Turkey has made an enduring contribution to the world's cuisine with its diverse and important gastronomic history and classic--simple yet rich in flavors--recipes. Turkish cuisine is a colorful mosaic, enriched by the recipes and techniques of many ancient cultures--Phoenician, Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, Chinese, and Greek--and the creativity of the cooks and the geography of the regions they lived in. Inspired by the best of regional cooking, this unique and masterful collection of recipes shares a rediscovery of timeless authentic, healthful, refreshing, and easy-to-prepare Turkish dishes--from classics to lesser known family favorites, and even lost recipes. Written with a zest for food and culture, this book is packed with the delights of Turkey's regions, from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, from Europe to Asia, the Aegean to Anatolia. Using only the healthiest and freshest ingredients--from fresh fruits and yogurt to vegetables, fish, poultry, and meat--the regional recipes are cooked in an infinite variety of ways, with exciting flavor and texture combinations. Eggplant alone can be prepared in more than 40 different ways. In areas where fish, meat or poultry weren't available, cooks created outstanding recipes that utilized grains, pulses, and vegetables. Since Turkish cooking requires no special equipment or unusual ingredients it is generally very easy to prepare. Healthful and tantalizing, simple and delicious, Turkish cuisine is well on its way to becoming the next big trend in cooking as more and more attention is being paid to it as the original Mediterranean diet.