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Post by alsdoubles on Aug 3, 2004 22:25:20 GMT 1
Food. (Bland groan...you know my opinion). But, all this is not serious. Yesterday my wife suggested we eat out. And I've viewed the menus, which are all the same, and had it in the back of my mind that IF we visited my sister-in-law she would insist we eat....You don't get a choice. You visit, you eat. You've eaten already. No problem...you eat again. The plates we're out there within seconds. No option and...it was fish and rice juha followed by grilled boneless fish, red wine, white wine, you take your choice (in view of the new zero drink/driving laws). It was...great. Just great. On a hot day. Bland, mmmh, not so sure, salt and pepper add some, if you want it. Just great. Croatia..okay. The highest level of...okay. What's your level of okay? I can live with 'okay' forever.
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Post by Dijana on Aug 9, 2004 21:52:25 GMT 1
i have some 10 years experience in cooking both english and croatian (slavonian) food for my english husband...no complaints!!! i enjoy both foods myself, find some english recepies bemusing, but no more than my poor husbund was after being presented with chicken feet (boiled to make chicken soup), as a former of a starter !!!
why not embrace the best of both cuisines and enjoy, all this moaning must be giving you all an indigestion!!!!
Dee
Elliot - "My croatian mather in law is pretty frightening at the best of times, but one christmass i walked into a neighbours flat to a blood bath..... (screams) My mother inlaw and her best friend were butchering a pig carcass, while my cuddly, lovely father inlaw just smiled as he minced the meat.
One warning, after eating a huge Christmas eve dinner i was then presented with a huge plate of meat at midnight. I do recogment the wine, mine was served in a petrol can and was pretty potent, i quickly fell asleep. I will carry on, on my own thread later........
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Post by elliot on Aug 9, 2004 21:56:46 GMT 1
...... so after living with my wife (then my girlfriend)for two years i met her parents in Brod. I was greeted by a traditional Slavonian meal, Rabit. It's skin had been removed with the help of a bycycle pump, don't ask! So my first Croatian word , bar Da Draga, where necu zeca hvala. This means no rabit for me thanks. I sometime get confused with zec and zet, so sometime i call and say its your rabit on the phone instead of you son inlaw.
Things have never been the same between my mother in law......
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Post by alsdoubles on Aug 9, 2004 22:49:01 GMT 1
...... so after living with my wife (then my girlfriend)for two years i met her parents in Brod. I was greeted by a traditional Slavonian meal, Rabit. It's skin had been removed with the help of a bycycle pump, don't ask! So my first Croatian word , bar Da Draga, where necu zeca hvala. This means no rabit for me thanks. I sometime get confused with zec and zet, so sometime i call and say its your rabit on the phone instead of you son inlaw. Things have never been the same between my mother in law...... Previous two fantastic messages. Gave me a laugh. Glad someone else has a black sense of humour and isn't promoting their own spet website on these pages. Brilliant entries. I was treated to cuttlefish risotto a few days ago. Similar but a little bit stronger than squid, mixed in something that resembled engine oil and maggots (possibly rice). I ate it, and drank plenty of wine to wash it down, then was asked, as you always are, between each mouthful,...Dobro? Which means, you should supply the necessary 'mmh 'lipo' nice,' so next time you will get twice as much. When really you would like to say...It was e, to be honest but....have you got any Heinz beans? Well you can't can you? Croatia is okay, despite my acid comments....I'm er...enjoying jyself!
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Post by els on Aug 9, 2004 23:01:06 GMT 1
Thanks alsdoubles, i'm reying on you, we have a house in Croatia, but i'm still clinging to England. I'm so pleased i'm not alone with my thoughts in this world.
When i'm in Croatia, i feel they're all against, i'm the Englishman their daughter married, will mt mother in law ever seem a friend, and not a stranger. Well a handshake is better than a kiss, even though it has been ten years now. Ouch! i can feel my wifes strained eyes in my back.
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Post by alsdoubles on Aug 10, 2004 22:41:59 GMT 1
but i'm still clinging to England. Don't cling to England. Al Quaeda is winning the war out there you know. Or at least it looks like they are. My (Croat) wife is clinging to England. I'm chilling out on the roof terrace watching the stars/sharks/meteorites.... My mother in law...thinks...(critics please make note), I am the business! Cool, chilled, relaxed.....Like a rock! Croats have a great sense of humour. Love UK sit-coms. Love Ronnie Barker! You can communicate with them. Of course, wives....well, Croat wives are...tricky. You have to wait until they start crocheting bedspreads and stop drinking 10 litres of vino a week (night!). Mine hasn't...yet. Oh dear..terribly sexist that, I know...but....
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Post by els on Aug 10, 2004 23:16:41 GMT 1
What can i say! we have accumulated so many crocheted gifts over the years, i could open a shop.
I dont let my wife drink to much vino, as it's not very romantic, she tends to fall asleep on the sofa.
The trouble with my mother in law is that she is part slavonian/bosnian , a tough woman. She has always understood english, although doesn't speak it. i have allways known this and allways said what i think in earshot, in English. She doesn't know that i know she understands. Gosh that's confusing. Anyway she has another son in law, who is a Croat, so i will always figure second. But that's ok as my brother in law is a great guy and i took him to see Arsenal in the Fa Cup, his biggest dream come true. His wife, my sister in law, my mother in laws daughter, my wifes sister is a pretty tough cookie too.
To keep it relevent, i love my wifes big fluffy dumplings in her paprikas. (hungarian soup dish , they cook in Slavonia).
Ps 2nd relevent point, i also limit the amount of beans my wife eats.
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Post by Ice on Aug 19, 2004 11:06:22 GMT 1
Good morning to everyone. Sorry, but my english is bad so i wrote in italian. I hope someone can traslate this post in english for me . Thanks. E' un errore andare a mangiare nei alberghi e grandi ristoranti in Croazia perchè, generalmente, si servono cibi "internazionali" e si mangia male. I genuini cibi locali, a buon prezzo, si trovano nelle piccole konobe anche a solo qualche km dai centri turistici più conosciuti o dalle strade principali. Potete sazziarvi di pesce fresco spendendo 10-20 euro, dipende da cosa ordinate. Ogni regione della croazia ha i suoi cibi particolari. Per restare sul mare: Branzino, orata, scampi costano di più; calamari, cozze, sogliole, pesce azzurro, risotto costano di meno. Cibi locali come minestre, carne in mille modi, e pasta casalinga fresca (gnocchi, fusi, pasutice ecc. ecc.) con sughi vari costano veramente poco. Non abbiate paura di provare nessuno mangia roba velenosa . Non si possono cucinare cibi croati in Canada o in UK, bisogna andare in Croazia a mangiarli...è tutto un altra cosa . Certo che se andate in Croazia per mangiare cibi Messicani o Thai..... provate: peperoni ripieni sarma crauti con carne secca gnocchi con la selvaggina fusi con sugo di gallina brodo di carne almeno 20 tipi di "manestra" frittata con i funghi o asparagi selvatici prosciutto istriano salsicce casalinghe scampi alla busara cozze e musoli brodet con la polenta insalata di piovra riso con i frutti di mare palacinke istarska supa (vino nero condito con le spezie, olio di oliva e pane)..ecc..ecc..ecc Saluti a tutti, e scusate per l'intrusione. P.S. i "kebab chi-chi" sarebbero cevapcici o cevapi, si trovano ovunque e sono anche buoni ma ...non sono Croati. P.P.S. Sono tornato ieri dall'Istria
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Post by Jk on Aug 19, 2004 13:23:33 GMT 1
hi quick translation of Ice's mail as follows:
It's a mistake to eat at Hotels and large restaurants in Croatia as they tend to serve 'international' food and you don't tend to eat well there. The genuine local foods at a good price are found in the small konobe (taverns) just a few km outisde of the well known tourist areas or a little distance off the main roads. You can satiate yourself with fresh fish, spending between 10-20 Euros, depending on what you order. each region in Croatia has it's own specialities.
By the sea, branzino (bream?), gilt-head and scampi are the most expensive, squid, shell-fish, bluefish? and risotto cost less. Local foods such as minestra, various types of meat, and homemade fresh pasta (gnocchi, fuzi etc..) with different sauces are really inexpensive. Don't be afraid to try new things - nobody eats anything poisonous!!
You can't cook Croatian food in Canada or the UK - you really need to eat it in Croatia - it's a totally different experience. Of course if you go to Croatia to eat Thai or Mexican food, well....
you must try:
peperoni ripieni - stuffed peppers sarma - stuffed cabbage leaves crauti con carne secca - cabbage with meat gnocchi con la selvaggina - gnocci with sage fusi con sugo di gallina - fuzi with chicken ragu brodo di carne - meat broth almeno 20 tipi di "manestra" - almost 20 types of minestrone frittata con i funghi o asparagi selvatici - omelette with mushrooms or wild asparagus prosciutto istriano - istrian ham salsicce casalinghe - homemade sausages scampi alla busara - scampi with a tomato/garlic sauce cozze e musoli - mussles and clams(?) brodet con la polenta - boiled meat with polenta (?) insalata di piovra - ? some type of salad riso con i frutti di mare - seafood risotto palacinke - pancakes istarska supa (vino nero condito con le spezie, olio di oliva e pane)..ecc..ecc..ecc - istrian supa - red wine seasoned with spices and olive oil, served warm with bread
Our Italian friend forgot to mention pizza, which is also excellent in Croatia!!
Ice - dove sei stato/a in Istria? Ti sei divertito/a? Dove ci consigli di mangiare in Itsria? C'é qualche konoba/ristorante che si deve provare per forza?
Saluti!
JK
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Post by Ice on Aug 19, 2004 15:12:02 GMT 1
Very thanks JK!!! Conosco bene l'Istria.. ma ogni volta che ci vado scopro qualcosa di nuovo, e ritorno sempre. Blue fish - sardella, sgombro etc Brodet - is a fish meal, it seams like goulash. When you go in Istra try this Konoba: Pula - "Dolinka" between hospital and Billa supermarket (very small restaurant with excellent fish) Valdebek (near Pula) - "Kod Zvaneta" for all kinds of genuine meat and genuine Istrian food (homemade pasta and minestrone) Krsan (east coast, near Labin)- "Stare staze" great Istrian food, meat, manestra Gracisce (between Krsan e Pazin) - "Marino" sauge and other Istrian food. Poljanice (nord east Istra, Near Cerovlje, Hum)- all kind of meat, homemade bred, chees, cripnja (meal cooked under hot ashes) Livade (north West Istra, road from Porec to Buzet)- for Tartufi mushroom Ponte porton- near Livade (road Trieste- Pula) very good food (pasta, sauge, mushrooms, chees) but about 20-30% more expensiv than other places (it's on main road) This is my favorite places. Good food for less than 20 euro. Per non spendere molto basta regolarsi un po. Per esempio: se ordini istarski prsut (costa molto) e poi prendi carne alla brace oppure un piatto di pasta con il caffe, vino, acqua spendi 15E. Se prendi solo un piattone di gnocchi con la selvaggina spendi 10. ciao everybody pozdravi svima
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Post by alsdoubles on Aug 19, 2004 23:29:22 GMT 1
Bland, all bland. Stuffed cabbage leaves!!! Blimey. Was there a vindalou in that lot, or a Madrass? Croatrian food is so bland...Phew. I would kill for a curry. A good quality curry.
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Post by Natali on Aug 20, 2004 0:33:29 GMT 1
Alsdoubles, My husband feels the same way. And he doesn't like cheese. So his diet was rather limited. But in Zagreb we found Indian food that was so good I though he was going to weep. A place called Maharadža He just loved it. Also after much hunting in the markets we found some comfort items like peanut butter and veggie burgers at "dm". And maple syrup (very pricey), cinnamon, curry powder, chili power and red pepper flakes at "Bila".
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Post by Ice on Aug 20, 2004 9:09:41 GMT 1
Before judge you must try that meal. However, it is true, In "primorie" many"piccanti" foods are not used, moreover in the restaurants they stretch not to exaggerate because many people don't like strong tastes. Is always possible to add hot chilli or Tabasco to pleasure. If you like strong taste try goulash, satarash, Slavonian fish-paprikash, or Kulen. With grilled meat try Ajvar (sauce made with peppers, onion and eggplants)and raw onion. Pljeskavica - like hamburger but...the "paste" is made with meat, salt, pepper, onion, and hot chilli.
Alsdoubles, curry = sugo, goulash. If you try my father's goulash, the hot Madras curry becomes realy bland for you. ;D
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Post by abbe on Aug 24, 2004 16:52:30 GMT 1
Croatians just use a different set of spices : primarily salt, vegeta (more salt, with vegetables!), and garlic! Suits my palate just fine.
Crni rizot (black squid/cuttlefish risotto made with the ink) is one of my favorites, when done right.
Some Croatian foods can be made just fine in US/UK/Canada - we've made a fine sarma when we got a hold of a pickled head of cabbage; I often make bakalar (cod "stew" with potatos, tomato, garlic, parsley etc), blitva i krumpire (chard and potatoes), green beans in vinegar and olive oil, and all kinds of Christmas cookies. And various simple meat preparations that could be Croatian as well as anything else... and chicken broth, and chicken liver pate. And someday I'll learn to do pasticada (slow simmered beef.)
It's just when you want great grilled fish that it's best to have it right there in Croatia since you can get the fish fresh from the Adriatic and it's hard to shop for it when further away...
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Post by Lili on Sept 13, 2004 20:47:15 GMT 1
To learn more about Croatian food pick up a copy of "The Best of Croatian Cooking" by Hippocrene Books. It is available on Amazon's sites as well as in bookstores. Also visit www.thebestofcroatiancooking.comBest regards to all.
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