Flourless Chocolate, Nut and Prune Torte
We have been well due for a nice, sweet treat:) I saw this lovely torte at the Good Housekeeping magazine; the original recipe used ground hazelnuts in the torte, my version has ground almonds – just because we love it- . It turned out to be a wonderful, moist torte that we enjoyed at the end of a meal with friends. The ground almonds make the torte really moist and torte stays moist for good 3-4 days, if there is any left! Vanilla ice cream or double cream goes very well by the side. Serves 8Preparation time: 25 min Cooking time: 35...
read moreMadeira Cake with Chocolate Sauce
It was our cake bake to raise funds for my son’s class a couple of weeks ago, and I baked the Madeira cake with a little twist. Madeira cake is a lovely simple sponge cake, and it was used to be served with a glass of Madeira wine – today it makes an excellent accompaniment served with tea or coffee. It is best to eat the cake fresh, when it is soft and light. My little twist to this cake was the addition of a little chocolate sauce over the top – to tempt children (and adults!) for the cake bake. The result was delicious,...
read moreMaria’s Apple Cake with Cinnamon and Walnuts
The UK apple season runs through Autumn and Winter. We have loads of different varieties at the moment and the orchards are packed full of apples. My good friend Sarah gave us a basket full of apples a few weeks ago, and I have been looking to find a good recipe to use them. Then another good friend, Maria, mentioned her mother’s apple cake recipe (from Greece); with use of cinnamon, it sounded yummy and reminded me my mother’s version. Cakes and pastries are favorite tea time treats in Turkey, and we use cinnamon, nuts and fruits...
read moreBaked Fresh Figs with Honey and Clotted Cream – Kaymakli Incir Tatlisi
I love figs; my grandmother used to have a huge fig tree in her garden and we grandchildren used to love “helping” picking them up. Turkey produces some of the finest figs; they are sweet, juicy and darker than the average fig, especially the Bursa variety. There was an article on Turkey’s dark Bursa figs on the Daily Telegraph a couple of weeks ago, saying that they will be available at M&S; stores until late September – well, did I run to the M&S;? I sure did and got my beloved Turkish figs Figs are packed...
read moreBaklava Uncovered, Gulluoglu – Istanbul
This whole post deserves to be dedicated to our Baklava Masterclass with the baklava experts at Gulluoglu. We have been looking forward to our baklava class for months to reveal how the genuine article is made – and here it is! Gulluoglu Baklava is a family owned store and they have been making “hand made” baklava for 6 generations – the daily production ranges from 2-5 tons, all hand made!They use organic butter, pure cane sugar – no honey!-, and it is a result of their mastership for 150 years, very...
read moreOrange Crisps
It is the end of school year coming up in England and we thought to bake some biscuits to say thank you to our teachers with the children. Baking for school requires a nut free recipe, and I found this lovely Orange Crisps recipe at the National Trust Tea Time Baking Book by Jane Pettigrew. They are very easy to make and the children really enjoy preparing and cutting out different shapes. The citrus tang of the juice and zest makes these biscuits irresistible; a lovely treat for yourself or someone you’d like to share with. Apparently,...
read moreVictoria Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream and Strawberry Jam
This is a very special and wonderful Victoria Sponge Cake recipe coming from a dear friend. My friend Gillian is a pro on this treat and she very kindly shared it. It is very easy to make and truly delicious, moist and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. One of the joys of life – at least for me – is to share a delicious bite with a good friend; we baked this cake with the children and shared with a dear friend visiting us. A special moment to treasure, pause and enjoy. I hope you can have a chance to make and enjoy this treat,...
read morePistachio Cake with Lemon Glaze – Fistikli, limonlu kek
Merhaba:)It has been a while since I last posted and a lot happened – the Royal Wedding, a wonderful trip to Paris – my 40th birthday treat:), my parent’s visit to England; I look forward to sharing all. First, a wonderful cake that came to my way, thanks to Tori Ritchie and her wonderful website/blog www.tuesdayrecipe.com, where she shares simple, delicious, wonderful recipes. This cake is originally from the River Cafe cookbook, and the authors run the wonderful Italian restaurant, River Cafe in London. The cake combines my...
read moreSticky Rhubarb and Ginger Cake
Well, this is not a Turkish recipe, but something I couldn’t resist to share. Living in England, I get to enjoy the wonderful English cakes and puddings, which I absolutely adore. And this rhubarb and ginger cake is no exception. I love the tartness of rhubarb and its combination with ginger and brown sugar is divine. Fresh rhubarb is widely available now in the UK and I hope, even if you can’t get the fresh version, you may get them frozen. This wonderful, moist cake is an adaptation from a Jamie Oliver recipe. I used a little...
read moreVanilla Sponge Birthday Cake with Icing – Dogum Gunu Pastasi
I love making cakes but I must admit, never really felt confident enough to make birthday cakes with the fancy icing – somehow I feared I could never be able deliver those amazingly decorated cakes with the children’s favorite characters. Until I saw the birthday cake recipe at Rose Prince’s brilliant cookery book, Kitchenella. I gave it a try to her Vanilla sponge and was inspired by her Smarties studded icing. The result was impressive and the birthday boy was very happy Indeed a love letter to your children, as Rose...
read moreHosgeldiniz
Welcome to Ozlem's Turkish Table (or as we say in Turkish, "Hosgeldiniz").
I was born and bred in Turkey, and lived there for 30 years. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this rich and welcoming culture. Turkish cuisine is healthy, delicious, affordable and most recipes are very easy to make. Here, I would like to show you how you can recreate these wonderful recipes in your own home. Living in England, I also cook other Mediterranean inspired dishes and some wonderful sweet treats. I hope the recipes may inspire you to have a go!Upcoming Turkish Cooking Classes
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Grand Turkey Tour
April 2nd thru 12th 2012
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