Let it go or Serbian Omelette for Jamie's #FoodRevolution
Never have I been more thrilled about possibilities of internet than last night when I stumbled upon Jamie Oliver's #FoodRevolution international Omelette challenge on my instagram feed.
I used to be one of those oldies who couldn't find her way through cyberspace, didn't know what to click and where to look. Always nagging 'bout how technology changed our lives and made us slaves to screens and gadgets. But slowly, step by step, click by click, mail to mail, facebook to instagram to blog, I became one of THEM. "Them" who walk around the city with the laptop on the shoulder, checking out my mail, and instagram on my smartphone. Peculiar behaviour for an actress, one would say. Especially an actress from the National Theatre. And yes, it usually is. But this artist/mom has another "artistic" obsession, she recently made into full-time point of interest. And that interest is actually a complete culinary adventure, from experimenting in the kitchen almost daily, to attending workshops and courses, and at the end writing this very blog.
My whole life I've had this profound and deep connection with the stove and oven.
It was love at first sight. I'm sure I wasn't more than 5 years old when I made my first "ratatouille" soup out of coffee, flour, ground paprika, salt, pepper and all the herbs I could find in my Grandma's kitchen. Not a very flattering begging, but it was enough for me. Just to inhale all those scents from little jars, and stir my "soup" a couple of times with a wooden spoon, and the magic began.
Later on I made my way up the kitchen "ladder" with my first batch of french toast, then pancakes, and after a couple of years Grandma's famous sponge fruit cake.
And so began my special bond with food, cooking, baking and of course eating. For a long time I was satisfied with my grandma's and mom's cookbooks, with occasional additions of some recipes I picked up along the way, while I was growing up in Serbia, country that invented comfort food. And let me dwell a bit on this statement. If by any chance you stray into these parts of the Balkans, you'll have a superb chance to taste lot's of super rich, indulgent, heavy on the gravy, heavy on the cream, heavy on everything recipes. And that's the way, a-ha, a-ha, we like it! Nothing fake, nothing low carb, low fat, just high and mighty, full on the taste, all pure Comfort Food.
So, after I've drained out most of my family recipes, I started to look for something new, and at that same time began my full friendship with internet. Looking through culinary delights from the cyberspace, I've realised that almost all of them come from food blogs.
And then my hubby startled me with an idea. One morning, while he was sipping turkish coffee from the cup, and our kitchen smelled of that rich, warm, robust scent, that reminded me of childhood, he asked me:
"You like to write, don't ya? And you love to cook... And, you are interested in photography... So why don't you do something 'bout it?"
And all of a sudden, it seemed like the most natural thing to do, like I was't even aware it was there all the time, staring me in the face.
You go and write a food blog, girl!
So, more than a year ago, this adventure began. And I still feel this is just the begging. My mother gave me a gift, the biggest one she could. She always stood by my side, pushing me to try, to do whatever I feel I can. She never doubted for a second that I was capable to make sponge cake when I was eight, and so I still feel her gentle nudge whenever I hesitate in front of a new adventure. Although she's not by my side, for some time now.
And I listened to that inner voice, and it said: "Don't be afraid, you'll love doing it... just do what you feel.."
Or in the words of the ultimate liberation guru Elsa of Arendelle: "LET IT GO!"
Come to think of it, my two year old girl is actually dancing around the house for more than a month, chanting from the top of her lungs Elsa's refrain: "Jedi go... Jedi goooo..!" In my native language, this is insanely similar to certain profanity that involves eating and brown, smelly substances. So, it seems that even my baby girl is fed up with my doubts, and strongly advises me to "let go" of all my insecurities :)
I am not that blind, and actually am quite good at reading signs from the universe. That lovely silly baby chant, and Jamie's post about Omelette challenge fit perfectly together in my book of signs.
All I have to do is make the perfect Serbian Omelette, post it on the blog and social media, and universe will do the rest! :)
SERBIAN OMELETTE FOR THE JAMIE'S #FOOD REVOLUTION
3 free range organic farm eggs
1 spoon of lard (or olive oil for vege version)
1 green pepper
fresh wild garlic (ramsons) leaves
scoop of day-old fresh milk cheese
few cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper
Like all the other simple recipes, this one is also all about the ingredients.
Eggs I use are from a small farm in Vojvodina, north Serbia, and they are organic free range eggs. Lard is also from a farm. I use lard a lot in my kitchen, for frying, for stews, meat dishes, and also in pastry, it makes the dough super soft and fluffy. Peppers and cherry tomatoes are from our local market.
Wild garlic leaves are widely used in Serbian cuisine during springtime. They are super healthy, and have the ability to clean and detoxify the blood, gallbladder and liver. You can make salads, pies and bread with them, also soups ,and use them in sauces for the meat, or in pesto instead of basil. They have a specific, aromatic taste and lift the spirits of your taste buds.
But most common and easiest way, is to simply put them into your Omelette.
Also we are very privileged in Serbia, because we have the opportunity to eat fresh milk cheese, as if we had a cow in our back yard. Most of the dairy products in our markets come strait from the farms, and our cheese lady Mira, from a farm near Avala, makes the best day-old fresh milk cheese, and cottage cheese in Belgrade, by my opinion.
So, know that you have the best of Serbia in your kitchen, it is easy to make this simple, yet exquisite Omelette delight!
Put the lard in the pan, and warm it. Lightly whisk the eggs in the plate, with the pinch of salt and pepper, than pour them into the pan. Thinly slice the pepper, and the wild garlic leaves. Sprinkle them on the Omelette, and bake for two more minutes. Place the Omelette onto the plate, slice the cherry tomatoes on the top, and sprinkle with fresh milk cheese. Serve it with a slice of whole grain bread, and of course a glass of liquid yogurt (you can not have Serbian breakfast without a glass of yogurt:)
Now all you have to do is enjoy this colourful, healthy and aromatic Omelette.
