basil flakessalt and vinegar to taste-Wash beets well, cut the stems, and boil them for ~25-30 minutes until cooked.-When they cool down, peel and grate them. (While doing so, use an apron and gloves if you wish...

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Leeks with Stew Beef (Etli Pırasa)

Although the most popular way to prepare leeks is in olive oil (a vegetarian recipe served lukewarm or cold), leeks with ground meat or with stew beef are also widely enjoyed winter dishes.3 leeks, washed and cut in 1/2 inch rounds1/2 lb or more stew beef (some people like cooking leeks with lamb)1 onion, diced2 carrots, cut in half rounds2 tbsp olive oil2 tbsp lemon juice1 tbsp dill, finely chopped1 tsp dry rosemary1 1/2 cup watersalt-Heat olive...

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Cannellini Beans with Eggplant (Patlıcanlı Kuru Fasulye)

A great twist to a very traditional recipe: white beans, which are generally referred to as the national dish of Turkey.1 medium size eggplant, diced1 cup of dry cannellini beans, soaked over night or 1 can of cannellini beans1/4 lb stew beef [for a meatier stew you can use more stew beef and for a vegetarian version skip it completely]1 big onion, diced3 cloves of garlic, minced3 tomatoes, diced or 1 can of diced tomatoes1 red bell pepper, finely...

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Celery Root Rounds with Carrot (Havuçlu Kereviz Halkaları)

I had celery root rounds first at a tea-party in Turkey as one of the 7 or so dishes that the host prepared for an ~3 hour tea-party! Apparently the recent tea-party trend in Turkey is to impress your guests with the number and the presentation of the goodies you make. Mission accomplished; I was impressed by how much I could eat in 2 hours and with only Turkish tea as digestive. Another thing that impressed me was that although at first it...

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Corn and Bean Soup (Pakla Çorbası)

This Black Sea Region recipe is a recipe from my dad's side of the family. My aunt invites the rest of the family over dinner (in addition to all the special occasions) when she cooks three special dishes. Number one is mantı, number two is dolma, and number three is pakla soup, which by the way draws more attendees than dolmas. This simple soup is so popular among the family members that there had been times when we fought over the second serving....

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