This book is the result of the support, spirit, and efforts of my maternal grandmother, a memorable “Hanım ağa” of Ula and a top-level chef; my beautiful mother, a perfectionist in her cooking; my father, who taught me to enjoy new foods at any time (like botarga for breakfast); my entire extended family, who always rejoiced in food and making each sofra—a table spread with food is always called a sofra, a word making it special—a spontaneous degustation session; and many other people. I am obliged to mention some who have empowered me with their support.
I would like to express my deepest thanks to Halise Akıncı for sharing recipes accumulated over her ninety-three-year life; Sultan Yalçın, who passed on the old family recipes; Döndü Dazkırılı for being a most helpful assistant in the kitchen; Zeynep Taymas, who provided special props for the photo session; award-winning film director Yüksel Aksu, for sharing invaluable information of the last of the Turcoman tribes; Sarikecililer in Anatolia, a nomadic group who have kept alive the unique culture of nomadic Turkish tribes; Vedat Başaran, Turkey’s gastronomy leader, for sharing his invaluable archives; my lovely friend Anita Benadrete for her delicious Georgian chicken recipe; Ruti Levi for the recipe for the best tarama I have ever tasted; Guiletta Şavul for sending me the Jewish recipes from İzmir; Aspasia Israfil, who helped me understand the ingredients found in the United States that could be substituted in Turkish dishes; chefs Şirvan Payasli (master of authentic Gaziantep kebabs), Feridun Ügümü, Tahsin Kurtlu, and Aydin Demir, who have successfully promoted Turkish food for many years through their passionate, professional cooking; Civan Er and Emre Sen for sharing recipes created with their passion for a futuristic Turkish cuisine; and last but not least chef Carlo Bernardini, for interpreting Turkish dishes through his expertise of Venetian cooking. My most heartful thanks go to Gürsel Göncü, for sharing his research on Turkish fish culture in the period of Ottoman Empire for this book. Special thanks to Galip Yorgancıoğlu for sharing his knowledge on Turkish wine.
Many grateful thanks go to my ever-so-true friend Filiz Hösükoğlu for answering in detail my never-ending questions about one of most important culinary centers of Turkey, Gaziantep. I am forever indebted to the late Dun Gifford, the founder of Oldways Foundation, one of the first people to show confidence in my cooking and Turkish cuisine, and Sara Bear-Sinnot for her support of my works. Thanks also to esteemed American writers Deborah Dunn, Melissa Clark, and Paula Wolfert, who have helped my book come alive with their enthusiasm at my dinner table and their unflagging support of Turkish cuisine abroad, and encouraged me by giving space to my food in their articles or books; London chefs Samuel and Samantha Clark, whose admiration for Turkish food helped me create new tastes; esteemed writer Barrie Kerper, for publishing my musings on the subtleties of Turkish cooking in her book Istanbul: The Collected Traveler; and last but not least, Dana Cowin, editor of Food & Wine magazine, who featured my recipes and thus made it possible for Turkish cuisine to gain worldwide recognition long before it was recognized by other publications.
I thoroughly enjoyed working with my photographers Helen Cathcart and Bekir İşcen, and without doubt their beautiful photographs give a wonderful dimension to my book. I am grateful to Kari Stuart for supporting me all the way and finding me the best publisher, and also Lauren Zelin who, after spending her honeymoon in Ula cooking with me, introduced me to Kari Stuart. Thank you to my team at Abrams, Camaren Subhiyah, Holly Dolce, Sally Knapp, and True Sims, and to Kimberly Glyder for her beautiful design. My ever-grateful thanks to my editor Marisa Bulzone for her sensitivity and precision over the text and recipes, and of course esteemed cooking expert and author Anya von Bremzen, an expert in Turkish cuisine through years of unending interest in Turkish dishes, who not only helped to present the recipes in this book, but also so kindly and generously provided the foreword, which has brought tears to my eyes. Engin Akın
