appetizer
Guacamole
Yes, there are absolutely too many guacamole recipes out there. Admittedly, I can’t really claim authenticity with this recipe as I haven’t yet been to Mexico. In my search of perfection though, I have attempted many guacamole versions and all were missing something. Obviously, this variation evolved over time. It’s currently at a stage where children who dislike avocados and spicy foods compete to get the biggest scoop. And if opinions of mini-connoisseurs are not enough, there is an added weight of my loving husband. Being Californian means he’s had his fair share of guacamole. Additionally, he is also my biggest critic, despite potential harm to himself. So if he claims I make the best guacamole, I am inclined to believe him.
Cheddar scones with dill
Somehow I regularly forget how awesome scones are. It has to be one of the easier and quicker ways to produce something satisfying and bread-like. And then those endless variations limited only by one’s imagination or personal taste preferences… Obviously, as someone who often bakes on impulse and therefore dreads the entire “bring to room temperature” step, I love scones of all kinds for keeping it simple and instead needing everything to be immediately out of the refrigerator. In other words, with such short baking times and no need for planned prep, homemade scones in about 30 minutes are exceptionally obtainable. There has already been a sweet recipe, so this time we have savoury cheddar scones with dill.
Banitsa – Bulgarian cheese pie
Before we begin, I would like to state for the record that I have never been to Bulgaria. A good friend who divides her time between Sofia and Burgas shared this recipe during her visit few years ago. Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian cheese pie. It’s made with sheets of filo dough, white cheese and eggs. And, as is typical with any traditional national dish, everyone has their own recipe for banitsa. Or a preferred bakery visited early in the morning before work. Apparently banitsa is so popular that it is sold out daily in good bakeries. This recipe is very basic and has a lot of room for improvisation. Normally banitsa is made only with cheese but it can easily include a variety of herbs, vegetables and even meat.