There has been a request for one of our easiest and most popular savoury pies, bourekas, with the delicious aubergine filling. These all appear in my book “Stella’s Sephardic Table”. Bourekas are irresistible savoury turnovers made with a crisp, cheese pastry encasing a variety of delectable vegetable fillings. In the 15th Century the Jewish Iberian exiles blended their pie – the Spanish empanada – with the Turkish borek to create the popular and acclaimed bourekas, now found throughout the Middle East, Turkey and Israel. Bourekas (or as they are affectionately known, in the diminutive, as bourekitas) feature as part of meze, brunch, teatime or at any festive table. Of all the savoury pie-making these are the quickest and easiest to prepare. Bourekas are good to have stored in the freezer as they are easily warmed up. Do remember to prepare any of your chosen vegetable fillings ahead. If needed, make two batches of dough to accommodate some of the fillings. Prepare the second batch of dough once the first batch of pies have been filled and shaped.