Something to go with a nice chianti N is for Noklice od dzigerice ( liver dumplings )

" A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti. " Aaah Hannibal Lecter I'm with him on the chianti, but if he had this recipe I'm sure he would have forgone the fava beans, I've found that kosher butchers stock the freshest livers, these are great added to your favourite clear or chicken soup recipe.


1 1/2     tablespoons lard
1/2        onion minced
300g     livers finely minced ( use a food processor )
1 day old sourdough bun
milk for soaking
1          egg beaten
1 1/2    tablespoons bread crumbs
1         sprig parsley, finely diced
salt and pepper to taste


Heat the lard in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute. When lightly browned remove from heat and cool, the stir into the liver. Soak the roll in some milk until soaked , drain off excess, and finely chop. Now add the liver mixture, egg, bread crumbs, parsley salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. Mix well and let stand for 30min. Shape the dumplings with a spoon and add to your soup that has been brought to boil for about ten minutes

Forget about the dog...a donkey is a mans best friend.

The ubiquitous donkey or Magarac was till not too long ago a familiar sight in the balkans, now sadly less so my Baka ( grandmother ) had a donkey very similar to the one pictured on this blog, and when we would visit she would take us on rides to neighbouring villages where us kids would get up to no good whilst my mum would tell horror stories about Australia (the wine is terrible, suns too hot, crap shade under gum trees etc etc.) Anyway one particular summers night it was time to go and my grandmother put me on the back of the donkey for the ride home....except she had forgotten to take off the hobble which was a leather strap shaped in a figure 8 that you slipped on the back legs of the donkey to stop it wandering off, so I go on the back of the donkey which freaks out because it cant move and bucks so violently that I fly through the air laughing my head off and land in a freshly hoed garden bed, I get up my head spinning and watching my Baka beating the living daylights out of the donkey hey she loved the donkey but I WAS the eldest grandson.

Seeing as we are up to the letter M I thought I would mix things up and offer a cocktail recipe, featuring Maraschino cherry liqueur from my home town of Zadar

Commonly used ingredients	2 oz. gin 1/2 oz. lemon juice 1/2 oz. maraschino liqueur
Preparation	Add all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry. and sprinkle with a pinch of caster sugar.