Ozlem's Turkish Table

With a tribute to Southern Turkish CuisineForeword by Ghillie BasanGOURMAND World Cookbook Awards Winner, Best In The World, Heritage TurkeyForeword Indies AwardsWinner (USA, International), Honorable Mention for Cooking"My very warm welcome to you - Hosgeldiniz"This book is Ozlem's tribute to the wonderfully diverse cuisine of Turkey and a celebration of her Southern Turkish roots with local recipes from her home town, Antioch, Antakya. She hopes these recipes will take you on a Turkish journey - to learn, taste and enjoy the delicious foods of her homeland and most importantly to feel the warmth and sharing spirit of Turkish culture.Turkish cuisine is based on seasonal fresh produce. It is healthy, delicious, affordable and easy to make. She shows you how to recreate these wonderful recipes in your own home, wherever you are in the world. Her dishes are flavoured naturally with: olive oil, lemon juice, nuts, spices, as well as condiments like pomegranate molasses and nar eksisi. Turkish cuisine also offers plenty of options for vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan diets. Living abroad, it can be difficult to access speciality ingredients, so she also offers substitutes and/or alternatives wherever she can.She hopes her recipes inspire you to recreate them in your own kitchen and that they can bring you fond memories of your time in Turkey or any special moments shared with loved ones.Her roots - Ancient Antioch, AntakyaHer family's roots date back to ancient Antioch, Antakya, located in the southern part of Turkey, near the Syrian border. This book is a special tribute to Antakya and southern Turkish cuisine, as her cooking has been inspired by this special land.Her parents, Orhan and Gulcin, were both born in Antakya and she spent many happy childhood holidays in this ancient city, playing in the courtyard of her grandmother's 450 year old stone home, under the fig and walnut trees. Her dad's father, Ahmet, was a soap maker (her father's surname "Sabuncu", means "soap maker") making the city's landmark olive oil soaps. Her mother's father, Suphi, was a food merchant, trading fresh and dried produce within the city as well as with Syria. She grew up with the abundance of fresh produce as her grandpa would share cases of figs, aubergines and tomatoes with family and friends at the family home in Antioch.Love of good food and sharing has been instilled in her since childhood and she grew up with the generosity of her parents and extended family. Her mother and grandma would cook lunch and dinner every day and everyone would be welcomed to their table. Her grandma would leave an extra plate or two on the table as someone would always turn up at mealtimes and they would be warmly welcomed to the dining table. They would all sit around her courtyard dinner table under the fig tree and have a feast of senses with arrays of wonderful mezzes (small plates of appetizers), an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables cooked in olive oil (Zeytinyaglilar), succ

• Best in the World for Food Heritage, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards • Honorable Mention, Foreword Indies Book of the Year Awards, in Cooking • Speaker at Edinburgh International Literary Festival • Speaker at Turkey's Ambassador to London's residence • Speaker at London Book Fair, Turkish Ministry of Culture & Tourism's stand • Waitrose Magazine, Food • The Guardian • The Mediterranean Lifestyle • The Sun • Time & Leisure • Londra Gazete • Daily Sabah: Ozlem's Turkish Table wins;"Oscar" of cookbooks • Turkish British • Anglo Turkish Society • Turkish Chefs of the World (Dunyanin Turk Sefleri) Turkish national TV (TRT) • Melissa's Produce (USA) • Inside Out Istanbul, Merhaba & North Cyprus Scene • Green Prophet • FAWCO, Anglo-Turkish Society

Born and raised in Turkey, Ozlem is passionate about sharing the historical and cultural riches of her homeland through its cuisine. Her journey into the culinary world started on a different continent and a long way from her homeland.• In 2005 she joined Central Market Cooking School in Texas teaching Turkish cookery classes as a guest chef in Austin, Houston and San Antonio. Then her family moved to England in 2009 prompting her to launch her Turkish recipe blog "Ozlem's Turkish Table" (www.ozlemsturkishtable.com) so she could connect with Turkish food lovers around the world.• 10 years on and her love for Turkish cuisine has opened up new and exciting opportunities for her teaching classes at JA University in Amman, Jordan; London's Divertimenti Cookery School, Blid and Hatton Gatherings and the Istanbul Culinary Institute in Istanbul.