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I made this Ajvar recipe the other day and coming home from work on Friday night I just felt completely exhausted; from the work, people, general goings on. And hungry. I opened the fridge to find in a ceramic dish (the dish I used for the photo above) I still had some Ajvar left. And all of a sudden I was excited! (I know, it's only Ajvar!) So I made two slices of toast and smothered them with this roast capsicum goodness and the smell and that first bite just made me feel better. That's the thing with Ajvar - it's comforting. And it doesn't matter geographically who invented it. My vote goes to the Macedonians but geez, it's eaten all around Eastern Europe (and in Croatia) that it's a staple everywhere. You can't really turn up to a Croatian house and stay the night without someone asking the next morning if you want Ajvar with your breakfast. Or if someone is making a sandwich. Or with a mezze plate (it is a taste sensation with cold meats). Or as the essential condiment with cevapi (skinless sausages). Ajvar goes with everything. Of course you can also buy it in glass jars from any deli, no matter where you are in the world. But it's not the same. I definitely find it too acidic and who wants extra preservatives? When you can make it yourself, to suit your own palate, it's that much better. Traditionally Ajvar would be preserved in the summer for use over the colder months, you can do this as well, but you'll need a good 20 kilos of capsicums and the space to make it all happen! Or just make it as you need it. Anyway here is the recipe that I used and it worked a treat! Let me know if you try this recipe and what you thought Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

Oh you Istria lovers, have I got something for you! It's another recipe from the famed region of truffles, olive oil and yes, asparagus. Growing up in Sydney, it's crazy to think that I've spent more time on Istrian beaches (thank you uncle, aunty and cousins) than beaches in Australia. But hey, I'm not complaining! After these beach visits, my cousin Marijan would go off to pick wild white asparagus (an Istrian classic) and now that I think about it, I never asked him where he actually went. He'd go off (somewhere) and when he got back there were two baskets laden with those white buttery stalks which would then be lightly boiled and served with butter or added to a risotto. Those stalks weren't the same as these Aussie ones, but that's ok because this recipe is still tasty and amazing even if the key ingredient isn't from Istria. Let me know if you try this recipe and what you thought Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

The truth is I haven't had a real, live artichoke in years. The last time I had one (that wasn't marinated in a glass jar) was when I visited my cousin and his French wife in Normandy. As a starter she boiled up some of these green wonders, whipped up some homemade mayo and boom! You took off a leaf (yes, one leaf at a time) dunked it in the mayo and sucked on that delicious flesh. But it's one thing having them served to you, quiet another to make them yourself. So when I saw the most crispy fresh looking artichokes at the local farmers market, and having flipped through Ino Kuvačić's wonderful cookbook Dalmatia (Recipes from Croatia's Mediterranean Coast) I thought I'd give it a whirl. Rather than buying the required eight artichokes I only bought two, because, to be honest I didn't know how they would turn out, but Ino's recipe filling was actually enough for the two although they were quite over-stuffed (no one complained!) Ino's recipe says nothing about the stock cooking juices, but I thought these were absolutely delicious and would recommend some crusty bread to sop it all up. Or maybe just use a spoon (like I did) and consume it like a soup! Let me know if you tried the recipe and if an earthy artichoke is for you? Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

I absolutely love this recipe. I found it on a blog called He Needs Food and although I have loads of family in Istria, none of them have ever made me this dish (I could call them jerks, but I won't!). This potato dish is filling, hearty, and it's a meal in one or can be served as a side. Either way, on a cold Sydney winter's night it really is a winner! I mean, come on, potatoes, pancetta, cream and garlic are always a winning combination! Apart from the taste, this is a super easy recipe to prepare and you only need one dish. Just throw everything in as you're chopping. If you don't know what Vegeta is, you can take a look  here.  (I can eat it directly from the tin). I did change a couple of things in this recipe, just to make the quantities even, if it's 900grams I'm putting in one kilo because quite frankly who can be bothered stuffing around. Let me know if you try this recipe and what you thought Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

Yeah, this is kind of like a crème caramel but better. The dessert Rožata is unique to Dubrovnik but you can find it all along the southern Dalmatian coast, and the one thing that sets it apart from other baked custard desserts or the classic crème caramel is the addition of Ružolin. Ružolin is a brandy made from mascerated rose petals and it's hard to find in Sydney - bar making it yourself (and how many roses would you need?) You can buy it direct from a Dalmatian company called Natura Dalmatia , but geez I really just wanted to try making it (again) and so (as loads of other recipes do) substituted Ružolin for rosewater and rum. I'm not going to lie to you, I found this recipe hard to make. And this was my third time round. Either the custard didn't bake properly or it wouldn't drop out of its ramekin (a sloppy mess) or something! But third time, luckily...it worked. Below is the recipe that worked and I recommend it. Why? Because of the straining component, it works so much better when the custard is strained. Here we go... Let me know if you tried this Rožata and what you thought? Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

I spent my Monday morning cooking with a Croatian culinary genius...aka Teta (Aunty) Olgica. Mother of three grown men, everyone that has ever tasted this recipe of hers (including said sons) love it and ask for it again, and again, and again. And when you taste it, you will understand why. It is delicious! These kind of meaty, saucy dishes are usually from Croatia's north, inherited from our Austro-Hungarian counterparts. And while I love a southern seafood dish, these meaty dishes are hearty, filling and just plain comforting. Unlike Croatia's northern neighbours and former empirical overlords - Austria and Hungary - whose schnitzels are heavily crumbed, Zagreb schnitzel is lightly crumbed but served in the sauce that it's cooked in. And you won't find a thick piece of meat here. These cuts need to be thin and hammered within an inch of their lives. Teta also recommended to not use any 'skirt' pieces with the grain of the meat running across the cut. The grain needs to run along the length of the cut. "Watch that butcher! They always try to throw in those skirt pieces, but I get them to turn each steak back and front so I can see both sides!" Another thing, the meat needs to have as little fat as it possibly can. If it does have fat veins, these need to be cut, because if they are left uncut when the meat is fried it will curl up. And no curling allowed, these schnitzels need to be flat. We made this recipe with a kilo of meat, of course if you use less just cut down the rest of the ingredients in proportion. For a serving suggestion, try the Zagreb potatoes recipe in the next post! Let me know if you tried these schnitzels and what you thought! Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

This is a really simple recipe that's great for a side to any meat or seafood dish. Don't ask me why it's from Zagreb, but hey! It's delicious so who cares? If you want a potato meal-in-one try the Istrian Potato recipe for a potato dish with meat. Let me know if you tried these potatoes and what you thought? Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

When I was a kid my mum never made Breskvice. They were time consuming and complicated. And as a working mum with a family, a magnificent garden and a whole bunch of animals to take care of, spending hours baking Breskvice was not on the agenda. Don't get me wrong, mum made other cakes - Oblatne, Bakin kolač, Šape etc. but as a little girl who loved the colour pink, Breskvice were always at the top of my most-wanted list. Hence at parties of family and friends, I would head straight for the Breskvice (usually served in a Bohemia Crystal dish) and devour a bunch! So last week when I was at Teta Olgica's getting my lesson in Zagreb schnitzels in sauce , I asked for a lesson in the art of making these sugary morsels. Unlike other recipes, she uses an old technique of boiled egg yolks to make the pastry (some Italian recipes do this too) and while it may sound horrid (boiled egg yolks in cakes?!), the pastry is so fluffy to work with (and delicious to eat) that I have to give it a thumbs up and want to explore more recipes that use this technique. Unlike some other recipes where you take two of the cookies and sandwich the filling in between, with these you slightly scoop out the centre of each cookie to get more filling in and then sandwich two together. And the brandy/rum goes into the filling rather than the pastry. Love it! So without further ado and no more wasting time on talking boiled egg-yolk pastry, let's get to making. Let me know if you tried these amazing Croatian sweets and what you thought? Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

If there's one thing I remember about Christmas, it's my mum and sister seated around our round wooden kitchen table making šape. Known as medvjeđe šape (bear paws) because of the traditional bear paw moulds they would be baked in, this is a truly traditional Croatian recipe. And the quintessential Christmas recipe. And! If there's one thing I love about St Stephen's Day (Boxing Day) it's sitting around at breakfast, eating šape with leftover turkey and black coffee! Taste sensation people! These little biscuits keep for days, so making one batch a couple of days before Christmas will last atleast until St Johns (day after Boxing Day - depending on how many people are walking in and out of your house) and they are better when a touch drier, a day after they are baked. But you do need to have the moulds, which can be bought online, in Croatia or some cousin can lend you a bunch. This is my mothers/sisters recipe, enjoy! Let me know if you tried these Croatian teddy bear treats and what you thought? Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

Most European countries have their version of the pepper, or spice cookie. Eaten during winter, preferably with a cup of mulled wine, if Christmas had a taste, it would be this humble biscuit. Even our western gingerbread is a variant on this. These pepper cookies are special though. For a traditional Croatian paprenjac, you need a special wooden stamp that usually comes with six traditional folk designs, three on each side, for stamping into the rolled out dough. You can get these online or in Croatia, but keep in mind without the stamp, it's not really a paprenjac. You can also get the stamps (like mine) in Christmas motifs, prefect for the season. And if you really want a traditional Croatian Christmas, before baking, make a little hole in the top and when done, thread a piece of red ribbon through to hang off the Christmas tree! Let me know if you tried these Croatian peppery treats and what you thought? They really are the taste of Christmas! Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

I am not a sweet tooth. And honestly most of the desserts I make get eaten by family, next-door neighbours or shared amongst work colleagues. Not so with Srneći Hrbat. Each time I walk past it on the kitchen bench I cut myself a slice, or when I open the fridge (I leave the knife on the platter for easy slicing and less washing) So why this cake - a) the name is hilarious and b) it is a simple-to-make delicious flourless chocolate cake with the best chocolate glaze in the world. It was my dad's favourite homemade cake, and after he brought the mould in Croatia and back home to Australia, he would get my mum to make it for him, as it reminded him of his childhood in Slavonija and his own mother's (culinary genius) cooking. Yes, it's named after a reindeer or venison backstrap. Only in Croatia would you be invited to someone's house thinking you'd be getting a hunk of game and be served a cake. Hence, it really is all about the mould. If you don't have the Srneći Hrbat mould, you're kinda stuffed, but hey, it's the perfect reason to go on a trip to Croatia! Or shop online with us. My grandmother would serve this cake with tiny fresh cranberries at the top of each rib, but I couldn't find any fresh ones in Sydney and so I had to settle for strawberries and raspberries. But it does need some fruit and being of the Christmas season, red-coloured fruits are the perfect festive touch. You may also have some chocolate glaze left over and if that's the case, it can be used as a dipping sauce for said red fruits, or for those who want extra glaze poured over their slice (or slices!) of cake. But the most important thing (I think) about this cake is that it's flourless! It's a winner for those gluten-free people and folks watching their weight, just don't tell them about the chocolate! Let me know if you tried this flourless cake named after a piece of meat and what you thought? Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)

Medenjaci are another version of the Paprenjac but with the added goodness of honey and ginger. These also happen to be a lot spicier than the paprenjaci I made earlier and you'll be able to taste the pepper in the back of your throat after one bite. A difference between these and the traditional western ginger snap or ginger cookie is that these Croatian ones are traditionally covered in a white icing glaze. It wouldn't be a medenjac without the icing! My dad would buy these, the one's made by the Croatian classic confectionary brand Kraš, and while they were good, these are better. This was my first time making them and they definitely were not as perfect as the Kraš ones, but they tasted great and I think that's the main thing! So without further nostalgia, below is the recipe and of course if you want less spice, feel free to cut down the quantities. Let me know if you tried these spicy cookies and what you thought? Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)