these are a few of my favorite things...

so that everyone who usually likes to check on me to make sure that i don't starve can be reassured :) from the day i arrived in Southeast Europe, i have been quite well-fed, whether by my MCC supervisors, or by the kindergarten's beloved cook, or by my own fortunate finds at the mini-markets near my apartment, or the big outdoor pijaca with all the fresh produce stands, or various kafići ili pekare (cafes or bakeries) or other places. and i have found a lot of things to love... okay, get ready, you should really do some Google image searching to get an idea of what these things are like:

burek. pita zeljanica. pita krompiruša. pita sirnica.

čevapi/čevapčići.

kobasica. and other types of grilled mešano meso, mixed meats, on the roštilj.

ajvar. pavlaka. kajmak. any combination of these with bread ... mmm

pljeskavica. wow. American hamburgers never held too much appeal for me, but now i have another real reason to avoid them: this Serbian version is SO GOOD!!!

kukuruz pečeni. kesten pečeni.

pasulj prebranac. (my language teacher insisted that i take some of her homemade bean stew home with me one day, and it was incredible! such good flavor, and such a great comfort food as the temperatures drop and leaves turn colors :)

paradajz. krastavac. paprike.

kruška. jabuka. šljiva. breskva. kajsija. grožđe. mandarina. banana. (i have now made 3 successful - i think??? - loaves of banana bread :)

palačinke. (pogotovo sa eurokremom ili nutelom...especially with eurokrem or nutella... ojojoj)

pita sa jabukama. pita sa višnjama. pita od bundeva.

TURSKA KAFA. this really deserves its own whole post. or at least a new paragraph:

the kindergarten teachers were telling me that i have now become a 'Srpkinja domaćica', something like a Serbian homemaker, since i have learned to make turska kafa...so now, if you come visit me, i will put water on to boil in the džezva, and then stir in some heaping spoonfuls of the fine grounds, heat it again until the foam rises up, a thick, rich layer which i will skim off a bit for the bottom of each of our mugs, and let the grounds settle down before pouring it out for each of us, and we will sit and sip this divinely dark drink. oh turska kafa...my daily bread. ;)

or if you go out somewhere with me and we order turska kafa, it might look like this, served with a cute little cube of ratluk/rahatlokum/turkish delight:

mmm...