Tree of Life: Turkish Home Cooking

Explore the refined flavors and seductive aromas of the Turkish table.

When Joy Stocke and Angie Brenner first met on the balcony of a guesthouse in a small resort town on the Mediterranean coast, they discovered a shared love of history, literature, and local food traditions. The two new friends set off on a cultural adventure tour of Turkey that spanned ten years. Returning home to their respective American kitchens, they couldn't help but call upon the flavors of Anatolia as a kind of culinary souvenir, and incorporate that sensibility into the food they cook every day for themselves, family, and friends.

Based on the memoir Anatolian Days and Nights, Tree of Life presents more than 100 accessible recipes inspired by Turkish food traditions found in the authors' travels. These thoughtful adaptations of authentic dishes draw on readily available ingredients while featuring traditional techniques. Recipes include Circassian Chicken, Carrot Hummus with Toasted Fennel Seeds, Spice-Route Moussaka, Weeknight Lamb Manti, Stuffed Grape Leaves, and Black Sea Hazelnut Baklava, and so much more.