The Turkish Cookbook: Exploring the Food of a Timeless Cuisine - Hardcover

by Ghillie Basan (Author)

"Greet a Turk and you will eat. Whether you are in the busy streets of Istanbul, in a small village in Anatolia, on the slopes above Bursa, or in a resort in the Mediterranean, the enticing aroma of grilling, baking, and spices fills the air - warm bread rings covered in sesame seeds; deep-fried mussels with a garlicky sauce; roasted chestnuts, almonds and pistachio nuts; savory pastries filled with melting cheese; lamb roasting on a spit; eggplants smoking over charcoal; and the scent of fresh peaches. You can try Ottoman puddings in Istanbul; juicy apricots stuffed with rice in Cappadocia; anchovy pilaf along the Black Sea coast; fiery kebabs served on a sword in Adana; and the hallucinogenic honey of Kars in eastern Anatolia. The Turks are passionate about their cuisine. It gives them pleasure to share it with you and it is their generous hospitality that draws me to the country again and again." This glorious volume by award-winning author and cook Ghillie Basan looks in detail at the culinary history and geography, the customs and festivities, as well as the local ingredients, and presents a tantalizing selection of classic regional recipes.

Author Biography

Writer, broadcaster, and food anthropologist, Ghillie Basan has worked in different parts of the world as an English teacher, ski instructor, cookery writer, restaurant critic and journalist. With a degree in Social Anthropology and a Cordon Bleu Diploma, her interest in different culinary cultures has culminated in many books, some of which were nominated for the Glenfiddich, Guild of Food Writers, and the Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards. Her cookbooks have also appeared regularly in the 'Best of the Best' and 'Top 50' lists; and she was described by Clarissa Dickson-Wright as one of the 'finest writers on Middle Eastern food'. Her food and travel articles have appeared in the Sunday Times, Sunday Herald, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Tribune, Press & Journal, BBC Good Food Magazine, Diet & Nutrition USA, and various Middle Eastern and internet magazines, and she is one of the presenters on BBC Radio Scotland's Kitchen Café.