Istanbul: Delicious Recipes from the Heart of the City - Hardcover

by Özlem Warren (Author)

'This book... captures all the flavors of this magical city, both inside the home and out. The recipes are beautiful in their simplicity.'Ana Sortun

'As someone who deeply loves Istanbul and its cuisine, I truly admire the way Özlem brings the spirit of the city to life in this book. Each page feels like a walk through the magical streets of Istanbul, filled with authentic flavors and heartfelt stories. I am so excited for everyone who brings this book into their home.'Betul Tunc

'Özlem has written a cookbook that not only represents the magical city of Istanbul, it is Istanbul: vibrant, diverse, colorful, and alive. To read it and to cook from it is to ingest its spirit.' Rosemary Gill, Milk Street

'A gorgeous love letter to Istanbul. I couldn't love this book more'. Diana Henry

'Özlem has a real talent for delivering her beautiful Turkish recipes to us but making them accessible and easy to make at home without compromising on flavor or authenticity.' Sabrina Gayhour

'It has always been my dream to visit Istanbul, and I have today, after reading this brilliant cookbook. Recipes and stories from one of the most diverse cities on earth.' Olia Hercules

'This book is a first-class ticket to the tastiest city in the world, and Özlem is the ultimate guide, taking us around, behind the scenes, and away from the crowds.' Honey & Co

With over 80 delicious, easy-to-make recipes, award-winning author Özlem Warren brings the vibrant and diverse flavours of Istanbul to your home kitchen.

Influenced by its geographical position and the many ethnic groups that made the city their home, each in turn contributing to its cuisine, Istanbul's food is multicultural, delicious and satisfying.

From explorations of the city's famous street food and home-style restaurants to gems from farmers' markets and patisseries, in this stunning cookbook you can find classics such as Hünkar Begendi (lamb stew over smoked aubergine) and Soganli Menemen (scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers and onions), perennial favourites such as Kolay Gözleme (easy gözleme with cheese and spinach), multicultural flavours such as Çerkez Tavugu (Circassian chicken with walnut sauce), crowd-pleasers like Cheat's Manti, sweet treats such as Sekerpare (semolina cookies in syrup with pistachios) and so much more.

Author Biography

Özlem Warren is an award-winning author, Turkish food writer and cookery teacher. She frequently travels to teach Turkish cookery in the USA, Tu]rkiye, UK, Europe and Jordan. Her recipes and articles are published in major newspapers and magazines, including Waitrose Food, Waitrose Weekend, Good Food, delicious, Food and Travel, Olive, National Geographic Traveller, The New York Times Cooking, The Washington Post, Milk Street Magazine, VOGUE Tu]rkiye, Hu]rriyet Daily News and Sabah Daily. Her debut book, Özlem's Turkish Table, won the 2020 Gourmand Best in the World Award inFood Heritage. Her second cookery book, Sebze: Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, won the 2025 Gourmand Best in the World Award in Vegetarian Category. Özlem is passionate about her homeland, has hosted numerous culinary tours to Istanbul and Tu]rkiye, and also has participated inMilk Street & Culinary Backstreets Istanbul culinary tours. Özlem shares her recipes, events and travels on her Instagram page: @ozlems_turkish_table