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Shared by Ziona Cohen

This Dessert from Izmir Is Best for Breakfast

Family Journey

Izmir, Turkey
Tel Aviv, Israel
2 recipes
Sütlaç (Turkish Rice Pudding)

Sütlaç (Turkish Rice Pudding)

6 cups45m plus 4h chilling time

Ingredients

  • 2¾ water, divided
  • ¾ cup basmati rice, rinsed
  • 4 cups milk
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Ground cinnamon, for garnish
Potato Bourekas

Potato Bourekas

24 bourekas1h

Ingredients

  • 1 large (12 ounce) russet potato
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup quark cheese or Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup (3 ounces) feta cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Two 17.3 ounce packages store-bought puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator overnight
  • Sesame seeds, for garnish
Recipes
1
Sütlaç (Turkish Rice Pudding)

Sütlaç (Turkish Rice Pudding)

6 cups45m plus 4h chilling time

Ingredients

  • 2¾ water, divided
  • ¾ cup basmati rice, rinsed
  • 4 cups milk
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Ground cinnamon, for garnish
2
Potato Bourekas

Potato Bourekas

24 bourekas1h

Ingredients

  • 1 large (12 ounce) russet potato
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup quark cheese or Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup (3 ounces) feta cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Two 17.3 ounce packages store-bought puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator overnight
  • Sesame seeds, for garnish

Living in a hut on the dunes outside of Tel Aviv, Ziona Cohen’s mother Esther Pitchon cooked simply during the week, reserving special dishes like bourekas, or flaky triangular pastries stuffed with potatoes and cheese, for Shabbat. Her Saturday morning breakfast menu showed touches of her family’s Turkish roots — Esther was from Izmir, her father Shmuel from Istanbul — like hard boiled eggs served alongside the bourekas. Esther would end the meal with sütlaç, a classic Turkish rice pudding that’s topped with cinnamon and served cold. While it’s a sweet ending to any meal, it feels most decadent when it’s served as Esther did, as part of a weekend breakfast. 

Read more of Ziona and Esther’s stories here and try their bourekas recipe