This month, Maldon’s Cookbook Club in collaboration with Penguin Books reviews the talented Meliz Berg and her latest cookbook, ‘Dinner Tonight’.
Meliz Berg is a self-taught cook, recipe developer and food content creator who brings a vibrant celebration of Turkish-Cypriot cuisine to life!
Her journey from a passionate home cook to a celebrated food content creator is as inspiring as her recipes. Her blog and Instagram page, Meliz Cooks, has garnered a dedicated following thanks to her easy-to-follow recipes and addictive combinations of flavours and spices.
By popular demand, Meliz published her first cookbook, ‘Meliz’s Kitchen‘ in 2022, which attained an instant No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller for it’s delicious comfort food and fresh family feast recipes. Now, she introduces fans with her second cookbook ‘Dinner Tonight’, which is a collection of recipes that tribute to the rich culinary traditions of her heritage, infused with the ease and accessibility of modern everyday cooking. Drawing inspiration from her experiences growing up in a household that melded traditional Cypriot and London living, Meliz has crafted a delightful array of dishes that emphasize flavour and simplicity.
Dinner Tonight invites readers to enjoy fast, fresh and filling meals, with a variety of options from zingy salads and warming soups to scrumptious sandwiches and hearty pastas. The cookbook not only offers a culinary adventure but also embodies the joy of cooking and the satisfaction of sharing a home-cooked meal with loved ones. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a kitchen novice, Meliz’s recipes promise to bring warmth and flavour to your dinner table.
In Conversation with Meliz Berg…
Meliz, we’re obsessed with your latest cookbook, ‘Dinner Tonight!’. Tell us, what inspired you to write this book and how is it different from your first?
Ah, thank you – I’m obsessed with it too, haha! I, like most people, find myself wondering what to cook for “DINNER TONIGHT” most evenings, and so this book is a compilation of all the recipes that I genuinely love to cook at home for my family, using many of the same ingredients over again in different combinations. The six different chapters satisfy every day, weekly fixes, and there’s genuinely a recipe you can rely on for every day of the week in there: Light Bites & Snacks, Leftovers & Store Cupboard, Easy Midweek Suppers, Friday Fakeaway, Slow Cooking and Sweet Treat & Easy Bakes. My first book, Meliz’s Kitchen, is a beautiful love-letter home to Cyprus, my family and my Turkish-Cypriot heritage, and DINNER TONIGHT is the modern-day sequel demonstrating how I have used those recipes and ingredients to create my own dishes to suit a variety of current, daily cooking needs.
Can you share a bit about your journey as a self-taught cook and how your background influenced your cooking style?
From a very young age, I watched my mum cook not out of necessity, but out of joy, especially if she was hosting (although, I think she quite enjoys coming to me to be hosted now – or to cook together. She’s done more than enough over the years). My mum always makes the most out of everything in her cupboards and fridge, using up leftovers, which is a key focus in both books, but especially in DINNER TONIGHT. I would also obsessively watch cooking shows with my dad, namely those hosted by Delia Smith, Gary Rhodes and Jamie Oliver, record them onto VHS tapes and indulge in the repeats without ever tiring of them. My cooking style is real and unfussy; I’m not a trained chef, but I am creative, and adore the cathartic feeling I get from losing myself in the processes when I’m in the kitchen.
Do you have a favourite recipe from your book that holds a special significance to you?
I have SO many favourites, it’s impossible to pick just one, I want to pick them all! For the nostalgia, it has to be the Vermicelli Soup with Fried Hellim; and because my family loves it so much and the flavours are incredible, it has to be the Hellimli Lasagne. In case you hadn’t realised, I LOVE hellim (halloumi cheese!)
For someone new to Turkish-Cypriot cuisine, what are some key spices and ingredients they should use to get started with?
For Turkish-Cypriot and all Cypriot cuisine, it has to be extra virgin olive oil, dried mint, lemons and thick set natural (preferably sheep’s) yoghurt – and hellim (halloumi cheese) of course. For my personal spin on things, and bringing in a hint of Turkish and Levantine cuisine which is also evident in Turkish-Cypriot cuisine, Tatlı Biber Salçası (Turkish Sweet Red Pepper Paste), Pul Biber (Aleppo Pepper Flakes) and pomegranate molasses.
What does a normal day in the life look like for you, Meliz?
Get the kids ready for and off to school, check my social media accounts and emails, have breakfast (often oats, kefir, fresh fruit, seeds and nuts), pop out to buy fresh ingredients for any recipes that I may developing that day, make a smoothie, start developing the recipes, and once I’m happy with the recipe testing, film content, edit videos and record voiceovers (the final happy result always ends up being our evening meal), eat lunch (usually something with eggs / leftovers / soup / salad), clean the kitchen and wash-up (constant recipe testing means this part is relentless), a meeting or two (mostly online, sometimes in London), kids come home from school before I know it, and once we catch up, homework is done, we’ve eaten and they’ve gone to bed, I either finish whatever I didn’t get to do in the day, or I collapse on the sofa!
Do you have any current ‘foodie’ trends / techniques that you’re loving at the moment?
Nope – I mean, I’m still very happy cooking and sharing the food of my ancestors, so I’m not a trend-follower – I adore food that evokes memories, is practical (even if it takes a little time), nutritious and full of love and flavour.
Ultimate comfort food dish?!
A big bowl of one of my one pot pastas – either my Kıymalı Garavolli – a one pot lamb pasta served with pul biber butter, garlic yoghurt and lashings of grated hellim and dried mint; or the Once-Pot Spiced Mince Linguine from DINNER TONIGHT. THE BEST. That’s confirmed it, the One Pot Spiced Mince Linguine is 100% going to be our DINNER TONIGHT.
Whipped Tahini, Spiced Butter and Boiled Egg Salad
This recipe is perfect for a light bite or snack! A perfectly boiled egg on top of creamy, tangy tahini, drizzled with a spiced pul biber butter and contrasted by the crunch of toasted sesame seeds and a fresh, chunky salad…it’s certainly a flavour packed dish!
Serves: 4 people
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 150g (5½oz) tahini
- 75ml (3fl oz) ice-cold water
- 75ml (3fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 large garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
- 1 tsp Maldon Sea Salt flakes
- 4 large eggs
- 50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter
- 2 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper/Turkish red pepper flakes)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 small Middle Eastern, Persian or Crooks cucumber, or ¼ English cucumber (deseeded), roughly chopped
- 1 large, ripe tomato, halved and roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 10g (¼oz) fresh parsley leaves, very finely chopped
- Place a small frying pan on the hob over a medium heat, and toast the sesame seeds, stirring continuously until evenly golden brown all over. Take the pan off the heat and immediately remove the seeds to a plate so they don’t continue cooking in the hot pan.
- Add the tahini, ice-cold water, lemon juice and half of the garlic to a shallow bowl and whisk to a smooth consistency – the mixture will look like it’s curdled at first, but don’t panic, just keep on whisking until smooth. Add half of the Maldon Sea Salt flakes, whisk again, then leave to one side.
- Place the eggs in a small pan, cover with cold water and place on the hob over a medium heat. Bring up to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then take the pan off the heat, carefully drain the hot water and immediately fill up the pan with cold water.
- While the eggs are cooking, place the butter, pul biber, smoked paprika and remaining garlic into a small pan on the hob on a low-medium heat, or in a mug in the microwave, and gently stir for a minute or two (or on high for around 30 seconds if using the microwave) until the butter completely melts. Stir well.
- Evenly spread the whipped tahini yoghurt onto four small plates. Once the eggs have been sitting in the pan of cold water for a couple of minutes, peel them, cut them in half and place them with the chopped cucumber and tomato on the whipped tahini yoghurt. Drizzle the chilli butter over the eggs, season the eggs and vegetables generously with the remaining Maldon Sea Salt flakes, the coarse black pepper, dried oregano and finely chopped parsley, and serve with hot crusty bread or toast.
Where to buy Dinner Tonight?
You can find where to purchase Meliz’s NEW cookbook here and start being creative with food and flavours in the comfort of your kitchen.
Make sure you have your Maldon Salt ready for these recipes! If you are running out, please feel free to browse on our Where to Buy Page to find your nearest store in which stocks our beloved Maldon Salt.
Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your own take on Meliz’s recipes!
