A Library of Dishes

Borscht

Ukraine / Russia

A ruby-red beetroot soup with roots that reach from Kyiv to Kazan.

Blini

Slavic (ancient)

Thin yeasted pancakes, served with sour cream, caviar, or jam.

Golubtsi (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

Ukraine / Russia

Soft cabbage leaves wrapped around a rice-and-meat filling, simmered in tomato sauce.

Buckwheat Kasha

Slavic / Eastern Europe

Toasted buckwheat groats, simmered until fluffy, served plain or with chicken.

Pelmeni

Russia (Ural / Siberia)

Small meat dumplings, boiled in broth, served with sour cream.

Olivier Salad

Russia (Moscow, 1860s)

Potato, egg, pickle, peas and meat, bound in mayonnaise. A New Year's Eve tradition.

Beef Stroganoff

Russia (19th century)

Tender strips of beef in a sour-cream sauce with mushrooms.

Vareniki

Ukraine

Boiled dumplings stuffed with potato, cheese or cherry.

Syrniki

Ukraine / Russia

Small, golden pancakes made from tvorog — soft inside, crisp outside.

Big Bagel Breakfast (B.B.B.)

International, Mediterranean-leaning breakfast plate

A toasted bagel loaded with a full breakfast spread, built for a slow morning.

Menemen

Turkey (Aegean)

Slow-cooked eggs with tomato, green pepper and sucuk — served in the pan.

Adana Kebab

Turkey (Adana)

Minced lamb with red pepper, pressed onto flat skewers and grilled over charcoal.

Lahmacun

Turkey / Levant

Thin flatbread topped with spiced minced lamb, baked in a stone oven.

Baklava

Turkey (Ottoman)

Paper-thin phyllo, pistachio, butter and syrup — the sweetest survivor of the Ottoman court.

Gözleme

Turkey (Anatolia)

Thin yufka dough, folded with cheese, spinach or minced lamb, cooked on a hot griddle.

Şiş Kebab

Turkey (Anatolia)

Marinated cubes of lamb threaded onto a skewer and grilled over open charcoal.

Chicken Şiş Kebab (Tavuk Şiş)

Turkey

Chicken thigh in a yoghurt marinade, skewered and grilled over charcoal until the edges char.

Turkish Mixed Grill

Turkey

Adana, şiş, chicken and köfte from one charcoal grill, served on a single board to share.

Turkish Pide

Turkey (Black Sea / Central Anatolia)

Leavened dough shaped into a long boat, filled with cheese, minced lamb or egg, baked on stone.

Turkish Meze

Turkey / Ottoman Mediterranean

Small cold and hot plates meant to be shared across a long table and a longer evening.

Turkish Tea (Çay)

Turkey (Rize, Black Sea)

Black tea from the Black Sea coast, double-brewed and poured to the colour you ask for.

Çılbır

Turkey (Ottoman)

Poached eggs set over garlicky labne, finished with sizzling chilli butter.

Köfte on Pita

Turkey

Spiced Turkish meatballs, grilled and served inside soft pita bread.

Beyti Kebab

Turkey (Istanbul)

Grilled minced meat kebab wrapped in lavash bread, sliced into rolls, finished with tomato sauce and yoghurt.

Ali Nazik

Turkey (Gaziantep / southeastern Anatolia)

Smoked aubergine purée whipped with garlic yoghurt, topped with minced or cubed grilled meat.

Durum Shawarma

Turkey / Levant

Shaved grilled meat, salad and sauce, rolled tightly in soft durum flatbread.

Turkish Tacos

Turkey (modern street-food format)

A modern Turkish street-food format: grilled filling folded into a small soft flatbread.

Mercimek Çorbası (Red Lentil Soup)

Turkey

Red lentils simmered smooth with onion, carrot and cumin, finished with a squeeze of lemon.

Turkish Coffee

Turkey (Ottoman)

Finely ground coffee brewed in a copper cezve — served unfiltered, with a small piece of lokum.

Shakshuka

North Africa / Eastern Mediterranean

Eggs poached directly in a pan of simmering tomato, pepper and cumin.

Chicken Platter Gyros

Eastern Mediterranean / Turkey

Grilled chicken served as a full platter with the classic Mediterranean fixings.

Musakka (Moussaka)

Eastern Mediterranean / Turkey

Eggplant and vegetables, slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce.

Falafel Mediterranean Plate

Eastern Mediterranean / Levant

Deep-fried chickpea-and-herb patties, served with hummus, salad and pita.

Hummus

Eastern Mediterranean / Levant

Chickpeas blended smooth with tahini, lemon and garlic, finished with olive oil.

Börek (Spinach & Feta)

Turkey (Ottoman)

Thin yufka pastry, layered and baked around a filling of spinach and feta.

Napoleon Cake

Russia / Eastern Europe

Many thin layers of puff pastry, stacked with vanilla custard cream, rested until soft.