Tag Archives | Central Market Cooking School in Texas

Ozlem’s Turkish Table at Edinburgh Book Fest, Coming to Texas and more

Merhaba all,

Our magical Turkish Supper Club at Power’s Weybridge – next one is on Aug. 17th

It’s been a very exciting few months of teaching Turkish cookery, sharing recipes from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book at our supper clubs and planning new events. I am very excited to share with you some really exciting events coming up, including being a featured author at the world’s biggest book festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival on Aug. 24th, as well as returning to Central Market Cooking Schools in TX between November 7-10th! I am utterly delighted and can’t wait to meet Turkish food lovers in one of these events below, and I hope to see you at one of the events.

Contents Page, Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, signed copies available at this link

Also delighted to report that over 1,000 copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book reached to Turkish food lovers around the world; my sincere thanks to you all for all your support and spreading the word. My special thanks also goes to Pinar Foods UK and GB Publishing for all their valuable support. I love hearing how folks enjoy recreating recipes from the book, and their creations. Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is still available for a limited period at this link, if you’d like to get it for yourself or give a a gift.

Here are so exciting events coming up; I hope you can join us in one of these and we enjoy Turkish cuisine together.

Turkish Meze Class with Ozlem Warren

Hands On Masterclass, Sunday 22nd July, 12:00 – 3:30pm

Divertimenti Cookery School, London

Our Turkish meze class coming up on July 22nd, at Divertimenti, London

Join Ozlem Warren to recreate a scrumptious meze feast from her homeland, with recipes from her newly released cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. You will be making the much loved ‘Baba Ghanoush’ (Smoked aubergine, pepper and tomatoes with pomegranate molasses), ‘Filo Triangles with Spinach and White cheese, Beyaz Peynir – with thanks to Pinar Food UK-, ‘Muhammara’ (Red pepper paste and walnut dip), ‘Circassian Chicken in Garlic, Walnut and Coriander Sauce, ‘Poached Dried Figs in Light Syrup’ and completing the meal with ‘Rakı’, a Turkish aniseed based drink which is the traditional accompaniment to the meze spread in Turkey.

Booking at Divertimenti Cookery School at this link

Turkish Cookery Course at Amoun College, Amman – Jordan,

July 9th and 10th, 2018

I am delighted to be returning to Amman, Jordan to teach a 2 day Turkish Cookery Course on July 9th and 10th 2018. We will be covering a feast of classic Turkish recipes during our course. My special thanks to Mrs Suhair Kilani, la Panthera for organising our course, I greatly look forward to sharing delicious Turkish cuisine with food lovers in Amman. For the details of the course and registration, please email Marketing@panhtera-jo.com to reserve your spot, as the participation is limited. I hope you can join us at this rare opportunity to learn classic Turkish recipes.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table at the International Edinburgh Book Festival!

What a true honor to be a part of this world’s biggest book festival, the International Edinburgh Book Festival, with my cookery book Ozlem’s Turkish Table, on Aug. 24th, Friday, 2.30pm – 3.15pm, with the Afternoon Tea with Ozlem Warren event. Even more special is that Ghillie Basan will be conducting the interview, I am a huge fan of her and can’t thank her enough for all her support. Do hope you can join us as we will talk about Antakya, southern Turkish cuisine, recipe tips and more! Booking at this link please, hope to see you there!

A Turkish Summer Feast Supper Club, Power’s Weybridge – Friday, Aug. 17th, 2018

Please join us for a delicious evening of Turkish food and stories from my homeland on Aug 17th, Friday evening, as of 7.30pm at Power’s Weybridge. Pistachio lamb kebabs as well as many vegetarian choices and baklava on offer, as well as my tips on recipes and stories, booking at Power’s Weybridge please – and promises to sell out again soon!

Returning Central Market Cooking Schools, TX – USA on Nov. 7 – 10th, 2018!

Absolutely delighted to be returning to Central Market Cooking Schools on Nov 7th through 10th to teach a series of cookery classes, this time with my book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table – do hope you can join us! I lived in Austin over 5 years and tought at this wonderful cookery school as a guest chef so I am really excited to return, it will be very special classes. Registration at Central Market Cooking School opens online on 1st October, and classes likely to sell out qucikly, so please save the dates. Here are my teaching dates and venues at Central Market Cooking Schools:

Central Market Houston on Nov. 7th; Austin on Nov. 8th; Dallas on Nov 9th; San Antonio on Nov 10th.

What I have been cooking lately..

Leafy greens with onions, peppers and pine nuts, from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book

We have been enjoying more vegetables with the sunnier weather and this Leafy greens with onions, peppers and pine nuts, from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book (page 153), inspired from Antakya, fits the bill perfectly. There is leafy vegetable called zilk in Antakya, similar to Swiss chard and locals use either zilk or spinach to make this recipe; you can use kale instead too. Bulgur or lentils are often added to make it more substantial. In my version, I included sweet, red bell peppers and pine nuts instead of bulgur. Adding a splash of fresh lemon juice or a little heat from red pepper flakes, you can serve this warm or cold, as in our Zeytinyaglis, Vegetables cooked in olive oil. Here’s also the link for my recipe in my blog.

Scrumptious Turkish bean salad with onions, olives, eggs

We love this tasty, easy and nourishing Turkish bean salad with olives and eggs, Fasulye Piyazi. It is the traditional accompaniment to Turkish meatballs, our kofte, but I love it as it is for lunch or as a light supper with pide bread and some hummus. It is also vegan and gluten-free so caters for a wide range of dietary needs. This lovely salad is on page 90 at the Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, if you have it. Here’s also the link to my recipe in my blog.

One of the happy Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book owner, posting this lovely photo

“Thank you so much for producing this wonderful book; I spent many happy holidays in Turkey and I love Turkish cuisine. It’s a joy to be able to recreate the dishes with your recipes and share with my family – your book is a treasure and I love my signed copy!“ This was a recent feedback from the Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book owner. I hoped my book would inspire folks to enjoy Turkish cuisine and bring happy memories of their visit to Turkey, so these kind feedback means the world to me. Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is still available for a limited period at this link, if you’d like to get a copy.

Many thanks and Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

From Pistachio Lamb Kebabs to Baklava; Our Turkish Feast in Austin, Texas

By Ozlem Warren on August 4, 2013 in Appetizers and Mezes, Roasts and Kebaps, Turkish Cooking Classes 22

Greetings from Austin, Texas!

Getting the eggplants for our Turkish cooking class at Central Market – Austin; love the fresh produce there.

We had a delightful and full class of Turkish food lovers at my Turkish cooking class at the Central Market Cooking School, Austin, Texas. It was a very special time to reconnect with dear foodies who used to come to my classes there, as well as meeting new Turkish food lovers, I am grateful to be able to return to this wonderful cooking school and their company.

CM Chef Cindy and others kindly helped feed 40 Turkish food lovers at the class

We had 40 -full class!- Turkish food lovers at the class and a small army of CM Chefs; Cindy, Giovanni and Kelly helped us get the our Turkish feast ready.

Talking about dried eggplants; we use them a lot especially in Southern Turkish cuisine

Turkish Cuisine is based on seasonality and we use a lot of fresh, seasonal produce. When a vegetable or fruit is not in season (like peppers, aubergines, okra etc) we dry them to use when they are not in season. Here we have been talking about dried eggplants and different recipes to use them in (stuffed dried eggplants are especially delicious).

Talking about Turkish culinary history and regional cuisines in Turkey during our class

Turks were Nomads who used to live a tribal life in Central Asia prior settling in today’s Turkey, and in those days, their diet was based on meat and dairy. Many folks found learning about the Turkish culinary history quite fascinating.

Here I would like to share our menu at my Turkish Cookery Class with Central Market, showcasing flavorful Southern Turkish Cuisine. All these recipes are designed for you to be able to recreate easily at your home. I hope you can get to try and enjoy them :

Walnut, Olive Oil and Red Pepper Paste Dip; Cevizli Biber

Cevizli Biber; Walnut and red pepper paste dip with olive oil.

This is one of my favorite mezes of all time; it is very easy to make and very, very more-ish, you just can’t stop eating them. It is one of my mother’s recipes from her historic hometown Antakya (Antioch) and whenever I make it, I feel like I am home.

Prerparing the Walnut & Red Pepper Paste dip, Cevizli Biber, for the Class

Tahini bread or pita bread would go really well with this delicious dip/spread. You can keep the dip covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. Middle Eastern stores or specialty stores usually carry the red pepper paste, so as Turkish online supermarket, Tulumba.com in the US. If you like to make your own hot red pepper paste, here is my recipe. Click here for the Walnut and red pepper paste with olive oil dip recipe.

Smoked eggplant salad with garlic yoghurt and mint – Patlicanli Yogurtlama

Smoked eggplant salad with garlic yoghurt and dried mint; Patlicanli Yogurtlama

This is a lovely refreshing smoked eggplant salad again from southern Turkey, Antakya, this time with garlic yoghurt and mint. It goes very well with grilled meats, or just with some nice crusty bread as an appetizer. This salad or mezze is perfect for hot summer days and can be kept in fridge for a couple of days. Here is the smoked eggplant with garlic and yoghurt recipe.

Lamb Kebabs with Pistachios on Flat Bread in Cherry & Tomato Sauce

Pistachio lamb kebabs in cherry & tomato sauce; delicious treats for all

Making the pistachio lamb kebabs with CM Chef Giovanni at Central Market Cooking School in Austin

These pistachio lamb kebabs in cherry and tomato sauce are easy to recreate in your home, delicious and look impressive. Children love them as well as the adults, so they are great for entertaining. Having pistachio nuts in kebabs is a Southern Turkish specialty; I love the rich nutty flavor the pistachios add to the kebabs. They kebabs are wonderful when chargrilled in summer time, but equally delicious grilled or baked in the oven. With flat breads as the base and roasted vegetables by the side, this succulent kebab is a real crowd pleaser, and can make any day special. Here is my recipe for the pistachio lamb kebabs.

Baklava with Pistachios and Walnuts – Fistikli ve Cevizli Baklava

Home made baklava with walnuts and pistachios

An Ottoman legacy, baklava is one of the greatest creations from the pastry chefs at the Topkapi Palace. Generally, baklava is enjoyed as a mid-morning sweet snack with a cup of Turkish coffee, or as a mid-afternoon treat with a glass of tea or after lunch or dinner. There is no bad time for a good piece of baklava! The real thing shouldn’t be very sweet and heavy; on the contrary it should be light enough to tempt you to eat a small plateful. Making baklava at home is surprisingly easier than you think; and I like the fact that you can adjust the sweetness of the syrup to your taste. Here is my baklava recipe, if you’d like to have a go.

Deliciously Frothy Turkish Coffee,Turk Kahvesi – More Than a Drink

Delicious frothy, aromatic Turkish Coffee, Turk Kahvesi

Making Turkish coffee for 40 participants at the class; we had a small production line!:)

Have you ever tried the deliciously frothy Turkish coffee? It is one of the most popular traditional drinks at home in Turkey and I love the whole ritual, the experience of it. In Turkish, we have a saying “Bir fincan kahvenin kirk yil hatiri vardir” which means “The memory of a good cup of Turkish coffee lasts 40 years”. Turkish coffee is a drink of friendship; you are offered this traditional, aromatic drink wherever you go in Turkey; when visiting friends and family, in the shops, while waiting in the bank, in hairdressers.. We take time to pause and enjoy this special drink with a friend or family or sometimes simply reflect with every precious sip. A glass of water and Turkish Delights by the side complete the Turkish coffee ritual. Here is step by step instructions for how to make Turkish coffee at home.

As always, it is the people what makes a place special. I was very grateful to have the company of dear friends, Turkish food lovers and enthusiasts at the class. Thank you all for your company and making me feel at home!

I hope these recipes and photos may inspire to have a go and try these delicious, easy recipes. Let me know if you have any questions, it is always good to hear from you and I would be delighted to help out.

Afiyet Olsun!

Ozlem