I still miss Sunday brunch

Murat Bozok, sous chef at the chic restaurant Pétrus in Knightsbridge, can’t forget the wonderful family breakfasts he grew up with in Istanbul As a child, I was cherished – I don’t mean that I was spoilt, but I was well looked after. My sister Meleke is eight years older than I am, so she took care of me; it was like having two mothers. My mother was always a good cook. The love and respect she put into the food she was preparing were enormous. When I think about it now, she was cooking for her family every day, and after every meal that she saw us enjoying, she became a happier lady. My first real memory of food is börek. My mother always prepared borek for a late breakfast on Sunday, which we shared with our extended family – uncles and aunts, cousins, grandparents. It was my favourite meal of the week, as my father wasn’t at work and it was all relaxed and very special. I remember waking up to the smell of börek: layers of crisp, buttery filo pastry with ricotta cheese and parsley. She also made her own yoghurt, and we always drank ayran and Turkish tea with the borek. It was fun. I still miss our family Sunday brunches in Istanbul. continue