Özlem’s Turkish Table Cookbook by Özlem Warren

Cook, teacher, author and Friend of Milk Street Özlem Warren’s cookbook is a love letter to the always fresh, incredibly varied cuisine of Turkey—which is most often savored around a table with family and friends. Warren shares some of her favorite recipes from her hometown of Antioch, Antakya throughout its pages, such as Dried Baked Apricots with Walnuts; Turkish Flat Breads with Spinach, Feta and Peppers, Peynirli Pide; and Homemade Red Pepper Paste, Biber Salçasi; all of which are inspired by the rich lands of Southern Turkey. Warren has loved food since she was a child—her mother and grandmother would cook lunch each day to be enjoyed in her courtyard surrounded by fig trees. And Antakya’s cuisine is bursting with aromatic herbs, bold spices, hearty grains like bulgur and freekeh and simple flavorings like olive oil and molasses. It’s inspired by ancient traditions and has influences from Ottoman, Arabic and French cuisines. In this book are some of Warren’s own favorite Turkish recipes, each lovingly made and passed down from her grandmother to her parents and now to her own family’s table. The book was named Best in the World at the 2020 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Heritage for Turkey and received an Honorary Mention at the 2020 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.