All posts filed under: Europe

A Virtual Tour of Bulgaria

In this video you will take a virtual tour of Bulgaria’s varied landscape, described by the narrator as a “piece of paradise.” Just beware the string bikini in the middle. Yikes.

Three Interesting Facts About Bulgaria (with Poll)

It’s a beautiful morning here in Tulsa. The birds are chirping, the sky is blue, and Keith got up with the baby last night! Here’s a few fun facts … Bulgarian Rose oil Bulgaria is one of the world’s largest producers of rose oil. This liquid gold is used to flavor chocolates, liqueurs, and jams. Oh, and rose scented perfume, but you shouldn’t eat that. The primary producer is called the Valley of the Roses (located in central Bulgaria, in the town of Kazanluk). Hidden treasures in Bulgaria In 1985, a villager from Rogozen was digging a well in his vegetable garden and unearthed 165 silver and gold vessels. The loot is now on display in Bulgaria. This is just one of several similar stories! What would you do if you found treasure in your garden? Turn it in, sell it, or keep it? Yogurt & cheese are staples Cheese and yogurt are extremely popular in Bulgaria. Sirene cheese is salty, crumbly, and firm – much like feta. Kashkaval is technically the Bulgarian term for any …

Savory Cheese Pastry | Banitsa

Serves 6 My husband is officially in love with Bulgaria. To be fair, he didn’t stand a chance. Second only to pure sugar, Keith loves anything that includes butter, pastry, or cheese. This recipe boasts all three, and in eye-popping quantities. Not to say it was love at first sight. It wasn’t. After all, my pastry skills are minimal. But, hey, we can all use a little forgiveness in the kitchen, from time to time. Especially when it comes to pastries. Thankfully, phyllo dough spreads, puffs and crackles haphazardly, hiding flaws brilliantly. Bulgarians serve this vegetarian cheese pastry room temperature or cold with plain yogurt on the side. Add spinach for a healthy variation. Note: Bulgarian yogurt, a little runny and decidedly tangy, is available for purchase at health food stores. Ingredients: 6 eggs 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 lb sirene cheese (or feta) 1/2-1 stick butter 1/2 package of thawed phyllo dough (about 21 individual sheets) Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt some butter. NOTE: You’ll need half a ton of butter, or …

Menu: Bulgaria

We’ve been huddled around the air conditioner for, oh, about 2 months now. That’s why, this week, I’m making a completely “cool” dinner, made possible by Bulgaria. Thank goodness for chilled soup, dips, drinks, and pastries. Mmm. P.S. This meal just so happens to be vegetarian (with one vegan dish). Chilled Cucumber Soup (Tarator) [Recipe] Refreshing blend of Bulgarian yogurt and cucumber, with a hint of garlic. Garnish with dill and/or crushed walnuts. Savory Cheese Pastry (Banitsa) [Recipe] Phyllo dough filled with salty cheese, egg, and baking soda. Quick, easy, and impressive. Serve room temperature or chilled. Roasted Eggplant & Bell pepper dip (Kyopolou) [Recipe] Smoky roasted eggplant, bell pepper, and tomatoes pureed with fresh garlic, parsley, vinegar, and olive oil. A great dip for parties, kyopolou is best served the day after preparation. Vegan. Chopped Salad (Shopska Salata) [Recipe] We made Shopska Salata for Bosnia and Herzegovina. This refreshing tomato, pepper, red onion, and feta cheese salad is also popular in Bulgaria, with the common addition of sliced cucumbers. Iced Fruit Drink (Kompot) [Recipe] …

About Bulgarian Food

Bulgaria will always make me smile. Exactly one week before I was to cook our Bulgarian Global Table, a young man from – you guessed it – Bulgaria came knocking on our door. I still haven’t pick my jaw up off the floor. I live on a tiny street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for goodness sakes! These things just don’t happen. Tall, gawky and very kind, Nick had one mission: to sell educational children’s books during his summer break. When my mother discovered the origins of his thick accent, she threw caution to the wind and pulled him inside. Cornered, he had no choice but to cooperate while I gave him the third degree. What did you eat as a child? What’s your favorite dessert? After thirty minutes, when the color had completely drained from his face, I finally let him talk to me about his books. It was the least I could do. I learned several important points from Nick. Bulgarians eat many of the things we eat here, in the United States. “We have …

Monday Meal Review: Bosnia and Herzegovina

This is meal #22 as I cook and eat food from all around the world. This weekend’s Global Table Adventure brought us to our knees. The incredible flavors of Bosnia and Herzegovina will suit those who enjoy the bright, bold flavors of Mediterranean and Eastern European foods. While nothing is incredibly complicated, the entire meal flows together like a happy love song. Chopped Salad (Sopska Salata) [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish: A refreshing accompaniment to grilled meat, Sopska Salata is a delightful summertime salad. There’s no denying it. Tomato, pepper, red onion, and feta were made to go together. I could eat this salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact, I did just that with the leftovers! Please tell me I’m not alone – surely someone else eats leftover salad for breakast? Someone? Anyone?! Anyway, you can add lettuce if you want to stretch this recipe to feed more people. What I liked least about this dish: I only have one regret – I could not use my own produce in this …

Bosnian Finger Sausages | Cevapi

Makes about 16 finger sausages Cevapi, pronounced cheh-VAH-pee, are highly addictive mini sausages served in a special Bosnian pita bread called Somun. You may substitute either naan or other thick, doughy bread. Some Bosnians swear by quickly dipping the bread in beef broth and heating for a minute over a hot grill. The hot, slightly brothy bread with Cevapi is a bite of heaven. Simply inspired! Although this recipe contains pork, you may also make it with equal parts lamb and beef. NOTE: Pljeskavice (pronounced PLYEH-skah-vee-tseh) are made the same way, but you add finely diced onion & green pepper to the mixture. Then form them into little patties, about 3″ diameter. Serve the same way. UPDATE: A reader sent in the following comment, which may be useful to you in your stovetop travels: In Bosnia they are not made with pork. It is good to mix the meats, but pork is not used because of the high percentage of Muslim population in the country. Part of the country might use it, but again their most …

Balkan Baked Beans | Prebranac

Serves 2-4 Prebranac is rich, comforting, and tasty. This baked bean dish is like a warm hug from Bosnia, the “Heart of Europe.” The key is to slowly cook the onion until the golden, sweetness develops. I will be making Prebranac over and over again. I suggest you do the same! 🙂 Ingredients: 1 cup dry Lima beans, cooked (or 2 cans, drained) 2 medium onions, chopped 1/8 cup olive oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 Tbsp paprika seasoning salt pepper 1 Tbsp of flour Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400F. Heat up olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden. 2. Add garlic, paprika, flour, salt, and pepper. Cook a few minutes until spices are fragrant and flour is moistened. 3. Add beans and stir to combine. 4. Pour into a casserole and bake until crusty on top, about 15 minutes. Enjoy hot! Just look at all those ooey-gooey, sweet onions! Awesome. Balkan Baked Beans | Prebranac Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Prebranac is rich, comforting, and tasty. This baked …

Shopska Salad | Shopska Salata

Serves 2-4 Can a salad be seductive? Maybe not. But a salad definitely can be charming and fun, like the boy next door. That’s exactly how I feel about Shopska Salad. Like a school girl, I crushed on this happy combination of crunchy peppers, farmer’s market tomatoes, and red onion. To make the salad even better, I tossed “Barrel-Aged Feta” in the mix. This cheese is just like regular feta with a tad stronger – and a “hair” funkier – flavor. In fact, Barrel-Aged Feta is a great “first” funky cheese for those of you trying to convince a family member to “go funky.” Ingredients 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced 2 tomatoes, chopped 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced olive oil red wine vinegar 2 oz feta cheese (plain or aged), crumbled salt pepper Method: 1. Combine the pepper, tomato, and onion. Sprinkle with oil and vinegar, top with parsley and season. Add the cheese and serve. You could serve this salad unmixed, and let everyone take the pieces they want. As an option, mix in …

Coffee in Bosnia and Herzegovina (with poll)

We’ve made it to another Friday! If you live in the United States, have a wonderful holiday weekend! We’ll be celebrating Miss Ava’s first birthday on Sunday…. 🙂 Here are our fun facts for Bosnia & Herzegovina: Have a heart! Bosnia and Herzegovina is nicknamed the “Heart Shaped Land” due to the country’s slight heart shape. What’s in a name? The name “Bosnia” comes from an Indo-European word, “Bosana.” Bosana means”water.” Bosnia is full of beautiful rivers, lakes, waterfalls (one is well over 3oo feet high), and a strip of the Adriatic sea. Herzegovina is named for Herceg Stjepan, an ancient ruler. Culinary Traditions There are three culinary traditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Croatian, Serbian and Boshniakian. Forget fast food! Try a Bosnian “hamburger” The meat for Cevapi sausages (a recipe will be provided on Monday) can also be used to make Pljeskavice. Just add peppers and onion to the ground mixture! Although difficult to pronounce, they are easy to eat! Simply put the patties in a thick Bosnian Pita with some onion and tomato! Agriculture …

Bosnian Coffee | Bosanska Kafa

Good morning! Let’s wake up, Bosnian style, and sip a shot of robust, Bosnian coffee. What is Bosnian Coffee? When someone says they had Bosnian coffee, they are referring to the method of preparation. This method (also referred to as Turkish coffee) is used all over the Middle East, the Balkans, and North Africa. Although there are many steps, each one is critical to making a good cup. And by good cup I mean a GOOD cup. The effort is worth it! The coffee beans for Bosnian coffee must be ground into a superfine powder. So fine, in fact, that it looks a lot like hot cocoa. You may purchase “Turkish Coffee” for this purpose at any Middle Eastern grocer. (Tulsa, here’s your local connection: Middle Eastern Market). If you have Colombian espresso, you can use it as long as you grind it super duper fine – until it disintegrates into a fluffy powder. The coffee cups: Bosnian coffee is served in small, espresso cups (also referred to as demi-tasse). Sounds fancy, but you can just …

Menu: Bosnia & Herzegovina

Yet another week of agonizing menu choices. There is just too much good food in this world. 🙂 After much deliberation, here’s how this week’s Global Table will celebrate the flavors of Bosnia & Herzegovina: Chopped Salad (Sopska Salata) [Recipe] Fresh tomato, green pepper, red onion, and feta cheese, topped with a sprinkle of chopped parsley, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Finger Sausages (Cevapi) [Recipe] Cevapi is popular street-food in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The small, grilled sausages are made from a blend of beef, lamb, and sometimes pork. Enjoy with doughy Somun (thick pita-style bread) and white onion. Balkan Baked Beans (Prebranac) [Recipe] Prebranac is an easy, addictive side dish made with white kidney beans, caramelized onion, garlic, and loads of paprika. Bosnian Coffee (Bosanska Kafa) [Recipe] Bosnian coffee is made from a superfine grind, but don’t be fooled. This strong drink has kick! NOTE: Special thanks to Deanna, one of our readers who spent every summer in Bosnia as a child. She volunteered to teach me what she knew about Bosnia and Herzegovina. I probably …