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Soframiz: Vibrant Middle Eastern Recipes from Sofra Bakery and Cafe [A Cookbook]
This charming collection of 100 recipes for everyday cooking and entertaining from Cambridge's Sofra Bakery and Cafe, showcases modern Middle Eastern spices and flavors through exotic yet accessible dishes both sweet and savory.
Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick have traveled extensively throughout Turkey and the Middle East, researching recipes and gaining inspiration for their popular cafe and bakery, Sofra. In their first cookbook together, the two demystify and explore the flavors of this popular region, creating accessible, fun recipes for everyday eating and entertaining. With a primer on essential ingredients and techniques, and recipes such as Morning Buns with Orange Blossom Glaze, Whipped Feta with Sweet and Hot Peppers, Eggplant Manoushe with Labne and Za'atar, and Sesame Caramel Cashews, Soframiz will transport readers to the markets and kitchens of the Middle East.
Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick have traveled extensively throughout Turkey and the Middle East, researching recipes and gaining inspiration for their popular cafe and bakery, Sofra. In their first cookbook together, the two demystify and explore the flavors of this popular region, creating accessible, fun recipes for everyday eating and entertaining. With a primer on essential ingredients and techniques, and recipes such as Morning Buns with Orange Blossom Glaze, Whipped Feta with Sweet and Hot Peppers, Eggplant Manoushe with Labne and Za'atar, and Sesame Caramel Cashews, Soframiz will transport readers to the markets and kitchens of the Middle East.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2016
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214 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 3, 2016
This cookbook is based on an Middle Eastern-themed bakery in Cambridge, Mass. The authors, Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick, opened the bakery in 2008, after years of travelling and research.
The theme of the cookbook, and of their cooking philosophy, is accurately described in the following quote from the book: "We believe in learning the rules before we break them, so we study technique, ingredients and recipes constantly."
I do not regularly prepare middle eastern dishes. Other than falafel, couscous and barley, and a version of Persian rice pilaf, I do not often work with ingredients typical to that cuisine. Not even hummus! Also, I generally dislike eating flowery flavors, which sometimes pops up in the recipes and dishes. This recipe collection is apparently not strictly traditional, and appears to include some rather innovative dishes!
Most of the vegetable-based dishes look delicious; I am planning a meal with few a few of the veggie dishes, some dips and some of the flat breads and crackers. The recipes demand that I attempt them, and they look easy enough for me to do so.
**Edited to add results of recipe testing**
I cooked 5 recipes from the book, and found only 2 of them to "work." By "work," I mean turn out edible, and/or resembling the photo or description.
The Whipped Goat Cheese with Almonds and Raisins was a success, although it is really just goat cheese with things mixed in, so I am not surprised that one worked.
Persian-Style Carrots and Black-Eyed Peas is a good recipe, too. Lovely spices, and great flavor.
The Pita Bread recipe did not turn out as promised! Using the exact measurements, the dough was so wet it was not a dough, it was a runny batter. It rose and smelled lovely, but was too wet and sticky, and did not bake in a flattened state. It tasted delicious, but it was neither flat nor did it have a pocket. I felt confused and betrayed!
Spicy Tomato Bulgar Salad was good, but the bulgar didn't soften, or fluff, or fully absorb the cool vinaigrette after soaking for 10 minutes as instructed by the recipe. Or an hour. Being used to chewy, not pebbly bulgar, I had to add some boiling water to improve the dish. Unless the desired texture result was pebbles, I would have to say this is a fail. The taste was average.
The Yellow Split Peas with Za'atar Spiced Almonds (again using the exact measurements) came out as a fluid dip rather than the lusciously thick and fluffy result from the photograph. The taste was great, but the consistency was like creamy salad dressing.
**
The recipes are divided in the following categories:
Breakfast,
Meze,
Flatbreads (my favorite chapter),
Savory Pies,
Cookies and Confections,
Specialty Pastries, Cakes and Desserts,
and
Beverages.
The ingredients and dishes are beautifully photographed. I wish I lived near the bakery, so I could sample the pastries and breads, and meals how they are really meant to be served. With the success rate that I had, I can not recommend this to people not familiar with preparing similar cuisine styles.
** edit ended**
**eARC Netgalley**
The theme of the cookbook, and of their cooking philosophy, is accurately described in the following quote from the book: "We believe in learning the rules before we break them, so we study technique, ingredients and recipes constantly."
I do not regularly prepare middle eastern dishes. Other than falafel, couscous and barley, and a version of Persian rice pilaf, I do not often work with ingredients typical to that cuisine. Not even hummus! Also, I generally dislike eating flowery flavors, which sometimes pops up in the recipes and dishes. This recipe collection is apparently not strictly traditional, and appears to include some rather innovative dishes!
Most of the vegetable-based dishes look delicious; I am planning a meal with few a few of the veggie dishes, some dips and some of the flat breads and crackers. The recipes demand that I attempt them, and they look easy enough for me to do so.
**Edited to add results of recipe testing**
I cooked 5 recipes from the book, and found only 2 of them to "work." By "work," I mean turn out edible, and/or resembling the photo or description.
The Whipped Goat Cheese with Almonds and Raisins was a success, although it is really just goat cheese with things mixed in, so I am not surprised that one worked.
Persian-Style Carrots and Black-Eyed Peas is a good recipe, too. Lovely spices, and great flavor.
The Pita Bread recipe did not turn out as promised! Using the exact measurements, the dough was so wet it was not a dough, it was a runny batter. It rose and smelled lovely, but was too wet and sticky, and did not bake in a flattened state. It tasted delicious, but it was neither flat nor did it have a pocket. I felt confused and betrayed!
Spicy Tomato Bulgar Salad was good, but the bulgar didn't soften, or fluff, or fully absorb the cool vinaigrette after soaking for 10 minutes as instructed by the recipe. Or an hour. Being used to chewy, not pebbly bulgar, I had to add some boiling water to improve the dish. Unless the desired texture result was pebbles, I would have to say this is a fail. The taste was average.
The Yellow Split Peas with Za'atar Spiced Almonds (again using the exact measurements) came out as a fluid dip rather than the lusciously thick and fluffy result from the photograph. The taste was great, but the consistency was like creamy salad dressing.
**
The recipes are divided in the following categories:
Breakfast,
Meze,
Flatbreads (my favorite chapter),
Savory Pies,
Cookies and Confections,
Specialty Pastries, Cakes and Desserts,
and
Beverages.
The ingredients and dishes are beautifully photographed. I wish I lived near the bakery, so I could sample the pastries and breads, and meals how they are really meant to be served. With the success rate that I had, I can not recommend this to people not familiar with preparing similar cuisine styles.
** edit ended**
**eARC Netgalley**
October 4, 2016
I received this book as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A few weeks ago, I finished reading my first Persian cookbook, which was so interesting that it inspired me to order $60 worth of Middle Eastern spices online so that I could test recipes from that book. Since I had the supplies, I decided to request Soframiz based solely on the fact that the publisher’s blurb described it as containing recipes from a Middle Eastern bakery and café in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My hope was that this book would be more of a primer in Middle Eastern cooking than an extended advertisement for the bakery and café. My hope was fulfilled; this cookbook fills a nice niche for Turkish and Lebanese café and street cuisine.
The book is divided into seven basic sections: breakfast, meze, flatbreads, savory pies, cookies and confections, specialty pastries, cakes and desserts, and beverages. Each section begins with a list of recipes within the section, and a one to two page introduction that sets the tone for the section. The introduction may highlight some recipes to look for in the section because of their popularity at the bakery and café.
The recipes are based on the authors’ offerings at their bakery and café, which were inspired by eighteen years of travel to France, Turkey and Lebanon. According to the authors in the Introduction, the recipes are not traditional but they “follow the spirit of the original dish.” Each recipe has a headnote, which usually provides some insight into the cultural context of the recipe as well as additional information about how to prepare the recipe. The yield of the recipe is clearly specified. The ingredients are listed in the order used in recipe, and are measured in American measurements only. Some of the ingredients may be unfamiliar or difficult to source, but there is usually a page reference to the Essential Ingredients section, which contains more information about the ingredient. There is also usually apocryphal information after the recipe that discusses substitutions and sourcing. The beans used in the recipes are always dried – never canned – and there is always appropriate cooking instructions for them. Subrecipes are clearly cross-referenced in the ingredient list. The recipe steps are written in paragraph format, which may be a little difficult to follow while cooking. The text is very straightforward, with nothing extraneous. There are sidebar notes in some recipes that provide additional information about ingredients or techniques. Sometimes there are cook’s notes after the recipes that describe advance preparation.
The recipe selection is eclectic, although mostly of Turkish origin. I was surprised by how many breakfast recipes were not based in eggs – a bonus for me since I despise the smell and texture of cooked eggs! The meze selection was a good mix of vegetable based standalone recipes and yogurt based “eat with bread” recipes. There are several bread recipes, including pita bread. There are a few variations on hummus, which are recipes starring chickpeas rather than recipes for a smooth creamy dip. The flatbreads section is a solid mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The dessert section ranges from candies and cookies to pies and cakes. The dessert section includes lemonade, teas, and hot chocolate, but no coffee.
The Pantry section at the end of the book contains spice mixes, jams, and other accents that are required by or recommended to complement the main recipes. The Essential Ingredients section feels misplaced at the end of the book. It is basically a glossary of the ingredients that are essential to the recipes in the book. For each ingredient, there is a brief description and sourcing information. After reading the first two recipes and the ingredient list for the third recipe, I felt like I was reading a foreign language – even with the additional explanations and cross references. So I flipped to the Essential Ingredients section and read that before I continued reading any further. When I later re-engaged with the recipes, I felt much more comfortable with the ingredients list.
The photography is predominantly of styled finished food, which helps give an idea of what the final product should look like. There are no labels on the photographs, which sometimes makes it difficult to determine what the photograph is depicting. The more complex recipes have step-by-step series of photographs to illustrate assembly, which is really helpful.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this cookbook. It was not oriented toward educating the reader about Middle Eastern cuisine, but I did learn quite a bit from reading the headnotes and the recipes themselves.
I have yet to prepare any of the recipes from this cookbook. When I do, I will update this review.
A few weeks ago, I finished reading my first Persian cookbook, which was so interesting that it inspired me to order $60 worth of Middle Eastern spices online so that I could test recipes from that book. Since I had the supplies, I decided to request Soframiz based solely on the fact that the publisher’s blurb described it as containing recipes from a Middle Eastern bakery and café in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My hope was that this book would be more of a primer in Middle Eastern cooking than an extended advertisement for the bakery and café. My hope was fulfilled; this cookbook fills a nice niche for Turkish and Lebanese café and street cuisine.
The book is divided into seven basic sections: breakfast, meze, flatbreads, savory pies, cookies and confections, specialty pastries, cakes and desserts, and beverages. Each section begins with a list of recipes within the section, and a one to two page introduction that sets the tone for the section. The introduction may highlight some recipes to look for in the section because of their popularity at the bakery and café.
The recipes are based on the authors’ offerings at their bakery and café, which were inspired by eighteen years of travel to France, Turkey and Lebanon. According to the authors in the Introduction, the recipes are not traditional but they “follow the spirit of the original dish.” Each recipe has a headnote, which usually provides some insight into the cultural context of the recipe as well as additional information about how to prepare the recipe. The yield of the recipe is clearly specified. The ingredients are listed in the order used in recipe, and are measured in American measurements only. Some of the ingredients may be unfamiliar or difficult to source, but there is usually a page reference to the Essential Ingredients section, which contains more information about the ingredient. There is also usually apocryphal information after the recipe that discusses substitutions and sourcing. The beans used in the recipes are always dried – never canned – and there is always appropriate cooking instructions for them. Subrecipes are clearly cross-referenced in the ingredient list. The recipe steps are written in paragraph format, which may be a little difficult to follow while cooking. The text is very straightforward, with nothing extraneous. There are sidebar notes in some recipes that provide additional information about ingredients or techniques. Sometimes there are cook’s notes after the recipes that describe advance preparation.
The recipe selection is eclectic, although mostly of Turkish origin. I was surprised by how many breakfast recipes were not based in eggs – a bonus for me since I despise the smell and texture of cooked eggs! The meze selection was a good mix of vegetable based standalone recipes and yogurt based “eat with bread” recipes. There are several bread recipes, including pita bread. There are a few variations on hummus, which are recipes starring chickpeas rather than recipes for a smooth creamy dip. The flatbreads section is a solid mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The dessert section ranges from candies and cookies to pies and cakes. The dessert section includes lemonade, teas, and hot chocolate, but no coffee.
The Pantry section at the end of the book contains spice mixes, jams, and other accents that are required by or recommended to complement the main recipes. The Essential Ingredients section feels misplaced at the end of the book. It is basically a glossary of the ingredients that are essential to the recipes in the book. For each ingredient, there is a brief description and sourcing information. After reading the first two recipes and the ingredient list for the third recipe, I felt like I was reading a foreign language – even with the additional explanations and cross references. So I flipped to the Essential Ingredients section and read that before I continued reading any further. When I later re-engaged with the recipes, I felt much more comfortable with the ingredients list.
The photography is predominantly of styled finished food, which helps give an idea of what the final product should look like. There are no labels on the photographs, which sometimes makes it difficult to determine what the photograph is depicting. The more complex recipes have step-by-step series of photographs to illustrate assembly, which is really helpful.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this cookbook. It was not oriented toward educating the reader about Middle Eastern cuisine, but I did learn quite a bit from reading the headnotes and the recipes themselves.
I have yet to prepare any of the recipes from this cookbook. When I do, I will update this review.
November 20, 2016
My wife lived in Syria and traveled in neighboring nations during her graduate work with a focus in Middle East studies. She really misses the food of that region, so I knew I needed to pick up Soframiz: Vibrant Middle East Recipes from Sofra Bakery and Cafe by Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick. After flipping threw it, she concluded that it was heavy on the sweet side and didn’t really highlight the staples of the region. While I can’t speak to the authenticity, it is a book from a US café and two white American women who admittedly present nontraditional recipes inspired by the Middle East. Much of what makes these recipes Middle Eastern must be purchased. It appears that the authors do not provide recipes for basics because they don’t even make them, which is why they provide sources (brands and websites) they recommend. All this makes me wonder why one would need this cookbook for any reason other than attempting to replicate something one tried at their café. I found only four recipes I’ll use from this book (Monk Salad, Pita Bread, Yufka Dough, and Za’atar Bread), all of which are rather basic and easily manipulated to preference.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
December 15, 2018
Really great food from a great chef, but a poorly thought-out cookbook. Some dishes list ingredients that aren't actually mentioned in the recipe, others condense 75% of the recipe into a single dense paragraph, making it difficult to follow step-by-step. Ana's a great mind in the kitchen, but could have used a more experienced guide in creating this book.
July 25, 2018
It is very hard to describe how I feel about reading this book: hungry, curious to try some of the recipes featured, unhappy that I cannot go to visit the restaurant whose creative take of Middle Eastern - especially Turkish - cuisine is served every day...Sofra is 'a feeling as much as it is a place. It's a gesture of hospitality, inviting and evolving. It can be influenced by the weather, the mood, the guests, and the occasion. No two sofras are the same, but behind every sofra is a host hoping to give guests a memorable meal'. This is exactly the way in which I felt while reading every single recipe in this book: invited to be part of a meal, shared a couple of home secrets and - unfortunatelly - sent home way too early with a stomach filled of - imaginary - great meals. Especially if you love a diverse and complex breakfast, you will find a lot of great ideas, and most of the ingredients can be easily purchased from Oriental/Turkish markets - at least in the case of Germany.
The writing is equally entincing and the photography is more than inviting. It adds that delicious note that may be missing when you read about food, without tasting the meals and products the book it is talking about.
I would personally try a couple of recipes for the time being, especially those that recommend the use of tehina for cookies and other sweets. Therefore, would have more than one reason to read again this beautiful book.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The writing is equally entincing and the photography is more than inviting. It adds that delicious note that may be missing when you read about food, without tasting the meals and products the book it is talking about.
I would personally try a couple of recipes for the time being, especially those that recommend the use of tehina for cookies and other sweets. Therefore, would have more than one reason to read again this beautiful book.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
January 13, 2020
The authors of this exotic cookbook collected recipes and cooking methods over a series of trips to Turkey and other places like Greece and started a cafe and bakery in Cambridge Massachusetts called Sofra Bakery & Cafe. They've shared some of their most popular recipes in this book.
The chapters include Breakfast, Meze, Flatbreads, Savory Pies, Cookies and Confections, Specialty Pastries, Cakes and Deserts, Beverages followed by chapters about what to keep in the pantry and special ingredients.
The insight into what makes a typical breakfast in Turkey was interesting from a cultural perspective and the use of ingredients like peppers, tahini etc give a real flavor of the sort of food that is typical of that part of the world. I'll have to admit that my biggest interest was in the baked goods, some of which I will definitely try!
The book is nicely presented with color pictures and clear instructions, even a photo diagram of how to assemble Flower Pogaca Rolls which is one of the recipes I will definitely be giving a try.
I love cookbooks like this because they give you the feeling that you've actually visited the country, or in this case perhaps the cafe. Highly recommended to those who enjoy exotic food.
The chapters include Breakfast, Meze, Flatbreads, Savory Pies, Cookies and Confections, Specialty Pastries, Cakes and Deserts, Beverages followed by chapters about what to keep in the pantry and special ingredients.
The insight into what makes a typical breakfast in Turkey was interesting from a cultural perspective and the use of ingredients like peppers, tahini etc give a real flavor of the sort of food that is typical of that part of the world. I'll have to admit that my biggest interest was in the baked goods, some of which I will definitely try!
The book is nicely presented with color pictures and clear instructions, even a photo diagram of how to assemble Flower Pogaca Rolls which is one of the recipes I will definitely be giving a try.
I love cookbooks like this because they give you the feeling that you've actually visited the country, or in this case perhaps the cafe. Highly recommended to those who enjoy exotic food.
January 8, 2019
I haven’t done much middle eastern/Turkish/Syrian cooking so I can’t judge the veracity of these recipes, but they look great, combining fresh flavors with old favorites. So there is a traditional baklava, which mentions that Turkish baklava usually does not have honey, and a milky walnut version. Both look good, but the savory recipes are quite interesting and combine flavors like pomegranate and cucumber and tomatoes with lamb and lentils. Lots of flatbread versions. Most of the recipes are time consuming, particularly for a novice like me, and many require special ingredients including Maras pepper and grape molasses for example. Worth buying for those who want an eclectic Middle Eastern cookbook in their collection.
August 22, 2018
As with most bakeries that put out a cookbook, this books recipes were just too involved. This book contains recipes from the middle east. Most people do not know what many of these dishes are, so a picture with every recipe was necessary. That is not the case with this book. While most sounded good, almost every recipe had an OVER abundance of ingredients. The average cook or baker, will not want to put in all of this work. The culture of this book I think would put this more into the Coffee Table type of book rather than a cookbook.
April 18, 2021
Just browsing through this book was enough to get a sense of how enjoyable it would be to make some of the recipes found in it. The nice Introduction gives you some background on the authors and their restaurant, Sofra. Each recipe follows a paragraph about it; maybe how it came about, how to use it, pointers about it. The photos of some of the actual dishes are very appealing. The way the book was put together made it fun to read and made me want to run home and try out some of the recipes as soon as possible.
October 29, 2016
The word sofra in Turkish means a table made ready for eating a meal. Soframiz by Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick offers up recipes behind some of the Sofra Bakery favorites as well as new adventures for the home cook to try. The book is beautiful and easy to navigate. The recipes make me want to travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts and indulge myself at the cafe.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016....
Reviewed for the Blogging for Books program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016....
Reviewed for the Blogging for Books program.
September 19, 2018
After reading this cookbook, I'd definitely love to visit this bakery and try some of the yummy treats. The photography is great, and I even got a few recipes to try out of it.
January 11, 2020
Enticing recipes, delicious results, and FINALLY a recipe book that doesn’t shy away from needing time and work to get amazing results.
March 23, 2021
Every recipe works and is delicious!
Want to read
April 18, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
September 8, 2021
Long waited to read this book and I love it !
June 10, 2022
Interesting recipes but limited - a lot of the recipes are just small dishes or desserts, and I wish there were more pictures. And/or more information about the restaurant and the authors.
February 2, 2024
What an unexpected delight. Played right into my interest in middle eastern baked goods, although there is a lot more included.
March 7, 2025
I pretty much want to make and eat everything in this book.
July 8, 2025
Lovely photos, fresh recipes. Not strictly veg but still yum.
August 7, 2017
The recipes are far too complicated for this home cook.
October 17, 2016
There are 100 Middle Eastern recipes in this book;
Persian-style carrots and black-eyed peas, Shakshuka (Baked eggs with spicy tomato sauce), Nana's pumpkin bread, Rolled omelet with za'atar and labne, Egg fried rice, Lamp sausage katmer with pistachio yogurt, Date orange brioche tart, and more wonderfully easy and exotic recipes.
Persian-style carrots and black-eyed peas, Shakshuka (Baked eggs with spicy tomato sauce), Nana's pumpkin bread, Rolled omelet with za'atar and labne, Egg fried rice, Lamp sausage katmer with pistachio yogurt, Date orange brioche tart, and more wonderfully easy and exotic recipes.
October 24, 2016
Several years ago, a fellow cookbook collector gifted me a copy of Ana Sortun's excellent Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, and I fell instantly and madly in love. Sortun is the executive chef behind Oleana and Sofra. Classically trained at La Varenne, she decided to incorporate Mediterranean spices and the mezze mentality after studying in Turkey. Sofra Cafe and Bakery opened in 2008 and serves mezze and baked goods from Turkey, Lebanon, and Greece, all of which are amply represented in "Soframiz."
I've long admired Turkish cuisine and have collected numerous books on the subject (including recent releases Istanbul Cult Recipes,Eat Istanbul: A Journey to the Heart of Turkish Cuisine, and Anatolia: Adventures in Turkish Cooking), so when I heard that Ana and Maura Kilpatrick were coming out with a Sofra cookbook, I was ecstatic. I've had the galley for several months, and have made numerous recipes from the book, including the spicy tomato bulgur salad, stuffed simit, Persian carrot and black eyed pea salad, and tahini shortbread cookies.
The recipes include breakfast, meze, flatbreads, savory pies, cookies and confections, specialty pastries, cakes and desserts, and beverages. If you've never experienced a Turkish (or Israeli) breakfast, you're in for a treat; traditional breakfast spreads include many small bowls and plates of olives, tahini, stuffed flatbreads, egg dishes, vegetables and cheeses taking up the entire table. Breakfast at Sofra includes such staples as Shakshuka (baked eggs with spicy tomato sauce), rolled omelet with za'atar and labne, flower pogaca rolls, date orange brioche tart, pistachio toaster pastries with rosewater glaze, and morning buns iwth orange blossom glaze.
The meze really shine and make for inspired snacking or afternoon pick-me-ups, from the whipped cheese spreads and hummus to hearty and healthy bean-based salads (Persian carrot and black-eyed peas, Egyptian-style pea salad with walnuts, barley and chickpea salad, yellow split peas with za'atar spiced almonds). I made several for this review and all were definite repeats.
My true passion is baking, so the breads and baked goods were the real test. My first disappointment was that measurements are only given in volume, not weight; as a serious home baker, I much prefer the precision of weighing my flours, particularly as I live in an extremely humid climate (which affects the weight of flour). I also had some issues with several of the bread recipes I tried; the stuffed simit featured on the cover calls for 1 cup water to 2 1/4 cups of flour, and what initially greeted me was almost like pancake batter. I continued to add flour by the tablespoon, as well as a little olive oil, and eventually had a very soft (but workable) dough that was wonderfully moist. The Turkish method of brushing with pekmez (grape molasses) lends a sweet finish to the savory filling of feta and za'atar spiced almonds and the toasted sesame seed topping. The bread is delicious on its own or as an accompaniment to the salads in the book.
Fans of Middle Eastern pastries will be in heaven; from pistachio bird's nests (a recipe I have not encountered in my many other Turkish books) to Persian love cake, kunefe, umm Ali with caramelized apples, chocolate hazelnut baklava, brown butter pecan pie with espresso dates, date espresso ma'amoul, and milky walnut-fig baklava, this is a baker's paradise.
I encountered an issue with the tahini shortbread cookies, which calls for 2 tsp salt; I cross-checked the recipe on the internet, and the online version I found also called for 2 tsp. salt. My baker's instinct told me to start with much less; I went with 1/2 tsp salt, which is what most of the other cookie and shortbread recipes in "Soframiz" called for, and I'm certainly glad I didn't use the full amount as they would have been too salty for my taste. Also, I followed the recipe to the letter, and ended up with more like 3 or 4 dozen cookies. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds but you are only instructed to use 1/4 cup. The resulting cookies were absolutely delicious and would be fantastic as part of a cheese tray as the sesame lends a savory edge.
Gorgeous matte photography and clear, large font make this a pleasure to read and cook from (I prefer matte pages as it means no glare in my cookbook holder). I loved the recipes I tried, but found in several instances that there are small errors, so be sure to read through the entire recipe in advance and make note if an ingredient is mentioned that is not in the list, or an amount seems off.
Overall "Soframiz" is one of my top cookbook picks for 2016 (I'll be releasing my 2016 cookbook roundup in the next month or two), and one that fans of Turkish, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine will certainly want to add to their collections.
I've long admired Turkish cuisine and have collected numerous books on the subject (including recent releases Istanbul Cult Recipes,Eat Istanbul: A Journey to the Heart of Turkish Cuisine, and Anatolia: Adventures in Turkish Cooking), so when I heard that Ana and Maura Kilpatrick were coming out with a Sofra cookbook, I was ecstatic. I've had the galley for several months, and have made numerous recipes from the book, including the spicy tomato bulgur salad, stuffed simit, Persian carrot and black eyed pea salad, and tahini shortbread cookies.
The recipes include breakfast, meze, flatbreads, savory pies, cookies and confections, specialty pastries, cakes and desserts, and beverages. If you've never experienced a Turkish (or Israeli) breakfast, you're in for a treat; traditional breakfast spreads include many small bowls and plates of olives, tahini, stuffed flatbreads, egg dishes, vegetables and cheeses taking up the entire table. Breakfast at Sofra includes such staples as Shakshuka (baked eggs with spicy tomato sauce), rolled omelet with za'atar and labne, flower pogaca rolls, date orange brioche tart, pistachio toaster pastries with rosewater glaze, and morning buns iwth orange blossom glaze.
The meze really shine and make for inspired snacking or afternoon pick-me-ups, from the whipped cheese spreads and hummus to hearty and healthy bean-based salads (Persian carrot and black-eyed peas, Egyptian-style pea salad with walnuts, barley and chickpea salad, yellow split peas with za'atar spiced almonds). I made several for this review and all were definite repeats.
My true passion is baking, so the breads and baked goods were the real test. My first disappointment was that measurements are only given in volume, not weight; as a serious home baker, I much prefer the precision of weighing my flours, particularly as I live in an extremely humid climate (which affects the weight of flour). I also had some issues with several of the bread recipes I tried; the stuffed simit featured on the cover calls for 1 cup water to 2 1/4 cups of flour, and what initially greeted me was almost like pancake batter. I continued to add flour by the tablespoon, as well as a little olive oil, and eventually had a very soft (but workable) dough that was wonderfully moist. The Turkish method of brushing with pekmez (grape molasses) lends a sweet finish to the savory filling of feta and za'atar spiced almonds and the toasted sesame seed topping. The bread is delicious on its own or as an accompaniment to the salads in the book.
Fans of Middle Eastern pastries will be in heaven; from pistachio bird's nests (a recipe I have not encountered in my many other Turkish books) to Persian love cake, kunefe, umm Ali with caramelized apples, chocolate hazelnut baklava, brown butter pecan pie with espresso dates, date espresso ma'amoul, and milky walnut-fig baklava, this is a baker's paradise.
I encountered an issue with the tahini shortbread cookies, which calls for 2 tsp salt; I cross-checked the recipe on the internet, and the online version I found also called for 2 tsp. salt. My baker's instinct told me to start with much less; I went with 1/2 tsp salt, which is what most of the other cookie and shortbread recipes in "Soframiz" called for, and I'm certainly glad I didn't use the full amount as they would have been too salty for my taste. Also, I followed the recipe to the letter, and ended up with more like 3 or 4 dozen cookies. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds but you are only instructed to use 1/4 cup. The resulting cookies were absolutely delicious and would be fantastic as part of a cheese tray as the sesame lends a savory edge.
Gorgeous matte photography and clear, large font make this a pleasure to read and cook from (I prefer matte pages as it means no glare in my cookbook holder). I loved the recipes I tried, but found in several instances that there are small errors, so be sure to read through the entire recipe in advance and make note if an ingredient is mentioned that is not in the list, or an amount seems off.
Overall "Soframiz" is one of my top cookbook picks for 2016 (I'll be releasing my 2016 cookbook roundup in the next month or two), and one that fans of Turkish, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine will certainly want to add to their collections.
June 5, 2017
I made the almond rose cake. It was fabulous!
Very well written, easy to follow recipes. The authors are innovative with many traditional dishes.
If you're a fan of Middle East cuisine, definitely check this book out for some good recipes.
Very well written, easy to follow recipes. The authors are innovative with many traditional dishes.
If you're a fan of Middle East cuisine, definitely check this book out for some good recipes.
March 2, 2017
According to Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick, sofra refers to “everything you prepare for the table: food, place settings, glassware, décor, linens.” In Iran, it refers to the cloth spread on the floor that the food is placed on when people eat. To me, there really is a special kind of satisfaction and fellowship eating that way.
I remember when a lovely Urdu couple from Iran invited me to an Eid celebratory dinner. I was the only Anglo, so I asked my hostess if we were sitting at the table on my behalf. She smiled and confessed they thought I would be uncomfortable with a traditional Persian dinner. I assured her that with the many friends in college and living for a time with three Malay women, I was used to it. We quickly shifted the dishes to a sofra on the floor, settled down without the plates and silverware and enjoyed our meal in new camaraderie. As the meal was ending, she said, “Food eaten with silverware is never as satisfying and never tastes as good.” I thought of her and that relaxed and abundant hospitality while reading Soframiz, a cookbook celebrating the delightful foods of the Middle East, focusing on breakfast, mezza, and baked goods.
Soframiz opens with Shakshuka, eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce, a dish I make once a month at least. They call for three special ingredients, Maras Pepper (special red pepper flakes), Hawayej (a Yemeni spice blend), and Zhoug (a Yemeni spice sauce with recipe in the book). I make delicious shukshuka without them and so do many other places. I am curious, perhaps if I find some Maras pepper without having to order it online, I might try it, but already they have made me unhappy because I know this recipe can be delicious without insisting on special ingredients unlikely to be in the home kitchen. Why couldn’t they write Maras Pepper or red pepper flakes? It’s really not sacrilege to use an alternate ingredient.
I expect there to be some specialty ingredients in a cookbook, particularly in a cookbook that features ethnic cuisine, but these chefs go beyond that. They specify specific Calasparra rice or Baldo rice and Cubanelle peppers instead of rice and peppers and so on throughout the book. They even suggest specific onions such as Ailsa Craig or Vidalia instead of simply saying a sweet onion. There is no recognition of the limitations of home kitchens and non-metropolitan grocery stores. If they would only suggest alternatives for those of us with more ordinary pantries, I would find their specificity less troublesome.
Soframiz is full of beautiful pictures of delicious looking foods that get me thinking, I want to make this, I want to make that, and I have to make this one now. But then I read the recipes and see some ingredients that I would have to mail order and move along. What can I make now? Thankfully there are quite a few that I can manage. I already have tahini and zaatar and sumac, so I am not without some of the ordnance I need for this culinary battle. There are also a few recipes that do not require special ingredients. For future cookbooks, they should let home cooks know when we can make a perfectly fine dish with other options (such as in the shukshuka recipe).
I love the pictures and the idea of this cookbook. I would love to go to their bakery and try everything on the menu. I will also be trying some of the recipes that I lack the ingredients to make. I am a confident cook, sure enough to know that I can approximate the flavors with spices I can blend myself. I will blithely use red pepper flakes instead of Maras pepper and the dish won’t be a disaster. It won’t be perfect, but it will be good. That flexibility to allow us to make something close by simply allowing that while red pepper flakes won’t be perfect, they will be tasty is sorely needed.
There are some delicious vegetarian dishes as well as meat dishes. The Pantry section has a recipe for Shawarma spice that I will have to try. This is a good cookbook. I think it could be better with a more flexible mindset that recognizes the realities of home kitchens.
I was provided a copy of Soframiz by Blogging For Books.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
I remember when a lovely Urdu couple from Iran invited me to an Eid celebratory dinner. I was the only Anglo, so I asked my hostess if we were sitting at the table on my behalf. She smiled and confessed they thought I would be uncomfortable with a traditional Persian dinner. I assured her that with the many friends in college and living for a time with three Malay women, I was used to it. We quickly shifted the dishes to a sofra on the floor, settled down without the plates and silverware and enjoyed our meal in new camaraderie. As the meal was ending, she said, “Food eaten with silverware is never as satisfying and never tastes as good.” I thought of her and that relaxed and abundant hospitality while reading Soframiz, a cookbook celebrating the delightful foods of the Middle East, focusing on breakfast, mezza, and baked goods.
Soframiz opens with Shakshuka, eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce, a dish I make once a month at least. They call for three special ingredients, Maras Pepper (special red pepper flakes), Hawayej (a Yemeni spice blend), and Zhoug (a Yemeni spice sauce with recipe in the book). I make delicious shukshuka without them and so do many other places. I am curious, perhaps if I find some Maras pepper without having to order it online, I might try it, but already they have made me unhappy because I know this recipe can be delicious without insisting on special ingredients unlikely to be in the home kitchen. Why couldn’t they write Maras Pepper or red pepper flakes? It’s really not sacrilege to use an alternate ingredient.
I expect there to be some specialty ingredients in a cookbook, particularly in a cookbook that features ethnic cuisine, but these chefs go beyond that. They specify specific Calasparra rice or Baldo rice and Cubanelle peppers instead of rice and peppers and so on throughout the book. They even suggest specific onions such as Ailsa Craig or Vidalia instead of simply saying a sweet onion. There is no recognition of the limitations of home kitchens and non-metropolitan grocery stores. If they would only suggest alternatives for those of us with more ordinary pantries, I would find their specificity less troublesome.
Soframiz is full of beautiful pictures of delicious looking foods that get me thinking, I want to make this, I want to make that, and I have to make this one now. But then I read the recipes and see some ingredients that I would have to mail order and move along. What can I make now? Thankfully there are quite a few that I can manage. I already have tahini and zaatar and sumac, so I am not without some of the ordnance I need for this culinary battle. There are also a few recipes that do not require special ingredients. For future cookbooks, they should let home cooks know when we can make a perfectly fine dish with other options (such as in the shukshuka recipe).
I love the pictures and the idea of this cookbook. I would love to go to their bakery and try everything on the menu. I will also be trying some of the recipes that I lack the ingredients to make. I am a confident cook, sure enough to know that I can approximate the flavors with spices I can blend myself. I will blithely use red pepper flakes instead of Maras pepper and the dish won’t be a disaster. It won’t be perfect, but it will be good. That flexibility to allow us to make something close by simply allowing that while red pepper flakes won’t be perfect, they will be tasty is sorely needed.
There are some delicious vegetarian dishes as well as meat dishes. The Pantry section has a recipe for Shawarma spice that I will have to try. This is a good cookbook. I think it could be better with a more flexible mindset that recognizes the realities of home kitchens.
I was provided a copy of Soframiz by Blogging For Books.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
July 12, 2019
I'm Turkish and I found the best recipes I could have ever wanted!
March 7, 2017
Some of the recipes were too detailed for my liking. I just don't cook with specific ingredients, meaning that having Cubanelle peppers called for instead of "hot pepper" (or at least a few options?) made me scrunch my brow. That's just me. There were a few new hummus variations I am curious about, and I will always try a new shaksuka.
Now let's talk about the baked goods. I can't tell you how many little breads, rolls and pastries I bookmarked to try. Yufka dough coming up as soon as I have the time! There are cream cheese dough pastries that look remarkably easy, and are very tempting as I try to use up my stores of jam.
I learned about many new techniques, ingredients and dishes from reading 'Soframiz' and look forward to making some of the recipes soon.
Now let's talk about the baked goods. I can't tell you how many little breads, rolls and pastries I bookmarked to try. Yufka dough coming up as soon as I have the time! There are cream cheese dough pastries that look remarkably easy, and are very tempting as I try to use up my stores of jam.
I learned about many new techniques, ingredients and dishes from reading 'Soframiz' and look forward to making some of the recipes soon.
November 2, 2022
What a unique presentation of Middle Eastern flavors. With more of a focus on Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch, it is unique in the plethora of Middle Eastern flavored cookbooks I own. As baking is a science, some recipes seem daunting how they are presented, but there are some accessible gems to be found.
October 4, 2016
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I got so excited when I saw that this book was recipes from a bakery in Cambridge. I thought, I will just have to go there and eat myself silly. Unfortunately, I live in London, and this Cambridge is in USA. However, having all these wonderful recipes is the next best thing. I have probably had this book now for about 4 months, which has given me lots of time to work my way through the book – and my husband and I have really enjoyed getting to know the recipes. We have been so very well fed – and are nowhere near ready to finish with it yet.
We are dedicated carnivores, but the multitude of very tasty vegetarian recipes in this book got us hooked. We can particularly recommend the “Sesame-walnut manouche with zucchini” (the filling will go so well in so many things), the “rolled omelet with za’atar and labne”, and best of all the very simple “yellow split peas with za’atar spiced almonds” (with or without the nuts). My husband is very fond of saying the name “za’atar”, and is keen to try any recipe with the spice mix in it. The “Spanakopita serpentine” looked spectacular, and was much easier to make than it looked. The same could be said for the “Lamb sausage katmer with pistachio yoghurt” (not vegetarian). We also made the “Tahini brioche dough”, which was fantastic and very, very filling. We made some delicious bread rolls with it, then froze about half the dough. About 2 months later we then used it to make outstanding hamburger buns for two meals. A little goes a very long way.
The recipes are all very easy to follow, and do not involve great expense. All are accompanied with some background to the recipe, how it is prepared and eaten, and many have beautiful photos of the end product or helpful intermediate stages. All the meat recipes use substantially less meat than we are used to using for a meal, but you never notice a lack. It is a different, much cheaper and more healthy way to cook. We are lucky that we live in an area with a lot of Persians and Turks, so are readily able to source most of the ingredients. However, the recipes seem very adaptable, so should be usable anywhere. We did not always stick diligently to the recipes, and have had no failures so far.
My only complaint is that metric measures are not given alongside the imperial in the recipes, and it is a pain having to look up conversions all the time – especially as in the copy I had there was no conversion table. This book would appeal to cooks around the world, and everywhere, except USA and Liberia, uses metric.
This cookbook is chock full of wonderful tasty recipes and ideas for any meal or snack, and would be a great addition to any kitchen.
I got so excited when I saw that this book was recipes from a bakery in Cambridge. I thought, I will just have to go there and eat myself silly. Unfortunately, I live in London, and this Cambridge is in USA. However, having all these wonderful recipes is the next best thing. I have probably had this book now for about 4 months, which has given me lots of time to work my way through the book – and my husband and I have really enjoyed getting to know the recipes. We have been so very well fed – and are nowhere near ready to finish with it yet.
We are dedicated carnivores, but the multitude of very tasty vegetarian recipes in this book got us hooked. We can particularly recommend the “Sesame-walnut manouche with zucchini” (the filling will go so well in so many things), the “rolled omelet with za’atar and labne”, and best of all the very simple “yellow split peas with za’atar spiced almonds” (with or without the nuts). My husband is very fond of saying the name “za’atar”, and is keen to try any recipe with the spice mix in it. The “Spanakopita serpentine” looked spectacular, and was much easier to make than it looked. The same could be said for the “Lamb sausage katmer with pistachio yoghurt” (not vegetarian). We also made the “Tahini brioche dough”, which was fantastic and very, very filling. We made some delicious bread rolls with it, then froze about half the dough. About 2 months later we then used it to make outstanding hamburger buns for two meals. A little goes a very long way.
The recipes are all very easy to follow, and do not involve great expense. All are accompanied with some background to the recipe, how it is prepared and eaten, and many have beautiful photos of the end product or helpful intermediate stages. All the meat recipes use substantially less meat than we are used to using for a meal, but you never notice a lack. It is a different, much cheaper and more healthy way to cook. We are lucky that we live in an area with a lot of Persians and Turks, so are readily able to source most of the ingredients. However, the recipes seem very adaptable, so should be usable anywhere. We did not always stick diligently to the recipes, and have had no failures so far.
My only complaint is that metric measures are not given alongside the imperial in the recipes, and it is a pain having to look up conversions all the time – especially as in the copy I had there was no conversion table. This book would appeal to cooks around the world, and everywhere, except USA and Liberia, uses metric.
This cookbook is chock full of wonderful tasty recipes and ideas for any meal or snack, and would be a great addition to any kitchen.
October 30, 2016
Not finding a fiction book that I wanted to request from B.F.B I decided to explore the other genres offered and stumbled across this little gem. After seeing the word Turkey while skimming the description I decided to put in my request. The book arrived on Friday and as I opened the box in front of my husband he promptly took the book from me and claimed it as his own. You see I married a Turk and he was thrilled to look through this beautiful cookbook, drooling over the pictures and making plans to try some of them out for our holiday celebrations this year. His only “complaint” or more like wish was that there were some soup recipes included, but once I explained that this was from a bakery he understood their absence. Still a nice selection of favorites he remembers from his youth and our travels.
This is a stunning book and of excellent quality. Nice and sturdy, should hold up nicely in a kitchen while cooking or baking, still would be shame to mess this one up with spills or stains. Many of the recipes feature lovely pictures and all come with a paragraph explaining the history of the recipe, either its origins in the culture or about its use in the author’s restaurants. The book is broken down into eight sections ( Breakfast, Meze, Flatbreads, Savory Pies, Cookies and Confections, Specialty Pastries Cakes and Desserts, Beverages and Pantry). Not really enough variety for a full meal, but plenty of selection for treats or appetizers at a party or special occasion. I though the Beverage section was most interesting and want to try several of the recipes listed. I was also delighted to find a Simit recipe in there and might have to work myself up to trying to make this classic Turkish Street treat. The pantry section in back was also very nice as it explained some of the less common ingredients, their importance and origins. In the back is a handy index, which isn’t always featured in these specialty/fancy/coffee table cookbooks, so handy.
I am thrilled to be adding this book to our cookbook collection and actually have plans to attempt many of the recipes I found inside. If you like food from this area of the world or simply looking to expand your palate this is a wonderful book to pick up. Most of the recipes look to be of dishes that are fairly safe, flavor wise, and can be enjoyed by most people. Nothing too far out there .
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
This is a stunning book and of excellent quality. Nice and sturdy, should hold up nicely in a kitchen while cooking or baking, still would be shame to mess this one up with spills or stains. Many of the recipes feature lovely pictures and all come with a paragraph explaining the history of the recipe, either its origins in the culture or about its use in the author’s restaurants. The book is broken down into eight sections ( Breakfast, Meze, Flatbreads, Savory Pies, Cookies and Confections, Specialty Pastries Cakes and Desserts, Beverages and Pantry). Not really enough variety for a full meal, but plenty of selection for treats or appetizers at a party or special occasion. I though the Beverage section was most interesting and want to try several of the recipes listed. I was also delighted to find a Simit recipe in there and might have to work myself up to trying to make this classic Turkish Street treat. The pantry section in back was also very nice as it explained some of the less common ingredients, their importance and origins. In the back is a handy index, which isn’t always featured in these specialty/fancy/coffee table cookbooks, so handy.
I am thrilled to be adding this book to our cookbook collection and actually have plans to attempt many of the recipes I found inside. If you like food from this area of the world or simply looking to expand your palate this is a wonderful book to pick up. Most of the recipes look to be of dishes that are fairly safe, flavor wise, and can be enjoyed by most people. Nothing too far out there .
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2016
A cookbook that I was interested in because I once spent time in Syria and Oman, and I was hoping to recreate some of the things I ate there. Unfortunately this book leans heavily on the baking and is light on the cooking – nothing wrong with baking, I just find it personally less appealing.
Many of the recipes here are extremely fiddly and precise; I'd much rather visit the actual Soframiz bakery than try to replicate them myself. Unfortunately it's in Boston, so I won't actually be doing that any time soon. But there were some recipes here that looked good. I have taken particular note of "Persian-Style Carrots and Black-Eyed Peas", their version of shakshuka, and "Whipped Feta with Sweet and Hot Peppers". Yum.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
Many of the recipes here are extremely fiddly and precise; I'd much rather visit the actual Soframiz bakery than try to replicate them myself. Unfortunately it's in Boston, so I won't actually be doing that any time soon. But there were some recipes here that looked good. I have taken particular note of "Persian-Style Carrots and Black-Eyed Peas", their version of shakshuka, and "Whipped Feta with Sweet and Hot Peppers". Yum.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
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