Macedonian food

Thank you for visiting this blog. Here you can find recepies from the traditional Macedonian kitchen. This blog will help you to enjoy and feel the Macedonian spirit and share it with your loved ones.

Here are some of the most popular recipes:

Turlitava

Ingredients needed:

- 1 kg of mixed meat – pork, veal, mutton
- "zarzavat" – potato, tomato, capsicum, onion, parsley, egg plant, French beans, ladies fingers …
- salt, pepper, paprika, cooking oil

How to prepare:

Chop meat and fresh vegetable and put it in pottery saucepan. Add spices, stir and then add cooking oil and water. Don’t put too much water, just enough so that turlitava is soft after cooking.
Put the saucepan in oven and cook it at 200°C for an hour and a half. During that time, stir two-three times. When the meal is ready, it has golden-red crust.

Sarma

Ingredients needed:

- pickled cabbage leaves
- rice in a cup of coffee
- 2-3 onion pieces
- 0,5 kg. mixed ground meat
- oil, red pepper, pepper, salt, spices
- 250 gr. steamed meat

How to prepare:
 

Cut the onion into small pieces and fry it on oil. Add the ground meat, red pepper, pepper, salt, spices the rice also . Then use the mixture to stuff the pickled cabbage leaves. Line them up in a pot, but first line up pickled cabbage leaves at the bottom of the pot. Put the steamed mead in between the stuffed cabbage leaves. Then, spill over some hot water and boil it on a silent fire, and them put them in the oven to bake.
By the end of the baking, you can add come oil and red pepper (which have been fried before). Cover the pieces with pickled cabbage leaves. The whole has to be dry, not very moist.

Tavče gravče

Ingredients needed:

- 500g of white beans
- 1 onion, 1 red paprika
- 100ml of cooking oil
- 2-3 pieces of red dry capsicum
- pepper, salt, plain flour, parsley, mint

How to prepare:

Wash the beans and leave them to stay in water over night. After that cook them till it starts boiling, drain the beans and put them in another pot of hot water. Then add chopped onion (1/2 of it) and capsicum. Continue to cook it till the beans are soft but integral. If there is too much water left, drain the beans. Fry the chopped onion (the other 1/2) and paprika with one spoon of plain flour in cooking oil and then add this to the beans. Put everything in a pottery saucepan and then pour some parsley, mint, pepper and salt on it. Put the saucepan in oven and bake for a while (the beans shouldn’t be too dry).

Tips for finding a tasty light red wine

Tips for Finding a Tasty Light Red Wine
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dobbs_Franks]Dobbs Franks

Light Red Wine

First we probably need to identify what we mean by a light wine. For me when I think of looking for one there are four grapes or wines that I consider. When you succeed in finding the right combination of wine, weather, food, companionship and relaxation you are really on a winner.

Personally I think that the first thing to do is to look at the occasion and see if you can decide what is best for it. Obviously almost the main consideration is what food you are going to eat. Wine has a way of enhancing food and its flavors. However, it can become a kind of art to get it exactly right.

Having said that it also can become a real nuisance to be with  instance the group that refuses to drink red wine with fish needs to be avoidesomeone who will constantly say you can't drink this with that. Ford. Also there is certainly an element of personal taste and preference.

Let's examine the four wines that I consider terrific and in the right circumstances exactly the right light red wine to drink.

Sangiovese aka Chianti

Surely there is no one who hasn't heard of and probably drunk a Chianti. It is bright and playful and perfect with Italian fare such as pizza, pasta, tomato based foods and lighter meat fare.

I am sure you have seen Chianti bottles wrapped in a basket and often used as candle holders. There are Italian restaurants which use empty (!) ones for their primary decoration to make sure you know where you are and what you will be eating and hopefully drinking.

Sangiovese is spicy in the form of cinnamon and herbs. Often the fruit of black cherry is also detectable.

This wine is modestly priced and really can be enjoyed by every budget.

Temparanillo aka Rioja

Spain produces this wonderful grape varietal. If you are going to have a night of tapas, figs, manchego cheese and lighter meats like chorizo sausage and paella then here is the perfect accompaniment.

The flavor is warm, mellow and smooth. The better ones have a taste of plums or possibly black cherries. The good ones will woo you with an undercurrent of vanilla and mint. Olé.

Gamay aka Beaujolais

Of course the French can't be left out of any conversation or article about wine. Their famous Beaujolais is usually reasonably priced and often used, rightly so, for the red wine when introducing the beginner to wine consumption.

It has berry flavor and it light and fruity. You can often taste raspberries, cherries and/or strawberries.

The name Beaujolais has been abused from time to time, so make sure you drink the ones from France because they certainly are the best ones. Pizza, onion soup and such casual foods go down well with it.

Pinot Noir aka Burgundy in France

I have purposefully left the Pinot Noir until last because it is truly the most misunderstood of the light red wines. The Pinot Noir grape is the most difficult grape to grow. They are very delicate and often cause heartache when they don't survive the vagaries of the weather.

The bad Pinot Noir wines are watery, flat and simply dull. You will be amazed at the difference when you experience a really good one. Because the bad ones are so available and reasonably priced often people will believe that a Pinot Noir is a bad wine.

The best ones are the French Burgundies. I feel I must warn you, the good ones are not cheap. You really are looking at $30 and up for a good French Burgundy.

When you have tasted a really good one you will be hooked. It will be cherry like with a touch of rich vanilla. It will feel like velvet on the tongue.

The food you will enjoy with the good Pinot Noir can be a wide variety of things like rich fish such as salmon or tuna. Also it is perfect with turkey and a delicate rack of lamb. 

Conclusion

So the tips for finding a good and tasty light red wine are:


know what you are going to eat and that it will be the right food to serve a light red wine with;
what your budget is;
whether you feel Italian, French or Spanish;
do your research so you get it exactly right; and
make sure you have a sufficient quantity.


If you get all these things right you will have a wonderful experience and will top the list of entertainers in your neighborhood.



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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Tips-for-Finding-a-Tasty-Light-Red-Wine&id=6093542] Tips for Finding a Tasty Light Red Wine

How to organize and store your spices

How to Organize and Store Your Spices
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ariane_Benefit]Ariane Benefit

Nearly every kitchen I've ever been in has this dilemma in common. What is the best way to store cooking herbs & spices? There is no simple answer of course. If there were, there would be no dilemma! The thing is every cook has a different approach. Some buy fresh herbs, some buy frequently used spices in large bulk bags. Some buy a wide variety of spices, some just a few. But in spite of all the different needs, here are a few tips that will help everyone organize and store their spices to save time.

Store spices as close as possible to where you use them. If you have a large kitchen where food prep and cooking areas are not near each other, separate and store spices according to where you use them, for example:
 
If you usually add spices while cooking, store them near your stove, but not so close that heat will damage them.
 
    If you usually add spices during food preparation, store them handy to your prep area.
   

    If you use spices mostly as seasonings when food is served, store them handy to your serving area.
    
 

  If you have a large quantity of spices, and not much space, consider sorting them by frequency of use. Keep the most frequently used spices handy in your kitchen, and store the rarely used spices in an out of the way storage cabinet.
 
  Store spices alphabetically, just like they do in the grocery store. This makes it super easy to find what you need quickly. This way you give every spice a definite home, and it it will be easy to put away as well. Plus, you will always easily be able to see how much you have of a spice and whether or not you have duplicates. Avoiding duplicates will save you money as well as space.
 
  Arrange spices so that you can easily find what you need. If you have them stacked several deep and can only see the tops of the jars, label the tops. If you have deep cabinets, use a stepped shelf so you can see what you have.
 
  If you buy bulk spices in bags, store them by adding undershelf baskets to utilize vertical space in your cabinets and shelves. Or in stackable, airtight containers that you can label easily.
 
  Think twice about buying spice racks that already have spices in them...how will you add new spices when you want to? What will you do with the spices that you don't like and never use? These are kinds of racks I often find people end up donating or giving away.


Would you like to simplify your life and get more organized? Ariane Benefit is a Life Coach, ADD Coach, organizing expert, author and coach who has been quoted in Psychology Today, the Wall Street Journal, and more. Visit her popular Neat & Simple Living Blog at http://blog.neatandsimple.com  Ariane has over 25 years experience helping businesses and individuals get the results they want. Take a peek inside her book, Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Office at http://www.lotusbridge.com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Organize-and-Store-Your-Spices&id=193421] How to Organize and Store Your Spices

How to make creamy chocolate cookie balls

Easy To Make Recipe: How To Make Creamy Chocolate Cookie Balls
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christine_Szalay_Kudra]Christine Szalay Kudra

Along with the changing of the seasons there are new holidays to consider and you want to find some great tasting appetizers to serve to your family, friends, work associates or party guests. for instance, soon it will be Easter and you may be interested in finding some appetizer recipes that you can make ahead of time for the kids as well as the adults.

If you are interested in making sweet treats as appetizers, you might like to learn how to make some creamy chocolate cookie balls. this is an easy to make recipe that does not involve any cooking or baking at all other than melting the almond bark for dipping the balls to create a mouthwatering shell around them. since there is little cooking and the recipe is so easy to make, the kids might also like to help you learn how to make these delicious treats.

Recipe for Creamy Chocolate Cookie Balls

What You Need


1 large package chocolate sandwich cookies
1 package softened cream cheese 8 ounce
1 package almond bark

How to Make It

In order for the cream cheese to soften to room temperature you will need to take it from the refrigerator and lay it out onto the kitchen cabinet about 20 minutes before you begin preparing the recipe. Doing so helps soften the cream cheese so that it is easier to blend and cream into the other ingredients.

Twist the chocolate sandwich cookies and take the two sections apart and then scrape the cream filling from the chocolate sandwich cookies and place the cream in a large size mixing bowl.

Place the remaining chocolate sandwich cookies ends into a large size zipper sealed plastic food bag and then seal the bag. Using a rolling pin you will roll the cookies and crush them until they are small fine pieces. Set aside until needed.

Add the package softened cream cheese into the large mixing bowl along with the cookies cream filling, mix together well while beating with an electric mixer. Add the finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies into the cream cheese mixture. Stir to combine.

Using a spoon you can scoop up the creamy chocolate cookie balls and then roll them in the palm of your hands to form bite size 1 inch cookie balls. Place the cookie balls onto a wax papered baking sheet. Place the cookie balls into the refrigerator to chill overnight or for at least 3 or 4 hours.

After allowing the cookie balls to chill, you will follow the directions on the package of almond bark to melt it. After melting the almond bark you will dip each of the cookie balls into the melted almond bark. After dipping the cookie balls you will arrange them on a wax paper covered baking sheet. Allow the almond bark to become firm around the cookies before serving. You can make about 3 or 4 dozen creamy chocolate cookie balls while using this recipe. If you need more appetizers, simply increase the ingredients to make a large batch of cookies.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Easy-To-Make-Recipe:-How-To-Make-Creamy-Chocolate-Cookie-Balls&id=6057048] Easy To Make Recipe: How To Make Creamy Chocolate Cookie Balls