Slovenian Recipes

Our afternoon in the kitchen. Chop pancetta into bite size pieces. While the pancetta is getting crispy, prepare the garlic oil/butter. Slice shiitake and portobello mushrooms (or the mushrooms of your choice). Add mushrooms to a heated skillet. When soft and browned, deglaze pan with your favorite port. Load up the ciabatta bread with the toppings you prepared. Bake at 400 degrees for   4-6 minutes. Toss arugula and spinach with a swirl of violet balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a few grinds of sea salt and lemon pepper. Top the warm ciabatta with the dressed greens. Enjoy as light lunch shared on a sunny afternoon or as the perfect side for your family dinner.

My brother Don made this delicious appetizer on Easter and was kind enough to share his recipe with me. He developed this flatbread and even made his own sausage which is, seriously, the best sausage I have ever eaten. When I asked Don if Kim and I could feature his flatbread on our blog, he was more than happy to share his "recipe." I use quotes around recipe, because Don didn't give measurements, but explained each step so we could recreate his appetizer. I love cooking this way, using instructions rather than a strict recipe. He also shared a couple of specific techniques that take this flatbread from delicious to out of this world. Don is a great cook and an even better brother. I am going to provide detailed directions (and beautiful pictures, thanks to Kim) so you can make what you see pictured above. Don't let those specific directions become restrictive. You can easily use the same techniques with any ingredients you choose. It is such a versatile recipe t...

Wheat berries are not a part of our weekly meal rotation. As a matter of fact, I have never made them. I read about wheat berries in a blog I love to follow called "Bits & Pieces" by Maria Isabella. Maria wrote about Serbia in one of her recent posts and I became curious about Serbian food. She was generous enough to post her favorite Serbian dessert, called Koljivo; it was calling my name. I wasn't sure how many stars my four food critics would give after sampling the Koljivo, but I remained hopeful. It's not often that I make a dessert that all four kids love. Not often, but this dessert qualifies. It was a grand slam in my kitchen! I tweaked Maria's original recipe a tad, and Koljivo has now been added to our favorite desserts list. Thank you, Maria! Koljivo is a sweet boiled wheat dish. Take 1 lb of wheat berries and boil in a pot of salted water for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally to make sure none of the wheat berries stick to the bot...