Oh, goodness. Where to start? As you may already know, tremendous, life-changing things are in the works with National Geographic. I don’t have all the details yet, but what I do know I shared our Facebook page, so go take a peek. Friends, this is pure insanity. All I can say, is that it’s amazing where a little imagination – a little stovetop travel – can take us. Rest assured, when I know more, I’ll be writing it up here on the blog. Until then, we’ll have to settle ourselves with the requisite happy dance and a healthy dose of humble gratitude. What else can we do when National Geographic is on the line? Ironically, everything else this week was pure chaos. All three of us were ill (in day-long, misery-laden shifts, I might add), my cooking was in shambles – I had to remake the musaka twice (the first time Ava gobbled it up eagerly, the second time was post illness and, well, the results are in the video), worse yet, I made the cake three times and at no …
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Although the air still hangs crisp with winter, seed sowing season is nearly upon us – that time of year when the window sills of the industrious are stocked with small, peat lined plastic containers. With careful gifts of water and radiant window light, small seeds will crack open and send vivid green shoots through the black, crumbling soil, into the glow. In a few months time, these brave seedlings will make their way outdoors, into the deep, hot sunshine, where they will mature into edible gardens. Food for our souls. Today, we’re imagining ourselves in this garden, though winter is still upon us. And we’re doing it by nibbling upon a Serbian Salad. This isn’t a recipe, so much as a guide to freshness. The key to a beautiful Serbian salad is simplicity – cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers, topped with oil and vinegar… and especially cheese. You want to grate the cheese over the top until your salad looks like a snow-capped mountain. Serves 4 Ingredients: 3 vine-ripened tomatoes 1 cucumber 1 bell pepper …
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Every once in a while we need chow down on good, ol’ fashioned home cooking. The kind that reminds us of mom, checkered aprons, and creaky kitchen chairs. We all need this edible comfort, especially when the wind chill drops down into the single digits. Keith informed me that, against all odds, I happened upon one such recipe when I selected Potato Musaka for our Serbian Global Table. “This is kind of like my mom’s ‘Hobo dinner,’” Mr Picky said, after his first taste. “Hobo what?” I asked, brow furrowed. I need not have worried. Clearly this was a good thing; he forked bite after bite of the layered potatoes and ground pork into his mouth, working quickly, looking more like a teenager than a 40-something who generally shows more restraint around food than I can fathom. After scraping his plate clean, he went back for seconds. Then thirds. He’s in good company. Potato Musaka is much beloved in the Balkans, especially in Serbia. She’s quite similar to her somewhat sloppier cousin, Eggplant Moussaka which can …
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This week I’m on the hunt to create a little balance in this, our freshly pressed New Year. I found exactly what I was looking for in Serbia. Our menu is equal parts comfort and nutrition, capped off with a ridiculously indulgent dessert. (Do I need to defend that choice?) In other news, I have huge, exciting, mega things going on that will affect our family (and potentially yours). I leaked a bit about it on our Facebook Page. More details as they come. For now, thank you for believing in this Adventure. From the bottom of my heart. All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Serbian-style Potato Musaka [Recipe] Home-style goodness: potatoes layered with ground pork and a creamy yogurt and egg mixture. If it were up to my husband, this would be his entire dinner. Every night. Serbian Salad [Recipe] This cucumber, tomato, pepper, and onion salad is as simple as it is refreshing. The key is to top off your veggie mountain with a snowfall of cheese, preferably feta. …
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In the Balkan nation of Serbia you’ll find sleeping giants. They lounge under thick forested coverings, along murmuring streams and shimmering lakes, with nothing but winding roads and wildflowers upon them. In flatter areas, carefully stacked stone walls, forgotten castles, and sagging huts live happily shackled to sunflower fields and lush grasses. Places like this will find a permanent home in your dreams… In this cool, sometimes foggy land – this is where you’ll find hearty country food. Food that fuels. Prebranac, for example – baked beans with paprika and sometimes sausage (something we’ve already enjoyed once on this Adventure), keeps traditional hearths warm. Soft, polenta-like corn bread sops up the juices, perhaps of stuffed peppers or even roasts. Goodness, how her cities clamor up the hillsides. In many ways, I have a sense of deja vu this week, as though I’ve tasted Serbia before. As you can see by all the links, many of her favorite spreads we’ve made before (although, certainly, Serbia has her own variations on these regional favorites). You can add stuffed …
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