I grew up in Selcuk-Izmir (near Ephesus) in Turkey and helped my family start their family restaurant which has been in business for over 18 years.  In 2007 I met and married my husband, Tim and I moved to the United States the following year.  We had our first child in 2009 and now that he is just over a year old, I have recently established a company which allows me to share my love of food preparation and at the same time share this with others.  As part of this business which we named Turkish Cooking 101, I provide catering for all kinds of events and corporate clients, personal chef services and will soon establish cooking courses to allow others to learn the techniques and food preparation so they too can enjoy this delicious cuisine.

Turkish cooking is filled with healthy food recipes and full of the familiar elements of a Mediterannean diet but with specific variation by region and even unique preparations within Turkey.  In my area which is referred to as the Agean side of Turkey, many recipes are similar to what many have come to know as Greek food and in some cases Lebanese.  What is important about Turkish cooking is the wealth of vegetable dishes which can be easily adopted for a vegetarian life style and at the same time for those who enjoy meat--their are plenty of choices and many tasty recipes which can be prepared.  At this time, my mother and I are planning to finish our own cookbook which will encompass all of the recipes from the many years of serving customers and at the same time share the story of our family.  We hope to complete this for release in the Spring of 2011 so each of you may be able to enjoy the wonderful tasting and healthy food served to the thousands of tourists who visit our restaurant in Turkey each year.

Thank you for visiting my website and I hope to add more information and content for each of you to enjoy learning and cooking Turkish food!

Cansu Mercan Tucker