Last week, I held another cooking class that I truly enjoyed.
This time my guests were a family of seven from India. Five of them were vegetarian, and two followed the Jain diet.
And that, honestly, was what excited me most. Because in every cooking class, I learn about my guests' culture, their eating habits and their expectations — and then I reinterpret Turkish cuisine in the way that suits them best.
The Jain diet goes beyond vegetarianism and requires particular care. No onions, garlic or root vegetables. At first glance it might seem challenging, but for me it was a wonderful opportunity to develop new recipes and show how rich Turkish cuisine really is.
Together we prepared lentil and walnut börek, currant and bulgur börek, a generous olive salad with sun-dried tomatoes and plenty of fruit, and semolina halva with vegan cheese and carob powder.
But the best part of the day for me wasn't the food.
The conversations while rolling out the dough, the surprised looks when we talked about the spices, laughing together, learning something new — and finally sitting down at the same table and sharing the dishes we had prepared ourselves...
That is exactly what makes a cooking class special to me.
I don't just teach recipes. I want people to leave Turkey with a beautiful memory, new knowledge and an experience they'll never forget.
Vegetarian, vegan, Jain or other dietary preferences — what matters to me is creating a kitchen environment where everyone feels comfortable. Because food is the most beautiful common language that connects different cultures.
At the end of every cooking class, I feel the same thing...
While I'm sharing Turkish cuisine with my guests, they leave a little piece of their own culture with me. I think that's exactly why I love this work so much. ❤️
See also: Family Cooking Workshop in Kaş · My Grandmother's Antep Kitchen · Is a Private Chef Worth It?