About

I am a Turkish food enthusiast. I was born and raised in Turkey, and now I’m living in the States, in Bloomington IN; Athens, GA; Palo Alto, CA.

Almost Turkish Recipes started out as a way of writing down my Turkish recipes for my friends Jen and Nolan, because they were moving away. Although I didn’t like the idea of measuring everything while cooking, soon it became quite a therapeutic habit, ‘thanks’ to my Ph.D. qualifying exams. Fortunately, the qualifying exams and the dissertation are both a thing of the past now. However, I still find measuring/writing down recipes and photographing them immensely relaxing. It has also been very humbling and gratifying to hear from many users of this blog that the recipes are actually helpful. 

On this site you will find almost and traditionally Turkish recipes, recipes that I grew up with, that my mom, my aunties, my friends, my friends' moms, friends of my mom and aunties have been making and sharing for years. You will also find recipes that were inspired by Turkish cuisine. If it’s an almost Turkish recipe, you will find the instruction in the post on how to make it a traditional one, or if it's an inspired recipe I will be telling you in what ways.

All recipes on Almost Turkish Recipes are prepared, cooked, tasted, and photographed by me, unless stated otherwise.

For questions, comments, criticism, and recipe requests leave a comment or e-mail me at

almostturkish(at)gmail(dot)com

Burcu

48 comments:

William said...

Hi! I am just back from 2 weeks in Turkey, staying with Turkish friends and I fell in love with the cuisine! I googled purslane, after having it served several times with yogurt. It is a plant I have long considered a weed in my garden. Do you know if the US weedy variety is just as edible? I think what is eaten in Turkey is cultivated, no? Thanks, Lynn & Bill

8:27 AM 

Burcu said...

Hi Lynn & Bill, You are right, that purslane at the pazar in Turkey is cultivated, however, not everyone buys purslane fromm the pazar because it grows in your yard. I don't have purslane growing wild in my yard (I wish I had!); I buy purslane from a Mexican market: They call it 'verdolaga.' But I know wild purslane is edible. So if you have some in your yard, enjoy it.

8:41 AM 

marisa said...

Hi Burcu, I have a general question for you. I have been following your blog for several months to try some Turkish dishes before moving to Turkey for graduate school. Now I'm here in Istanbul and went to the grocery store today. Do you know what extra virgin olive oil is sold as in Turkey? I only saw "sizma" and "riviera" olive oil - it looked like the former was from green olives and the latter from black olives. Thanks! I look forward to trying your recipes in Turkey now!

2:30 PM 

Burcu said...

Hi Marissa, Extra virgin is `sizma` in Turkish. `sizma` (which has low acidity) is usually used raw for salads and mezes, and `riviera` (with higher acidity) is used in cooking. Good luck both in grad school and in Turkey.

2:43 PM 

_ts of [eatingclub] vancouver said...

I just discovered your blog. Wow, everything looks so tasty! I've already bookmarked at least 6 recipes, and I haven't even gone through most of them yet!

11:59 PM 

StellaR said...

I'm a Turkish food enthusiast, born and raised in Turkey, now live in the States, and my name is Burcu as well! I love your recipes, and how they're mainly light, healthy and vegetarian friendly. I'm a big fan of zucchini and you have a lot of delicious zucchini recipes that I have in my bookmarks. Thank you so much for making this blog! Cheers!

9:28 AM 

aliuser@msn.com said...

Burcu, siten super olmus, sadece birseyi merak ettim, niye almost turkish? :D

7:20 AM 

Burcu said...

Thanks, Burcu! alıuser - Siteyi begenmene sevindim. Tariflerin hemen hemen Turk olmasi, Amerika'da bulabileceğin malzemelerle %100 Turk tarifi yaratmanın zorlugundan.

2:41 PM 

Zedral Z said...

I'm so happy to have found your blog. I'm from the US but currently living in Istanbul and teaching at a university here. I'd never really experienced Turkish food before coming here, but now I am in love with it. Thanks so much for sharing such great recipes with us!

4:16 PM 

Nancy said...

Hi Burcu, I can't even remeber how i stumbled across your site, but I am soooo glad I did. I love good food from all around the world. I think the reason why i love Turkish food so much is because my great-grandfather was Turkish and my mothers food has been influenced greatly by Turkish cuisine. And, also because it just taste so good lol. I have been refering to your site almost daily and trying new things, everything has turned out lovely. Thank you so much for the effort it is greatly appreciated. When i was in turkey i had a dish that i loved but haven't tried it out yet..it was called 'hunker begendi' do you have a recipe for it? thanks so much once again burcu :)

1:44 PM 

Burcu said...

Thanks, Nancy. And actually I do have a begendi recipe. I made it a couple of weeks ago with eggplants from farmer's market, but haven't posted yet. I promise I'll post it sometime next week.

5:21 PM 

Nancy said...

oooh yay! can't wait to try it out. thank you soo much.

2:25 AM 

Funda said...

Hello Burcu! I love your blog--your recipes are fantastic. I am half Turkish and I'm constantly asking my parents for recipes, but they rarely measure anything, so I appreciate your efforts to do so and to share with us. I also love lahmacun...any chance you have a recipe? Thanks, Funda

10:30 PM 

Burcu said...

Thanks, Funda! Lahmacun is my favorite dish too, and the only one that I really miss here. I have never tried to make lahmacun, because I don't believe in home-made lahmacun. I tried it when other people made it, people from southeastern Turkey, yet without the stone oven it just doesn't taste the same. But if you really want to try, I have a recipe I can send you. Or I recommend Ali Baba Restaurant in NY on 34th st or Levante's at Dupont Circle in DC. Also, Armenian restaurants usually have delicious lahmacun, too.

9:12 AM 

Anonymous said...

do you by any chance have 'Izmir kofte' receipe? adrin

5:28 PM 

Burcu said...

anonymous - Sorry for the late response. Yes,I do have Izmir kofte recipe; however, I am not planning to make it in the near future. If you need the recipe email me at almostturkish(at)gmail(dot)com, I'll send you the recipe.

10:48 PM 

stekin said...

Hello Burcu, I've enjoyed reading your recipes. Do you have one for Su Boregi ? Thank you, Sumru

7:21 PM 

Burcu said...

Sumru - I know how to make su boregi in theory, but never tried it in practice. You really need to roll the dough yourself to make phyllo. I haven't gathered the courage or time or patience to do that yet. However, Fethiye over at www.yogurtland.com has a detailed su boregi recipe that you might find helpful.

8:51 PM 

tiranamama said...

Your pictures are amazing and make my mouth water. I will try the cabbage and meat stew. Thank you for taking the time to measure and post your wonderful cooking!

6:14 AM 

Melisi said...

Hi Burcu, I lovvee your website it has been extremely helpful to me .. Anyway I have a question for you which is a bit off track. I've been trying to lose a bit of weight recently and in a few months we are of to Turkey for summer holidays.. specifically Istanbul/Bodrum/Fethiye etc. I was wondering if you could give me some tips of what I can eat outside (in restaurants) & also at home that would help me not to put on 10kgs like last time!! :) i love the food but putting weight on during summer isnt fun! so far I'm thinking things like lentil soup and salads but how are things like midye dolma & sunflower seeds (i love these) any other suggestions of what to eat?

8:48 PM 

Burcu said...

Hi Melisi, I'm glad that you find the blog helpful. I may not be a good source of advice at the moment, since I haven't been to Turkey in a year and a half and that I would eat anything and everything if I go now. I can just suggest to stay away from bread, pide, and phyllo dough and fried things. Almost every eggplant dish in Turkey would be fried and very oily. Midye dolma is sure better than midye tava (the fried version). I am sure in Bodrum and Fethiye you can find a lot of olive oil dishes, the ones that are cooked with olive oil and served cold, and of course a big variety of fish. They would be much healthier and lighter. I hope this helps.

7:50 PM 

Nancy said...

Burcu, I just found your website...was looking for recipes for the 2 bags of Turkish Bulgur I have in my cupboard. As a total Turkophile and the wife of a Turk (who is one of the rare Turkish men who are excellent cooks ;) ), I am thrilled to find your website! I can't wait to try your recipes out! I totally agree about lahamacun.. Turkiyeye cok ozleyorum. There is an excellent place in Jersey too...Dereyin Yerisi (spelling? Translates to uncle's place ;)...they make great pide also). Thank you for what you have done here with your website...cok tessekur ederiz.

5:54 PM 

melissa said...

Thanks so much Burcu.. hehe i think I will definitely go a bit crazy but it's good to have some idea of what is better than others hehe :) Thanks!

7:04 PM 

naohama said...

Hi! I enjoyed visiting your blog and seeing your recipes! I like Turkish cuisine whic had casted - a long time ago- its shadow on our Libyan cuisine. I like it when culures mingled together and something in between come about. Thank you Laila

4:21 PM 

mesogeia said...

What a great website! I am sure to try many of your recipes. Thanks a lot.

7:49 AM 

Welcome to Islam said...

Thanks for sharing the beautiful recipes will definately try some of this yummy recipes. Love the turkish cuisine:)

6:32 PM 

MInnie said...

I linked to your blog from Kalyn's Kitchen, and I spent hours browsing through nearly every recipe. They all look amazing and I cannot wait to try them. I'm embarrassed to say that I have never really experienced Turkish cuisine (beyond general "Mediterranean" fare), and after looking at your recipes I can't believe I've been missing out so long! The ingredients and flavors are exactly the types of things I crave regularly--especially savory breakfasts! Thanks for such a wonderful blog--with great photos--and keep up the good work!

11:29 AM 

MELISSA said...

Hi Binnur, Your website has so helpful to me. I wanted to ask your opinion on something though. I use Lazali Salça in a lot of my cooking at home and on the label it doesn't say there is oil in it and also the nutrition table is very low in fat&kjs. However, when I cook with it i can see a gold ribbony shine on the surface which makes me think they do use some olive oil in it. Do you know if this is the case?

10:45 PM 

Burcu said...

Melissa, I never used Lazali salca so I cannot know exactly what they use, but it's very common to put some (olive) oil in paste to preserve it especially if it's pepper paste.

8:46 PM 

qutins said...

Hi Burcu, I love your blog. The recipes looks soo delicious. Could you please post a recipe for eggplant moussaka and keskek? I miss eating keskek and i know it is a lot of work but if you do have the recipe that would be awesome!! Thank you in advance :)

1:17 AM 

Magda said...

Merhaba Burcu! I love your blog and have already made several of your dishes. And I recommend it to everyone who likes cooking and lots of veggies. I lived in Turkey for three years, but I was a poor student then and we cooked at home or sometimes went to Bilkent's canteen... I found your blog when I was craving mercimek corbasi and now I continue to explore and try new things. Thanks for sharing! Greetings from Toronto Hosca kal! Magda

11:21 PM 

Anonymous said...

Excellent blog! Well written recipes and superb pictures which make me hungry each time I look at them! Emek

3:57 PM 

Meltem said...

Hello Burcu my name is Meltem I am from Turkey as well however living in Chicago about 21 years. I love cooking and exploring Turkish food . I often use my friends as scape goats for culinary experiments. So far they are happy to be experimented on! Even in spicy department. I was wondering if you are in Chicago area,I would love to cook together if you are interested in. I love your blog and patient to document and write everything. I admire you for this. It is important to bring an awareness to such a beautiful and delicious Cusine. Thank you for that. Good luck to you with your next projects.

2:50 AM 

Burcu said...

Hi Meltem, I'm sorry to respond so late. I'd love to get together and cook but unfortunately I don't live in Midwest anymore (I did for quite some time). Yet I have friends in Chicago that I want to and will visit this year. I'll drop a line when I know fir sure about the date; maybe we can arrange something.

1:23 PM 

Κάθαρσις said...

hi Burcu, I know almost nothing about Turkish food, but I suppose that we here in Croatia have very similar variations of many dishes. I am sure that it is food that I like so I am glad that I have discovered your blog and I shall follow it.

1:25 PM 

Margaret said...

Hi Burcu I am so thankful for this wonderful resource of delicious Turkish recipes. Even after a year in Istanbul, I did not encounter all that Turkish cuisine has to offer, and it is fantastic to explore new dishes in America with my own Turk. He has often requested revani, but I cannot seem to get it right. Do you have a recipe you'd be willing to share? Eline saglik!

10:27 PM 

Burcu said...

Dear Margaret, Thank you! And yes, I do have a revani recipe. I don't know when your Turk craves revani, but my family enjoys revani after a seafood dinner. For my parents revani is the dessert to go with after a nice fish. Anyways, give me a week or so and I will post the recipe.

9:50 PM 

NancyT said...

Hi Burcu, the other day i had this amazing dish. it was very similar to iskander, but it was made with adana and then wrapped in a thin bread with a tomato sauce poured over it and chopped parsley and yogurt. what is the name of this dish and do you have a recipe for it. hope you do. take care and thanks again for this site.

1:53 PM 

NancyT said...

Also if you have a way to make homemade iskender would love to know how its done.

4:41 AM 

Anonymous said...

Hi Burcu!!!! Nasylsyn? I love love turkish cuisine. I am from Kazakhstan, now happily married in US. I have been in Istambul many times. Love full of flavor Turkish tea. I was looking for recipe of merchimek soup and found your web site. Thank you, I am cooking it right now. I enjoy that soup so much. I like gozleme a lot too and was wondering if I can make it myself. I hope i wrote gozleme right, its mix of meat and/or vegetables in a thin dough but not phylo. I have seen ladies cooking it on some special hot plates. Can I make it at home using stove or oven? I would really appreciate if you can help me. I would love to have that recipe and cook it for my lovely husband. Raushan and Joe

7:41 PM 

jasmine said...

Do you have a receipe for Ali Nazik? The one with eggplant and yogurt sauce with lamb... Thanks!

11:16 AM 

Burcu said...

Jasmine, Ali Nazik is mmmmmm, one of my favorite kebab dishes. Usually I like to eat kebap dishes like Ali Nazik or Lahmacun at kebap restaurants, but once I was craving it soo much that I made it at home and it turned out well. So, I have a recipe but all my notebooks are in moving boxes right now and i may not be able to get to them in a month or so. But I promise to post it as soon as I can.

10:05 PM 

Dana said...

Hi, All the recipes here are great, I successfully tried some of them. Can you please check the soups section as there is no recipe and I loved the tomato soup but now only photos are available.

2:42 AM 

Burcu said...

Dana, it's done! The soup section is working again. Thanks for letting me know about that problem.

7:38 PM 

Burcu said...

Raushan and Joe, I am so sorry for the late response. I was looking for a gozleme recipe for you in English, since I didn't have one myself. You can make gozleme yourself, it's time consuming but doable. Please e-mail me almostturkish(at) gmail(dot)com for the recipe.

7:41 PM 

Christi said...

just wanted to thank you for these recipes! i am so excited to try some today. my boyfriend is turkish and i have fallen in love with turkish food...now i will be able to use some of your great recipes and surprise him! thanks again!

9:57 AM 

M said...

Just wanted to thank you for your blog. I'm married to a Turk and I have been looking for Turkish recipes to try. Thank you for using English measurements and for the detailed instructions. I've tried several of your recipes and my husband has declared them as good as his mom's. High praise indeed! I look forward to working my way through the rest of your recipes.

2:02 PM 

Burcu said...

Indeed, a very high praise from a Turkish guy! Thanks for sharing, M!

2:07 PM 

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