Fırın makarnası is a mouthwatering Cypriot baked pasta dish that brings everyone to the table and is traditionally made for family gatherings and celebrations. Every household makes it a little differently, but the heart of the recipe is always the same: neatly layered bucatini pasta, savoury minced meat, and a rich cheese and béchamel sauce. We bring a touch of British influence to our fırın makarnası recipe by adding cheddar cheese to the sauce, which gives it a stronger f

Hellimli sigara böreği are a savoury treat and are often served as part of a meze or for breakfast. The pastries are golden and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with dried mint adding a fresh flavour to balance the salty, creamy halloumi filling. Although delicious on their own, when served for breakfast they go perfectly with a generous drizzle of sweet honey. The contrast of savoury and sweet is a wonderful way to start the day. Hellimli sigara böreği (pronoun

Magarina bulli is a hearty and comforting Cypriot village pasta dish . Pronounced 'mah-gah-ree-nah buh-lee', it was traditionally prepared for guests when they came over for dinner in the village and is still a family favourite today. The fried chicken is delightfully crispy and pairs well with the bucatini pasta, which is drizzled all over with buttery oil and a generous sprinkling of grated halloumi mixed with dried mint. The combination of buttery, creamy and fresh flavour

Dolma (dohl-mah) is the word used to describe any stuffed dish in Turkish cuisine, from stuffed artichokes to courgettes, peppers and onions. It usually refers to dishes that involve hollowing out vegetables for stuffing. Fillings generally fall into meat-based ( etli dolma ) or vegetarian types where rice is the main ingredient, with both using a variety of herbs to add flavour. Yalancı ('yah-lahn-juh') dolma is the name of the vegetarian version of stuffed vine leaves (y a

Zeytinli hellimli kek is a Cypriot bread muffin that’s filled with savoury black olives (zeytin) and creamy halloumi (hellim) cheese cubes . The key ingredient is fresh coriander which provides a sweet fragrance that complements the earthy aromas of the chopped onions. The addition of dried mint, dried dill and ground cinnamon enhance the flavours further with refreshing herbal notes and subtle sweetness. The muffins are made with yeast, providing a bread-like texture and cr

Pazı dolması (pah-zuh dohl-mah-suh) has a delicate, spinach-like flavour from the chard leaves, which pairs beautifully with the lemony rice filling. Compared to yalancı dolma (which shares its ingredients), it has a softer bite. This dish is perfect for the summer months when chard is in season, especially served with a dollop of creamy yoghurt. It can be enjoyed either warm or cold. Preparing pazı dolması can be a little fiddly at first, as the cut leaves can be triangular

Tarhana is a traditional fermented food that's used to make a soup called tarhana çorbası. It is made by mixing cracked wheat and yoghurt to form a dough, before shaping this by hand into firm, biscuit-like rounds that are laid out to dry in the sun. Traditionally, tarhana is made in the summer with freshly harvested local wheat and yoghurt made from goat’s or sheep’s milk. The shaped tarhana is dried on a paner / paneri (which is a type of woven Cypriot basket) or a large

Courgette flowers have a mild, slightly sweet flavour and make a delicate shell for the rice filling in kabak çiçeği dolması (k ah-bahk chee-cheh-ee dohl-mah-suh) . The grated halloumi adds a creamy richness that balances the fragrant chopped onion and dried mint. Since the filling is very similar to yalancı dolma , the dish can be enjoyed hot or cold. The key to making kabak çiçeği dolması is a gentle hand, to prevent the delicate petals from tearing - but you will quickly