Classical Turkish Cooking

Turkish food is one of the world’s great cuisines. Its taste and depth place it with French and Chinese; its simplicity and healthfulness rank it number one. Turkish-born Ayla Algar offers 175 recipes for this vibrant and tasty food, presented against the rich and fascinating backdrop of Turkish history and culture. Tempting recipes for kebabs, pilafs, meze (appetizers), dolmas (those delicious stuffed vegetables or vine leaves), soups, fish, manti and other pasta dishes, lamb, poultry, yogurt, bread, and traditional sweets such as baklava are introduced here to American cooks in accessible form. With its emphasis on grains, vegetables, fruits, olive oil, and other healthful foods, Turkish cooking puts a new spin on familiar ingredients and offers culinary adventure coupled with satisfying and delicious meals.

Author Biography

Ayla Algar, the Mellon Lecturer in Turkish at the University of California, Berkeley, was born and raised in Turkey and visits there often. She has written for the San Francisco Chronicle and is the author of The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking, published in England. Her academic background and her lively and articulate interest in the culinary arts of her native land make her extraordinarily well qualified to write on this venerable and delicious cuisine.