While I’ve always loved a good ratatouille, there’s something so … soft about it. While that’s fine for a cloudy sort of day, on bright, cheery days, I’m in the mood for definition. Clear edges. Decisiveness. Which brings us to today’s roasted salad, from the Macedonian Global Table. She’s all of those things while still being easy-breezy.

The reason she’s so defined?

The eggplant and peppers are pre-cut and roasted, which gives good browning and clean edges. Once tossed with fresh tomatoes and a sprinkling of lemon juice, this salad just begs to be eaten with crusty bread and a glass of wine (Macedonia has long produced good wines and CNN even called her the new Napa Valley in 2010).

This is a minimalist salad; every single ingredient gets the attention it deserves.

I wish the same for you.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cubed
3 bell peppers, diced
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
salt & pepper
oregano, optional
1/4 cup olive oil, more to taste
1-2 tomatoes, diced
lemon juice, to taste

Method:

The best way to get inspired? Take a stroll through an old Macedonian market…

Old market in Bitola, Macedonia. Photo by Petar Milošević.

Fill a basket with a happy bounty of vegetables. Don’t stop until you’re smiling.

When you get home, preheat the oven to 450F. Meanwhile, toss the cubed eggplant and peppers with garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add a dash of oregano, if desired.

It’s easiest to coat the veggies evenly if you use a large bowl -- plus it captures the sunshine better.Transfer the vegetables to two lined sheet pans (you’re looking to give the veggies lots of elbow room, so they brown properly; if you crowd them they’ll steam).

Roast in a thin layer for 20-30 minutes, or until softened and browning. Meanwhile, write that thank you note you’ve been meaning to send.

Remove the vegetables when properly tanned. Sigh happily as you nibble a few straight from the pan.

Each bite tastes like a sparkling night sky.

Macedonia's capital, Skopje, at night.

Immediately toss in a bowl with chopped tomatoes. Add lemon juice and more olive oil, to taste. Check seasonings.

Enjoy on a picnic overlooking a quaint town.

Bitola, Macedonia. Photo by Petar Milošević

Delicious!
Wishing you a fun Friday, full of decisiveness, clean lines, and definition.

Whatever that means to you.

Thank you for following our Adventure, where I cook a meal from every country in the world, A-Z! Many smiles to you and your family. Love, Sasha

The air buzzes with excitement. Ava pats the dough and we’re on our way to Macedonian pizza (Pastrmajlija), an addicting combination of diced pork, olive oil, and cracked eggs.  Together, her little hands next to my big hands, we shape the pizza two ways -first in a traditional full-moon circle and then in a Valentine’s-inspired heart. While some might say the shapes taste the same, I beg to differ. Anything heart-shaped tastes infinitely better than that same thing not heart-shaped.

Dressed up in a dusting of black pepper, the pork sizzles in the oven and turns slightly golden. The rich, golden yolk makes the entire pizza taste like a dreamy breakfast. Simple to make and yet so full of flavor.

That’s love.

NOTE :You may wish to scramble the egg before pouring it over the pizza, an alternate preparation popular in Macedonia. As for the fat used, I used olive oil which is generally popular in the area, but some locals like to dot this pizza with lard instead, lending the pizza a much more indulgent quality. The choice is yours.

Makes two 10″ Macedonian pizzas

Ingredients:

1 recipe homemade  pita dough

1 -- 1 1/2 large, boneless pork loin chop(s) (butterflied makes your work easier)
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

2 eggs

Method:

Prepare homemade pita dough. Cover with a moist cloth and let the dough rest in a warm, sunny spot until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 -- 2 hours.

Meanwhile, go row a boat on still morning in Macedonia. Listen to the water lap the sides of your boat. Daydream. Soak up the sun. Why not? This is stove top travel. This is your chance to imagine.

Lake Dojran, Macedonia. Photo by Ksenija Putilin.

When you get home, place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat it to 400F. If you don’t have a pizza stone, just bake the pizza on a sheet pan  (cooking times may vary, though).

Divide dough into two pieces. Roll them into hearts, circles, whatever shape suits your fancy -- dusting with flour to prevent sticking, if necessary. Press down with your hand to create a lip around the edge, so the egg doesn’t roll off later.

Meanwhile, dice the pork chop. This large, butterflied chop easily covered the two pizzas.

Toss the diced pork with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Spread onto pizza.

Brush crust with a glistening coat of olive oil.

Bake for 16-20 minutes. Now, here’s what I figured out in my very wacky oven:

- the egg will be quite runny if cooked 10-12 minutes
- the egg will set completely if you add it at the beginning of baking

The choice is yours.

We added it after about 8 minutes of baking:

Then we brushed it again with olive oil, before returning to oven.

And we started working on the next one…

Now,. I’m going to show you a mistake, so you can learn from my folly. The next pizza didn’t rise well because the dough was too dry. You want your dough to be soft, like a baby’s bottom. Or else it’ll look more like a cracker when baked (and, worse yet, the yolk rolled right off of it):

Bummer.

Here’s a nice specimen… notice how the lip kept the egg from rolling off the edge of the pizza:

Yum! Beautiful! Happy, happy.

Ava was proud of her handiwork.

Enjoy immediately, with a big heart, a smile…

… a view, and a few friends. Perhaps all rolled up in one… as with these stone dollies from Macedonia:

Natural stone "dolls" in Macedonia. Photo by Rašo.

They look like pretty good dining companions to me.

Thank you for following our Adventure, where I cook a meal from every country in the world, A-Z! Many smiles to you and your family. Love, Sasha

Global Table Adventure has a weird way of knitting bits and pieces of my life together. For example, today my best friend from my college years, upon seeing we were cooking Macedonia, wrote to inform me that her first marriage proposal was from a Macedonian man. This would be altogether unremarkable, except for the fact that, despite keeping in touch here and there over the years, I knew nothing of any marriage proposals, let alone a “first.”

Had I never cooked Macedonia, I might never have found out.

And now I am left to wonder… Who is this mysterious Macedonian? How did it happen? Was she in Macedonia, or was she at home in NYC? Were they star-crossed lovers, or was the entire affair simply a flash in the pan?

I eagerly await her reply although, as with all mysteries, it’s also fun to imagine the answers on my own.

Today, in honor of learning new things about old friends, here’s our Macedonian menu… full of easy comfort food and a lot of love.

What sounds good to you?*

Macedonian Pizza
Once I read about this simple pizza, I knew there was no going back. I simply had to try it. Forget the sauce. Forget the cheese. Instead, enjoy pizza dough, pork, and olive oil. Crack an egg on top to finish things off with flair.

Cozy Roasted Pepper & Eggplant Salad
This vegan salad is completely fantastic. Made with roasted eggplant and pepper, then tossed with hunks of fresh tomato, lemon juice and olive oil. Simple and fabulous.

Rice Pudding (Sutlijash)
Rice cooked with sweet milk, seasoned with a stick of cinnamon and bright, cheery lemon peel.

*All recipes and the meal review will be posted by Monday morning.

Thank you for following our Adventure, where I cook a meal from every country in the world, A-Z! Many smiles to you and your family. Love, Sasha

Lake Ohrid, in the Republic of Macedonia. Photo by Markus Bernet.

Mmmm… M! We’re finally here. Yesterday, when I told my husband Keith (a.k.a. Mr Picky) that we were about to launch into the M’s with this week’s Macedonian Global Table, he was surprised. I’m pretty sure he never thought we’d make it. And to be honest, I’m not sure I did either.

Every letter until now has seemed like the beginning of the alphabet -- the beginning of the Adventure. The thing about M is how much it sounds like progress -- like we’re going places. Then Keith calculated that we’d be here for the next five months or so. Hmmm. Time to get comfortable.

Maps and flag courtesy of CIA World Factbook.

So, M… Macedonia. Let’s go and say hello… (Just be sure to look up while we do. Literally. Macedonia roughly translates to “tall ones” … most likely in reference to the ancient people’s height and to the mountainous terrain).

In fact, everything seems to be scaled up… and way up high. To say that she’s studded with mountains is an understatement. In fact, most likely thanks to her gritty geography, Macedonia lays claim to one of the world’s oldest observatories: Kokino… which is over 3,800 years old.

Photos of Kokino, courtesy of Acer GER, Marko Skavesna, and US Gov.

As for the food? This Balkan country will remind you a bit of Greece and Turkey, with -- of course -- her own special flair.

First of all, there’s a lot of meat. Some of the most famous dishes include pastrmajlija, or Macedonian pizza topped with little more than pork and eggs. Breakfast for dinner, anyone? Then there’s lamb any which way you desire… grilled, roasted, or formed into meatballs. Or, in Mr.Picky’s case, all of the above.

For veggie lovers, there’s also a world of flavor. We already sampled shopska salad [recipe], but there’s also a roasted eggplant salad which is loaded up with tomatoes and peppers. Then there’s a splash of Eastern Europe, which you’ll recognize in her love of stuffed peppers [recipe], potatoes, cabbage, and beets.

For those of you with a sweet tooth, know that you’re in good hands. Rice pudding or baklava are popular ways to end a meal. Actually, just about anything drizzled in honey is good (remember our Greek dessert [recipe]?) . For those who prefer just fruit (plain or in a fruit salad), grapes, watermelon, other melons, quince, cherries, apples and plums are all good options. I’ve even seen fruit salad with a scoop of ice cream on top.

National Museum. Photo by Rašo.

These are just a few tidbits -- what’s your favorite food from this region?

Thank you for following our Adventure, where I cook a meal from every country in the world, A-Z! Many smiles to you and your family. Love, Sasha

THE SCENE

I slowly make my way to the table, balancing the heavy, ceramic tureen as I go. For twenty dollars at the local flea market my soup plays dress up, looking quite fancy as she swims in the tureen’s old-fashioned angles. I feel like Martha Stewart for a moment, as I lift off the creamy white lid with a flourish.

Still… Luxembourg’s famous Green Bean Soup, now steaming and beckoning, barely makes an impression on me. Sure -- it’s good. I know that because I snuck a taste five minutes ago in the kitchen. But my mind, ever restless, rattles on, past dinner, to the upcoming Apple Cake.

They are going to love it, I tell myself proudly as I ladle the soup into Ava’s bowl. I’m thinking of the powdered sugar and cinnamon when I instruct her to put a few sausage slices and crumbles of bacon in her soup.

As her little hands begin the process of garnishing her bowl, I’m dreaming of the cake’s delicate, moist crumb and sweet apples.

I eat my soup absently, glancing over at the cake, as it cools on the kitchen counter. I can practically taste the thick, apricot glaze.

Two bites into my soup, I realize I forgot to garnish my bowl. I reach my hand to take a couple of sausage slices, only to find my fingers touching cold porcelain. The bowl is empty. Snapping to attention, I look around.

Ava’s bowl and Mr. Picky’s bowl are both loaded up with sausage and bacon. In fact, she has two pieces in her hand, happily munching. The bacon is piled high in everyone’s bowl and I’m left blinking.

She keeps eating.

Before I can say anything, their bowls are empty and Ava asks for more. To be specific, she asks for more meat.

Seriously?

Dessert never comes. Their bellies are too full. I know better than to force the matter.

In a happy moment of inspiration, I put the cake away until the next day, when we’d eat the cake in it’s own hour of glory. During a small Lithuanian Honey Spirits tasting.

And this time I’d pay attention to what they are eating.

As for the sausages and bacon? I lock them up for the night.

Potato Fritters (Gromperekichelcher) [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

Aside from the memories, I love the crispy crunch of the potato mixed with the faint taste of parsley and sweet onion. They cook up quickly and are easy to keep warm in the oven. Mr Picky adored them and even Ava, who wasn’t entirely convinced she should try one, nibbled away rather happily.

What I liked least about this dish:

I had a little trouble getting mine to stick together at first, but adding more flour seemed to be the key (possibly I didn’t squeeze the shredded potatoes out enough). Once I got the flour right, they were easy to pat into discs and slip into the shimmering oil.

Green Bean Soup (Bouneschlupp) [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

I love the bright clean flavors -- this isn’t a thick, sludgy soup. It’s fresh and bright and tastes like spring. Ava loved everything about this soup -- sprinkling on her own bacon and sausage was a huge treat (in fact, she ate more meat than anything else). Mr Picky was a fan as well, and told me to add it to our regular rotation. I’m happy to do so!

What I liked least about this dish:

I couldn’t find a good, spicy sausage in time for this soup, so I went with a sweet, smoked German-style sausage. While it tasted divine, I would like to try the recipe with something spicier for comparison’s sake.

Apple Cake (Äppelkuch) [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

This was so soft and moist… the apples had just enough bite. The cinnamon on top really shone. Ava, of course, loved it and Mr Picky complained for days afterwards “Why do you have to have cake on the counter, tempting me??” (Because that’s my job, sweetie… that’s my job).

What I liked least about this dish:

This extraordinarily tendercake must be cooled almost completely to be removed safely from the pan. Keep this in mind, or you might end up with broken cake all over your counter. And don’t think of putting it in a springform, because it will leak. Unfortunately, I speak from experience.

Ava’s Corner

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzvHaEWet7A

Thank you for following our Adventure, where I cook a meal from every country in the world, A-Z! Many smiles to you and your family. Love, Sasha