Sauce:
1 cup yogurt
1 cup water
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp flour

Garnish:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp dry mint

Cook the chickpeas with water in a medium pot for about 5 minutes. Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Take a few spoons of liquid from the pot and mix into the bowl. Then slowly pour the mixture into the pot while stirring very slowly. Cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the spinach, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper, then stir and turn the heat off.

Place the butter in a frying pan. When it begins spitting, stir in the mint and pour into your soup.

4 servings.

Bring to boil the water, sugar, 4-5 slice rinds of quince and 6-7 seeds. Boil for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Remove the rinds and seeds with the tip of a spoon from the sherbet, discard. Add in the grated quince. Cook for 25 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the lemon juice into the jam a few minutes before you turn off the heat and stir.

Wait until it cools down, then place into a clean jar and close the lid tightly. Store in a dark and cool place.

Spread some Ricotta cheese (Lor Peyniri) or butter on a slice of freshly baked Turkish Bread then place some Quince Marmalade on it. Have for breakfast or supper with Turkish Tea:)

Cook the lamb cubes with their own juice. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add 1 cup of hot water, cook over medium heat until a little bit of water is left and the lambs are softened.

Add the carrot, pine nuts and currant, and stir for 2 minutes. Add the chestnuts, chickpeas, rice, sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper and 1 cup of hot water, stir. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on and cook until the rice absorbs all the water. Let the Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes, then serve.

2 servings.

Saute the onion with the butter for about 1-2 minutes, but do not burn the onion! Add the garlic and saute until the smells come out. Add lentil and 1 cup water, stir. Put the lid on half way and cook for 5 minutes with a little bit under medium heat. The lentils will absorb the water quickly, so check often. Add the chicken broth, tomato paste, cumin, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 more minutes with the lid half way on over medium heat. Sprinkle oregano, stir. Serve this soup with lemon wedges while still warm.

4 servings.

Cook the lamb shank with water until tender. Leave 1 cup of juice in it. Discard the bone.

Saute the quince and potatoes with butter and olive oil until their colour turns light pink. Add the apple, onion, lamb, tomato and red pepper paste, then 1 cup beef broth, salt and pepper. Put the lid on and cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender over medium heat. Drizzle pomegranate paste, stir. Serve Quince Tava with Turkish Bread while still hot.

1 serving.

Place the cheese slices on the slice of bread, then arrange sucuk and tomato slices on top (picture). Cover with the second slice of bread. Preheat a Pannini Grill, place the sandwich on it, toast for a few minutes until the bread takes a golden colour.

Serve Yengen with Turkish Tea, cucumber slices and cubanelle peppers on the side as a light lunch, breakfast or afternoon snack.

Sauce:
1 egg yolk
4 tbsp lemon juice

Cook the lamb cubes in their own juice. Then add 1 cup of hot water, cook over medium-low heat until most of the water evaporates and the lamb pieces soften. Add the leek, carrot, butter, olive oil, 1 1/4 cup hot water, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour all over, stir.

Cover the lid halfway and cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with lemon juice. Take a few spoon of juice of the dish and blend well with the sauce. Slowly pour this mixture into the pot while stirring. Cover the lid and simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Serve it while still hot with the bread.

2 servings.

Garnish:
2 egg yolks
Kasar or Mozzarella cheese, grated
Nigella seeds (black sesame seeds)
Cayenne pepper

Place the flour in a large bowl and make a hole at the middle. Add the rest of the ingredients, knead. Don’t knead too much! When the dough comes together, roll it 1.0 cm thick using a roller. Cut the dough with 3.5 cm wide cookie cutters (picture). Make about 35 biscuits.

Put parchment paper on the oven tray. Place the biscuits on it. First eggwash the tops, then sprinkle some Nigella seeds, grated cheese or cayenne pepper all over (picture).

Preheat the oven to 375 F (180 C). Place the oven tray on the middle rack. Bake for about between 20-25 minutes. You can serve Turkish Spicy Biscuits with afternoon tea or with soup.

35 biscuits.

Batter:
1/2 cup beer
5 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup sunflower oil

Put the thawed calamari rings on a paper towel to soak up extra water, dry them well. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk batter ingredients in a bowl. Soak the rings into the batter.

Heat up the oil. Pour a drop of batter into the oil to get the right heat. Place the rings into the oil one by one. Fry them for a total of 1 minute*. Stir a few times with a perforated spoon. Put the rings on a plate with a paper towel to soak up extra oil. Serve Turkish-style Fried Calamari with Turkish Tarator Sauce while still hot.

* Overcooking makes it chewy & rubbery
** Freezing calamari softens very firm muscle fibers. After freezing, calamari becomes more tender and flavorful.
*** Calamari can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. Once thawed, it should be used within three days.

Turkish-style Tarator Sauce for Seafood
(Tarator Sos)

1/4 cup walnut or pine nuts, grounded
1/2 cup day old Turkish bread, grounded
2 garlic clove, smashed with salt
1 cup plain yogurt, room temperature
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Serve Tarator Sauce with Turkish-style Fried Calamari, Turkish-style Fried Mussels..

Filling:
150 gr (5 squares) bittersweet chocolate
3 pears, peeled, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp sugar, adjust the amount of sugar however you like

On top:
2 eggs
200 ml 35% cream
75 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

23 cm (9 inch) pie plate, oiled

Combine all the crust ingredients in a large bowl. Spread the dough in an oiled pie plate with your palm equally. Also spread the dough on top of the edges. Pierce the dough all over with a fork and bake for 15 minutes in preheated 375 F (180 C) oven.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Spread evenly on cooled crust. Mix the pear slices with sugar and place over the chocolate (picture). Blend all the sauce ingredients well and pour all over the pears. Preheat the oven to 375 F (180 C). Bake for 45 minutes or until the tops take a golden colour. Serve while still warm.