Hamur İşleri
Pizza Dough (Pizza Hamuru)
A long cold prove deepens the flavour. Dough left overnight in the fridge is a different thing.
Tatlılar
Laz Böreği
Called a börek but it is a dessert: pastry layers with custard between and syrup on top. A Black Sea classic.
Salata & Meze
Antep Ezmesi
Acılı ezme with isot and walnuts. The bulgur gives the relish body.
Çorbalar
Beetroot Soup (Pancar Çorbası)
The colour and earthiness of beetroot, balanced by yoghurt and vinegar. The most striking thing on the table…
Kahvaltılık
Orange Peel Jam (Portakal Reçeli)
The peel is boiled three times to take away the bitterness. Skip that and the jam is bitter.
Ana Yemekler
Veiled Rice (Perde Pilavı)
A Siirt dish: spiced rice baked inside a case of thin pastry. Turned out, it comes free as a dome.
Hamur İşleri
Pide with Diced Lamb (Kuşbaşılı Pide)
The meat is cooked beforehand and only finishes on the pide. Raw meat will not cook there.
Tatlılar
Chocolate Layer Cake (Kakaolu Pasta)
Three layers of sponge with chocolate cream. Soaking the layers with syrup is what keeps them from being dry.
Salata & Meze
White Cabbage Salad (Beyaz Lahana Salatası)
Salting and rubbing the cabbage takes out the toughness. That step changes the salad completely.
Çorbalar
Stuffed and Plain Dumpling Soup (Analı Kızlı Çorbası)
Large filled dumplings ("the mothers") and tiny plain ones ("the daughters") in the same pan. The showpiece…
Kahvaltılık
Tahini with Grape Molasses (Pekmezli Tahin)
Two ingredients and one ratio. Half and half is neither too sweet nor too heavy.
Ana Yemekler
Steamed Fish (Buğulama Balık)
Fish cooked in steam with almost no fat. The vegetables provide the steam and lemon provides the flavour.
Hamur İşleri
Cheese Puff Pastries (Peynirli Milföy)
Ten minutes to assemble with ready-made pastry and half an hour to bake. Keeping the pastry cold is the only…
Tatlılar
Mosaic Biscuit Cake (Mozaik Pasta)
No oven needed. Keeping the biscuit pieces large is what gives the mosaic look.
Salata & Meze
Amerikan Salatası
Russian salad without the peas and with plenty of pickles. More mayonnaise too.
Çorbalar
Vegetable and Rice Soup (Pirinçli Sebze Çorbası)
No stock, the rice gives the body, and children eat it.
Kahvaltılık
Blackberry Jam (Böğürtlen Reçeli)
It breaks down very quickly, so it is the shortest boil of all the jams. You can sieve out the seeds.
Ana Yemekler
Baked Sea Bass (Fırında Levrek)
Whole fish baked with lemon and bay. A bed of vegetables lifts the fish off the tray and cooks it evenly.
Hamur İşleri
Pan Börek (Tava Böreği)
No oven needed. The pastry browns on both sides in the pan and it is ready in fifteen minutes.
Tatlılar
Lemon Cake (Limonlu Kek)
The flavour comes from the zest, not the juice. Do not grate down into the white pith.
Salata & Meze
Russian Salad (Rus Salatası)
The vegetables are boiled separately and cut to the same size. The mayonnaise goes in last.
Çorbalar
Cracked Wheat Soup (Yarma Çorbası)
A village soup made with cracked wheat. It takes a long time, but the body develops by itself with no flour…
Kahvaltılık
Quince Jam (Ayva Reçeli)
The seeds are tied in muslin and dropped into the jam. Their pectin sets it and their tannin colours it.
Ana Yemekler
Fried Anchovies (Hamsi Tava)
Cornmeal makes a thin crust and the anchovy itself cooks in two minutes. Overcooking is the only risk.