Penne Pasta with Pesto Sauce, Turkey Ham Cubes and Fried Eggplant Strips
My father never used to eat the same dish twice. It's a habit you can't easily change, I know. Nobody can claim that it causes waste either. On the contrary, with such a person in the house, you learn...
View ArticleBosnian Doughnuts a.k.a. Krofne
“I can resist anything except temptation.”It all started when I noticed a new brand of fine-textured flour in the local grocery shop. The label read 'krofne'. I knew what they were but I didn't know...
View ArticleRevani: Turkish Semolina Cake Soaked in Syrup
“Philosophy [nature] is written in that great book which ever is before our eyes -- I mean the universe -- but we cannot understand it if we do not first learn the language and grasp the symbols in...
View ArticleLamingtons a.k.a. Čupavci
“Coincidences are spiritual puns.” Australian icon 'Lamingtons' are known as 'Čupavci'here in Bosnia. The Bosnian version looks the same, however, the recipe requires additional sugar, milk and butter...
View ArticleCarrot Cake: The Best One Ever
“Alice:How long is forever? White Rabbit:Sometimes, just one second."Carrot CakeIngredients6 cups finely grated carrots1 cup brown sugar1 cup raisins4 eggs1 1/2 cups white sugar1 cup vegetable oil2...
View ArticlePolygonum Cognatum a.k.a. Madımak
Madımak is a weedy creeping plant and seen as an invasive troublemaker by the farmers. Poly means 'many' and qonu means 'knee' in Greek. It's fun to find out the reference: The plant has a swollen...
View ArticleMadımak with Chicken and Pine Nuts
“Alice came to a fork in the road. 'Which road do I take?' she asked.'Where do you want to go?' responded the Cheshire Cat.'I don't know,' Alice answered.'Then,' said the Cat, 'it doesn't matter.”...
View ArticleCinnamon Braid Bread a.k.a. Estonian Kringle
"I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched." I've never been good at braiding my hair. It's a fact. But when you have two daughters who want to rock braids, you find...
View ArticleClassic Raspberry Crisp
I've been looking for an easy recipe that would combine oatmeal, coconut and fruit and finally found it on the reluctantentertainer.com: raspberry crisp. Such a delicious and healthy dessert! You can...
View ArticleHummus
“Excellent!" I cried. "Elementary," said he.” Ingredients125 grams dried chickpeas1/4 cup tahini 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving1 large garlic...
View ArticleDate & Cocoa Raw Truffles
“Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.”This is the simplest version of date truffles. Don't hesitate to add in your favourite spices or nuts to...
View ArticleLemon Cake
"...man is not truly one, but truly two."Ingredients2 cups flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt125 grams butter, softened , plus extra for greasing the tin1 cup caster sugar1/2 cup heavy...
View ArticleBack to the Kitchen: Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients2 medium zucchini, grated1/4 cup plain flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/4 cup breadcrumbs1 egg, beatenzest of 1 small lemon1 clove of garlic, mincedhandful of grated cheese, Parmesan or...
View ArticleGetting Ready for Eid al-Adha 2015
My mother-in-law never skips traditional Bosnian pie for bajrams* (both Eid and Eid al-Adha celebrated by Muslims). She makes two types of the well-known pie (one with cheese and one with minced...
View ArticleSeptember Drinks
When I first saw the pears my father-in-law offered me the other day, to be honest, I wasn't thrilled at all. They were pretty small and had very dark skin. They seemed tasteless or even rotten....
View ArticleBritain vs. America: Vegetable Names
I've come across this video on Anglophenia in which Kate Arnell teaches seven vegetables with different names in America and Britain. Quite useful whichever side of the pond you live.
View ArticleEid al-Adha in Sarajevo
I've always enjoyed spotting differences between things. Since I moved to Sarajevo, I've been doing it so much between Turkish customs and traditions and the Bosnian ones. This has actually revealed a...
View ArticleCarrot & Garlic Soup
I haven't got much to say. This soup is good food indeed.Ingredients2 tablespoons olive oil3 cloves garlic, chopped450 grams carrots, peeled and grated1,2 - 1,5 litres boiling water or vegetable...
View ArticleEid al-Adha in Sarajevo, Vol II
Remember the post about how the meat is shared with others on Eid al-Adha in Sarajevo? Well, consider this post as volume II then.The meat is divided into small portions and sent to relatives,...
View ArticleBaking Bread in a Closed Clay Pot
Waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread is the beginning of another dream. Ingredients250 grams all-purpose flour250 grams whole-wheat flour300-350 ml mineral water20 grams fresh yeast9-10...
View ArticleEggs and Pacifiers
Ferida is my second daughter but she has introduced me to lots of new and challenging adventures such as breastfeeding for one thing. I'm not going to write a post about how holy you feel after each...
View ArticleMira & Safija
It's been almost nine years here. My family, friends and colleagues in Turkey have kept asking for all those years about how I exactly feel about being a foreigner in Sarajevo. Some of them expect me...
View ArticleŞekerpare (“sheh-ker-pah-reh”)
It all started when one of colleagues at the university , Emir, and his wife, Dijana, came up with their own version of şekerpare (“sheh-ker-pah-reh”) that they once tasted on their summer vacation in...
View ArticleDIY Terrariums: Insanely beautiful gifts
Your seven-year-old can surprise you with the simplest but insanely beautiful gifts ever and all they need is a baby food jar that you have no idea to do with and a little bit of imagination. Asya...
View ArticleFare Thee Well
Dear reader,I started the Old Curiosity Shop after my first daughter, Asya, was born in 2010 and since then I've shared so many posts about my humble adventures here in Sarajevo both as an expat and a...
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