Customer Reviews

A Taste of Turkish Cuisine

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book was a disappointment from start to finish. Written by a non-professional (the author is the wife of a senior Turkish diplomat as is repeatedly impressed upon the reader and furthermore needed the assistance of a co-author to get the project completed), what we have here is more a vanity publication than anything else. The recipes show a lack of feeling of genuineness and demonstrate unpleasant presumption and lack of respect both for the cuisine and for the reader. Killer example: in the explanation of terms, tahini is explained and then the suggestion made that a cup of tahini may be replaced by 2/3 cup of peanut butter mixed with 1/3 cup of oil. This revolting (and culturally and ethnically wrong) advice sets the tone for this sad excuse for a cookery book. My recommendation for the real thing: get The Sultan's Kitchen by Ozcan Ozan, a professional restaurateur.

My family is Turkish and many of the foods found in Turkish cookbooks are disappointing because of their misinterpretation of the countries cooking. This cookbook has real Turkish recipes, with proper use of ingredients such as the spices, nuts, and oils. It's easy to follow and dishes turned out very much like my mum's, even on the very first try. Highly recommended for even the amateur chef.

A huge disappointment. The recipes contain virtually no spices, and herbs are only occasionally used, and then only as a garnish. I have traveled in Turkey and loved the food, and I find it hard to believe that a cuisine so varied and interesting on the ground can be reduced to such consummately boring recipes. An example: the recipe for Lamb Shanks And Rice a la Ankara calls for lamb, rice, butter, salt and black pepper. That's it. Guess they don't have seasonings in Ankara. Or the rest of Turkey....

Nur Ilkin (native born Turkey who learned the secrets of Turkish cooking from her grandmother) and Sheilah Kauman (traveling cooking instructor, food writer, lecturer, and author of 24 cookbooks) effectively collaborate to create a memorable cornucopia of traditional ethnic recipes in A Taste Of Turkish Cuisine. From Zeytinyagli Yer Elmasi (Jerusalem Artichokes with Vegetables); Sarmisakli Cevizli Yogurt (Yogurt Spread/Dip with Garlic, Dill, and Walnuts); and Zebzeli Tavuklu Pilav (Chicken, Green Beans, and Rice with Saffron); to Etli Yaprak Dolma (Grape Leaves Stuffed with Meat and Rice); Patlicanli Pilav (Eggplant with Rice); Zeytinyagli Bakla (Fresh Fava Beans in Olive Oil); and Su Muhallebisi (Mastic Pudding in Rose Syrup), A Taste Of Turkey is an impressive and very strongly recommended addition to any personal or professional ethnic cookbook collection!

This is a great cookbook. My family has lived in Turkey and can atest to the fact that the recipes are very authentic and explained very well for non-turkish readers.

there are a few typos and such in it.