Serbian Cooking

Serbian food is influenced by the unique spot on the globe where Serbian culture developed. It’s a liminal place where East crosses to West, where Northern Europe phases into Southern Europe. The seasonings are simple, yet the flavors are endlessly varied. I was born in the USA, but my parents, both full-blooded Serbs, came from … Read more

Ajvar, pronounced AYE-var, is a savory relish with an indescribably delicate flavor. Ajvar is a wonderful way to use some of the summer bounty from your garden or CSA box. Make lots and preserve for gifts or holiday parties in later seasons. Freeze in quart bags, or put up in jars, if you know how … Read more

This is my mother’s recipe for salata od pasulja, or, as we usually called it, pasulj. (Pronounced sa-LAH-tah od PAH-sool-yah, or just PAH-sool-y. Just stick that “y” sound right on the end of the word — you can do it!) She always made it as one of the traditional dishes served at the special dinner served on Serbian … Read more

Here’s how I came to learn how to make tomato soup. I developed this homemade tomato soup recipe for the Badnje Vece meal that is a part of a traditional Serbian Christmas celebration. Badnje Vece is Christmas Eve. Because of the difference between the calendar used by the Eastern Orthodox church to calculate holidays, Christmas … Read more

Pogača: pronounce it POH-gah-cha. In the Cyrillic alphabet: Πогача. A simple, staple Serbian bread. Pogaca is a yeasted flatbread that’s quick and easy to put together, and simply delicious. It’s fuller, higher and more tender than pita; more like a bakery loaf, but round and short. It’s great with butter, even though that’s not a … Read more

January 6 is celebrated as Christmas Eve in the tradition of most Eastern Orthodox churches, including Serbian, which is my heritage. Technically, in Serbian this day is called Badnji dan during the day, and in the evening, Badnje Veče. If you guess that “Dan” means day and “Veče” evening from this, you’d be correct. But … Read more

The most fundamental heirloom recipes are often most at risk for being lost in the sands of times. Why? One reason is that “everyone knows” how to make them, and so nobody writes them down. Another is that they’re so close to us, so intertwined with daily life and the act of ordinary eating, that … Read more

Djuvec (pronounced JOO-vech, with a hard “j” as in “jingle”) is a hearty Serbian casserole of veggies, meat, and rice that comes together easily with just a few simple ingredients, and will impress your friends as it nourishes them. Serve it for folks coming over, or take it along to a potluck and get ready … Read more

This recipe for kolac (pronounced KO-lach) is my most cherished recipe — in fact, I’d even say it’s one of my most cherished possessions, period. This bread, which is sort of like a rich brioche — the word “kolach” actually translates as “cake,” although Americans would definitely consider it a bread — is a true … Read more

These vanilice are classic Serbian nut crescent cookies, perfect during the Christmas season or any winter holidays. They’re rich with the heavenly fragrance of vanilla. I’ve made them with the traditional walnuts, and more recently with almonds. They’re excellent made with either nut. I suspect they’d also be great with pecans, so I included that … Read more