Cookbooks should be useful, practical, full of delicious recipes and chock-full of gorgeous photos.
They need to provide solid reading and daydreaming material even if you don’t intend to cook anything that day. And if you do, they need to guide you gently, just like your (grand)mother or a cooking instructor would.
I did my best for the two I published to be just like that.
WHAT’S COOKING IN DUBROVNIK (in English)
What’s Cooking in Dubrovnik, my debut cookbook released in 2014, is my love letter to approachable home cooking from the Dubrovnik area.
It features 120 stories and traditional recipes from Dubrovnik. Included in the book are recipes for appetizers, main courses, desserts and preserves, all in US and metric measurements.
Besides the recipes, the book has cultural notes and tidbits about Dubrovnik food and customs and – not to forget – it is packed with photos: a full-page photo accompanies each recipe, but you’ll also find photos of the city and its people as well as shots of all those details which will give you a special feel for this century-old Mediterranean city with a rich culinary history.
The book makes a perfect souvenir to take home from your trip to Croatia or a gift for that special someone crazy about cooking. Or maybe just a little treat for that awesome person in your life (yes, I’m looking at you).
The recipes have all been tried and tested over and over – most belong to my family’s heritage and some were shared by food-savvy friends (and their grandmothers).
In 2014, the year it was released, What’s Cooking in Dubrovnik won the Gourmand International Cookbook Award in the bloggers category. In various categories more than 10.000 cookbooks from 205 countries entered the awards, so this was pretty good news.
PANTARUL AT HOME (separate editions in English and in Croatian)
Pantarul at Home is the book I’d like you to turn to whenever you have people coming over, for an intricate multiple-course meal or a simple Netflix binge with friends.
It has 110 recipes that you can make ahead of time so that by the time your family or friends are there, everything is ready and you can sit down and enjoy yourself with them.
Most of the recipes are dishes from Pantarul which I adapted for the home cook. Others include our family favourites, some of the aces I have up my sleeve whenever we’re hosting lunch or dinner at home.
Besides the recipes, the book will offer you a glimpse into the life of our Dubrovnik restaurant and the people who make it dear to our hearts.
There is also a lot of advice related to cooking, entertaining, setting the table etc. Just dive in and get ready to spend some great time with family and friends!