Like cooking and want to try add a new international cuisine to your repertoire? Don't really (ever) cook but want to give it a try and start off with something basic yet unique? Whoever you are, you'll enjoy the art of Turkish cooking. Recipes are easy to follow, ingredients are few, and you may add or remove ingredients at leisure according to your own taste. Recipes are not too spicy nor bland but the perfect combination for any palate. Turkey embraces the healthy cooking of the Mediterranean, using fresh fruits and vegetables and lots of olive oil. Dishes are family-sized and vegetarian friendly. The recipes in this book were compiled while in Turkey through regional visits to villages, sharing the table with locals and chatting over chai and backgammon matches. Some were graciously offered by Turkish friends or friends' mothers who have been cooking for their large families for decades. In Turkey, people come together at the table to enjoy a well-prepared meal, appreciate foods passed down generation to generation, and reconnect with family after a long day. Come experience the beauty and simplicity of Turkish cooking with me through these 111 varied recipes and be transported to a land of hospitality, heritage, and magic. Afiyet Olsun (Enjoy Your Meal!)