Eat Istanbul: A Journey to the Heart of Turkish Cuisine Hardcover – September 1, 2015

I have recently received this book and can truly say it is an awesome purchase. I have been passionate about Turkish food ever since I lived in Istanbul and have taught myself a whole range of dishes. I have an entire shelf full of Turkish cookery books and it's really difficult now to find recipes which I don't yet have and which are practical. This checks those boxes. The photography is awesome and the recipes are delicious. There are a lot of practical, delicious recipes here which are not found in other Turkish cookery books. One little niggle is that sometimes the featured dish is shown in conjunction either with another dish, which is not identified, or there are some beautifully-photographed 2-page photos but the dish featured in those doesn't seem to be identified either, but all in all I would say this is an excellent purchase for those who either know a little about Turkish food and are looking for a beautiful book which serves a very practical purpose or the complete beginner who is interested to find out. The photography is really beautiful and definitely serves the purpose of making the food come right off the plate and making you think you just have to make this dish because you want it to turn out exactly as pictured and eat it. Which I suppose is the very purpose of food photography. This book would be a good purchase along with another excellent new title, 'Jerusalem' by Ottolenghi, or the small but incredibly practical 'Turkish Cooking' by Oliphant, which has been in constant use in my kitchen since it's purchase in Istanbul. I thoroughly recommend this book.

This gorgeous ode to Istanbul’s timeless cuisine recalls Rebecca Seal’s “Istanbul” in its photo-heavy layout and simple, straightforward mezze that can be assembled at a moment’s notice. From the embossed cover to the vibrant street scenes and mouthwatering food, this is a visual delight. Predictably, mezze star prominently, particularly yogurt-based dips and salads, pide, sigara boregi, along with some stellar stuffed vegetables, kebabs, lamb and seafood. Sweets include apricots with clotted cream and walnuts, a pistachio baklava, orange and filo cake, and a Turkish bread and apple pudding. A gorgeous illustrated glossary rounds out the book. The next best thing to a plane ticket to Turkey, the city is as much a star as the food. I loved that every photo and restaurant mentioned also has a address listed, so you could theoretically use this as a guidebook on your next trip to Istanbul!

Rating: 4.5If you love Turkish cuisine, as we do, this is the book for you. The recipes are very interesting and extensive. There is something for everyone in this book, if you're vegetarian, only eat fish or just love deserts this covers most of your needs. By and large the ingredients for the recipes - for these dishes can be found in most cosmopolitan areas via Turkish grocery stores and the internet. There is good spread of rather sumptuous looking pictorials. You also get a form of gastronomic travelogue with richly textured photographs, which give over to the streets and the "visual theme" that just add an extra dimension to this very well done book. This is one book you keep in the Kitchen and not the bookshelf.

Had only tried a few Turkish recipes before I got this book, and was really crossing my fingers that some of the classics I had eaten in restaurants (such as borek and gozleme) were in here.Luckily they were, accompanied by many other delicious looking things that I can't wait to try out.One thing I love is that there's a lot of information about the ingredients, culture, etc. of Turkish cooking, and it's really helpful for someone who's not super familiar with this cuisine. Following the recommendations in the book, I was able to go out to an international food store and find the things I needed for these recipes really quickly, rather than aimlessly wandering the isles like I usually do.

This book is a wonderful compilation of foods you actually find in Istanbul, one of the best international cities anyone can visit for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods. The recipes are easy to follow and totally authentic. I have visited Istanbul many times, and just reading this book made my mouth water. Kudos to the author.

After visiting Istanbul, this book is such a joy. The recipes and images are equally delicious! Worth every penny!

excellent

I don't believe these recipes were tested. At all. If you know how to cook, you can probably adjust them so that they work. Great idea, poor follow through..