Özlem Warren received her Best Food Heritage Book Award for Özlem’s Turkish Table, at the Gourmand Awards ‘Best in The World’ Awards Ceremony at Les Cordeliers in Paris on Monday.
The awards party which should have originally taken place in June – except Covid interrupted the plans, celebrating the very best of cookbooks globally, whether printed or digital as well as on food television.
Compared as the equivalent to ‘Oscars’ for film, each category of the Gourmand awards contains four winners considered ‘Best in the World’ for their respective topics or regions.
Upon receiving her coveted Gourmand Award, Özlem Warren, who lives in Weybridge, Surrey, said “It was an absolute honour to attend the Gourmand Awards Ceremony in Paris and thrilling to make my acceptance speech on Turkish cuisine to such a select group. Meeting and talking with the legendary Claudia Roden, the distinguished author of several Middle Eastern cookbooks, and hear praises from her about my book was very special. Our recipes are indeed a passage for our culinary heritage to share with the world.”
Her book is a combination of rich and varied cuisine of Turkey and a celebration of Özlem’s Southern Turkish roots with family recipes from the author’s hometown of Antakya are all flavoured naturally and offer plenty of options for vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan diets.
“I hope the recipes from my hometown inspire you to recreate them in your own kitchen and that they can bring you fond memories of Turkey or any special moments shared with loved ones at the holiday season.” – Özlem Warren.