Episode 128

Dobar Da,

We continue with part 3 of our summer travel special phrases for those heading out on vacation or holiday. Uncle Mike again calls both Tony D and DJ MOE to help out with these new useful travel phrases.

Lesson

hungry - gladan/gladna

thirsty - žedan/žedna

My husband is hungry, do you know of a good restaurant? - Moj muž je gladan, znate li od neki dobar restoran?

Near and far - blizu i daleko

The kids are thirsty, is there a cafe nearby? - Djeca su žedna, ima li kafić u blizini?

We are very tired and we need some rest. - Jako smo umorni i treba nam odmor.

Super Slatko Report

The Super Slatko Report is all about Burek, not just a Croatian pastry, we learn a little about its origins and how amazing it is!

For those of you unfamiliar, let’s start with the questions of, What is Burek?

Burek is a family of pastries or pies found in the Balkans, Turkey, Armenia, Levant, Northern Africa and Central Asia. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes.

Bureks origins are highly speculative but most agree that it dates back with the Turkish and the Ottoman Empire, somewhere before or during the 7th Century. Even the word Burek’s etymology could have many origins as well, so even its name can’t be truly be pinned down either. Regardless of all these origin questions from so long ago, Burek has persisted and we are grateful for it.

Now that we know what Burek is and have a rough understanding of where it came from, let’s describe it. Think freshly baked crispy thin dough, filled with a seasoned savory meat on the inside with a golden crust that flakes ever so slightly with each and every bite. It’s all in the Phyllo dough. 

Here’s a quote from one of our friends of the pod, Author of Croatian Savoury Baking, Andrea Pisac. From the Chapter on Burek she says “Those who can make pastry with thin and flaky phyllo dough exercise a magnetic pull over their family members.”

Andrea is absolutely correct here, Phyllo dough is truly what makes this savory treat so delectable and mouth watering. Speaking from experience freshly baked Burek is something you wont soon forget if given the opportunity. Im sure Uncle Mike has had similar experiences…

So what else can be a Burek filling?

Other than meat, you can look for a cheese variety, a Spinach and Cheese variety, and in some places pumpkin or fruit is added, such as apples.

Something I learned in my research was that Burek can be eaten with Yogurt or Sour cream. With the Savoriness of the Burek, I can see the Sour Cream, I would need to try the Burek and Yogurt to understand this flavor combination, I’m sure it’s fantastic.

So how do you make Burek? I won’t go into detail here but heres a quick overview. It all starts with the Phyllo Dough, you can make it yourself or get it store bought, flatten it out fill it with your favorite filling, roll it and coil it into a greased pan and then bake it. I’m really over simplifying here, but this is the gist of it. If you’re interested in trying to make Burek for yourself, I would highly recommend checking out Andrea Pisac’ cook book Croatian Savoury Baking, 50 traditional recipes for bread, Burek, pies and Savoury pastries.

We aren’t getting paid or sponsored or anything, she just has the best information and instructions compiled in once place that one would need to get the ball rolling if you wanted to make your own Burek, Andrea knows what she’s talking about.

I hope that this Super Slatko Report inspired you to find some Burek or even try to make some for yourself.

And that’s it for the Super Slatko Report.