Join Selda in her modern cooking studio for a hands-on lesson of a few of her favorite seasonal Turkish recipes. As you cook together she'll tell you about the origins of the dishes she prepares and how she experiments with incorporating non-traditional ingredients to create her signature cooking style. Your cooking class will last about 1.5 hours before you sit down to enjoy the meal you helped prepare.
You'll be warmly welcomed into Selda's professional cooking studio in Sariyer, Istanbul. Your authentic seasonal Turkish meal will start with a soup (warm in winter or chilled in summer). Then taste dishes like Selda's savory karnıyarık (eggplant stuffed with minced meat and vegetables, on top of pillowy bulgur wheat), zeytinyağlı taze fasulye (green beans cooked in olive oil, a Turkish staple) and börek filled with chard (a recipe passed down from her husband's mother), all accompanied by a garden-fresh salad.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Selda's father was an excellent cook. Originally from the Black Sea region of Turkey, he fed the family plenty of fish and only the freshest vegetables. Selda remembers him cooking chestnuts on a wood stove in the family home, and omelets that were so beautifully presented that they could have been mistaken for works for art. He believed cooking was a form of personal expression. Selda inherited her father's love of the kitchen - and then some.
Selda prides herself on her healthy take on traditional Turkish recipes cooked with seasonal ingredients. She also likes trying out non-traditional ingredients like quinoa. She has been experimenting with healthy cooking for several years and opened a food studio where she entertains friends and holds workshops. Don't expect common kebabs and other heavy meat dishes at Selda's - she showcases the real foods that Turks eat on a daily basis, with a healthy twist.
A warm and inviting host, Selda loves to entertain and get to know new people.
"We loved the class. We had family from across the United States join. The chef and her team were so professional and so welcoming. The food was delicious. They gave us the opportunity to celebrate as a family even though we can’t get together in person."
"It was delightful to meet Selda and her family, and to have such a delicious meal in her beautiful home, overlooking the Bosphorus Straight."
