Hi, I’m Deniz — the cook, writer and photographer behind The Turkish Dishes. If you are looking for the authentic, mouth-watering flavors of Turkish cuisine, you have come to the right place.
My Story
For me, cooking has never been just about feeding the body; it is about feeding the soul. My love for Turkish food began in my childhood, right in the heart of my grandmother’s kitchen. I grew up watching her turn simple, fresh ingredients into feasts that brought the whole family around one table — the smell of butter slowly melting for a Tirit, the patience it takes to roll paper-thin dough for Kete, the quiet pride of lifting the lid off a pot of Kuru Fasulye that has simmered all afternoon.
Years later, living busier days far from that kitchen, I realized something: most of what the world knows about Turkish food stops at kebab and baklava. The recipes I grew up with — the olive oil dishes, the milk puddings, the soups that cure everything, the böreks folded a hundred different ways — were barely written down anywhere in English, and when they were, the measurements rarely worked outside a Turkish kitchen.
Why This Blog Exists
I created The Turkish Dishes to honor that legacy and close that gap. Every recipe on this site is a dish I have cooked in my own kitchen — not once, but until I trust it. I write the steps the way the dish is actually made in Turkish homes, then translate the measurements into cups and grams so they work anywhere in the world. Where a dish has regional versions, I tell you which one I’m making and why.
You won’t find shortcuts that sacrifice the soul of a dish, and you won’t find ten paragraphs of filler before the recipe either. What you will find: honest ingredient lists, the small tricks that make the difference (why your menemen should never see a whisk, why real Çiğ Börek dough needs to rest), and the story of where each dish comes from.
What You’ll Find Here
- 70+ tested recipes across every corner of the cuisine — hearty soups, slow-cooked main dishes, healthy olive oil dishes, iconic street food and syrupy, creamy desserts.
- A “What Should I Cook Today?” tool that picks a dish for you based on your mood and time.
- Every recipe with a printable card, nutrition estimates, and honest prep times.
Say Hello
I read every message. If a recipe worked for you, if something didn’t, or if there is a Turkish dish you can’t find here and wish you could — write to me or find me on Instagram @theturkishdishescom, where I share what’s cooking between posts.
Afiyet olsun — may it bring you health.
— Deniz