ETHNIC COOK : Someone’s in the Kitchen With Alev

There was lots of Turkish food in the kitchens of the Biltmore Hotel one day recently, but hotel guests didn’t get a bite.

Executive chef Roger Pigozzi came only to kibitz and taste, not to supervise. The star cook on this occasion was Alev Camcigil, the hotel’s director of housekeeping. Camcigil, who is from Istanbul, often brews thick, strong Turkish coffee for her staff. This time she had agreed to prepare an entire meal.

The lunch was served in the kitchen. A Turkish sultan might not have dined in such a place, but he would have loved the food--an aristocratic menu from the Ottoman Empire.

For appetizers, there were grape leaves stuffed with rice, raisins and pine nuts ( yaprak dolmasi ). After demolishing these, guests feasted on lamb simmered for hours to enrich the flavor ( Kuzu Tas Kebabi ), eggplant coated with subtle cheese sauce ( Hunkar Begendi ) and puff pastry filled with rice and vegetables ( Firinda Pilav ).

Desserts were lavish. Camcigil’s baklava was so dense with nuts that the pastry was hardly visible. Syrupy apricots stuffed with whipped cream and nuts showed off a sprinkling of chopped pistachios and almonds. And no one could resist sampling lokum , otherwise known as Turkish Delight--a gelatinous candy that Camcigil had brought from Istanbul. She made Turkish coffee, of course, and read fortunes in the patterns formed by the grounds.

Although the food was splendid, Camcigil apologized. A proper Turkish meal should start with lots of appetizers, not just one, she said.

Her expert cooking was not a surprise. Camcigil trained as a chef in Istanbul, then switched to housekeeping management. Her mother, Jeni, owned a restaurant in Istanbul, and her husband, Nafiz, operates Gulen’s, a Mediterranean fast-food place in Century City.

Camcigil’s dishes may seem elaborate, but they are surprisingly easy. Boning and trimming the lamb is the most demanding job. Store-bought puff pastry simplifies the ornate rice pie, and the eggplant sauce is nothing more than ordinary white sauce, combined with cheese.

KUZU TAS KEBABI (Stewed Lamb) 1 (4-pound) leg of lamb 1/4 cup butter 1 large white onion, chopped 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes 1 green pepper, diced 1 sweet red pepper, diced 1 sweet yellow pepper, diced 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 (8 1/2-ounce) can green peas 1 (8-ounce) can sliced carrots

Bone leg of lamb, remove all fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Melt butter in large pot. Add onion and cook until browned. Add meat and brown lightly. Add tomatoes, peppers, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, over low heat 2 hours. Add potatoes, peas and carrots with liquid. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 474 calories; 733 mg sodium; 106 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 28 grams protein; 1.76 grams fiber.

FIRINDA PILAV (Rice Pie) 2 cups freshly squeezed tomato juice 1 cup lamb or beef broth 1/4 cup butter Salt 1 cup long-grain rice 1 (8 1/2-ounce) can green peas, drained 1 (8-ounce) can sliced carrots, drained 1 (1-pound 1 1/4-ounce) package puff pastry sheets 1 egg yolk, beaten

Combine tomato juice, broth, butter and salt in large saucepan. Bring to full boil. Add rice, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Stir in peas and carrots.

Line 9-inch pie plate or other flat dish with 1 pastry sheet. Trim and flute edges. Cut remaining dough into 1/2-inch strips and place in crisscross pattern over rice. Trim and flute edges. Brush pastry with egg yolk. Bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

224 calories; 372 mg sodium; 50 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.13 grams fiber.

HUNKAR BEGENDI (Grilled Eggplant With Cheese) 2 large eggplants 1/2 lemon 1 cup water 1/4 cup butter 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup milk 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup shredded Jack cheese Nutmeg Salt

Smoke whole eggplants in covered barbecue, or bake at 350 degrees 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Add lemon half to water in shallow dish. Place eggplants in water, turn to coat thoroughly, and let stand until cool. Peel eggplants and remove seeds. Cut flesh into 1/4-inch cubes.

Melt butter in skillet. Add flour and cook and stir until light brown. Stir in milk. Add cheeses, eggplant, dash nutmeg and season to taste with salt. Cook over very low heat 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 99 calories; 144 mg sodium; 24 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.26 gram fiber.

KAYMAKLI KAYISI (Cream-Filled Apricots) 1 pound dried apricot halves 2 cups sugar 1 cup water 1/2 lemon 1 cup whipping cream 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons slivered almonds 1/4 cup chopped unsalted pistachios

Soak apricots in warm water 2 hours to soften. Drain. Combine sugar, 1 cup water and lemon half. Boil until syrupy, 225 to 230 degrees on candy thermometer. Add apricots and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whip cream until stiff. Fold 1 cup almonds into cream. Arrange apricot halves in single layer, inner side up. Dollop cream mixture onto 50% of apricot halves. Cover with other 50%, like sandwich. Sprinkle remaining almonds and pistachios over tops. Makes about 75, if small apricots are used.

Each serving contains about: 61 calories; 2 mg sodium; 4 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 1 grams protein; 0.24 gram fiber.