Borek consists of thin sheets of pastry dough, stuffed with meat orcheese and then fried or baked in the oven. My favorite borek is [4]PufBorek, a cheesefilled borek which is simple to prepare. Of course, famousTurkish yogurt appears all the time and is incredibly rich and thick. Itsuses include topping a dish of fried aubergine or green peppers, or as[5]cacik, which is whipped yogurt with garlic oil and cucumber, eaten witha spoon.

"Meze" is the name applied to Turkish hors d'oeuvres and encompassesmany tasty tidbits. One can easily make a complete meal of sampling mezewhich might include fresh fish or shellfish, [6]shish kebab, a tangy stew,meat grilled in a wrapping of oiled paper, and doner kebab, which is aroll of lamb meat on a vertical skewer, cooked turning over a hot grill.Some meat dishes are prepared with vegetables such as [7]karniyarik, groundmeat grilled in a hollowed aubergine.

Aubergine, (eggplant), is used in a large variety of dishes. It canbe cooked with onions and then served cold. It can be fried and toppedwith yogurt or tomato sauce in a salad, or served hot with roast lamb.It can be stuffed, grilled or baked. It's always delicious!

A special cheese course does not exist in a Turkish meal because cheeseis served throughout the meal in various forms. With meze, it is servedin simple slices, as filling in borek or mixed with ground meat to makejuicy Turkish meatballs, [8]kofte. Cheese is also an important ingredientin many Turkish desserts.

Ah, desserts...so sweet and delicious. Many Turkish desserts have milkas a basic ingredient, like Almond Cream, or [9]Bademli Krema; also well-knownare [10]baklava and [11]kadayif pastries ---favorites of young and oldalike. Small salted cakes, such as [12]Tuzlu Kurabiye are often servedalongside these sweets at tea time. Turkish fruits end most meals and,in season, I have found no better fruits in all the world: peaches, apples,figs, grapes and oranges.

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KIRMIZI MERCIMEK CORBASI - (Red Lentil Soup) [13][TOP]
 

* Ingredients: 1 cup red lentils - 4 cups meat broth - 2 Tbs.butter - salt & pepper to taste - 2 medium onions - 1 Tbs. tomato paste,or 2 small chopped tomatoes * Chop onions; saute onions in butter. Washthe lentils & add them to the broth with the salt, pepper, tomato pasteor chopped tomatoes. Simmer about 20 minutes. Serve with fresh bread. Serves4.

BARBUNYA PILAKISI - (Dry White Bean Pilaki) [14][TOP]

* Ingredients: 1 cup dry white beans - 3/4 cup olive oil - 1 each carrot,celery stalk, potato, tomato chopped - 1 onion, finely chopped - 1 largeclove of garlic - 1 tsp. salt - 11/2 tsp. sugar - 1 cup water * Soak beansovernight; wash, place in pot; heat on low heat 45 minutes; drain. Peeland chop vegetables, cut garlic into thin slices. Heat oil in pan, addonion and garlic and brown for 2 minutes. Add carrot and stir for 2 minutes.Add celery and potato and cook & stir 2 more minutes. Add beans, choppedtomato, water, salt and sugar and simmer for 1 hollr Serve when cnol Serves4 to 6.

LAHANA DOLMASI - (Stuffed Cabbage) [15][TOP]

* Filling ingredients: 1 cup rice - 1 cup olive oil - 3 1/2 Cups finelychopped onion - 1/4 Cup pine nuts - 1/4 Cup currants (or any seedless raisin)- Salt to taste - 1 Tbs. sugar - 1 cup boiling water - 1/2 bunch each ofparsley, mint and dill (chopped)
* Heat oil in large pan; add onions and cook until golden. Add nutsand rice. Stir constantly over a medium heat for 30 minutes, until riceis golden. Add salt, sugar, currants and stir. Add boiling water, stirring.Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Add parsley, mint and dill andstir. Let cool before using.

* Cabbage ingredients: 2 Ibs. cabbage - 1/2 cup of salt - 1 cup oliveoil - Salt to taste - 1 tsp. sugar
* Fill a large pot with water and 1/2 CUp salt. Bring to a boil. Cutheart of cabbage out and place in pot with cabbage leaves pulled a littlebit apart, and turned downward. Cover, boil 3 minutes. Lower heat. Turncabbage over, cooking another minute. Turn cabbage over again and removethe softest leaves from the bottom. Turn again and let cook for 5 minutes.The leaves should be supple without being fully cooked. If not, let themremain in water 3 or 4 more minutes. Place cabbage under running water,gently removing each leaf. Line the bottom of a large saucepan with thethickest leaves. Fill each leaf, rolling to completely contain the filling.Place in the saucepan with the large leaves in the bottom; add a cup ofwater, sugar, salt and oil. Simmer 1 hour until water is absorbed. Cool,place on serving dish. Garnish with lemon slices. Serves 4

PUF BOREGI - (Puf Borek) [16][TOP]

* Ingredients: 1 cup flour - 3/4 cup water - 1 egg - 1 Tbs. olive oil- 4 Tbs. butter - 1 to 1 1/2 Cups water - 1 cup white cheese (you can substitutethe cheese with ground meat mixed with chopped onion) * Mix flour, water,egg & oil into dough. Let sit 15 minutes. Separate dough into 5 equalpieces, roll into balls. Roll the balls thin with a pastry rolling pin.Spread melted butter on each surface; layer the pieces. Let sit for 1/2hour. Roll dough out as thin as possible, into a large, round disc; onhalf of the disc, spoon small portions of the filling, about 5!! apart.Fold the empty half over the filled half. Around the base of each filling,cut a half-moon with a spoon. Seal around each filling. Fry in oil for3-4 minutes (until crust is crisp). Drain on paper towel; enjoy! Makesabout 12 pieces

CACIK - (pronounced "jajik") [17][TOP]

* Ingredients: 3 cups yogurt - 2 small cucumbers - 1/4 cup olive oil- Dill sprigs - 1 large clove of garlic, crushed * Beat yogurt vigorouslywith a whisk; peel cucumbers and chop into small pieces; add cucumbers,oil, garlic and salt to taste. Mix well; put mixture into four small bowls,garnish with dill. Dribble a little oil on top. Makes 4 servings

SHISH KEBAB - (Sis Kebab) [18][TOP]

* Ingredients: 2 Ibs. Iamb meat (from thigh or shoulder) cut into 1"pieces - 4 medium tomatoes - 2 green peppers - Salt & pepper to taste.* Peel and seed tomatoes; cut into large pieces; cut green peppers in half,remove seeds, cut into smaller pieces. Skewer a piece of meat, tomato,green pepper; repeat until all inaredients are used. Cook over qrill. Serves5.

KARNIYARIK - (Stuffed Eggplant) [19][TOP]

* Ingredients: 6 medium eggplants - 1 cup olive oil - 1 Tbs. butter- 1 lb. ground meat (lamb & beef, mixed) - 3 medium onions - 4 mediumtomatoes - parsley, salt & pepper * Slice eggplants lengthwise andscoop out the center; remove stems. Fry the eggplant halves in olive oilfor 3-4 minutes, turning to fry the complete pieces. Put them in an ovendish open side up. + Filling: Dioe onions, saute in butter; add groundmeat, salt, pepper, tomatoes. Mix and cook. + Fill eggplants; garnish withparsley. Add a little water to dish; cook at 350¿ F for 30-45 minutes.Serves 4-6.

KURU KOFTE - (Dry Kofte) [20][TOP]

* Ingredients: 2 slices bread, crust removed - 2 eggs - 2/3 cup waterpepper, salt, cumin to taste - 1 1/2 Ibs ground lamb, or a mixture of lamb& beef - 4 Tbs. white flour - 1 Tbs. butter
* Soak the bread in water; squeeze water out of bread. Put bread inbowl; add 2 eggs, salty pepper & cumin, onions, water and meat. Kneadand roll small meatballs until they are finger shaped. Roll the kofte inflour, fry in butter for 4 or 5 minutes. Makes 5 servings.

BADEMLI KREMA - (Almond Cream) [21][TOP]

* Ingredients: 1 quart milk - 3/4 Cup almonds - 7 Tbs. sugar - 4 Tbs.potato starch - 1 cup heavy cream
* Pour milk, blended almonds, starch and sugar into a saucepan; bringto boil, stir constantly for 5 minutes. Let cool. Slowly add heavy cream.Pour into desert dishes and garnish with roasted almonds or pistachio nuts.Serves 4

BAKLAVA [22][TOP]

* Ingredients: 1 cup flour - 2 eggs - 1 tsp. olive oil - 1 cup meltedmargarine - 3 cups sugar - Juice of one large lemon - Flour - 1 tsp. salt- 1 cup qround walnuts * Knead flour, salt and a cup of water into a dough.Folddough and knead again. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise - aboutan hour. Divide dough into 8-10 pieces and spread a little flour on it- roll out as thin as possible. Place half of it into a pan, pouring margarineon each layer. Spread watnuts, add layer, spread margarine on each layer.Cut into squares. Pour remaining margarine on top. Bake 350F 1 hour.
* Mix sugar, water and 1 tsp. Iemon juice in saucepan. Boil to heavysyrup. Pour over lukewarm baklava, slowly. Serve cold.

TEL KADAYIF [23][TOP]

Note: This pastry used long, finely shredded strands of pastry dough."Tei Kadayif" is available in Turkish pastry shops. Two other forms are"ekmek Kadayif' shaped like a thick biscuit, or "yassi Kadayi"' which issmaller.

* Ingredients: 1 1/2 Ibs. tel kadayif - 1 stick (8 oz) butter - 1 cupcrushed or ground hazelnuts - 4 cups sugar - 1-2 cups water - juice ofone lemon * Melt half the butter in a found, high-sided cake pan. Spreadhalf the te! kadayif on the bottom of the pan. Spread crushed huts overthis layer, spread the rest of the kadayif over the nuts. Put small piecesof remaining butter evenly ovPr top of dough. Bake 25 minutes at 350F,or until the top turns golden brown. Prepare a syrup of lemon juice, waterand sugar. Pour over cooked kadayif. Serve when cooled.

TUZLU KURABIYE - (Dry Salted Cakes) [24][TOP]

* Ingredients: 3/4 Cup plain yogurt - 3/4 cup softened butter - 3/4cup olive oil - 1/4 cup salt - 1 egg yolk - flour
* Mix yogurt, butter, oil and salt. Add enough flour to make a firmdough; roll out dough; sut assorted shapes (triangles, circles, ovais,etc.)Put on buttered cookie sheet; brush with egg yolk. Bake 20 minutes (oruntil golden brown). Sprinkle sesame seeds or grated cheese to add variety.