For the longest time, the food my brother and I ate at home was simply that - 'home food'.
We didn't eat out that much and fast food was often a treat that my brother and I would plead for. Oh, how those tables have turned. Most of our meals, including our school lunches, were straight out of mama's brain and cooked in our family kitchen. There wasn't a cookbook or measuring cup in sight but there were several aprons and cotton sheets ready for filo pastry to be rolled.
Here's one my mama prepared earlier
50 years of baklava: That’s a lot of filo pastry
Growing up in a Bosnian-Australian family and being a first-gen child to migrant parents, I often found myself explaining what and where was. I didn't mind having to explain, it made me feel extra special to know that my parents came from a place people didn't even know about yet and I could introduce them. Even now, I get an intrigued look when I say 'in Europe' because I can see their minds ticking over to all the more prominent countries that they would frequent on their summer and winter holidays and Bosnia just didn't seem to fit on their itinerary... well, not yet. This would then turn into nods and 'aha!' moments when I would explain that Bosnia was right next to Croatia and Serbia and that we also liked to feast as much as we liked to naturally raise the decibel level every day.
My affiliation for Bosnian food was something that I only began to truly appreciate in my late teens. I enjoyed watching my mother in the kitchen, always working with her hands. I often found myself helping and talking, perhaps it was more in the form of listening to her wisdom and advice, while she was stretching filo pastry or in between pushing onions.
We'd sit across from each other handling whole boiled onions and gently pressing each layer in preparation for them to be stuffed with her mince and rice filling. I have so many memories of watching her at work in the kitchen. She is remarkable, especially when it came to overfeeding the lack of table space we had. Meals didn't come as singular serves, how could they when there were four or five meals on the table with a dessert and fresh fruit to finish.
We were a household of leftovers and desserts. Stuffed vegetables, pita (stuffed filo pastry) and stews were as good the next day. Drinking strong black coffee meant you needed a sweet sidekick to balance it all out and there would always be something sweet freshly baked or prepared in the house, for coffee time and should one of our neighbours suddenly pop-in unexpectedly.
My mama was always prepared and I've been told the apple doesn't fall too far from being filled in filo pastry. True story.
My first Bosnian cookbook moment came when I was 16 years old. My aunt sent me one that was completely written in Bosnian with some very retro-looking white-plate-on-white-background photos. I suppose she wanted me to brush up on the language I grew up speaking until I started school but I couldn't move past the photography. None of the dishes looked like my 'home food' and they simply didn't look pretty enough to eat. If nothing else, Bosnian food is satisfying and hearty with plenty of flavours and I just didn't see it. From there, I was on a mission to find other Bosnian or Balkan cookbooks and I was coming up short on what I knew to be home.
So here I am.
A Bosnian-Australian girl, sharing some of my favourite home foods, asking you to try them.
To this day, I have to have at least two jars on rotation at home because this capsicum relish goes on everything*. Celebrating capsicum, eggplant, tomato and garlic, this relish is perfect with , or any grilled meat of your choosing. It also is a dreamboat when it comes to toast, eggs, sandwiches or basically anything that screams for a relish.
* Not an exaggeration. Simply ask my friends and family.
Processed With Darkroom Source: Tammi Kwok
case in point
Haloumi with ajvar
Made with both lamb and beef mince, these skinless sausages are perfect hot off the grill. While the bounty of toppings and accompaniments are endless with some fresh bread, chopped fresh onion, kajmak (a clotted cream) and ajvar.
Processed With Darkroom Source: Tammi Kwok
Think fritule when it comes to that fried doughy goodness, perfect for dipping and scooping. Weekend breakfasts consisted of two uštipci on my plate. One topped with sujuk or eggs and , the other with sour cream and honey. The best of both worlds.
Source: Tammi Kwok
You've heard of stuffed eggplant, zucchini, capsicum even tomatoes, but have you ever stuffed an onion? This savoury recipe uses the natural sweetness of onions to encase a savoury mince and rice filling. A creamy sour cream finish () is the perfect accompaniment to these hearty bites.
Sogan dolma (stuffed onions) Source: Tammi Kwok
I remember my aunt making this the first time I met her as a teenager and it was exactly the kind of sweet needed to break the proverbial ice. Made of layered petit beurre biscuits and chocolate cream, this no-bake cake is best enjoyed with a strong cup of coffee or tea.
Love the story? Follow the author here: Instagram . If you try any of the recipes above or have a 'home food' story of your own then please do reach out to Farah Celjo via Instagram.
Source: Tammi Kwok
