With pandemic measures once again confining us to our homes and Turkey going into a total lockdown, I like the idea of trying something new out to while away the time. And what better way to learn something new than reach out to people you haven't talked to enough lately? In this case, it was our colleagues from across the Mediterranean.

Daily Sabah Arabic’s Esma Kamil and Issam Chehadat were both so kind enough to share their takes on iftar, and the culinary richness of our Syrian neighbors simply blew me away! Especially with Esma, we ended up chatting and going into detail way too much that I had a hard time choosing only a few dishes. Either way, here are dishes I hope will take you on a little culinary trip in the comfort of your own home.

A crunchy appetizer: Sambousek

When talking about iftar menus, we got to talking about soups. After seeing how similar the Syrian recipe for lentil soup was to the Turkish version, I opted for a little appetizer to make it more interesting instead. Loaded with minced beef, these pockets of pastry are like tiny poğaças (but fried and crunchy!), making them a great addition to the dinner table.

For the dough