Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 17
 This Book Will Not Give You The Blues July 19, 2009
Sacramento Book Review (Sacramento, CA)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
It is rare to find a cookbook so beautiful and captivating that you linger over every page and feel inspired to try each recipe, but//Turquoise,//by Greg and Lucy Malouf, is just such a book. It follows the couple's culinary journey across Turkey and is filled with rich tales and stunning photographs of the people they met, the places they visited and the foods they ate. It also contains a considerable amount of detail describing Turkey's turbulent history and illustrating the vast cultural influences that have helped to create this uniquely diverse country.
Rather than make this a book of just traditional Turkish recipes, the Maloufs set out to also create their own recipes based on the classic flavors, aromas and textures that they experienced while in Turkey. Resulting are innovative and inspired recipes, that carry a strong element of Turkish influence.
Appetizers such as zucchini blossoms filled with cheese and mint or Istanbul style mussels, stuffed with rice, pine nuts and currants are unusual and delicious. Salad recipes, such as one featuring walnuts, green olives, pomegranate seeds, serrano chiles and parsley are refreshing and bursting with flavor and color.
Dumplings and savory pastries are featured prominently in this book in both classic and modern renditions. For example, Manti, which are similar to ravioli and typically filled with lamb and served with a yogurt sauce, emerge in an updated version filled with crab meat and served with saffron broth.
Entree recipes for lamb, beef, poultry and seafood stand out, but there are a number of vegetarian options offered as well. Two delicious versions of Kofte, similar to meatballs and traditionally made with ground lamb, are given: one with spiced pumpkin and another with red lentils and bulgur.
Desserts are fantastic and flavorful ranging from puddings and creams to ice cream and pastries.
Simply put, this book is suitable for amateur and avid cooks, literal and virtual travelers and anyone who appreciates beautiful photography and great stories. Regardless of your interests, this is surely a book that will be opened frequently.
Reviewed by
Andrea Rappaport
Excellent cookbook! September 28, 2009
Carol M. Porter (los angeles, ca)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I am a collector of cookbooks and let me tell you, get this one. Some very different recipes with well written, clear directions. I could live on the yoghurt with chicken soup and the olive salad with pistachios, walnuts and pomegranate seeds is fabulous. I am cooking my way through it....Terrific book.
So good you might want to get two! January 8, 2009
A. I. Berg
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The hefty price tag made that it has been on my wish list for a while.
But the book is worth every penny!
It has wonderful travel stories and the most beautiful pictures that take me right back to our holiday in Turkey.
And the recipes are absolutely delicious! There are a few original recipes, but mostly it's Greg Malouf's own recipes which are a modern take on the Turkish kitchen, but put together with the highest respect for it's origins.
The book itself is printed on beautiful paper and has a heavy duty binding.
This book is so good that you might want two.....one for the coffee table and one to get stained in the kitchen.
A delicious book!
Sunshine and Sumac March 26, 2009
Cookie (Melbourne, Victoria Australia)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have only recently discovered Turkish cooking and this book is certainly going to increase my appetite for it. A travelogue within a cookbook with the kind of photos that let you imagine the sunshine on your shoulders and the aroma of roast lamb with spices you have never tried before. Turkish cooking is basic, healthy, quick and tasty. The Maloufs explain the recipes in a straight forward way. Most of the ingredients are available in city supermarkets especially if you explore some of the smaller middle eastern shops. I tried the lamb shaslicks first up then the pomegranate drink. A real change from steak and 2 veg.
Beautiful book! July 29, 2009
Caroline U (Los Angeles, CA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a lovely book full of stunning pictures from all around Turkey. It's pretty enough to prominently display on a coffee table or counter, but functional because the recipes are easy to follow and delicious! We just got this book 2 days ago and have already made three recipes (all successful). My only wish would be to see the Turkish name for every recipe (not just a select few). And, my husband (from Turkey) says the recipes are really tasty, but they're adaptations of traditional recipes. So, if you're looking to impress some Turkish friends, be aware you're making "new" versions of traditional foods- and they're quite tasty!!!
Enjoy Turquoise, it makes me want to go back to Turkey every time I open another page... makes me hungry too!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 17
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