Soften the Bulgur:

• Place the fine bulgur in a large bowl, add salt (1 to 1 1/2 tbsp), and pour in boiling water just enough to moisten it (about 1 to 1.5 cups). Cover and let it sit for 20-30 minutes until the bulgur softens and absorbs the water.

Prepare the Spice Mixture:

• In a large mixing bowl (or a stand mixer bowl), combine grated and squeezed onion, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, tomato and red pepper paste, olive oil, chili flakes, isot pepper, black pepper, and any optional spices (garlic, cumin, sumac). Mix well until fully incorporated.

Mix and Knead:

• Add the soaked bulgur to the spice mixture. Knead thoroughly by hand for 20-30 minutes, or use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for about 15-20 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth and paste-like. If kneading by hand, dampen your hands slightly to prevent sticking.

Shape the Çiğ Köfte:

• Take small portions of the mixture and shape them into oval pieces. Press gently with your fingers and palm to create the traditional wavy texture.

Serving:

• Arrange on a plate and serve with fresh lettuce leaves and lemon wedges. Enjoy your homemade çiğ köfte—a spicy, tangy, and delicious Turkish dish!

• Bring the milk and sugar to a boil until the sugar has just melted, then remove from heat.
• Pour two ladles of the warm milk mixture into the bottom of the large baking dish.
• Place a güllaç sheet on top of the milk and then pour another ladle of milk over the güllaç sheet, pressing gently until it softens slightly.
• Continue this process until you’ve used half the sheets. Pay attention to distributing the thickness of the sheets evenly across the tray while layering.
• Spread a single layer of walnuts evenly over the güllaç sheets. Continue layering until you’ve used all of the sheets. Pour the remaining milk mixture over the sheets.
• Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.
• Slice the chilled güllaç and garnish the slices with sliced pistachios and pomegranate seeds before serving. Enjoy your delicious güllaç!

Prepare the Syrup:

• Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, stir well, and bring to the boil over medium heat.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove the syrup from the heat and set it aside to cool completely.

Make the Dough:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
• Gradually pour in the warm water, stirring with a whisk until the mixture forms a sticky dough.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then with a clean cloth. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes or until it doubles in size.

Fry the Lokma:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan over medium heat.
• Prepare a small bowl of oil for handling the dough. Lightly coat a teaspoon and your hand with oil to prevent sticking.
• Scoop a small amount of dough in your hand, squeeze a ball of dough out between your thumb and index finger, and scoop it off with the oiled teaspoon. Drop the dough ball into the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Fry the lokma until golden brown on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them from the oil to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil briefly.

Coat in Syrup:

• While still warm, transfer the fried lokma to the cooled syrup. Let them soak for a few minutes to absorb the sweetness fully.

  Remove the lokma from the syrup and place them on a serving plate.
• Serve them warm or cold. For an extra touch, garnish with chopped nuts or shredded coconut if desired. Enjoy your Lokma!

• Heat the olive oil in a shallow pot over medium heat. Add the orzo pasta and cook until it turns golden brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
• Add the butter to the pot. Once melted, add the rinsed and drained rice. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to coat the rice with the oil and butter.
• Pour in the hot chicken broth and add the salt. Stir well. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer until small holes appear on the surface of the rice, about 10-12 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let the rice pilaf rest with the lid on for 5 minutes. Then, fold the rice with a fork to fluff it up. Cover again and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
• Stir the rice pilaf gently before serving. Enjoy as a side dish with salad, yogurt, pickles, or your choice of protein such as chicken, meat, meatballs, beans, or chickpea stew.

• Pour the cold milk into a large saucepan. Add the flour, cornstarch, and sugar to the milk. Stir well to combine all the ingredients until smooth.
• Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken slightly.
• After it starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture fully thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 15 minutes.
• Once the muhallebi reaches the desired thickness, remove it from the heat. While still hot, add the butter and vanilla extract. Whisk until the butter is fully melted and incorporated.
• Divide the muhallebi into serving bowls and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the bowls to the refrigerator and let them set for at least one hour.
• Serve the muhallebi cold, optionally garnished with chopped pistachios, almonds, or dried fruits.

• Wash and soak the millet (or bulgur) and rice (if using) for about 1 hour.
• Drain the soaked grains and add them to a large pot with water.
• Bring to a boil and simmer until the grains are soft and mushy about 45-60 minutes.
• Remove from heat and blend the mixture with a hand blender until smooth.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
• Transfer the strained liquid to a clean jar.
• Add 1 cup (200 g) of sugar and mix well until dissolved.

Fermentation Process:

• If using yeast: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar and the instant yeast in 1 cup (250 ml) of warm water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until frothy, then add to the strained mixture. Cover with a lid and let it ferment in a cool place for about 20 hours, stirring occasionally.
• If not using yeast: Simply cover the sweetened mixture and let it sit at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, for about 3 days. Stir once a day with a wooden spoon.
• After the fermentation period, add the remaining ½ cup of sugar (100g) (or to taste) and mix well.
• Transfer the boza to a bottle and refrigerate for an additional 1-2 days to allow the flavors to develop further.
• Serve chilled, topped with roasted yellow chickpeas and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

Storage:

• Refrigeration: Store boza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve chilled.
• Freezing is not recommended as it can affect the texture.

For the Dough:

• In a bowl, combine the milk and melted clarified butter, ensuring they are warm.
• In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients for the dough. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients.
• Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix from the edges towards the center until fully corporated.
• Cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

For the Filling:

• Microwave the pitted dates for about 1-1.5 minutes at 800W.
• Blend the softened dates and olive oil in the food processor until they form a smooth paste.
• Lightly coat your hands with the remaining oil and roll the date paste into hazelnut-sized balls. Set aside.

For the Assembly:

• Once the dough is ready, take walnut-sized pieces and roll them into balls.
• Flatten the dough with your finger and place a date ball inside the dough. Close the dough around the date filling and roll it again into a ball.
• Press the filled dough balls into a mamoul mold to shape them, then tap them out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Allow the shaped cookies to rest at room temperature until their surfaces are completely dry at least 1 hour.
• Bake the cookies for about 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven at 410°F / 210°C until they are golden brown.
• Remove the mamoul from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes, as they will be fragile when hot.
• Once cooled, dust the mamoul with powdered sugar and serve. Enjoy!

• Cut the eggplants into medium-sized cubes. Fry them in an air fryer or oven until golden and tender for about 15 minutes.
• In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
• Stir in the canned chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, black pepper, and salt. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce thickens about 10-15 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of water to the pan, stir well, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for another 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• Add the boiled chickpeas and the fried eggplant cubes to the pan. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Cover the pan and cook for an additional 15 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
• Once everything is well combined and heated through, remove from heat. Serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley.

• Preheat the oven to 300 °F/150 °C without fan.
• Place a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or use a double boiler), ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. This method ensures gentle, indirect heat for cooking.
• Constantly whisk the granulated sugar, egg whites, pinch of salt and lemon juice in a bain-marie until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes sticky.
• Remove the mixture from the heat. Fold in the almond meal and almond flour until well combined.
• Pipe the batter in 2 inch circles at a 90 degree angle on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat, leaving space between each cookie.
• Place a raw almond on top of half of the cookies.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 22-24 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden brown and almost set. Keep an eye on them to avoid over-browning.
• Once baked, remove from the oven and sandwich one cookie with an almond on top with one without. They will stick together easily while still warm.
• Allow to cool completely before serving.
• Enjoy your delicious Acıbadem cookies!

• Thinly slice the onion, sprinkle it with salt, then rub it between your hands to soften it. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Add the tomato, onion, parsley and beans to the onion in the mixing in bowl.
• Add the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sumac, and salt. Toss well until combined.
• Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg and roughly chopped parsley.

• Dice the cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and onions. Place them all in a mixing bowl.
• Squeeze the lemon over the salad, sprinkle salt, and drizzle with olive oil.
• Toss everything together until well combined.
• Transfer the salad to a serving plate and enjoy your delicious Çoban Salad. Afiyet Olsun!

Prepare the Syrup:

• Combine the water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved and begins to boil, turn off the heat.

Prepare the Halva:

• Melt the butter and vegetable oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
• Add the flour to the melted butter-oil and stir continuously with a wooden spatula.
• Lower the heat and cook for about 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently, until it turns liquidy and darkens.
• While stirring, pour the prepared syrup into the cooked flour mix, then increase the heat to medium. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat when it's well combined, and stir vigorously for about 5 more minutes.
• Cover the pot and let the halva sit for 15 minutes.
• Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, shape the halva into bite-sized portions.
• Enjoy your Turkish Halva!