Ozlem Warren: Istanbul
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What inspired Ozlem Warren’s first Turkish cookbook and its fundraising impact?
Hello and welcome back to Cooking the Books with me Jilly Smith, the podcast which takes us through four food moments from the books of our favourite food writers. It's about all of life through the prism of food. And this week I'm with the word on Turkish food and heritage, Erslem Warren, in Istanbul.
Talk about the breakfast cafes, Kachwalt, my favorite meal of the day, or a snufflockant tradesman restaurant, the humble no-frills places that you can have really nourishing, home styled, great value food, street food, we have so much variety. Seafood again, you know, surrounded with phosphorus and sea of marmor and
Now we've followed Uslem from her debut, Uslem's Turkish Table, which inspired a fundraising supper club at my house for the earthquake in Turkey back in twenty twenty three. Now after the success of Sebse, her vegetarian Turkish smash hit, she's taking us to Istanbul. I joined a handful of food writers, including Sabrina Gayor, at a dinner recently at the Turkish Ambassador's residence in London, to celebrate the launch of Istanbul. And I began by asking Uzlem about this meteoric journey since her first book back in twenty nineteen.
You know, it's been over twenty twenty years actually, you know, I suppose the way the exposure perhaps has been right out there. But the the work of it, the background of it. I've been teaching Turkish cookery since early two thousand, writing recipes and all that. Uh it was a very special moment coming to see you with with the debut book and we did that beautiful fundraising for Antaky. I never forget your kindness. Never forget we we raised over ten thousand pounds with the book sales and the events and all went to the charity. Uh that was down to that first debut book. Um I'm very proud of it. But the mission was really to tell folks about the authentic Turkish food, um, the traditions. The richness, the vibrancy, the diversity.
And here we are with Istanbul. I'm I'm really, really delighted.
And it's interesting that you say that, you know, it's about putting the work in. You are highly respected. I mean, only last week we were at the Turkish Ambassador's residence for a dinner. Um and I arrived just in time to witness the first lady's address by Zoom. I know.
It's uh yes, they are really
I mean just let's take a moment. That is quite astonishing. Although as you put it into the context of all that work done, the money raised, the constant and rooted attention to detail to tell the stories of Turkey through its cuisine. That that absolutely the first lady should be at your launch, or not ev it wasn't even your launch. You did you did that too and a whole host of people came and and honored you. But she was there to say, you know what, Oslim, you have done a fantastic job for Turkey. Well done. And it's something, you know, when I say meteoric I'm thinking about the books. It's not that long since your debut came out. And it was an independent publisher and you decided that that's what you wanted to do.
And I wanted to ask you if you feel that within that context of teaching um Turkish food for over twenty years and and banging the drum for Turkish food, whether it is something like a book through the help of Instagram that really does then set you off like a rocket and make you the real sort of authentic voice of Turkish food. Not that there are not others and we'll talk about those, but you know, you can stake your claim there.
I think so and I think the bottom line is that you build that trust with your reader.
How did the Turkish Ambassador’s dinner launch the new book *Istanbul*?
You know, I I have my blog, Oslamstokish Table dot com. I've had that for years. There is a ton of recipe there. You know, I never take recipes out because there's millions of folk out there. Not everyone has to buy my book. It's just that exposure and I think really trust people now get the sense Okay, I know her recipes work. I know I can make it at home. I know um wherever I'm in the world there are ways that we we we find ways and make it work. I think for me so precious and just now seeing mothers sending me notes, opening the book with their children and cooking from it and getting excited.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What inspired Ozlem Warren’s first Turkish cookbook and its fundraising impact?
0:00–3:53
2
How did the Turkish Ambassador’s dinner launch the new book *Istanbul*?
3:53–7:24
3
Why does Ozlem emphasize trust and authenticity in her Turkish recipes?
7:24–11:22
4
What is gastrodiplomacy and how was it referenced at the ambassador’s event?
11:22–15:21
5
How does the book structure its chapters around Istanbul’s breakfast cafés and markets?
15:21–18:42
6
What are the signature dishes featured – Turkish breakfast, red‑lentil soup, and market salads?
18:42–22:07
7
How does Ozlem adapt traditional Turkish flavors for modern, vegetarian cooking?
22:07–25:26
8
What role do younger Turkish‑heritage chefs play in preserving and evolving the cuisine?
25:26–29:33