The Magnificent Century. An Unofficial Cookbook

The harem rooms of the Topkapi Palace can tell a thousand and one stories about the Sultan and his concubines, while the walls of the palace kitchen can reveal the secrets of the Ottoman cooks who conjured over giant cauldrons, preparing the favorite pilaf for Hurrem Sultan, carefully laying out small sardines for Sultan Suleiman, where in a large basin they kneaded rahat-lukum on rose petals and cooked quails in pomegranate sauce over a great fire to please Suleiman the Magnificent's favorite. Irina Erdogan took on the task of uncovering the secrets of the palace kitchen during the time of Sultan Suleiman. Like pearls on a string, she threaded one recipe after another following the traces of the series The Magnificent Century, interspersing them with a delicate lace of both real and fictional stories, gathering the traditions of that time piece by piece and embodying them in dishes that were served to Suleiman the Magnificent himself and his harem. Let's immerse ourselves in an oriental fairy tale and also prepare dishes worthy of the most discerning eater.