MENANDS —The Turkish Cultural Center in Menands is two hosting a special Sunday brunch on March 25.

Most Americans are familiar with one Turkish delight, the honey-soaked ground nut filled pastry called baklava. And another favorite Turkish dish, kebabs, are a barbecue staple. But this is a chance to sample more delicious dishes like menemen (scrambled eggs with peppers, paprika, onions and more) and delicate lavash bread that can be used to create wraps around kebab ingredients. Guests are also likely to encounter rich eggplant and lentil sides that even the veggie-resistant enjoy.

Brunch starts at 11:30 a.m. Kids younger than six years old eat for free. Tickets for children ages six through 12 are $10 and adults can eat for $20 each.

Then on Saturday, March 31, the Turkish Cultural Center is hosting a Women's Day Dinner. The discussion topic is "The Role of Women in Islam" with a innovative thinker Dr. Nuray Yurt as the guest speaker. Yurt is director of the Peace Islands Institute of Central Jersey, a nonprofit that tries to increase cultural understanding between people of different faiths, economic and ethnic backgrounds.

Yurt has hosted panel discussions about the role of Muslim women before in which she explored how Islamic nations and kingdoms treat females and what the Koran says about a woman's role in business and government.

The Turkish Cultural Center is located at 291 Broadway in Menands.