Tasty quince dessert (slatko od dunja) made by poaching quinces until perfect reduction and softness of fruit are achieved. The resulting dessert (a condiment too!) is best described as quinces in simple syrup. Similar to Turkish ayva tatlisi, and Italian frutta sciroppata, this dessert sauce is great by itself or as a topping. (BOSANSKI) POACHED…
Veal Shank Roast (Teleća Koljenica)
We make a lot of veal in the winter, and this veal shank roast (koljenica) is often on our dinner table. Soft, succulent fore shank meat has a deep, satisfying, hearty flavor you’ll want to eat for days in a row. (BOSANSKI) VEAL SHANK ROAST Every large meal gathering in our extended family is accompanied…
Hazelnut Chocolate Balls (Truffles)
Hazelnut chocolate balls are dark chocolate truffles enriched with crunchy ground hazelnut. This easy, no-bake, 30-min dessert is also known as “little bombs.” (BOSANSKI) HAZELNUT AND CHOCOLATE DESSERT RECIPES Like most households, ours become factories of business around holidays, amplified by mom’s dedication to desserts. I don’t know if it comes with age, if it’s…
Easy White Wine Gnocchi With Shrimp
Easy white wine gnocchi with shrimp come to us from Dalmatian coast in Croatia. Enriched with a thick heavy cream plus breadcrumb sauce, this shrimp gnocchi dish brings along the taste of Adriatic to your table no matter where you are. (BOSANSKI) POTATO GNOCCHI, CREAM SAUCE AND SHRIMP While there are hundreds of flavorful shrimp…
Egg Satarash (Balkan Stir Fry)
Satarash: fast and furious four ingredient Balkan vegetable stir fry. Eggs are optional, but recommended. Satarash stir fry is a wholesome breakfast, and a great side too. (BOSANSKI) WHAT IS SATARASH, AKA BALKAN STIR FRY? Satarash doesn’t perfectly fit the description of what’s traditionally defined as a stir fry: ingredients fried in super hot oil,…
Erva’s Very Berry Raspberry Cake
Best, moist vanilla pudding and mixed berries raspberry cake. A dessert that brings the feel of summer wherever you are. (BOSANSKI) Before we get to this delicious vanilla pudding raspberry cake, a quick run down. We’ve been in the neighborhood for sixty years or so. And neighborhoods, they live and breathe. Ours survived recessions and…
Balkan Cornbread (Kukuruza)
Whoever came up with phrase “breaking bread” had no idea they were talking about Balkan cornbread: a slightly sweet, sturdy, comfort staple you don’t use a knife to cut, but break it apart old-school – with your hands. Best eaten a day later in a bowl of milk. (BOSANSKI) TO KNOW GOOD CORNBREAD IS…
Chocolate Pudding Dessert Cup
Three layer chocolate dessert pudding cup is destined to become your go-to for a super fast sugar fix. It’s bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S! (Yes, I went there!) (BOSANSKI) Some people have a talent for whipping up desserts from whatever they find in the pantry at a given moment. While my gifts lie elsewhere, luckily for all of…
Balkan Ratatouille (Đuveč)
Balkan ratatouille (đuveč) is a rich vegetarian dinner dish. (Meat lover? Add grilled chicken or beef on the side.) Let this one simmer for a while… then dip in, not with utensils but with bread. (BOSANSKI) Vegetables are well represented in sauces and stews in Balkan cuisine, and this dish is no exception. It welcomes whatever you…
Stuffed Zucchini (Punjene Tikvice)
Stuffed zucchini: ground beef, rice and spices combined into perfect filling and baked in hollowed zucchini. Forget zucchini boats, these little zucchini cups are the new kids on the block! (BOSANSKI) When we think about which veggies to stuff, zucchini doesn’t come to mind as quickly as stuffed peppers. Shame, really. Zucchini is incredibly soft….
Baby Beef Noodle Soup
Baby beef noodle soup: savory, hot, light and soul enriching. All the qualities of chicken noodle, intensified. (BOSANSKI) According to Balkan mythology two things keep one in tip-top shape: staying away from the all powerful wind draft, and eating something with a spoon every day. I question the draft. I knew a Norwegian who arrived…
Homemade Fresh Fig Jam (Džem od Smokava)
Homemade fresh fig jam without pectin the way it’s made along the Adriatic coast: sweet and succulent. A perfect pairing with toast, prosciutto and cheeses. Equally elegant on a charcuterie board as it is on a warm slice of bread. (BOSANSKI) If fresh figs are like your first kiss… Lush. Intimate. (That moment you lightly…
