Elizabeth Taviloglu, Guide for Turkish Food

Elizabeth Wilson Taviloglu is an advertising professional who moonlights as a Turkish foodie. She has lived and travelled in Turkey for more than 20 years which has given her the chance to experience Turkish food and culture first hand.

Her love for foreign foods began as a child while cooking together with her German - English mother and Italian grandmother in the Hudson Valley.

After she moved overseas, Elizabeth settled in Istanbul - Turkey's largest city. There she learned Turkish cooking hands-on from the best and toughest Turkish chefs - her husband's relatives!

For several years, Elizabeth ran a home catering business in Istanbul and hosted Turkish cooking workshops in the USA.

Some of her recipes have been published locally and her first cookbook is on the way. She hopes promoting Turkish food internationally will become her full time profession.

Elizabeth has a bachelor's degree in communications from Syracuse University. She enjoys travelling, writing, cooking and visual arts.

"Shish kebab, Turkish coffee, Baklava and Turkish Delight. That's all many people know about Turkish food even though it's considered a major world cuisine. They deserve to know and taste much more!

For me, Turkish food is a perfect fusion of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and European influences. It truly reflects the people - diverse and colorful, a mixture of old and new, a pleasing blend of East and West.

I'm glad I can share Turkey and Turkish cooking through this site. Whether you are a professional or an aspiring cook, I hope turkishfood.about.com will give you everything you need to make your kitchen a working Turkish 'mutfak' (moot-FAK')."