 4 Servings 3 tablespoons of butter 3 tomatoes 4 hot green peppers 4 slices of bread 500 g meat, cut into cubes or ground (kofte) 500g yoghurt pepper red pepper salt

 Leave meat cubes in a marinade of onion juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook peeled tomatoes, cut into small pieces and 1 tablespoon of butter. Keep warm. Toast bread, cut into small slices and distribute on the plates. Prefer using 'pide' instead of bread, if you can find.  Skewer meat and grill on coal fire. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and pour over bread. Add hot tomato sauce and yoghurt.Remove meat from skewer and place on the dish. Serve with hot green pepper and parsley.  You may prepare this meal with half meat cubes and half ground meat on skewers, too. If you wish, add melted hot butter on top.

 Turkish Raki is the most popular drink for Turkish Men When one thinks of Turkey or Turks, one is reminded of Raki, the traditional Turkish drink. Raki can be made from different fruits in different regions, but raisin is the most common. The drink made in Anatolia and known as Turkish raki has a history going back 300 years. The art of distillation which started in the Arab world and spread to the neighboring countries was implemented when people thought of making use of the sugar in the residue of wine processing. With the addition of aniseed, raki took on its Turkish characteristic

 A cup of Turkish coffee is endowed with a variety of important connotations for Turks: friendship, affection and sharing. This is best illustrated in the old saying: "A single cup of coffee can create a friendship that lasts for 40 years". Turkish coffee is such an intrinsic part of Turkish culture that it has given its name to the word for breakfast, "kahvaltı", which translates as "before coffee", and is derived from the words "kahve" (coffee) and "altı" (before). Serving a cup of Turkish Coffee is also a way of sealing a friendship. The preparation and care taken by a host in serving Turkish Coffee to his guests is an important aspect of hospitality. In Turkey, it is traditional for a prospective bride to serve coffee to her suitor and his family when they come to ask for her hand in marriage. Accepting a cup of coffee is a source of pride to the person who offers it. This is illustrated in the Turkish expressions "his coffee can be drunk" and "I would drink a cup of your coffee".

 To Prepare the Filling: 1 level dessert spoon salt 1 level dessert spoon sugar 1/2 bunch each of parsley, mint and dill. 25 grams currants 25 grams pine nuts 250 grams boiling water 250 grams olive oil 250 grams rice 750 grams finely chopped onion  Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook to a golden color. Add the washed nuts and pinenuts. Stir constantly over a medium heat for about 30 minutes until the rice becomes golden in color. Add the salt, sugar, currants and mix. Add the boiling water and mix again. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15 minutes. Add the dill, mint and parsley and stir. Place on a serving dish and let cool before using. 

 Stuffed Grape Leaves Yaprak Dolmasi 250 grams grape leaves (large ones with fine veins) 1/2 coffee spoon sugar, 1/2 salt 10 glasses of water plus 1 glass of water 2 coffee cups olive oil the juice of 1 lemon  To prepare the grape leaves: Remove the stems and boil the grape leaves for 5 minutes in 10 glasses of water and lemon juice. Drain and let cool. Put the firmest leaves with the thickest veins on the bottom of a saucepan.  How to fill the grape leaves:  Place a leaf on your left hand, with the large point going past your little finger. With the right hand place a roll of the filling in the middle of the leaf. Fold the 2 side points toward the center and then roll towards the large point of the leaf.

Manti is one of my favorite Turkish traditional dishes. Manti is very popular and common in Turkey. It takes time to prepare, but it’s really worth of your time! You should try it to taste a real Turkish flavor. Preparing manti is very fun and easy if you make it a team work.

3-3 ½ cups flour 1 egg 2/3 cup lukewarm water 1 tsp salt to taste Filling: ½ lb ground beef 1 onion, finely chopped/shredded ½ tsp salt to taste ½ tsp black pepper For cooking: 8 cups water 1 tsp salt Sauce: 2 cups yogurt 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced ¼ tsp salt to taste 3-4 tbsp butter/oil 1 tbsp tomato paste/2/3 tsp paprika 2-3 tbsp water Dried mint Sumac

In a bowl place the flour, crack the egg and add the salt and water. Then knead till you get a firm and smooth dough. Knead for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure to make it firm to flatten easily later. Cover it with a damp towel or cloth and leave for a rest (15-30 minutes). Meanwhile in a plate mix all the filling ingredients and set aside. Divide the dough into 2-3 pieces, take one piece and place on the floured counter. Cover the rest of the dough. Then with a rolling pin flatten the dough as thin as you can (as thick as the ridge of a knife). Then, cut it with a knife or roulette into ¾ inch (1 ½-2 cm) square pieces (see the picture). Then place ¼ tsp filling over each square (see the picture). Then stick the both traverse edges diagonally, by pressing with your finger tips (see the picture). Do the same procedure for the remaining dough. For cooking, boil the water in a big pot and add salt. Then add all the manti into the boiling water. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent them sticking to each other. Make sure not to close the lid. Cook over medium heat till manti gets soft (for about minutes). Meanwhile prepare the sauce. In a bowl mix yogurt, salt and garlic. In a small pan; melt the butter/oil and stir in tomato paste and water. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat. If you prefer using paprika, just add paprika into melted butter/oil and turn the heat off after one minute. Do not add water while using paprika. Drain the cooked manti and transfer it into serving plates. Let it cool for a while and pour the yogurt sauce over. Finally pour about one tbsp of butter/oil mixture all over (adjust the amount as you like). And if desired sprinkle some dried mint and sumac over the Turkish Ravioli. This recipe makes 6-7 servings. ENJOYsee the picturesee the picturesee the picture

Rovithia or Arvitsa in a Kalymnian oven (chickpeas)