I am delighted to share with great pleasure and honor that Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book has been awarded as the Winner of the prestigious Gourmand World Cookery Book Award, in the Food Heritage Category for Turkey! The Gourmand Awards are often compared by journalists to the “Oscars” and we are absolutely delighted; this prestigious award will help spreading the word on delicious, wholesome Turkish cuisine with a rich culinary heritage and more exciting events on the way! My very sincere thanks to all of you dear readers for your support for this special book, as well as to my publisher GB Publishing and Pinar UK for all their valuable support. Ozlem’s Turkish Table now qualify to compete for Best in the World 2020 in Food Heritage category.
Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table now 20 % off for the festive season!
Delighted to let you know that the hardback signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table now 20 % off via GB Publishing at this link and delivered worldwide incl USA, also available in kindle and other formats here. I can make a lovely gift to a foodie.
What I have been up to …
Teaching at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Cookery School, Boston MA was a special highlight
It’s been a very special few months, teaching Turkish cookery at the Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Cookery School in Boston, in Fethiye, Kalkan – Turkey, Divertimenti Cookery School – London and in Surrey, UK.
I did two days of full master classes at the Milk Street and they have been very special – folks flown in from California, Seattle, North Caroline, Virgina for these classes, so very humbled and greatly enjoyed teaching and meeting everyone – my very sincere thanks to all.
Ozlem’s Turkish Table Cookery classes in Kalkan and Fethiye – Turkey
Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery demo and Turkish lunch at Villa Cennet Bahcesi, Kalkan
Teaching at Guru’s Place Cookery School, Kalkan – a lot of fun!
Always a pleasure to teach at Yakamoz Hotel – Fethiye
Enjoying our cookery class creations al fresco at Yakamoz Hotel, Oludeniz
As always, greatly enjoyed teaching Turkish cookery in Fethiye and Kalkan in October. Thank you very much to Fethiye Times, dear Lyn Ward for all your help for organising Fethiye and Kalkan classes and huge thanks to Yakamoz Hotel Oludeniz, Villa Cennet Bahcesi, Kalkan and Guru’s Place Kalkan Cookery School for having me and all the lovely folks joined us – greatly look forward to more classes together in 2020. We are working on my 2020 teaching schedule in Kalkan and Fethiye so stay tuned!
From our road trip at beautiful Kalkan with dear Lyn, from Fethiye Times
Festive Turkish meal ideas ..
Spicy bulgur and lentil soup, Ezo Gelin Corbasi
Spicy bulgur and lentil soup, Ezo Gelin Corbasi
With the festive season upon us, I love gathering with friends and family and sharing a bite and catch up. As it is a busy time of the year, it is worth thinking about what you will be serving and do some cooking ahead of time. Thankfully, Turkish food is great with ahead of time cooking and freezes well. For instance this delicious and wholesome Spicy bulgur and lentil soup, Ezo Gelin Corba (at page 47 from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book); it is a meal itself for me especially for lunch and freezes so well. If you like to make it gluten-free, you can use quinoa instead of bulgur in the soup, as I have done here
Baked aubergine/eggplant kebab with yoghurt and spices – Patlicanli Kebap
This is a lovely, all in one tray home style kebab that you can prepare ahead of time and freeze for your guests. Aubergines/eggplants are double baked here, which intensify their flavour – it is so worth marinating the chicken in yoghurt and spices; it tenderises the chicken and add a lot of flavour. Here is my recipe link (also at page 201 at Ozlem’s Turkish Table)
Aubergine, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil – Mercimekli Mualla
Aubergines, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil, Mercimekli Mualla, from , Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland
One of my all time vegetarian dishes cooked in olive oil, Zeytinyaglis from my home town Antakya, from my mother’s table; this dish can make a lovely main course for your vegetarian and vegan guests, also gluten-free. It tastes even better the next day so you can easily prepare ahead of time. Dried mint is the star spice here and works so well with green lentils and aubergine, so good. Here’s my recipe link – this lovely dish is also at Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, page 151.
Leeks cooked in olive oil with vegetables – Zeytinyagli Pirasa
Leeks are native to Anatolia and this is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy leeks. It is traditionally served cold or at room temperature, with wedges of lemon aside; it makes a wonderful side dish keeps in fridge well for 2-3 days. Here’s my recipe link, also at page 159 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table.
Rice pilaf with pine nuts, cinnamon, dill and currants
This sophisticated rice pilaf dates back to the Ottoman Palace kitchens and is packed with flavour. I love the different textures and flavours this rice showcases with currants, pine nuts, fresh herbs and warm spices like cinnamon. You can add lamb’s liver as in my recipe at page 225 at Ozlem’s Turkish Table, or opt out and keep it vegetarian, as we did at my recent Supper club at Aromas, Weybridge. It is certainly festive and a big hit with our guests. You can serve it with refreshing Shepherd’s Salad with cucumber, pepper and tomato with a touch a sumac.
Spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses – Kisir
Our welcome salad in Antakya, Spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses, Kisir, always features in our festive table. I love this wholesome salad – it is a bowl of health and so entertaining friendly, as it tastes even better the next day, great for prepping ahead of time. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over for a festive decoration. Here’s my recipe link, also at page 81 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table.
Antakya style flat breads with crumbly cokelek or feta, za’atar and red pepper paste – Biberli Ekmek
Our savoury flat breads are easy to make and complement soups, mains, side dishes beautifully. This delicious flat bread with za’atar topping, Biberli Ekmek, is a specialty from my home town Antakya and always bring back fond memories. It is fantastic to bake ahead of time and freeze. You can then reheat at 180C/350F for 5-8 minutes, ready for your guests. Here’s my recipe link, also at page 137 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table.
Baked Candied Pumpkin dessert with walnuts – Kabak Tatlisi
Candied pumpkin dessert with walnuts and clotted cream; Kabak Tatlisi
I love the fruity desserts in Turkish cuisine – they are delicious, light and easy to prepare, as in this seasonal Candied Pumpkin dessert with walnuts. Baked in its own juice with sugar, this light but full flavoured pumpkin dessert is best served with crushed walnuts and kaymak, our Turkish thick cream made from water buffalo milk. If you can’t find kaymak, regular clotted cream would work well too. You can prepare this delicious dessert 2-3 days ahead of time. Here’s my recipe link, also at Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, page 275.
I hope you enjoy the festive Turkish food ideas here and they inspire – there is also a whole chapter of Suggested Menus at page 291 at Ozlem’s Turkish Table May you have a wonderful festive season, in good health, happiness, with friends and family.
Upcoming Events
Ozlem’s Turkish Table Vegetarian Feast and Cookery Demonstration at
Oso Art Centre, Barnes
Thursday January 23rd from 7.30 pm
Please join us at the Oso Art Centre in Barnes on Thursday, January 23rd 2020 from 7.30pm, as Ozlem Warren will serve a feast of vegetarian Turkish dishes from her award winning cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table and demonstrate how to make the popular Spicy Bulgur Wheat Salad with pomegranate molasses, Kisir and Traybake filo pastry with cheese and spinach. Ozlem will also give tips on how to make the below vegetarian dishes she will be serving.
We will be serving Spicy bulgur and lentil soup with dried mint and Aleppo pepper, Hummus with cumin and red pepper flakes, Aubergine and lentils cooked in olive oil, Baked potato, olives, red pepper and onions with cumin, Baked cauliflower with cheese, spring onion and herbs, Spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses, Traybake filo pastry with cheese and spinach, Zesty semolina sponge cake, Revani.
Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book will be available to buy at the evening (25 GBP per copy). We will also run a raffle amongst the guests at the evening and one lucky winner will get a signed copy of Ozlem’s Turkish Table!
Tickets can be purchased at this link and it can make a lovely festive gift to a foodie!
Friday, February 28th, 7.30pm – Turkish Vegetarian Feast Supper Club and Cookery Workshop at Aromas
Weybridge, Surrey
Kick start the new year to learn a new skill, making savoury filo pie with a variety of fillings, at our Turkish Vegetarian Feast Supper Club and Workshop at Aromas, Weybridge on Friday, Feb 28th evening from 7.30 pm We will serve you some scrumptious healthy Turkish and Mediterranean vegetarian dishes as below, and moreover, you will get to make a vegetarian savory filo pie, our Turkish borek, at our workshop and you will take your pie/borek back home. We believe healthy food can also be very delicious and we will show you how – new inspirations in the new year, healthy food made easy!We will serve delicious vegetarian courses and Ozlem will give you tips on how to make them.
Savory filo pie/borek with vegetarian fillings workshop during the night!:
And during the night, at our workshop, you will also get to make your savory filo pie with a variety of fillings to choose – you will get to take your savoury pie / borek back home!This exciting event is likely to sell out to please book your spot soon at this link soon!It can also make a lovely present for a foodie for the festive season (gift certificates available).We look forward to welcoming you at Aromas on February 28th at our exciting event!
My very best wishes to you all for the festive season; and my sincere thanks for all your support and kind words for Ozlem’s Turkish Table – 65 – 5 star reviews on Amazon UK – ; it gives me so much happiness hearing you enjoy my recipes and it helps you to connect to this special land and remember, recreate fond memories.
Afiyet Olsun,
Ozlem
