Classical Turkish Cooking: Traditional Turkish Food for the American Kitchen Paperback – April 7, 1999

The subtitle, "Traditional Turkish Food for the American Kitchen," sums this up so nicely that I cannot aspire to do better. The recipes are all suitable for the average American because they are authentic, simple to prepare, and don't ingredients that may be hard to acquire--I think. I acknowledge my bias because I primarily cook Turkish foods; accordingly, I do make the effort to find traditional ingredients that my local Aldi doesn't stock.But these recipes have all been adapted around that. Some things like bulgur might be unfamiliar, but you can find them at a more standard grocery store, probably even Walmart, or just buy it from Amazon.There's also a decent amount of background and history about food, culture, cooking, and ingredients, so even if you know nothing about Türkiye, you would not be lost here.The Kindle layout is great and has clickable links for navigation. You really can't go wrong with this one!Therefore, for anyone interested in trying new Turkish recipes, making old favorites, or learning more about Turkish cuisine, I highly recommend this book.

I've made almost all the recipes and they taste exactly like they should! Reliable and well described. Love this book. The only negative? No pictures.

I bought this book as a gift for my friend who is of Turkish lineage. She is very glad to receive it because of the recipe titles brought so much joy of remembering. But she's told me she hasn't used it as much as she thought she would have. Maybe it's because she cooks all the time (that should be in all caps.) She's could prepare most feasts blindfolded. Having enjoyed her cooking for almost two decades, I've decided it was somewhat selfish of me to get the book for her, since I've decided I'm particularly partial to specific Turkish cooking (because of her roots) over generic "Greek", "Mediterranean", or "Lebanese" recipes.

I have tried 5-6 things in this cookbook. All but one have been easy and very tasty. The green beans/tomato recipes is excellent, as are the scones. I need to get a stove-top grill to try some of the meat dishes. Overall, an excellent buy.

Bravo. The author of this cookbook, Ayla E. Algar, clearly displays a masterful knowledge of the history of Turkish cooking. Together with her native experiences, the author has created a work that emotes respect and baits the senses, while transporting the reader into an authentic kitchen, a kitchen that may exist in many locales in Turkey. I appreciate the author's sharing of cultural influences, as well as a deep understanding of the flavors and foods of Turkey. Indeed, while prepared dishes from Turkey are under-heralded today, Algar gives us multiple reasons to elevate Turkish cuisine to its rightful place as one of the world's great bodies of culinary delights.

I have long been a fan of Joyce Goldstein's cookbooks, particularly her Mediterranean The Beautiful Cookbook. Ayla Algar provided the regional texts for that one, which I found fascinating. In her own cookbook, I not only find wonderfully detailed background for Turkish cooking but also recipes that are easy to prepare, complete, and extremely tasty. Check out the shortish chapter on lamb, which sheds light on why american lamb is not nearly as tasty as turkish lamb in the preface (p.91), and then try out Morsels of Lamb Served on a Bed of Smoked Eggplant Cream (p. 96). Whoa!

This book is practically like new. I'm very happy and will use this seller again.

What a wonderful cookbook. Delivered promptly in excellent condition.