Manti

Manti are traditional Turkish dumplings filled with spiced ground meat and onions. The dumplings are most commonly topped with a sauce consisting of yogurt and garlic. The name of the dish is derived from mantu, meaning dumplings, and they were originally brought over from Central Asia to Türkiye by nomadic Turkish tribes in the 13th century. Today, …

Sarma

One of the staples of traditional Turkish cuisine, sarma consists of a filling that is snugly surrounded by leaves or leafy vegetables. There are numerous versions of this dish but the mixture typically combines ingredients such as minced meat, rice or bulgur, various herbs, seasonings, red pepper, paprika, ground sumac, or tomato sauce, while the …

Dondurma

Turkish ice cream is believed to originate from the city of Maraş—hence the name—and what really sets it apart from other varieties is its resistance to melting and a particularly dense, chewy texture. These qualities are brought by adding two thickening agents to the basic milk and sugar mixture: Arab gum, also known as mastic …

Börek

Börek is a baked dish consisting of a savory or sweet filling wrapped in yufka – thinly stretched sheets of dough made with flour, water, and salt. Heartier than phyllo, but thinner than a tortilla, hand-made yufka is typically brushed with butter before baking.   Although many countries have their own versions of this satisfying dish, it …

Baklava

The remarkable baklava is a luscious dessert created with layers of thin phyllo dough intertwined with chopped nuts, all doused in a sweet, viscous syrup. The popularity of baklava has long surpassed borders, regions, and ethnic groups to become a dessert whose origin and invention is claimed by numerous countries.   It is probable that …

Köfte

Kofta or köfte are walnut-sized fried meatballs, usually made from ground beef or lamb. It is a popular Turkish meze dish that is often prepared for special occasions and cocktail parties, since the meatballs are quite easy to prepare and can be easily consumed with a toothpick.   Köfte come in various degrees of spiciness and in numerous …

Tocino de cielo

Tocino de cielo is a traditional dessert that originated in the monasteries of Jerez de la Frontera and Montilla-Moriles in the 19th century. The dessert is made with water, sugar, and eggs, while the caramel part is made with only sugar and water.   The beaten eggs are combined with warm sugar syrup, then poured …

Peladillas

Peladillas are small Spanish treats consisting of toasted almonds encased in a hard sugar coating. There is also a variety made with pine nuts, which is then called pinones. Peladillas are characterized by a crunchy texture, and a sweet, nutty flavor. Along with turrones and polvorones, peladillas are traditionally served during the Christmas festivities in Spain.

Pescado seco

Due to the abundance of fish in the waters around the Canary Islands, fish specialties have always been a prominent feature of the islands’ cuisine, with dried fish (called pescado seco in Spanish) being one of them. The fish are prepared according to age-old traditional methods of preserving fish that have been handed down through generations and …

Ollada

Ollada is a traditional Valencian and Catalan dish consisting of meat and vegetables that are boiled together in a casserole. The meat used in ollada is typically pork, duck, or veal, while carrots, artichokes, and potatoes are the most common choices for vegetables. This dish is also enjoyed in the French Pyrénées-Orientales department, and it is …

Mojito pitcher

Ingredients 6 limes plus 1 lime sliced, to serve 4 tbsp granulated sugar 4-5 mint sprigs ice 350ml white rum 600ml sparking water Method step 1 Chop each lime into six pieces and drop them into a two-litre jug. Add the sugar and squish the lime wedges with a muddler, or the end of a rolling pin. Keep crushing to get out …

Aperol spritz

Ingredients ice 100ml Aperol 150ml prosecco soda to top up Method step 1 Put a couple of cubes of ice into 2 glasses and add a 50 ml measure of Aperol to each. Divide the prosecco between the glasses and then top up with soda, if you like.

Sugar-cured strawberries & white chocolate crumble

Ingredients 60g milk powder 50g cornflour 20g light brown soft sugar 50g butter melted 100g white chocolate melted 400g strawberries 4 tbsp crème fraîche 20g pistachios chopped mint leaves (optional), to serve Method step 1 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Mix the milk powder, cornflour and half the sugar together, then pour over the …

Appletini

Ingredients 50ml vodka 50ml cloudy apple juice ½ tsp lemon juice ½ tsp maple syrup apple to serve Method step 1 Shake the vodka, cloudy apple juice, lemon juice and maple syrup in an ice-filled shaker until the outside of the shaker feels very cold. step 2 Strain into a martini glass and garnish with …

Bocadillo de lomo

Bocadillo or bocata de lomo is a Spanish sandwich that consists of bread filled with pork tenderloin. A Spanish-style baguette (barra de pan), mollete, or ciabatta is typically sliced in half lengthwise, and it is then often toasted or grilled for added crunchiness.   Both sides of the bread are usually rubbed with ripe tomato halves and garlic …

Bocadillo de atún

Bocadillo or bocata de atún is a classic variety of the Spanish bocadillo sandwich. It typically consists of nothing more than a Spanish-style baguette (barra de pan) which is sliced down the middle and filled with a generous amount of canned tuna in oil.   The bread’s interior may optionally be rubbed with tomato halves, olive oil, or …