STRAWBERRY & PASTRY CREAM CROSTATA (PIE) - CROSTATA S JAGODAMA I SLASTICARSKOM KREMOM

Place of origin: Italy

I'm totally crazy about Italian Crostata, that wonderful pie with various fillings and a crust so simple and yet so rich in taste. Being 1/4 Italian and having relatives in Italy, every time we would go to visit while I was still a kid, I had to have at least one piece of Crostata. My mum has never ever made it at home. When I grew up I got this recipe from my Italian cousin who is a great cook. Really great cook. The pie crust is a base and the filling.... it's up to your imagination. As the first Crostata recipe on our blog, I'm presenting you this mouthwatering summer strawberry & pastry cream crostata. :-)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & CHICKEN SOUP - JUHA S BUTTERNUT BUNDEVOM I PILETINOM

Place of origin: Our recipe

Simple, quick and tasty autumn-style soup that can be enjoyed throughout the year ;-)

BUNS WITH POTATO, CARROT & MEAT FILLING - PECIVA PUNJENA KRUMPIROM, MRKVOM I MESOM

Place of origin: Our recipe

I've made these tasty little buns for one hiking trip. I was thinking what to make that will be easy to carry around and will not require cutlery. We were also craving for bread but standard sandwiches were not the option - too boring. ;-) So I thought of making stuffed buns, just like steamed buns, but baked and with ingredients I've had in the fridge. Turned out delicious. :-D 

MEAT IN SAUCE - MESO U SAFTU

Place of origin: Croatia (mum's recipe)

One simple dish that my mum used to make very often. It doesn’t have any special name and she has always referred to it as “meat in sauce”. You need just a few simple ingredients to have a tasty meal.

PEAS WITH DUMPLINGS - GRASAK S NOKLICAMA

Place of origin: Croatia

Very simple and quick-to-make soup-like dish. This is the first dish I’ve learned how to make. Mum used to make this a lot when she didn’t have enough time for cooking or was out of ideas. Many many people make this simple dish, it's very popular and everybody's favorite. I always eat the soup and peas first and then enjoy dumplings with some extra salt on top. :-D 

DOUBLE CHOCO BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE - DVOSTRUKA CHOKO CHEESECAKE S BOROVNICAMA

Place of origin: Our recipe

The second cake I made for Katarina and his B-day party this July, together with Choco coco raspberry cake. I wanted to make an easy, no bake cake that I can "put together" in no time or while the other cake was baking. Of course, it had to contain the chocolate as I'm surrounded by choco lovers. :-D Blueberries came in the picture as a seasonal fruit that goes well with chocolate and mascarpone. Unfortunately, unlike raspberry cake, not one single piece of the cake survived till the next day so I wasn't able to take a picture of a cut. But I guess it can all be seen even without it. ;-) And when you think about 7 people (out of which 4 were women) eating two normal sized cakes all by themselves in one night (and I ate probably least of all) after the four-course meal (five if you count cakes) with rather big portions .... I suppose it wouldn't be over the top to say they were delicious :-D :-)

CHOCO-COCO RASPBERRY CAKE - COKO-KOKOS MALINA TORTA

Place of origin: Our recipe based on chocolate strawberry cake recipe I found few years ago somewhere on the internet and printed it out but forgot to make a note where I have found it.

For one B-day party this summer I wanted to make choco strawberry cake. But strawberries were already gone (you can't find fresh strawberries all-year-round in Croatia) so using the recipe for a strawberry cake I wanted to make, and making some changes to my taste, I came up with this lovely cake. :-)
I suppose it was very good as the cut pictured below was the only remaining piece I've found in the fridge the next morning! The other cake from the same party, Double choco blueberry cake, was not so lucky. In the morning, when I asked where is the other cake, I was just told - well, we ate it. :-D Bad people, they should have left at least a small piece for the cook. :-P