Istanbul Cult Recipes

Istanbul Cult Recipes (Affiliate Link) has us lingering in Turkey for just a bit longer on this leg of our Global Culinary Tour.

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As I’m sure you realized when I talked about Anatolia Adventures in Turkish Eating, the food of this area is quite luscious. My mouth waters just thinking about all of the great dishes this Middle Eastern country! Are you hungry? Welcome to Istanbul.

A Welcoming Place

The “City of Cities” is a very welcoming place. For those who love to travel, Istanbul is Byzantium; ancient and ultra-modern simultaneously, imposing and extremely endearing. The food is much akin to the city as it is endless, generous, varied and festive. There’s as much to see in the former Constantinople as there is to discover in its cuisine. Istanbul’s dishes are so diverse, so surprising and so refined that if you have never been there before you might wonder how it took you so long to get there.

Mosaic of Gastronomic Culture

The cuisine of Istanbul is like a beautiful mosaic that is composed of a vast gastronomic culture that spans generations and influences from Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Mediterranean. There’s street food that is rich and addictive. And there is the simple, healthy fresh dishes served at home and in cafés. Add to that contemporary cuisine that is elegant and attractive. The sum of all of this is that the cult recipes of Istanbul offer a diversity of dishes that are Turkish, Greek, Jewish, Armenian and Kurdish.

Neighborhoods

When exploring the city’s food culture you must not forget that almost every dish has its own neighborhood and best place to enjoy it. This gives you a very long list of places to stop for a meal. And if you can’t actually go to Istanbul for a visit you could easily take a virtual trip there by preparing recipes from this wonderful book.

Diverse Recipes

Take your pick of lively Turkish breakfasts or linger over delectable little plates of meze. You could try your hand at making breads and kebabs just like the ones sold from the city’s food carts. Or you could master the art of making Turkish sweets such as baklava, helva (similar to halva) and, of course, the unctuous Mastic Turkish Delight. With maps highlighting some of the author’s favorite food destinations, and profiles on some of the city’s proprietors and chefs, Istanbul Cult Recipes will envelop you in its passion for Turkish cuisine.

About the Author

Author Pomme Larmoyer is a food writer, editor and traveler. She believes you can learn everything you need to know about a country from its kitchens and enjoys talking with other people from other cultures about their style of food.