Welcome to the Summer 2025 Quarter for Cookbook of the Month.
This is the thread for the first selection for this COTM – Recipes from JULIA TURSHEN.
(The other thread for this quarter is Meera Sodha.)
As the thread covers all recipes from the author, which is a prolific collection, we will also use this thread going forward as a “Cooking From” thread.
To report on a recipe, please list the TITLE in ALL CAPS.
Please REPLY to a previous report on a recipe if someone tried it before you — that way all posts for a given recipe are linked together and can be followed easily via the helpful linking arrows the site software enables.
Do add a LINK to the recipe if there is one available.
Feel free to list ingredients and summarize method in your own words, but please do not copy the text of a recipe here verbatim to respect copyright.
PICTURES are encouraged, and make the recipe reports come to life!
Eat Your Books indices for each book are linked above. (To search for a recipe online if you don’t have access to the book, use for the exact recipe name (“in quotes”) and you may very well find that the recipe exists on the internet via a publication or a blogger reporting on it.)
Here is the COTM archive and here is the Master List of Cooking From threads.
Just a note for those belonging to public libraries that offer Hoopla, the on-demand digital media app — Hoopla offers Small Victories, Now and Again, Feed the Resistance, and Simply Julia as on-demand ebooks with no wait and unlimited borrowers.
SOY BRAISED TOFU WITH SCALLIONS, What Goes with What, p. 152
I made this about a month ago when LLD was away and I could have all the tofu/vegetarian meals I wanted. I loved this and it is dead easy. Neutral oil goes in your pan, then seasoned scallions, letting them brown in spots. Next add garlic and ginger until fragrant, then soy sauce, water, and honey. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 5 minutes. Served over rice. This gave me two big helpings.
I should point out that Lulu and I picked up our favorite New Year’s Eve tradition from a page at the back of Small Victories (LLD usually visits his family over new year’s). She suggests taking plain potato chips, adding a little creme fraiche topping with some salmon roe. It’s a fun little treat.
I immediately thought of Turkish Mucver when I saw this recipe.
I added a bit of feta & parmesan, and doubled the garlic dip using yogurt (because I want to eat all her dips with a spoon in the end).
The nigella adds an interesting flavor twist – I stock it but don’t use it often, so it was nice to have a reason. They’d still be good without, but maybe the mix would need one more flavor booster (cumin?).
I used just enough olive oil enough to brown them on both sides.
Quick and delicious – and don’t skip the garlic and herb sauce, it finishes the dish.
I love this recipe and have made it many times with various meats. It tastes closest to the real thing when made with lamb or beef, but it’s pretty good with ground turkey as well, just needs a bit more of everything. (The type of harissa used determines how much is needed – it takes a lot more more wet jarred harissa than the tube stuff, which is more potent, or supplement with more dried spices and garlic.)
I added some grated zucchini just because, which made them more tender. Formed some into seekh kabab to be eaten in a hot dog roll, the rest into patties (in the past I have done cocktail meatballs, little sausages, etc. – whatever suits the purpose).
The herby yogurt is a fantastic dip on its own, so I usually make a lot of it. My usual herb additions are mint and scallions, sometimes parsley or cilantro too. Don’t skimp on the garlic, and finish with lemon juice or vinegar to taste. Even better the next day.
I ate the seekhs as a hot dog, with extra harissa on the buns.
