Savory Leek Cake (Pırasalı Kek)

This recipe is perfect for overcast winter-ish (We're in Palo Alto, cloudy sky is as winter as it gets!) Sunday afternoons. In Turkey, a...

Leek Fritters (Pırasa Mücveri)

Although "the" fritter, or mücver  in Turkish, dish in Turkish cuisine is the zucchini one ( here's the recipe ), variations a...

Spinach Stem Salad (Ispanak Kökü Salatası)

After using spinach leaves in various dishes (you can find some here ) or boreks (and here ), saving the stems for other dishes and  salads ...

Dandelion with Olive Oil (Hindiba)

If cooking every dish  (sweet and savory)  in olive oil is one of the most important characteristics of the incredibly healthy  Cretan cuisi...

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 leav...

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 differ...

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...

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 simpl...

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...

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 wit...

Purslane with Tomato (Domatesli Semizotu)

Purslane season is officially on! For those who have purslane growing in their yards or who can find it at the farmer's markets, flea ma...

Savory Spinach and Feta Cake (Ispanaklı ve Beyaz Peynirli Kek)

In several previous post s I have mentioned the importance of afternoon tea time in Turkey and the snacks that we would have with our tea. T...

Spinach with Eggs (Yumurtalı Ispanak)

For many reasons I am not cooking lately and when I cook I am craving comfort food; I try to choose the ones that are easy, delicious, and d...

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Ground Meat (Etli Lahana Sarması)

Stuffed cabbage leaves come directly from the kitchens of the Ottoman palace. There are different versions of this dish: with ground meat, w...

Leeks in Olive Oil (Zeytinyağlı Pırasa)

Pırasa is one of those vegetables that you either love it or hate it. The existence of both positive and negative references to leeks in Tur...

Purslane Tomato Salad (Pirpirim / Semizotu Piyazı)

I first had this purslane salad in Gaziantep , a city in southeastern Turkey at a kebap house. My childhood friend Özge, an archeologist by...

Flaky Spinach Pie (Ispanaklı Tepsi Böreği)

After gathering courage to make my mom's zucchini börek , I now am familiar with using phllyo dough for other various börek recipes. As ...

Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Flowers (Zeytinyağlı Kabak Çiçeği Dolması)

In his novel Karıncanın Su İ ç tiği (Ant Drinking Water), the second volume of a series titled Bir Ada Hikayesi (An Island Story), one of ...

Purslane with Rice (Pirinçli Semizotu)

Long before Dr Mehmet Öz, aka Dr. Oz, started to appear on morning shows on Turkish TV channels and regularly on Oprah Show to talk about h...

Bulgur Pilaf with Spinach and Fried Onions (Ispanaklı ve Kızarmış Soğanlı Bulgur Pilavı)

I like bulgur pilafs as light summer lunches , because they are easy and quick to make, and if cooked with olive oil, can be eaten cold or w...