favorite cookbooks on turkish cuisine?

Looking for a cookbook of Turkish recipes. Currently choosing between Sultan's Kitchen (Ozcan Ozan) and Turkey (Leanne Kitchen). Preferences between these two, or other favorites?

Rivka
  • Posted by: Rivka
  • June 25, 2013
  • 3291 views
  • 8 Comments

8 Comments

RobynE June 26, 2013
Kitchen's and Malouf's books are beautiful and the recipes are good; they are Aussie-style interpretations of Turkish dishes rather than "authentic" (for lack of a better word) recipes, if that matters to you. Classic Turkish Cooking by Ghillie Basan was recently reissued in soft cover and it's very good. But I most highly recommend Classical Turkish Cooking by Ayla Algar, a teacher of Turkish at UC Berkeley, a linguist and culinary researcher. It has no photographs but does include a wealth of information/culinary history/background on dishes. Algar grew up in Turkey. Her recipes are very clear and produce "real" Turkish food.
 
susan G. June 26, 2013
SPICE, Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, by Ana Sortun, is impressive, as is her restaurant Oleana, in Cambridge MA. From the blurb: she 'learned the traditions of Turkish cooking from local women.'
 
Maedl June 26, 2013
All the books mentioned above are great. I have a copy of A Cookery Tale by Sahrap Soysal, which I like. However, I don't know how easy it would be to find--I bought the book on a trip to Turkey two years ago.
 
thirschfeld June 25, 2013
While not specifically Turkish, Paula Wolfert's Cooking of Eastern Mediterranean is always great.
 
bigpan June 25, 2013
Can't recommend a book, but I was in Istanbul recently and had a wonderful tomato salad for lunch (with kabobs, of course). This recipe is quite similar and easy to make.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/turkish-tomato-salad-with-fresh-herbs
 
dymnyno June 25, 2013
Turquoise by Greg and Lucy Malouf is one of my favorites.
 
pierino June 25, 2013
My rec would be "Arabesque" by Claudia Roden. About a third of the book is devoted to Turkey. She is a remarkable food historian to whom I will bow down and honor. Istanbul (was Constantinople) is where Europe and Arabia collide.
 
M A. June 25, 2013
Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos
 
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