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...

BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Oh my goodness, these baked sweet potato fries are tasty AND low calorie!! Even my picky picky husband said they were good THREE TIMES duri...

DIABETIC FRIENDLY MEXICAN QUINOA SKILLET

For those of us who have Type II diabetes, you KNOW how hard it is to find something quick, easy and tasty that won't send your glucose ...

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...

Sunchokes in Olive Oil (Zeytinyağlı Yer Elması)

This ginger look-alike, hard-to-peel root has many names in English among which I like sunchoke or sunroot the best. I liked the sun in thos...

Savory Cornmeal Bread (Mısır Ekmeği)

Savory corn meal or corn flour bread was something my mom used to bake for breakfast on cozy/lazy weekends. And hers is a special one becaus...

BAKED POTATO CHIPS

When I am on a diet, (who am I kidding, I'm always on a diet) my weight loss plan starts to falter when I get a craving for something ...

Super Easy Velveeta Mac & Cheese

I know some food snobs will turn their nose up at a recipe using Velveeta cheese and that's OK, I don't use it very often either. Ho...

AVOCADO EGG SALAD

This quick and HEALTHY change to mayo-laden egg salad was a huge success; we didn't miss the mayo at all !! It was light and delicious 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 ...

Pickled Beets (Pancar Turşusu)

Pickled beets is one of the easiest and, at the same time, the most delicious pickled vegetables of Turkish cuisine. It is considered one of...

Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes (Zeytinyağlı Domates Dolması)

In Turkey end-of-summer tomato bounty usually means time to can or jar tomato sauces or to make tomato paste. Unfortunately I am too lazy fo...

Fava Bean and Pea Salad (İç Bakla ve Bezelye Salatası)

1 lb fresh fava beans in pod 1/2 lb fresh peas in pod 3 green onions, finely chopped ~1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves ~1/4 cup fine...

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...

Green Peppers in Vinegar and Garlic Sauce (Sirkeli Biber)

I'm in Turkey and enjoying all the food I cannot find in the US and frequenting my hometown's twice-a-week farmers' market for f...

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...

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...

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...

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 beets 1 cup yogurt (better ...

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! Appare...