Istanbul Culinary Institute

Including 130 recipes from 30 of Istanbul’s top chefs and prominent food writers, and co-authored by Hande Bozdoğan and Lâle Apa to coincide with the “Turkey Season in France”, Istanbul Cuisine Contemporaine received the “Special Award” of the Jury at the 2010 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Ceremony held on February 11, 2010 in Paris, France. Approximately 6,000 books from 136 countries, vied for awards given out in 41 categories.

Accepting their award, designed by Swarvoski stones, the co-authors said that the real winner of the award was Istanbul and invited all the attendees to visit the city to taste the dishes prepared by the chefs in Istanbul Cuisine Contemporaine first hand.

The selection jury included Edouard Cointreau, Dun Gifford (CEO, Oldways Preservation Trust), Prince Franz-Wilhelm (Germany), Jean Jacques Ratier (Mayor of the Municipality of Saros, France & Commissioner of Salon International du Livre Gourmand) and Bo Masser (Booktown Grythyttan): only 25 cookbooks were given this very prestigious award.

In a press release prepared by Edouard Cointreau, President of Gourmand Awards, he wrote, “Istanbul Cuisine Contemporaine received an important “Special Award” by the Jury as part of the celebration of the Year of Turkey in France. Turkey with books like this is winning its respected place among the great culinary cultures of the world”.

Organized annually since 1995 , the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards purpose is to recognize and acknowledge the best cookbooks from around the world. Sponsored by Bizim Mutfak, a subsidiary of Ülker Holding, Istanbul Contemporaine Cuisine’s English version, Istanbul Contemporary Cuisine and Turkish version, Istanbul Mutfakta will be sold at all major bookstores throughout Turkey as of March 2010.

For more detailed information, visit www.cookbookfair.com

Contact Lale Apa : lale@apa.com.tr

Hande Bozdoğan : bozdogan@istanbulculinary.com

Between February 15 and April 15, 2010, Pera Museum will be hosting  Picasso- Suite Vollard exhibition. A selection of recipes from the book “Picasso Menus” will be served at lunch at the Enstitu restaurant.

As true gastronomes know, Turkish cooking means way more than just kebabs. Courtesy of the Ottoman Empire’s far-flung territories, the national cuisine is a melting pot of flavors and accents from the Balkans, the Mediterranean, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. And there’s no better way to master it than with a personal instructor from this culinary institute. A one-on-one three-hour lesson with one of their chefs will indoctrinate you into everything from veal stew with grape molasses and apples to Halva with pine nuts.

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/turkey/istanbul/45192/istanbul-culinary-institute/attraction-detail.html

For the article please see the link below.

http://globespotters.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/learning-turkish-cuisine-in-the-turkish-kitchen/?emc=eta1

Press TV visited IstCI and interviewed Hande Bozdogan, author and founder of IstCI about the street food of Turkey, food trends and challenges to preserve Turkish cuisine. You can see the video at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6377600733802534174.