Turkish Bakery Delight

Many years ago in the Middle East I was fascinated by rings of sesame seed encrusted breads hung on sticks at bakeries and by street vendors. Now I have been able to make them for myself thanks to this lovely book. Packed full of ‘delights’ as you would expect from the name, it is the work of a Turkish-born baker who now lives in Australia. ‘Now sweets and desserts have become my profession and passion,’ she says.

With these recipes the home cook can now prepare gozleme (as seen at many food events), pide, simit (the sesame rings, I told you about), baklava, halva, and a range of cakes you’d swear were from a French patisserie. And lokum – real Turkish delight.

There’s an extensive glossary to interpret some of the unusual ingredients and terms – and the far from faint-hearted might want to try kazandibi, an intriguing dessert that features (yes!) chicken breast.

An exquisite book beautifully illustrated with a variety of recipes underlining Turkey’s unique historical position linking east and west.

Turkish Bakery Delight, by Deniz Göktürk Akçakanat, New Holland Publishers, 2010, hardcover, rrp $29.95

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