September 22, 2024
When I was a child, most mothers had a “tea party day” once a month. Her friends and neighbors would come for an afternoon tea. We […]
Delicious desserts, with wholesome ingredients including figs, pumpkins, quince, pomegranates, apples, pears, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, raisins.
June 15, 2024
This is a very light and flavorful apple dessert, similar to apple pie, yet different. This is somewhere between and apple cake and an apple crumble. […]
June 1, 2024
Here’s an irresistible cookie made with phyllo dough. It is similar to baklava rolls, yet worlds apart in taste for it has no syrup. It is […]
March 2, 2024
Want something fruity, velvety and refreshing after a good meal or with your coffee? Here’s my sister’s friend Lidya’s famous Two Layer Orange Semolina Pudding. Enjoy! […]
February 3, 2024
For those of you who think most Turkish desserts are too sweet, here’s something fruity and light. It is a heavenly treat, so close your eyes […]
January 20, 2024
Here comes my secret recipe! 40 years ago, our friend Bulent gave me the recipe and I tried it immediately. Over the years, it became a […]
December 23, 2023
Christmas is just around the corner. It is baking season. Thanksgiving was mostly about pumpkins – pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread… Let’s not forget […]
December 9, 2023
A light, tangy cake with blueberries. It was the perfect companion to our mid-morning coffee along with some tahini cookies. Recipe is from my friend Banu […]
November 3, 2023
Naming a dessert “mud” takes a lot of courage for sure! This mud is so tasty that you think you are in heaven enjoying this delightful […]
October 13, 2023
It is October already, but, there are no signs of fall in Southern California yet. But we know that it will be Thanksgiving before we know […]
September 29, 2023
The word “kalburabastı” means “pressed on kalbur” in Turkish. Kalbur is a large mesh sieve which was mostly used by farmers to separate grains. Back in […]
May 31, 2023
Do you want a light dessert that is easy to prepare, yet tastes amazingly delicious? This one is for you. Apples poached with raisins, cinnamon sticks […]
May 14, 2018
Here’s a sinfully decadent vegan dessert that is healthy at the same time. Looks delicious and is always a party favorite as an appetizer. It is very […]
March 20, 2015
Here’s a refreshing fruit dessert that looks appetizing and tastes heavenly. It is easy to make, easy to serve. It makes a great breakfast/brunch dessert as well. I’m […]
January 18, 2015
Kataifi is a shredded dough that sort of looks like shredded wheat cereal. It is mostly used for desserts with syrup. Different kinds of nuts, fresh […]
July 22, 2012
Walnut Stuffed Figs – Cevizli Kuru İncir Tatlısı I grew up in the Western part of Turkey. The region we lived in (Aydin) is famous for […]
May 17, 2012
Chocolate Pudding with Tea Biscuits and Coconuts This is one of my mother in law Nevzat Ari’s signature desserts. She added a twist to the good […]
April 25, 2012
Mozaic Cake – Mozaik Pasta This is a light chocolate cake made with tea biscuits (or Petit Beurres). I use tea biscuits since they don’t have […]
April 9, 2012
Fruit Salad with Nuts Ingredients: 1 cup blueberries 1 mango, cubed 1 orange, cubed 3 small mandarin oranges 1 cup strawberries, cut in quarters 1 cup […]
March 22, 2012
Poached Pears with Walnuts, Apricots and Currants Ingredients: Poached Pears 1 bottle of red wine 1 + 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 […]
March 9, 2012
Pistachio Helva Ingredients: 1 cup of semolina (farina) 1 stick of unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons ground unsalted […]
March 8, 2012
Here’s a great party favorite. They are bite size and go great with after dinner drinks too. No cooking involved, just mix, roll and chill. Enjoy! […]
February 25, 2012
We spend our summers in Bodrum, a popular coastal town on the Southwestern Coast of the Aegean Sea in Turkey. We are very lucky with our […]
February 14, 2012
Pumpkin Glace, a heavenly dessert I thought for Valentine’s Day, I should post something sweet. This is one of my favorite non-chocolate desserts, one that is […]
February 3, 2012
Quince is a funny looking, lumpy shaped fruit that is not very easy to eat. When mature, they get sweeter, but they are never very sweet. […]
January 23, 2012
Whenever I go to my sister Dilek’s house, one thing you can count on in the kitchen is their ever inviting home-made cake. This is […]
December 8, 2011
Lemon Frozen Yogurt Lemon Frozen Yogurt My family had a vacation home in Kusadasi, a coastal town on the Aegean. We used to spend our care-free […]