Series: Slavka’s filo pastries
Banitsa with pumpkin is called tikvenik (from tikva=pumpkin), and is a popular dessert for Christmas Eve in Bulgaria. Continue reading “Pumpkin variations for Boxing day”
Slavka’s recipe
Series: Slavka’s filo pastries
It’s a week before Xmas Eve and it is time for Slavka’s banitsa recipe and ideas. Slavka, as do I, often improvises and creates her own recipe. Continue reading “Slavka’s recipe”
Have you heard of “Tsiganska banitsa”?
Series: Slavka’s filo pastries
In Bulgarian cuisine, “Tsiganska (or Ciganska) banitsa”, translated as “Gypsy banitsa”, is a slice of fresh, preferably hot bread seasoned with sweet paprika, salt and oil. Continue reading “Have you heard of “Tsiganska banitsa”?”
Banichka, the little sister of banica
Series: Slavka’s filo pastries
In the previous post I covered the filo pastry popular in the Balkan region. Banitsa, or banica, is the Bulgarian name for this egg & white brine cheese (feta-style) pastry Continue reading “Banichka, the little sister of banica”
What is banitsa?
Series: Slavka’s filo pastries
My friend Slavka makes the best use of filo (or phyllo) pastry sheets in Toronto. This thread features a few of her recipes. But before that, let’s set the stage. Continue reading “What is banitsa?”
Chayote two ways
Series: From my Covid gardens
In the previous post of this thread I discussed how to make pasta sauce from the last harvest – with green tomatoes. One can use the sauce in a variety of dishes, not just pasta. Continue reading “Chayote two ways”
Last harvest, green tomatoes
Series: From my Covid gardens
I used mainly the vegetables and herbs from my Covid gardens for cooking this summer. Practically from end of May to end of September, all I needed was Continue reading “Last harvest, green tomatoes”
Spooky Sea Bream
OK there is nothing spooky in the sea bream dish I made last night, aside from the fact that it was our Halloween dinner. Continue reading “Spooky Sea Bream”
Veliko Tarnovo
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
We dance to the rhythm of the English song a Bulgarian restaurant entertainer sings. It is almost dark and the beauty of this city is on full display with the flickering lights of its houses perched over the steep hills chiselled by the river Yantra. Continue reading “Veliko Tarnovo”
Bulgaria – Alex’s first impression
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
Although born in England and brought by his parents to Canada at the age of 14, Alex’s first time crossing the Ocean back to Europe wasn’t to his homeland, but to mine. Continue reading “Bulgaria – Alex’s first impression”
Covid-19: When flagged as high-risk
April 23. Still 2020?
I don’t know about you, but for me time seems to have stopped. A day feels like a year. What did I do this morning? Or yesterday? Was there a yesterday actually? Continue reading “Covid-19: When flagged as high-risk”
Getting creative with your non perishables
OK, these days Covid-19 makes all the headlines and the news. Continue reading “Getting creative with your non perishables”
Kuala Lumpur
Storyline: Home to home westward
We left hot, smelly (lean closer to the screen maybe you can smell it), dirty, stinky, kitschy Melaka (Malacca in English) a UNESCO Heritage city for hot, smoggy, steamy, rainy (this is welcome to clear the air) Kuala Lumpur (KL), the capital and the biggest city of Malaysia. Continue reading “Kuala Lumpur”
Singapore
Storyline: Home to home westward
End of May
It is hard to imagine that this modern, multicultural, sophisticated, effective, and should I add futuristic and utopic city-state, began its existence in its current representation only 54 years ago. Continue reading “Singapore”
Adelaide and Darwin
Storyline: Home to home westward
Adelaide and Darwin: what do these two cities have in common? To begin with these were the last two Australian cities we stayed in. Continue reading “Adelaide and Darwin”
