We’ve landed in Kosovo.

It’s the youngest Country in Europe – Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 – and it has the youngest Population in Europe – over 50% of its population is under 30 years old! It’s not officially a member of the European Union and, while most other countries recognize it as an independent nation, Russia, China, and Serbia, do not. The US recognizes it, today. We’ll see what tomorrow brings…

Looking back, Kosovo has been ruled by Romans, Byzantines, Bulgarians, Serbs, Ottomans, Yugoslavia, and United Nations Administrators before its independence.

Kosovo has a great food culture and it reflects its history. As with most countries, it shares its food with surrounding cultures. The lines on maps have been very fluid over the centuries.

Besides food, Kosovo also has an excellent coffee culture. Pristina, Kosovo’s capital, has many cafés serving traditional macchiatos, Turkish coffee, and espresso.

In looking for recipes, I definitely tend to look for breads. I really do thing breads are the great equalizer.

The phrase breaking bread refers to the act of sharing a meal, specifically the breaking of bread as part of communal dining. In many early cultures, bread was a staple food, often baked in loaves or flatbreads that were torn apart by hand. Sharing bread signified unity and trust.

What a concept.

One of the first recipes I came upon was Kosovo Pitalke – a bread from Prizren. As is normal in my recipe searching. I looked for several different recipes to find the common thread. This recipe was pretty close to the others, although I did work around the baking instructions a bit.

 

Kosovo Pitalke

from International Cuisine

  • 10g yeast
  • 4g sugar
  • 300g all purpose flour
  • 15g salt
  • 500ml water – you may not need all of it!
  • water in a spray bottle to spritz the bread just before going into the oven.

Heat pizza stone or cast iron skillet in the oven to 320°F/150°C.

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.

Gradually add water until you make a soft dough (you may not use all the water)

Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Oil the dough and cover with cloth and let it rise to double the size.

Divide the dough into four rounds and flatten with your hand and let rise 10 minutes

Remove the skillet or stone from the office and dust with flour.

Place the dough on the stone and spray the dough with water just before placing the stone or skillet back in the oven.

Bake until puffed up, about 7-10 minutes don’t open the oven door beforehand.

Remove and enjoy hot.

 

The bread was a bit surprising. I thought it would be lighter, but it was a pretty close crumb. It was quite good, though – and it went really well with both the soup and the peppers. If you make it, do make sure you add the water slowly. I’m reasonably sure you won’t need the full amount.

Now, I needed something to go with the bread…

I found a recipe for Ajvar that reminded me of Trader Joe’s Red Pepper Spread with Eggplant and Garlic – a product I used regularly when I worked Demo for them. (I believe it’s made in Bulgaria.) I wanted something more substantial, and found Sataraš – a red pepper, tomato, and onion stew. It starts with three essential ingredients – ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. The recipe for Sataraš varies from region to region and from household to household. While it is more often just the three main ingredients, it can include meat, and it can include other vegetables.

In terms of international foods, think of foods like:

  • Lecsó a Hungarian classical pepper stew that is a spicier cousin.
  • The French Ratatouille.
  • Shakshuka – in many ways similar to this stew as is the Italian Peperonata.
  • Pipérade from the Basque and Gascon cuisines is a spicy version and Pisto from the La Mancha region in Spain is another variation.

They all use up the summer’s bounty in their own uniquely spiced – yet very similar – way.

It really is a small world, after all…

 

Sataraš

From several online sites

  • 2 large red onions, sliced
  • 2 yellow bell peppers, cut into medium strips
  • 2 red bell peppers, cut into medium strips
  • 4 green bell peppers, cut into medium strips
  • 6 large tomatoes roughly diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste

Add olive oil into a sauté pan and heat. Add the onion slices and sauté for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Then add the peppers and garlic.

Mix well, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes over low heat.

Then add the tomato and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquids have reduced.

Towards the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper to taste, then add about ¼ cup of oil and continue cooking over medium heat, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring very frequently.

 

We had it warm with the Pitalke, but it will be excellent on a sandwich or atop a salad. Nice, mild flavor. Some crushed red peppers or maybe a hot paprika would not be a bad addition.

For the main dish, I went with Fasule ((Albanian) or Pasulj (Serbian). About 90% of Kosovo’s population are ethnic Albanians, 3-5% Serbian, and maybe 2% are Bosniak. Both Albanian and Serbian are official languages.

I love a recipe that states “Most types of dried beans, and almost any (non-poultry) meat work!” It’s definitely open to interpretation. It then states that you can add your own spice blend. Definitely my kind of recipe. My only change to the recipe, though, was using a Hungarian smoked sausage called Leibinger. Technically, Hungary isn’t on the Balkan Peninsula, but it does share cultural and historical affiliations. Yes, I’m splitting hairs, but it did state “almost any meat will work”.

 

 

Fasule/Pasulj

adapted from Balkan Lunch Box

  • 12-14 ounces dry beans (kidney, white northern or canary, etc)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion large, peeled, minced
  • 2-3 garlic cloves peeled, minced
  • 2 carrots medium, peeled, diced
  • 3-4 ounces ham, bacon, or dried beef diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • (Optional) 1 tablespoon stock powder, Vegeta, or a bouillon cube
  • 1 bay leaf

Roux:

  • 5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1.5 tablespoon flour
  • 1 tablespoon paprika

Stew:

Soak the beans by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with water. Leave for 7-8 hours, or overnight.

Simmer onion, garlic, carrots, and meat.

Add beans, seasonings, and water. Cook for a few hours.

Roux:

Heat up oil. Whisk in flour. Whisk in paprika. Whisk roux into the soup.

 

I think it was the roux that really made this! Bean soup is bean soup, but the hot oil/flour/paprika really added a new dimension. I liked the sausage, but ham would have worked quite well, also. I also used pinto beans because that’s what I had dry in the house. I used a full pound and tweaked the other ingredients just a bit.

All in all, a definite success. The meal was definitely filling and was perfect for a drizzly day in the Pacific Northwest.

We’re on to “L”…