Classical Turkish Cooking: Traditional Turkish Food for the American Kitchen

From Publishers Weekly
This compendium of Turkish fare does much to advance Algar's ( The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking ) theory that "it is the imaginative combination of carefully cooked ingredients, however humble they may be, that creates good taste." While her writing is at times stiltingly formal, the recipes are anything but. Called traditional, they're in fact truly contemporary: full in flavor, redolent of fresh herbs and crushed spices and filled with healthful vegetables and grains. At their best, these dishes successfully combine present-day foodstuffs and concepts with classic Turkish antecedents, as seen in roasted eggplant and chili salad, mussel brochettes with walnut taratorsic and zucchini cakes with green onions, cheese, and herbs. Also featured are delicious Turkish condiments--e.g., sun-cooked tomato paste and sun-cooked purple plum marmelade--as well as desserts (poached dried figs stuffed with walnuts; chilled summer fruit in rose petal-infused syrup). Mail-order ingredient sources would have broadened the book's appeal. Algar is the Andrew Mellon Lecturer in Turkish at the University of California at Berkeley. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
An excellent introduction to a relatively unknown cuisine. The Turkish culinary tradition is of course related to other Mideastern cultures, but such dishes as a flavorful Chicken in Paprika-Laced Walnut Sauce or an assertive Smoked Eggplant Salad with Jalapenos demonstrate the diversity and uniqueness of the food. Algar, a Berkeley professor and food writer, provides knowledgeable commentary on the recipes, cuisine, and country, and few of the dishes require exotic ingredients or techniques. For most collections.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Nancy Harmon Jenkins, New York Times
"Classical Turkish Cooking . . . is a splendid introduction to a cuisine that straddles Europe and Asia, drawing on East and West alike. Savory rice pilafs, stuffed vegetables and rolled grape leaves, crisp salads dressed with yogurt and more complex savory pies and turnovers, along with syrupy Middle Eastern sweets made with rosewater, apricots, figs and walnuts, are among delicious offerings."


Anne Mendelson, Los Angeles Times
"Liberally spiced with historical allusions, [Classical Turkish Cooking] takes you into a world that prized colors and fragrant essences like rubies. . . . One can only wish that more cookbook writers were as charged with purposeful conviction as Algar."



"An important addition to gastronomic literature."


Booklist
"An important addition to gastronomic literature."


George Lang, author of Nobody Knows The Truffles I've Seen
"The foods of the classical Turkish kitchen seem closer to us than many of the experimental dishes of our time, and if you cook Roasted Eggplant and Chili Salad or the delicious Lamb Chops with Molasses-Glazed Chestnuts, I think you'll agree with me."


Joyce Goldstein, author of The Mediterranean Kitchen
"The recipes [in Classical Turkish Cooking] are very appealing to the contemporary cook, yet have a slightly exotic touch. Now that we have accepted risotto, pilaf can't be far behind in capturing our tastebuds. The book is also a bonanza for vegetarians."


Book Description
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.


From the Publisher
A tantalizing introduction to one of the world's greatest cuisines.


About the Author
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.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

This compendium of Turkish fare does much to advance Algar's ( The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking ) theory that ``it is the imaginative combination of carefully cooked ingredients, however humble they may be, that creates good taste.'' While her writing is at times stiltingly formal, the recipes are anything but. Called traditional, they're in fact truly contemporary: full in flavor, redolent of fresh herbs and crushed spices and filled with healthful vegetables and grains. At their best, these dishes successfully combine present-day foodstuffs and concepts with classic Turkish antecedents, as seen in roasted eggplant and chili salad, mussel brochettes with walnut taratorsic and zucchini cakes with green onions, cheese, and herbs. Also featured are delicious Turkish condiments--e.g., sun-cooked tomato paste and sun-cooked purple plum marmelade--as well as desserts (poached dried figs stuffed with walnuts; chilled summer fruit in rose petal-infused syrup). Mail-order ingredient sources would have broadened the book's appeal. Algar is the Andrew Mellon Lecturer in Turkish at the University of California at Berkeley. (Oct.) Read all 6 "From The Critics" >


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices