In the land of the southern Slavs

‘YUGOSLAVIA MEANS “land of the southern Slavs.’’

The country up until recently known as Yugoslavia was made up of many different groups and traditions.

The following recipes are typical of the cuisine of the six republics (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia) that made up this Eastern European nation. None is particularly complex —- not like the history of Yugoslavia. You

must try the Duck Sauce with _

Dried Cherries and the Cevapcici.

Finally, when you serve the meal and want to really get into the Yugoslavian mind-set you must buy a bottle of slivovitz. This is a favorite pluin brandy from Yugoslavia that has been aged 10 years or more and is very strong. Enjoy!

YUGOSLAVIAN BUREK

+ (Makes 18-20)

These. phyltlo-rolled meat pies look like snails) but iaste like heaven. The only secret to this dish is in handling the phylic dough (see Hint, below).

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, ‘peeled and chopped .

1 pound ground beef -

1 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons Hurgarian paprika Sait: and freshly ground black Pepper to taste

1 box phylio douga sheets (12 in- ches by 17 inches) _-

% cup butter, melted

Heat a large frying pan and add ‘the oil. Saute the onion until soft, then add the beef, spices and salt and pepper to taste. .

Cook until the meat is crumbly but_not dry. Allow to- cool com- pletely before continuing.

Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on the counter. Brush with some of the butter.

Place a heaping ‘4 cup of meat mixture across the'sheet along the long side, 2 inches from the edge. Fold the bottom over the meat mixture and roll into a snake. Cut the roll in half and coil each roll - into a snail shape.

Place om a non-stick baking sheet and butt the end against the edge of the pan to prevent uncoil-

‘ ing. Brush with additional butter.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes or un- -til just golden,

Keep the remaining sheets of phylilo dough covered with plastic, and work quickly to: prevent it from drying out.

‘

Jeff Smith

THE FRUGAL GOURMET

Hint: Be sure the dough is at room temperature before you open the box. Place the sheets of dough on‘a large cookie sheet -and cover them with plastic wrap and then a heavy towel. In this way

- they will not dry out while you are -working with them.

CEVAFCICI ‘(Makes 25-30 sausages)

My cousin-in-law John Sarich is Yugoslavian. He icils me that years ago when we first met he was fascinated by the fact that. I loved cooking.so much. He began to study his own family recipes and opened a Yugoslavian restau- rant. He is now the chef at Chateau Ste. Michelle Wineries in Washington state.

1 pound ground lamb

1 pound ground veal

1 pound ground pork

1 large yellow onion, peeled and grated (use a food processor.)

3 cloves gartic, peeled and crushed 3 tablespoons hot Huuagarian paprika or sweet paprika’ and 2 litte cayenne

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Olive oil for basting

Mix all the ingredients except the oil thoroughly and roll the mixture into little ‘‘cigars’’ about t inch by 3 inches. Rub lightly with olive oil and grill or broil approximately 15 minutes or until done. These are great on the barbecue.

Serve with Yoghurt Sauce (reci- pe fallows)

YOGHURT SAUCE. i pint homemade yoghurt or plain yoghurt from (he market Ya cucumber, peeled, grated and drained 1 hour 2 cloves garlic, pecled and crushed

Juice of ¥2 lemon Sait and ground white pepper to faste Pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and serve with Cevapcici as a dip.

(Serves 4-6. Can also be served as a pasta or starch dish with almost any meal)

John Sarich, my Yugoslavian cousin-in-law, is willing to stand in the kitchen for hours to make these potato dumplings. t admit they are werth it.

2 pounds baking potatoes (unpeeled), washed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Legg yolk

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

Ys teaspeon ground nutmeg Y2 teaspoon salt Ground white pepper to taste Pinch of cayenne pepper 2 cups all-purpose four

Boil the potatoes untii they are fork tender. Drain them well and allow ‘to cool just so that you can touch them.. Peel and run through a potato ricer.

Piace the potatoes in the bowl of an electric mixer and add the melted butter, egg yolk, ricotta cheese and seasonings. Blend about 30 seconds. Add the flour and blend until a smooth dough is achieved, -

-Roll. the. dough into long cylinders the thickness of your finger. Cut into %-inch-thick pieces. Press with a fork to give the dumplings some texture:

Set on a lightly floured tray to dry. (Flouring. the dumplings be- fore you put each on a tray will help keep them separated when they cook.) Allow them to dry for about 3hours.

Bring 8 quarts of water to a boil and add about % of the njoki. Boil gently until they float to the top. .

Continue to boil for 1 minute; then, using a strainer, remove them from the pot to a warm bowl. Be careful not to overcook.

Repeat until all are done. Serve with Duck Sauce with Dried Cherries (recipe below).

DUCK SAUCE WITH DRIED

CHERRIES (Serves 4)

- This is really much more of a very heavy gravy than it is a nor- mal duck dish. I find it delightful

and it is just as good on pasta as

it is on njoki (recipe above).

1 3- to 4-pound duck, cut into 4 Serving pieces

} cup olive olf

2 cups yellow onions, peeled and

Photo submitted

THE CITY of Gubrovnik on the Adriatic coast.

thinly sliced

4-6 cloves peeled and chopped garlic

Y% cup chopped Italian parsley —

% cup chopped celery leaves —

3 cups chopped ripe tomatoes

% cup dry marsala

13% cups dry red wine

2 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

Y% teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary

2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika

1 cup dried sour cherries, pitted if possible, soaked in ¥2 cup warm brandy for 1 hour, reserving brandy. (Cherries can be found in Middle Eastern markets or in fan- cy food shops)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the duck pieces in the skillet and brown well to melt off the fat.

Remove the duck and drain off most of the fat and oil, reserving Ye cup.

Add the reserved oi] to a 6- quart covered ovenproof casserole and saute the onion and garlic un- til tender. Add the parsley and celery leaves and saute for a few more minutes. Add the tomato and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the marsala, red wine and = seasonings and bring to.a boil. Add the duck pieces, cover’ and* cook in a preheated oven at 375°F for 2 hours or until the duck meat falls from the bones.

Remove the casserole from the oven and place it on the stovetop to cook enough to remove all the bones from the duck quarters. Be careful about the little bones!

Return the meat to the pot and add the cherries, along with the brandy. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce reduces and thickens, about 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over njoki, pasta or rice.

Soap: Surface- active agent binds oil and water

inquisitive Cook

ANNE | GARDINER

SOME TIME over the holi- day season we've been con- fronted by a sink of soapy water and a stack of dirty dishes. Removing the dregs of dinner from the good china begs the question ... how does soap get dishes clean?

Most of the bits and pieces on dirty dishes are particles of oil- coated food. We try to remove them with water, knowing of course that water and cil don’t normally mix.

Enter soap. Soap. made by the action of alkali on fatty acids, is an emulsifying agent that acts as a liaison between water and oil. One end of each molecule is hydrophilic, or attracts water. The

other end is hydrophobic, or is repelled by water and attracts oi!. Rather like 2 mediator anxious to bring together contesting pasties, soap binds itself to both water and oil.

Soap is termed a surface-active agent (surfactant) because it acts at the surfaces where water and fat molecules meet.

A detergent is usually a syn- thetic surfactant with properties similar to soap. It also may have various additives designed for par- ticular purposes.

One regular additive has been phosphates since they enhance the action of detergents. When phosphates are present, detergents don’t form a scum with the min- erals in hard water. And particles that are removed from plates are less likely to be redeposited.

Phosphates, however, are also fertilizers. This means waste water containing phosphates promotes the growth of microorganisms when it returns to rivers and Streams. Waterways clogged by organic growth are considered polluted. As consumers switch to products that are environmentally friendly, manufacturers are responding by removing phosphates from detergents.

Soap also works on dirty dishes by reducing the intermolecular forces that hold water droplets in the dishwater together. With reduced surface tension, water penetrates food particles more easily so greasy residues lift off the surface of the dishes.

Soap forms an emulsion more easily at hot temperatures as fats are more fluid when heated. Hot

water also has iower surface ten- sion than cold. So dishwater should always be hot. ;

Some foods, such as eggs, can be difficult to remove, unless dishes are rinsed in cold or luke- warm water before washing. Because eggs contain proteins that cook at low temperatures, any heat above 140°F (60°C) coagu- lates them further, dishwater in- cluded.

Starch granules swell and become gluey at high temperatures. Sc doughy mixing bowls and utensils are best rinsed

‘immediately in lukewarm water,

before being washed in hot.

The only thing missing is a little elbow grease. That’s provided by the agitation of the water in your dishwasher, or your strong arms. Either does a good job.