Category: turkish

Turkish Braised Leeks with Tomatoes (Prassa Yahnisi): An Easy Jewish Recipe to Cook in Lockdown, No Dodo Feathers Required

One thing that’s become clear in lockdown (if it wasn’t already) is that we all have different ideas of what constitutes an “easy” recipe composed of “basic” ingredients. You’ve probably seen the memes poking fun at professional foodies who seem woefully out of touch with what does and does not constitute a pantry staple for […]

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avicas con prassa

Avicas con Prassa: Sephardic White Beans with Leeks

Okay, it’s time for another post-holiday detox for me. And so, in the spirit of healthy eating, I bring you avicas con prassa, a super-creamy Sephardic white bean and leek stew in a tomato sauce.

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A Simple and Healthy Sephardic Okra Dish: Bamia

I’m still on my post-Pesach detox, and today I have a great, healthy, simple dish—bamia—featuring a vegetable that doesn’t get enough love: okra!

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almodrote

Eggplant and Cheese Casserole: Almodrote de Berengena

Casseroles consisting of eggs, vegetables, and cheese are a mainstay of Sephardic cooking. They go by many names: fritada, sfoungato, quajado, cuajada, esponga, or, in Syria, sabanigh b’jiben. And, last but not least, almodrote. Hailing from Turkey, it can be made with eggplant, spinach or zucchini, and while all are delicious, I’m partial to this eggplant variety, since it’s the first […]

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Iraqi Almond Macaroons with Rosewater and Cardamom for Passover

These delicious Iraqi Passover almond macaroons come from Jennifer Abadi’s awesome new cookbook, Too Good to Passover. More than a cookbook, this is an absolute treasure trove of Passover recipes, traditions, and memories from the Sephardic world and beyond, including from some less-discussed Jewish food traditions like Ethiopian and Yemenite.

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Boyotaschen: The Ashkefardi Purim Mashup You Didn’t Know You Were Missing

It seems like savory hamantaschen are all the rage this year, and I’m throwing my hat into the ring with a truly delightful Ashkenazi-Sephardi mashup: the boyotaschen.

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fritada de espinaca

Fritada de Espinaca

The first time I met my friend R., we got to talking about our shared love of Passover cooking. When I asked him what his favorite dishes were, he said I probably wouldn’t know then because they were Turkish. “Oh yeah?” I said. “Try me.”

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