A side trip to Turkey while studying cooking in France was the inspiration for Chef/Restaurateur Ana Sortun, owner of three restaurants and cafes in greater Boston: Oleana featuring a menu inspired by her interpretative flavors of Turkey and rustic traditional cooking of the Middle East; Sarma, a cafe modeled ater the traditional meyanes of Turkey, and Sofra Bakery & Cafe.
Born and raised in Seattle, Ana started working in restaurants as a teenager before moving to France to study at La Varenne Cooking School. A trip to Turkey inspired her passion for the colorful, spicy cuisines of that country. When she return to the U.S. she settled in Massachusetts and worked at Moncef Medeb’s Aigo Bistro in Concord and 8 Holyoke and Casablanca in Harvard Square. She opened Oleana in Cambridge in 2001.
Today, Ana runs a highly successful restaurant company that hires over 150 people. Many of her top management are women. Siena Farms, a family-run farm operated by Ana’s husband, Chris Kurth, supplies the restaurants with fresh local produce. The farm is named after their daughter. Ana is author of two cookbooks, Soframitz and Spice.
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Here is a link to last week’s show with Ryan Burk, Head Cider Maker at Angry Orchard, and Ben Branson, Founder of Seedlip. Listen now iHeart.com (link)