BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

I will be honest here...I was not greatly impressed by my options for making a dish representative of Bosnian cuisine. I am not sure why. Maybe it is because I prefer food that has a lot of spices; and, Bosnian food does not swing that way. It was also hard to find something that was distinctive, as Bosnian food borrows a lot from its neighbors. It is a country caught between the East and the West.

I decided to go with the Cevapcici...meatballs made with ground beef and lamb, served with pita bread. Pork is not often used, because of the Moslem influence; but I included ground pork with mine. I began by heating a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, and added half a chopped onion and a clove of chopped garlic. This was stir fried for about seven minutes, allowing the onions to soften. I mixed the meat mixture in a large bowl, and mixed in an egg and a tablespoon of hot Hungarian paprika. Once the onions and garlic were finished, these were added.

Make small meatballs with the above mixture. We are talking a couple of inches. I also flattened mine, making mini-burgers. I fried these in butter, and placed then on pita bread. As a side, I made a yogurt, cucumber mixture...mixing yogurt, diced cucumbers and salt. I mixed my meat into this, and it worked well with the pita bread. Bosnie is heavily influenced bu turkey, so other turkish side dishes would be appropriate. My wife really seemed to enjoy this meal. I found it to be okay. Looking back, I think I would have added a little cinnamon in with the meat. Perhaps some allspice and nutmeg would work, as well. Typically, this meal would be served with a salad. I also made some homemade stuffed grape leaves. The result was so-so. I am not sure how the restaurants keep the leaves from being tough. I will have to research that when I find the time. So...while this meal didn't exactly thrill me, it was still better than your typical meat and potatoes affair.