Turkish

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr Savory pastries are a popular element of Turkish cuisine, with a seemingly endless number of shapes and fillings. These little rolls are called sigara böregi, or pastry cigars, because of their shape.

Market Tip: Avoid packaged ground lamb, which can be extremely fatty. Instead, buy shoulder meat or lamb stew meat, which has some fat, and ask the butcher to grind it.

A cold couscous salad and steamed carrots sprinkled with mint would be lovely alongside. Finish with baklava.

Mint and spices add a Turkish flair to this yogurt-based marinade. The flavors are perfect with lamb kebabs or chicken. It's also a good dip for crudités or pita bread. The recipe makes enough to marinate 1 1/2 pounds of lamb or chicken, with some remaining to serve on the side. Any marinade coming in contact with raw meat, seafood or poultry must be boiled for one minute before using it for basting.

This version of the Greek and Turkish dessert features dates instead of nuts. Date palms flourish in the hot climate of the Middle East.

A few years ago, when I was in southeastern Turkey working on my book Mediterranean Grains and Greens, I noticed that the women didn't soak their bulgur in water for some summer preparations. When I asked a Turkish friend about this, she let out a laugh. "In Turkey, no man would marry a woman who just used water! For cold bulgur dishes we always soak in tomato juice, onion juice, or fresh pressed and strained sour grape juice to flavor the bulgur first."

The tastiest way to eat a pound of kale.

Store-bought pita stands in for the more traditional lavash base in this version of lahmacun–a popular street food in Syria, Turkey, and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Tender Turkish Adana-style kebabs are an essential addition to your summer grilling.

The best part of these Turkish-style poached eggs on a bed of crispy bread and creamy yogurt is the garlicky spiced brown butter that gets drizzled on top.

In this dish from southeastern Turkey, chewy, nutty bulgur meets sour-sweet pomegranate molasses meets spicy Aleppo-style pepper meets crunchy-cool lettuce cups.

Istanbul is famous for its grilled mackerel sandwiches dressed with fresh lemon and plenty of crunchy veg—best eaten while strolling along the Bosporus, but equally delicious at a cookout or picnic.

Hot yogurt soup? Yes, hot yogurt soup. It’s creamy, savory comfort in a bowl.

Think of this creamy cashew yogurt as a new, flavorful vessel for your granola or fruit in the morning.