The Turkish Cookbook: Regional Recipes and Stories - Softcover

Ilkin, Nur; Kaufman, Sheilah

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1566568188 ISBN 13: 9781566568180

Publisher: Interlink Books, 2012

Synopsis

Healthful and tantalizing, simple and delicious, Turkish cuisine is well on its way to becoming the next big trend in cooking as more and more attention is being paid to it as the original Mediterranean diet

Turkey has made an enduring contribution to the world's cuisine with its diverse and important gastronomic history and classic-simple yet rich in flavors - cuisine. Turkish cuisine is a mosaic, a colorful cuisine enriched by the recipes and techniques of many ancient cultures-Phoenician, Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, Chinese, and Greek - and the creativity of the cooks and the geography of the regions they lived in.

Inspired by the best of regional cooking, this unique and masterful collection of recipes shares a rediscovery of timeless authentic, healthful, refreshing, and easy-to-prepare Turkish dishes - from classics to lesser known family favorites, and even lost recipes. Written with a zest for food and culture, this book is packed with the delights of Turkey's regions, from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, from Europe to Asia, the Aegean to Anatolia.

Using only the healthiest and freshest ingredients-from fresh fruits and yogurt to vegetables, fish, poultry, and meat - the regional recipes are cooked in an infinite variety of ways, with exciting flavor and texture combinations. Eggplant alone can be prepared in more than 40 different ways. In areas where fish, meat or poultry weren't available, cooks created outstanding recipes that utilized grains, pulses, and vegetables. Since Turkish cooking requires no special equipment or unusual ingredients it is generally very easy to prepare.

About this title

About the Author

Nur Ilkin is a food writer, cooking instructor and co-author of A Taste of Turkish Cuisine. She learned the secrets of Turkish cooking from her grandmother, but it was as a Turkish ambassador's wife that she perfected her culinary skills while entertaining diplomats and dignitaries in Athens (1970-1973), Moscow (1973-1975), London (1977-1981), Islamabad (1987 -1990), Copenhagen (1990-1993), The Hague (1996 - 1998), Washington, D.C. (1998-2001), and New York (2002-present).
Sheilah Kaufman is a food writer, lecturer, cooking instructor and author of 26 cookbooks. Recognized as an expert on entertaining, Glamour magazine noted: "If you like to entertain, Sheilah's cookbook should be your best friend." For 40 years she has shared her passion for ethnic cuisines by lecturing and giving cooking demonstrations across the nation. A founding charter member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, she has written for numerous magazines and newspapers, including Vegetarian Times, The Washington Post, Tampa Tribune, and the Baltimore Sun. She is the food editor for Jewish Women International and the author most recently of Simply Irresistible: Easy, Elegant, Fearless, Fussless Cooking and Upper Crusts: Fabulous Ways to Use Bread.
Juliana Spear is a Massachusetts-based art director and freelance photographer. Her work is featured in Café Life Paris, Romantic Paris, Steeped: In the World of Tea, Café Life New York, and Unexpected New York.

From Booklist

Turkish cooking has grown into one of the hottest contemporary trends in America’s culinary scene. As one might deduce from Turkey’s geographic location, its cooking straddles both Arabic and European traditions. This eye-catching cookbook’s full-color illustrations only enhance the engaging text, which thoughtfully lays out the differences in cooking styles among Turkey’s several regions. Many of the recipes, such as green-lentil pies and various stuffed eggplants and zucchini, will attract vegetarians in particular, but their bold flavors and opulent spicing will give these vegetables the widest possible audience. Meat dishes focus on lamb and beef, with kebabs in the forefront but giving place also to stewed and ground meats. Turkey’s maritime regions offer grilled and baked seafood. Pastry aficionados will immediately recognize the plethora of phyllo-encased meats and vegetables. Recipes call for only a few ingredients not stocked in comprehensive American supermarkets or readily available by mail order. --Mark Knoblauch

Edition details

• Publisher: Interlink Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1566568188
• ISBN 13: 9781566568180
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 368