Ozlem’s Turkish Table | Page 33 | Turkish CuisineOzlem's Turkish Table

Watermelon and White Cheese (Feta) Salad; Karpuz, Peynir, Ekmek

By Ozlem Warren on July 26, 2015 in Appetizers and Mezes, Salads, Turkish Breakfast 12

Watermelon and Turkish white cheese (or feta) Salad; Karpuz, peynir, ekmek

Watermelon, or karpuz, as we call it in Turkish, is a much loved summer fruit and my daughter’s favorite. I remember as a child, cooling the watermelon at my grandmother’s little fountain in her courtyard in Antakya (and we children dipping in and out of the fountain to cool down, along with the watermelon). We would eagerly wait for our cool slice of watermelon, and that heavenly very first bite into the sweet, refreshing fruit – happy days.

This is a typical, refreshing and delicious salad we Turks love. A very simple one too, with only watermelon, Turkish beyaz peynir, white cheese (or feta cheese) and a few fresh mint leaves in it. Ripe, juicy and sweet watermelon doesn’t really require any other dressing in this salad and complement the mildly salty white cheese or feta cheese very well. We love this salad as part of our summer Turkish breakfast, for lunch or as a side to grills. With fresh Pide bread, ekmek by the side, this watermelon and feta salad is one of the highlights of summer for me.

Beautiful flowers in Bodrum, Turkey

I am passionate about healthy, delicious Turkish cuisine; over 90 authentic Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed copies now 30 % off for a limited time here and delivered worldwide including the US.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 1 reviews

Watermelon and White Cheese (Feta) Salad; Karpuz, Peynir, Ekmek

Watermelon, karpuz is a much loved summer fruit in Turkey and this watermelon and feta salad is one of the highlights of summer for me. Ripe, juicy and sweet watermelon doesn’t really require any other dressing in this salad and complement the mildly salty white cheese or feta cheese very well. We love this salad as part of our summer Turkish breakfast, for lunch or as a side to the grills.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Healthy Turkish Salads

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 slices of medium, ripe and cool watermelon
200 gr / 7 oz. Turkish white cheese, beyaz peynir or feta cheese
Fresh mint leaves to decorate

Instructions

Keep the watermelon in the fridge for 2 hours to cool, prior to cutting.
Slice the watermelon and cut the skin. Take out the large seeds in the watermelon (smaller seeds don’t bother us and we leave, you can take them out if you prefer).
Cut the watermelon into about 1 in (2,5 cm) cubes or small wedges. Place the watermelon in a serving plate.
Drain the juice of the Turkish white cheese or feta cheese and cut into small cubes (again about 1 in/ 2,5 cm).
Gently toss the feta cheese and watermelon in the serving plate and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Serve immediately with fresh Pide bread or pita bread slices by the side. This refreshing salad is delicious as part of Turkish style breakfast or lunch. You can also serve watermelon and feta salad with grilled fish, meat and vegetables.

Sekerpare; Tender and Moist Turkish Semolina Cookies in Syrup

By Ozlem Warren on July 13, 2015 in Cakes and Desserts 25

Sekerpare; tender and moist Turkish semolina cookies in syrup

Sekerpare is a much loved Turkish dessert, made in Turkish homes and a huge favorite of my dear brother-in-law, Mehmet. You can also find Sekerpare in bakeries and patisseries, pastane as we call it, all around in Turkey. Semolina based national favorite Sekerpare would always appear at my mother’s tea time spread, during celebrations with family and friends, as well as at religious festivities as when marking the end of Ramadan.

Sekerpare means “a piece of sweet” in Old Turkish and I love the crumbly, lighter texture semolina brings to Sekerpare, it simply melts in your mouth. My version is a little lighter and less sweet, fragrant with lemon juice and lemon zest.

Make sure to leave enough space between each sekerpare on the baking tray, as they expand during baking.

A few tips for a successful Sekerpare: 1) Make sure to leave enough space between each sekerpare on the baking tray, as they expand during baking. 2) First make the syrup, as it needs to cool down. Pour the cooled syrup over hot Sekerpare and let the Sekerpare cookies absorb the syrup as they cool. Once all the syrup absorbed, Sekerpare will be soft and tender enough to eat with a fork.

Pour the cooled syrup over hot Sekerpare and let the Sekerpare cookies absorb the syrup as they cool.

We enjoy Sekerpare with Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, cay for a tea time treat or as a dessert after meal. I hope you can have a go at this delicious and easy to make treat.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Adapted from Adventures in Turkish Cooking, Anatolia Cookery Book

5.0 from 6 reviews

Sekerpare; Tender and Moist Turkish Semolina Cookies in Syrup

Sekerpare is a much loved Turkish dessert, made in Turkish homes. Sekerpare means “a piece of sweet” in Old Turkish and I love the crumbly, lighter texture semolina brings to Sekerpare, it simply melts in your mouth. My version is a little lighter and less sweet, fragrant with lemon juice and lemon zest. We enjoy Sekerpare with Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, cay for a tea time treat or as a dessert after meal; hope you can give it a go and enjoy too.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Semolina based Turkish Desserts

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 20 pieces

Ingredients

Zest of 1 small lemon
115 gr/ 4 oz. / ½ cup sugar
125 gr/ 4 ½ oz. unsalted butter
300 gr/ 10 ½ oz. /2 cups plain (all – purpose flour)
95 gr / 3 ¼ oz. / ½ cup fine grained semolina
2 eggs
15 ml/ 1 tbsp. baking powder
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. light olive oil (and a little extra to grease the baking tray)
20 blanched almonds or hazelnuts
Small bowl of cold water (to help shape the sekerpare cookies)
For the syrup:
Juice of 1 small lemon
345 gr/ 12 oz. /1 ½ cup sugar
480 ml/ 16 fl. oz. / 2 cups water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ Gas mark 4
First make the syrup. Grate the lemon zest into a bowl and set aside for the dough.
Squeeze the lemon juice into a cup.
Combine the 345 gr/ 12 oz. /1 ½ cup sugar and 480 ml/ 16 fl. oz. / 2 cups water in a heavy sauce pan over the medium heat and bring to the boil. Stir and let the sugar dissolve.
Add the lemon juice, reduce the heat and simmer for a further 15 minutes for the syrup to thicken slightly. Turn the heat off and set the syrup aside to cool.
Now, let’s make the dough. Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat (or cut in small chunks and melt in microwave for 30 – 40 seconds, mixing half way).
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the semolina. Make a well in the middle and pour in the butter. Stir in the 2 eggs, 115 gr/ 4 oz./ ½ cup sugar, lemon zest, 2 tbsp. light olive oil and the baking powder.
Knead for 5 minutes, until you achieve a soft, moist dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
Have a small bowl of cold water nearby. Knead the dough again for 5 minutes. Then wet your hands lightly with cold water and divide the dough and shape into twenty ping pong sized balls.
Grease a baking tray with a little of light olive oil (about 1 tbsp.) and place the sekerpare dough balls side by side, making sure you leave extra space between them to expand. Gently press down on top of each ball to flatten slightly.
Push an almond or hazelnut in the center of each sekerpare ball.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until they start to turn light brown.
Remove the sekerpare from the oven and pour cooled syrup over hot sekerpare cookies. Leave to cool and let the sekerpare cookies absorb the syrup for 15 minutes; they will get soft and tender.
Serve cooled sekerpare with Turkish tea or coffee. You can keep sekerpare cookies covered in a container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Notes

Magical Istanbul and Cappadocia Tour, October 25-30th; Special Offer

By Ozlem Warren on June 15, 2015 in Fascinating Istanbul, Fascinating Turkey 4

Fascinating Turkey; Magical Istanbul and Captivating Cappadocia, Land of Fairy Chimneys, Tour Brochure
Sunday October 25th through Friday October 30st, 2015 – SPECIAL OFFER!

“We feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to see Istanbul and Turkey with you. You made it a uniquely personal and an unforgettable experience.”

The Spice Market, Misir Carsisi, Istanbl - feast to all senses.

The Spice Market, Misir Carsisi, Istanbul – feast to all senses.

Please join us at our tailor made tour to explore my homeland, fascinating Turkey together. I am delighted to host this exciting tour, covering off the beaten track sights, experiencing foodie heaven markets in Istanbul, private boat tour along the Bosphorus, Whirling dervish shows, exploring old and new parts of Istanbul to give you a real feel of this fascinating city. And food, the glorious Turkish food; starting from my favorite meal of the day Turkish breakfast, every meal will be authentic and memorable. You will also enjoy and discover authentic Turkish cuisine with our Turkish cookery classes and learn how to make this wonderful cuisine. Cappadocia Region, the land of fairy chimneys will be a special highlight. Exploring Goreme Underground City, optional hot air balloon tour over the fairy chimneys, visiting a local Turkish Ceramic Art Shop to learn how the world famous tiles and ceramics made and watch masters working, visiting traditional Cappadocian home to experience local cuisine and many more – all to look forward to. We will be staying at charming, boutique hotels with warm Turkish hospitality for 5 nights.

Special Offer: 1,850 USD or 1,200 GBP (per person sharing in double room)

Single Supplement: 410 USD or 265 GBP

Fascinating Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Tour Includes:
Accommodation (bed and breakfast) for 5 nights in boutique hotels, All museum entrances,
All internal flights in Turkey, VIP minibus ground transportation for 16 people, Welcome dinner and Farewell Dinner, 2 Turkish cookery classes, learning 2 different regional cuisines (Istanbul and Cappadocia for Anatolian cuisine), All airport transfers, All guide services, Private Bosphorus boat tour in Istanbul and cocktails.

Not included in the tour:
Your international return flight to Istanbul and Visa (if needed), personal expenses, extra drinks and mini bar at the hotels, drinks at meals. Single supplement if requested. Whirling dervish show and Turkish folk night, optional air balloon in Cappadocia, lunches and 2 dinners in Cappadocia. Gratuities for our guide and driver would also be most appreciated.

Turkish Breakfast, delicious, healthy; a feast to all senses

Turkish Breakfast, delicious, healthy, irresistable; a feast to all senses

We will be enjoying the famous Turkish hospitality and learning how to make the delicious Turkish cuisine

This bespoke culinary and cultural tour to Turkey is limited to 12 participants only and early booking is essential to guarantee spaces and availability for the desired hotels and internal flights. If you would like to join us to explore this fascinating land from a local’s perspective, please Contact me and kindly fill in the Fascinating Turkey 2015; Registration Form. I would also very much appreciate if you can kindly share this brochure with your family or friends that could be interested – this trip could be a wonderful, memorable present to someone, a trip of a lifetime.

Topkapi Palace by the Bosphorus, Istanbul

The delightful Bosphorus Boat tour is amongst the highlights of the 2015 Fascinating Turkey Tour.

Fascinating Turkey 2015; Culinary & Cultural Tour Brochure; October 25th – October 30st, 2015

ITINERARY

October 25th, Sunday: Arrival to Istanbul Ataturk International Airport (your arrival time is important to shape the activities of that day), transfer from the airport and check in to our charming Hotel Armada at the heart of Old Istanbul, Sultanahmet. Orientation tour in Sultanahmet, Old Istanbul. You may like to indulge in the famous Turkish Bath at the superb Kilic Ali Pasa Hamami. Private boat cruise along the Bosphorus to enjoy the beauty of Istanbul stretching to two continents. Welcome Dinner at the atmospheric Armada Hotel Terrace to enjoy delicious Turkish mezzes and kebabs overlooking the beautiful Old Istanbul and the Sea of Marmara.

October 26th, Monday: Leave hotel at 9 am after our delicious Turkish style breakfast and start exploring the fascinating Istanbul. We visit the Blue Mosque, famous for its turquoise Iznik tiles and frescoes. We will then continue to the breathtaking Hagia Sophia, a pioneer of architecture and the largest church in the world prior to St. Peter’s in Rome. After visiting the atmospheric Basilica Cistern, we will head to Nakkas Textile & Rugs to see their extensive collections on beautiful Turkish rugs (and experience how world famous Turkish carpets are made, while having lunch), tile, ceramics, print & calligraphy collection. Next stop is the magnificent Spice Market, to learn about and stock up on spices, Turkish delight, Turkish coffee and more. After all that festivity, we will take you to the New Town, Galata, Pera and Beyoglu area to introduce a different, another vibrant part of the city with its markets, passages, shops, mosques and sights. In the evening at 6.30 pm, we have a hands on Turkish cookery class where we learn to cook a delicious 4 course Turkish meal together and enjoy at the end.

October 27th, Tuesday: Check out from Hotel Armada and transfer to the airport to fly to Kayseri, Cappadocia region, land of fairy chimneys. Check in to our charming, beautifully decorated Peri Masali Cave Hotel with its rooms craved through hundreds of years and delicately restored with stones. Orientation tour and lunch to follow. Then visit to Goreme Underground City and Goreme Open Air Museum. Dine at local restaurant and learn about local regional cuisine during our meal.

October 28th, Wednesday: Scrumptious Turkish breakfast at our hotel to enjoy regional delicacies. Optional hot air balloon tour in the early morning, starting at 5 am (extra). At 9.30am visit a local Turkish Ceramic Art Shop to learn how the world famous tiles and ceramics made and watch masters working. Then we will visit a traditional Cappadocian home and will be treated to a special local Turkish cookery class by the village ladies who will teach the local cuisine of Cappadocia as well as other delicacies. Our day will end around 4 pm, giving you a chance to rest in your hotel or enjoy a Turkish Bath. Evening dinner with optional special Turkish Night to enjoy Folkloric Dances from various regions and live music with refreshments.

October 29th, Thursday: Early morning check out and transfer to the airport to fly to Istanbul and check in to Hotel Armada. Free time; perhaps a visit to Grand Bazaar for last minute souvenirs, we will gladly accompany you for this trip. As an alternative, visit the foodie heaven Kadikoy Market in the Asian side and lunch at Ciya Restaurant, famous with fine example of regional Turkish cuisine. Farewell Dinner at the Khorosani Restaurant.

October 30th, Friday: Check out from our hotel and transfer to the Ataturk International Airport for the return flight.

I have been organizing and hosting bespoke Culinary and Cultural Tours to Turkey for 8 years, aiming to show my homeland from a local’s perspective. This is the land I belong and love; a special land packed with history, traditions, beautiful landscape, fabulous Turkish food and wonderful, friendly locals. I would be delighted to explore my homeland with you and show this amazing country from a local’s perspective.

Stunning fairy chimneys at Cappadocia, over the hot air baloon; photo credit National Geographic

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I look forward to hearing from you and hope to have a chance to explore my homeland together.

My best wishes for happy travels to you all, Iyi Yolculuklar,

Ozlem