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The Table

The Table

The dishes I love — brought to the table, not the notebook. Nearly every plate is my own making — the marked few are store-bought.

A glass bowl of creamy mushroom soup on a wooden table, beautifully garnished in the center with overlapping slices of sautéed mushrooms and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Kremalı Mantar Çorbası
(Creamy Mushroom Soup)
A glass bowl of rich red domates çorbası (tomato soup) on a wooden table, garnished with a slice of lemon and a ring of black pepper.
Domates Çorbası
(Tomato Soup)
A glass bowl of smooth, yellow mercimek çorbası (lentil soup) on a wooden table, garnished with a slice of lemon and a swirl of red pepper flakes in oil.
Mercimek Çorbası
(Lentil Soup)
A glass bowl of golden tavuk suyu çorbası (chicken broth soup) on a wooden table, garnished with a slice of lemon and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Tavuk Suyu Çorbası
(Chicken Broth Soup)
A glass bowl of piyaz salatası — white beans mixed with red onion, tomato, and parsley, garnished with black olives, hard-boiled egg quarters, and a dusting of sumac.
Piyaz Salatası
(White Bean Salad)
A glass bowl of çoban salatası — diced tomato, red onion half-moons, whole black olives, and plenty of parsley.
Çoban Salatası
(Shepherd's Salad)
A neatly stacked pile of yaprak sarma (stuffed vine leaves) on a white plate, glistening with olive oil and garnished with a lemon slice and a sprig of fresh dill.
Yaprak Sarma
(Stuffed Vine Leaves)
A whole roasted chicken baked to a golden brown, glistening with juices and sprinkled with fresh thyme, served in a carved wooden bowl.
Kızarmış Tavuk
(Roast Chicken)
A neat pile of finger-shaped, grilled İnegöl köfte with prominent grill marks, served on a carved wooden plate with grilled green peppers, fresh parsley, and a dollop of red pepper paste.
İnegöl Köfte
(İnegöl Meatballs)
Five oval-shaped, grilled cızbız köfte with distinct char marks, served on a carved wooden plate alongside grilled green peppers, a charred tomato half, and a red onion and parsley salad.
Cızbız Köfte
(Grilled Meatballs)
A carved wooden plate of İskender kebap — thin slices of döner meat over pita bread, generously drenched in tomato sauce and served with a side of yogurt and grilled green peppers.
İskender Kebapstore-bought
A neatly stacked pile of golden, perfectly fried patates kızartması (French fries) lightly dusted with coarse salt, served in a carved wooden bowl.
Patates Kızartması
(French Fries)
A single Turkish islak burger on a carved wooden plate — its soft buns heavily steamed and soaked in a glossy, garlicky tomato sauce.
Islak Burger
(Wet Burger)
A large, fluffy Turkish baked potato on a carved wooden plate, loaded with melted cheese, black olives, chopped pickles, and a criss-cross drizzle of ketchup and mayonnaise.
Kumpir
(Baked Potato)
A whole Super Supreme Pizza baked to a golden brown, topped with pepperoni, sliced mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, and red onions, resting on a metal cooling rack over a baking sheet on a wooden table.
Super Supreme Pizza
A freshly baked, boat-shaped kaşarlı pide filled with bubbling, golden-brown melted cheese, resting on a metal cooling rack.
Kaşarlı Pide
(Cheese Pide)
A crisp, thin round of lahmacun topped with minced meat, garnished with fresh parsley, red onion rings, and lemon wedges, resting on a metal cooling rack.
Lahmacun
A white plate of classic Kayseri mantısı (Turkish dumplings) topped with a generous layer of garlic yogurt, drizzled with red pepper oil, and sprinkled with dried mint.
Kayseri Mantısı
(Turkish Dumplings)
A white plate of Feraye mantı (crispy fried Turkish dumplings) piled high, topped with garlic yogurt, red pepper oil, and a sprinkle of dried mint.
Feraye Mantı
(Crispy Dumplings)
A perfectly grilled salmon fillet on a carved wooden plate, drizzled with olive oil and generously topped with minced garlic and fresh dill.
Somon Balığı
(Salmon)
A small mound of glistening black caviar carefully plated on a simple white dish.
Siyah Havyar
(Black Caviar)store-bought
A whole lobe of bright orange cured fish roe (bottarga) resting on a small white plate.
Kurutulmuş Balık Yumurtası
(Bottarga)store-bought
A white plate holding a neat arrangement of spicy, hand-kneaded çiğ köfte, served alongside crisp lettuce leaves and wedges of fresh lemon.
Çiğ Köftestore-bought
Two wooden skewers of golden, crispy midye tava (fried mussels) resting on a white plate beside a generous dollop of creamy tarator sauce.
Midye Tava
(Fried Mussels)
A white plate holding three midye dolma (stuffed mussels) — their dark shells opened to reveal a savory, spiced rice filling — served with a wedge of fresh lemon.
Midye Dolma
(Stuffed Mussels)
A bright yellow ear of boiled corn on the cob (mısır haşlama) resting on a carved wooden plate.
Mısır Haşlama
(Boiled Corn)
A whole roasted ear of corn (mısır kebap) with blackened grill marks, resting on a carved wooden plate.
Mısır Kebap
(Roasted Corn)
A cluster of roasted kestane kebap (chestnuts) in a wooden bowl, their dark, scored shells split open to reveal the warm, golden-brown nut inside.
Kestane Kebap
(Roasted Chestnuts)
A single round, pale shortbread cookie on a white plate, with a cocoa-dusted center stamped to look exactly like a mushroom cap.
Mantar Kurabiye
(Mushroom Cookie)
A single tırtıl kurabiye on a white plate — two piped shortbread cookies sandwiched with red jam, with one end dipped in dark chocolate.
Tırtıl Kurabiye
(Caterpillar Cookie)
A single flower-shaped shortbread cookie dusted with powdered sugar, with a bright orange marmalade center, resting on a white plate.
Marmelatlı Çiçek Kurabiye
(Marmalade Flower Cookie)
A white plate filled with an assortment of golden-baked Turkish savory pastries in various shapes — twists, stars, flowers, and rounds — sprinkled with white and black sesame seeds.
Tuzlu Kuru Pasta
(Savory Pastries)
A single crescent-shaped elmalı kurabiye — a soft Turkish apple cookie dusted generously with powdered sugar — resting on a white plate.
Elmalı Kurabiye
(Apple Cookie)
A stack of three small kandil simidi rings on a white plate — one plain, one coated in sesame seeds, and one coated in black nigella seeds.
Kandil Simidi
A single rectangular un kurabiyesi — a soft, crumbly Turkish flour cookie heavily dusted with powdered sugar, with traditional fork-pressed grooves along its top — resting on a white plate.
Un Kurabiyesi
(Flour Cookie)
A single golden almond cookie with a whole almond pressed into its cracked top, on a white plate on a wooden table.
Acıbadem Kurabiyesi
(Almond Cookies)
A white plate holding three small, round Turkish-style mini pizzas with assorted toppings including sausage, spinach, and ground meat.
Mini Pizza
A white plate holding two mini Turkish 'bearded sandwiches' — small, shiny, golden-brown buns filled with cream cheese. The exposed filling of one is heavily coated in chopped fresh green parsley, and the other in grated yellow kashkaval cheese, creating their signature 'beards'.
Sakallı Sandviç
(Bearded Sandwich)
A classic crescent-shaped Turkish ay çöreği on a carved wooden plate, topped with a rich dark glaze and sliced almonds.
Ay Çöreği
(Crescent Pastry)
A large, round, spiraled tahinli çörek with a glossy, golden-brown crust generously sprinkled with sesame seeds, resting on a carved wooden plate.
Tahinli Çörek
(Tahini Pastry Roll)
A beautifully braided loaf of Paskalya Çöreği with a deeply browned, shiny crust, generously topped with sliced almonds, resting on a wire cooling rack.
Paskalya Çöreği
(Easter Bread)
A round, golden-brown poğaça with a shiny egg-washed crust and a delicate crosshatch pattern on top, resting on a carved wooden plate.
Poğaça
A single large, soft, ring-shaped açma with a shiny golden-brown crust and classic twisted texture, resting on a carved wooden plate.
Açma
(Turkish Soft Bagel)
A single large, round Turkish simit — a twisted, circular bread heavily encrusted with toasted sesame seeds — resting on a carved wooden plate.
Simit
A classic Turkish street-style waffle on a white plate, featuring a large, soft heart-shaped waffle folded in half like a sandwich, generously stuffed with melted chocolate, sliced bananas, and fresh strawberries.
Waffle
A slice of kadayıf — golden shredded pastry soaked in syrup and topped with ground pistachio — on a white plate on a wooden table.
Kadayıf
A round künefe — crisp golden shredded pastry over a molten cheese center, soaked in syrup and crowned with ground pistachio — on a white plate on a wooden table.
Künefestore-bought
Six golden, round lokma — fried sweet dough balls — neatly stacked on a white plate, gleaming with a coating of thick, sweet syrup.
Lokma
Four thick, vibrant orange slices of candied pumpkin arranged in a circle on a white plate, generously drizzled with creamy tahini and topped with crushed walnuts.
Kabak Tatlısı
(Pumpkin Dessert)
A single piece of fıstıklı dolama — a vivid green, tightly rolled Turkish dessert made almost entirely of ground pistachios wrapped in a single layer of phyllo dough and soaked in syrup — on a white plate.
Fıstıklı Dolama
(Pistachio Roll)store-bought
A single piece of yaprak şöbiyet — a bright green, triangular Turkish dessert made of folded phyllo dough generously filled with pistachio and soaked in syrup — resting on a white plate.
Yaprak Şöbiyetstore-bought
A single piece of lokum entirely coated in dried, dark pink rose petals, resting on a white plate.
Gül Yapraklı Lokum
(Rose Petal Turkish Delight)store-bought
A single cube of chocolate-covered lokum on a white plate, with a corner cut away to reveal a vibrant green, pistachio-filled Turkish delight interior.
Çikolata Kaplı Antep Fıstıklı Lokum
(Chocolate-Covered Pistachio Turkish Delight)store-bought
A neat flower-shaped arrangement of cocoa-dusted almond dragees on a white plate, with the center one cut open to reveal a whole roasted almond inside.
Bademli Prenses Draje
(Almond Princess Dragee)store-bought
A small pile of dark chocolate-coated raspberry dragees on a white plate, with one piece cut open to reveal a bright pink, textured raspberry center.
Ahududulu Draje
(Raspberry Dragee)store-bought
A flower-shaped arrangement of dark chocolate-coated pistachio dragees on a white plate, with the top pieces cut open to reveal bright green whole pistachios inside.
Antep Fıstıklı Draje
(Pistachio Dragee)store-bought
A small pile of dark chocolate-coated orange dragees on a white plate, with one piece cut open to reveal a bright orange candied center.
Portakallı Draje
(Orange Dragee)store-bought
A single, delicate sphere of white, thread-like pişmaniye resting on a white plate, topped with a pinch of crushed green pistachios.
Pişmaniye
(Cotton Candy)store-bought
Two triangle-shaped muska (amulet) treats on a white plate, featuring a translucent, dark fruit-leather (pestil) wrapper folded over a dense, bright green pistachio filling.
Antep Fıstıklı Muska
(Pistachio Amulet)store-bought
Small, dense squares of traditional Turkish nut pastes — pale almond, bright green pistachio, and brown walnut — neatly arranged on a white plate.
Ezme
(Nut Paste)store-bought
A round cocoa-dusted chocolate truffle on a white plate on a wooden table.
Chocolate Truffle
A chocolate bar molded as the Superman shield, dusted with cocoa powder.
Chocolate
A single pale-orange French macaron — two smooth domed shells with ruffled feet — sandwiching a berry-pink filling, on a white plate on a wooden table.
French Macaron
A single white meringue piped into a tall swirled spiral dome, on a white plate on a wooden table.
Beze
(Meringue)
A thick slice of mozaik pasta (mosaic cake) on a white plate, packed with crushed biscuits bound together by a rich, dark chocolate sauce.
Mozaik Pasta
(Mosaic Cake)store-bought
A small round tart with a golden shortcrust shell and a white-cream filling over dark chocolate, topped with two raspberries and two blackberries, on a white plate on a wooden table.
Mini Tart
A single golden-brown coconut macaroon — a domed mound of baked shredded coconut — on a white plate on a wooden table.
Coconut Macaroon
A single large, heart-shaped, deeply caramelized, flaky palmier pastry resting on a white plate on a wooden table.
Palmier
A round individual cheesecake with a golden fluted crust and a pale cream top, on a white plate on a wooden table.
Cheesecake
A row of chocolate-glazed éclairs filled with cream, on a white plate on a wooden table.
Éclair
A single scoop of glossy chocolate ice cream in a clear glass bowl on a wooden table.
Çikolatalı Dondurma
(Turkish Chocolate Ice Cream)
A dense, glossy scoop of white dondurma in a glass bowl.
Dondurma
(Turkish Ice Cream)
A rectangular chocolate parfait dusted with cocoa, topped with cocoa-dusted almonds and chocolate curls, on a white plate.
Parfait
A perfect, translucent white square of su muhallebisi heavily dusted with powdered sugar, sitting in a pool of pale pink rosewater syrup on a white plate.
Su Muhallebisi
(Water Pudding)store-bought
Fırın sütlaç in a clay bowl, top scorched deep brown, covered with crushed hazelnuts.
Fırın Sütlaç
(Baked Rice Pudding)
A bowl of aşure — garnished with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and cinnamon.
Aşure
(Noah's Pudding)
An inverted cream caramel on a white plate, amber caramel running down its sides.
Cream Caramel
A glass bowl of keşkül — a cross of ground pistachio, a coconut diamond at the center, and a flower of blanched almonds on top.
Keşkül
(Almond Milk Pudding)
A rectangular slice of Turkish kazandibi (caramelized milk pudding) on a white plate, showcasing its signature dark, beautifully caramelized top.
Kazandibi
(Caramelized Milk Pudding)store-bought
A rolled slice of tavuk göğsü on a white plate, dusted with cinnamon.
Tavuk Göğsü
(Chicken Breast Pudding)
A glass bowl of glossy krem şokola topped with shaved chocolate.
Krem Şokola
(Chocolate Pudding)
A bowl of profiteroles — cream-filled choux puffs under a pour of warm chocolate sauce.
Profiterole
A thick, square slice of Kürt böreği (also known as Küt böreği) on a carved wooden plate, showcasing its numerous thin, plain pastry layers heavily dusted with powdered sugar.
Küt Böreği
(Powdered Sugar Pastry)store-bought
A single golden-fried sigara böreği (cigar-shaped pastry) resting on a carved wooden plate, with melted white cheese and herbs visible at the open end.
Sigara Böreği
(Cheese Rolls)store-bought
A thick, square slice of su böreği (water pastry) on a carved wooden plate, revealing multiple rippled layers of soft dough filled with white cheese and parsley, under a golden-brown, blistered crust.
Su Böreği
(Water Pastry)
A single traditional Izmir boyoz on a carved wooden plate, featuring a beautifully flaky, rounded puff pastry texture.
Boyozstore-bought
A large, golden-baked kol böreği (rolled pastry) shaped in a deep U-curve, resting on a metal cooling rack, featuring a very flaky and shiny egg-washed crust.
Kol Böreği
(Rolled Pastry)
A single piece of golden, puffy pişi — Turkish fried dough — on a carved wooden plate.
Pişi
(Fried Dough)
A traditional Turkish copper pan (sahan) holding a perfectly fried sunny-side-up egg in the center, encircled by thin slices of seared pastırma (cured spiced beef) resting in rich cooking juices.
Pastırmalı Yumurta
(Eggs with Pastirma)
A traditional Turkish copper pan (sahan) holding a perfectly fried sunny-side-up egg in the center, encircled by round slices of fried sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage) releasing their vibrant red oil.
Sucuklu Yumurta
(Eggs with Soujouk)
A thick, toasted square slice of bread resting on a carved wooden plate, generously spread with smooth peanut butter and topped with five perfectly arranged banana slices.
Fıstıklı Muzlu Sandviç
(Peanut Butter & Banana Toast)
A perfectly grilled çikolatalı tost (chocolate toast) on a carved wooden plate, with deep horizontal grill marks on the golden-brown bread and warm, melted chocolate hazelnut spread oozing out the side.
Çikolatalı Tost
(Chocolate Toast)
A classic Turkish karışık tost (mixed grilled toast) on a carved wooden plate, showing deep, crispy grill marks on the bread with melted cheese and sliced sucuk (Turkish sausage) oozing from the center.
Karışık Tost
(Mixed Grilled Toast)
A glass bowl containing a hypnotic, swirled mixture of pale tahini and dark, rich grape molasses.
Tahin & Pekmez
(Tahini and Molasses)
A rolled log of thick, creamy pale-yellow kaymak — Turkish clotted cream — resting in a shallow pool of milk in a white rectangular dish, on a wooden table.
Kaymak
(Clotted Cream)
A golden-brown rectangular loaf of sourdough sandwich bread with a heavily textured, blistered top crust, resting on a wire cooling rack over a wooden surface.
Sourdough Sandwich Bread
An oval-shaped loaf of crusty sourdough white bread featuring a prominent, deeply charred ear and scoring mark, resting on a wire cooling rack over a wooden surface.
Sourdough White Bread
A round boule of sourdough whole wheat bread with a dark, blistered crust and a single curved scoring mark, resting on a wire cooling rack over a wooden surface.
Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread
A clear tumbler filled with distinct layers of frozen watermelon cubes, sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, ready to be blended, sitting on a wooden table.
Mixed Berry & Watermelon Smoothie
A clear blender cup containing fresh milk and a half-peeled banana standing upright inside it, resting on a wooden table.
Banana Milk
A cold glass of milk mixed with carob molasses, giving it a creamy light brown color, with condensation on the outside of the glass.
Keçiboynuzu Pekmezli Süt
(Carob Molasses Milk)
A glass of creamy, light brown milk coffee resting on a wooden surface.
Sütlü Kahve
(Milk Coffee)
A tall glass of frothy ayran — the salted yogurt drink — with a foamy white top.
Ayran
A tall glass of cloudy Turkish lemonade with a single mint leaf floating on top.
Turkish Lemonade
A tall glass of thick, pale-tan boza — the fermented millet drink — topped with cinnamon and roasted chickpeas, on a wooden table.
Bozastore-bought
A white cup of sahlep crowned with a cinnamon spiral, steam rising.
Sahlep
A white cup of dark hot chocolate dusted with cocoa, steam rising.
Hot Chocolate
A tulip-shaped ince belli glass of dark amber Turkish tea on a glass saucer.
Turkish Tea
A steaming cup of Turkish coffee with a fine foam, on a white saucer.
Turkish Coffee
A freshly brewed Americano coffee with a rich, golden crema, served in a classic white ceramic cup and saucer.
Americano