Clouds No4 Summer 2013 by Zurnalas Debesys

Cl uds ISSUE 4 / SUMMER 2013

Photo: Skirmantė, Impossible is nothing

Free online food magazine Clouds Published by Imbiero debesys UAB, Lithuania ISSN 2029-980X http://www.cloudsmag.eu/en https://www.facebook.com/Cloudsmag © All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is prohibited without written consent of the publisher. Address copyright queries to info@cloudsmag.eu Editor-in-Chief: Asta Eigėlytė-Gunnarsson, Villa Alps, asta@cloudsmag.eu Translation & proof-reading: Julė, Kepykla Nr. 5 Asta, Villa Alps Cover photo: Viktorija, Receptų medis Design: Asta Eigėlytė-Gunnarsson, Villa Alps

EDITORIAL LETTER

Dear readers,

here it is so awaited summer! We all have many plans for where and with whom to spend our holidays, which weekends to go for picnics in nature, to attend weddings or christening parties, or just lay lazy on the sand breathing in the sun, and then jump into the cool water depths. Maybe weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do some gardening in orchards and gardens, pick summer harvest or will embark on a cycling trip? All plans are good, after all, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer! We wish that summer would be hot and generous. Generous of being together on simple days and holidays. Generous of sweet strawberries, red tomatoes in greenhouses, deep yellow honey in the hives and berries in the woods. Generous of all possible summer fun and colors. Let the days be sunny and full of laughter, light and carefree, like just the summer days can be while lying in the meadow and observing the sky and clouds. We believe that you will benefit from our recipes how to use up never-ending zucchini, tomatoes and berries. We believe that our recipes shall cary in some diversity into your bbq menu. We believe that we will take you to taste and smell distant corners of the world and inspire a desire to travel, learn and discover.

Let it be an amazing summer!

Cl uds 4

EDITORIAL

ASTA, VILLA ALPS I’ve loved being in the kitchen since childhood, but only in recent years did it become a true passion. I have a light addiction to buying and reading cookbooks and cooking magazines. I experiment with tastes and forms, and guests are always welcome at my table!

JULĖ, KEPYKLA NR. 5 Where am I? Among contradicitions - in the middle of numbers and dictionaries, black-rimmed glasses and bee stings, bikes and planes. But mostly - in the kitchen or in bakery number five, where for four years I’ve been co-writing about food, cities, sleep, maths and other essential ingredients of life.

Kadaise prisiekinėjusi, jog „prie puodų tai aš tikrai niekad nestovėsiu“, šiandien štai atvirai prisipažįstu, kad myliu virtuvę, ir ruošiuosi būti ištikima jai visą gyvenimą. Mano tinklaraštis - Saulėta virtuvė - atspindi, kaip aš gyvenu, ką myliu ir apie ką svajoju. O svajoju aš dažnai. Apie purius keksiukus, apie minkštučius pyragus, apie gardžiausius tortus. Ir apie skanų, saldų gyvenimą...

AUŠRA, TARP VĖJO GŪSIŲ I write my blog about a windy life in a place where my feet wade the waters of the Baltic sea, pockets are full of holey rocks and heavy thoughts are let alee... I write about what my kitchen smells of, what is delicious and what I treat people with; about things that are simple but not necessarily ordinary; about what is new or discovered de nouveau, about what is forgotten. I write my virtual recipe book, decorating it with colourful blossoms and sprinkles of everyday joys.

AUŠRA, VAIKAI IR VANILĖ I became responsible for nourishing our large family at the age of fourteen. Since then, my obligations have remained the same. I cook a lot and for big crowds. I can proudly say that I’ve stuffed bellies of picky children and adults alike. The kitchen is my daily work and relaxation, my happiness, my love; it’s my element. I live in an American village where I spend the majority of my time over pots, and from time to time I share my kitchen creations with the rest of the world.

BEATA, BRAŠKĖS SU PIPIRAIS I could probably say that I love my life and its abundance of flavors. I call everything a flavor - feelings, emotions, events, travels, people met and known, mornings and evenings, days and nights. Finally - the actual tastes that charm when tasting new dishes and enjoying sophisticated drinks. That’s why I love cooking. Perhaps that is the way I express my lust for life and for what I experience.

DOVILĖ, DR FOOD BLOG Cooking is my biggest passion. I have a food mania: I love making it, talking about it, tasting it and reading all about it. Each time I enter the kitchen, I open a jar of the most important ingredient - love. Recently my husband and I have started living in a foreign country, so you might also find Danish recipes in DR Food Blog occasionally.

CONTRIBUTORS

ASTA, SAULĖTA VIRTUVĖ

DOVILĖ & MANTAS, BAJALIŲ ŠEIMYNĖLĖS KAMPELIS We are a tandem of two Aquariuses who are submerged in joys of different flavors, photography and travelling! When we noticed memories and travelling moments pilling up, we were eager to find a way to share them with our friends and this is how our blog was launched. By the end of 2010, we have made our first culinary attempts and started not just tasting but also cooking. We believe that a man, who thinks only about himself and looks for benefit everywhere, cannot be happy, so if you wish to live for yourself - live for others. That is why we consider sharing bits of our life to be the greatest joy.

EGIDIJA, TINGINIAI IRGI VERDA...

CONTRIBUTORS

I live, I cook, I write from Palanga. There you’re most likely to meet me in the biggest tourist gathering, on the bike lane Palanga-Karklė or in the marketplace. I am miss lazybones extraodinaire! But all of this goes away when a thought about beet chips or cucumber ice-cream springs up in my brain.

EGLĖ, MONKEY DINNER I did’t learn to cook Lithuanian way when I was supposed to. That’s why I started cooking Italian. Even if I wanted, I couldn’t hide the Italian influence in my life, my kitchen, my blog and, most probably, this magazine. Buon appetito to all the readers!

ELINGA, SPOON ALLEY You’ll meet me smelling homemade soup, vanilla or mint tea more often than perfumes. I confess I have positive viruses - cooking and photography, and I hope I’m not a terribly boring person when speaking mostly about food. I am quite only when cooking...

INDRĖ, GĖRIMŲ IR PATIEKALŲ MAGIJA When I found the freedom to choose what I want and when I want, I quickly noticed that cooking was magical! Sweet goes perfectly with salty, and a pinch of cinnamon adds that special something to any cake. That’s the reason why my blog is called Gėrimų ir patiekalų magija (Food and Drink Magic) - because there is some magic every day on refrigerator shelves and in the cupboards, and I merly need to wake it up with my fingers and recipes.

INDRĖ, KEISTAI PAPRASTA A friend encouraged me to start my blog Keistai paprasta (Curiously Simple), after seeing my enthusiasm to cook, bake abd stew healthy and sometimes weird dishes, and create simple desserts. I grew up eating homemade food, so that is what I believe in - I cook even when I am very tired! In addition, I believe in the impact of food to our health, our looks and our overall well-being. When I cook I try out new recipes, I relax, I express myself, I improvise and create.

JOLITA, SURFING THE WORLD CUISINE

JULIJA, VILKO ŠAUKŠTAI I have been drawn to cooking for only a short period of time, but I dived deep. Stacks of cookbooks, blogs I follow and experiments in my kitchen satisfy me both literally and figuratively. Cooking, photographing and sharing my experience in Vilko šaukštai (Wolf’s Spoons) lift me up, make me happy and encourage me to grow.

JURGITA, DUONOS IR ŽAIDIMŲ I write about bread and circuses. About tastes, colors and dreams. About what’s in my cup of tea - not only figuratively, because making and serving food is one of the most enjoyable ways to express myself! And, undoubtedly, the most delicious.

JUSTINA IR RADVILĖ, SALIERAI RANKINĖJE Salierai rankinėje (Celery in the Purse) is the most serious story about the inspiring and fragrant things in the lives of two girls. The most important rule in our kitchens is to stay slow and to thoroughly enjoy making food. We experiment with new flavors and smells, we interpret our mothers‘ and grandmothers‘ experience. We aim for aesthetics and are conscious of our surroundings. With our ideas, we want to inspire all food lovers to cook at home more often, to choose healthy local ingredients and to leisurely enjoy their taste discoveries.

CONTRIBUTORS

I started my blog when I moved to Istanbul because the bounty of fresh vegetables the year around and the new dishes tempted me to try and cook. However, I enjoy various foods - not only Turkish cuisine. So one day it might be Turkish, the other day - Chinese, Greek, Italian, Middle Eastern dishes. Finally, sometimes I even get back to the treasures of Lithuanian cuisine.

KAROLINA, CITRINOS ŽIEVELĖ Each of us has a specifi image in the eyes of other. Some are known as sportsmen, others - as geeks or housewifes. I am known as the girl who loves to cook; the girl who brings apple pies to work and who gives out cookies for Christmas.

KRISTINA, VIRTUVĖS FĖJOS

CONTRIBUTORS

Often I try to rise to fly. To love to make others feel loved. To cherrish what I have. Too cook to be eaten up. And to eat to live! I’m cooking because I love the process - from the ingredients to the final result. I’m cooking, because I want my family to eat fresh, full and delicious food. Two small kitchen fairies live in my kitchen, who whisper some new ideas and sometimes tell me to move around faster. I feel GOOD in the kitchen!

KRISTINA IR LAURA, SU ŠAUKŠTU APLINK PASAULĮ Isn’t a kitchen filled with colors, scents and flavors similar to a workshop? It’s the place for so much improvisation. every time we run into a different cuisine, we cannot stop marvelling at the human creativity. Traditional dishes are just ways to get to know various cultures and gain culinary experience which encourages us to share al of this with others.

MARTA, SKANIOS DIENOS Some people are drawing, singing, dancing, others build houses or make new inventions. I cook. And no one dare to say that food is intended only to satisfy one’s hunger! For me, it’s more. And, when I gradually realized it, my talks my future husband will definitely have the cook! lost the significance. My blog Skanios dienos (Tasty Days) is not only about pots and pans, but also about all the surrounding delicious life.

MIGLĖ, MY KITCHEN AFFAIR I don’t remember exactly how, where, or when, but one moment in the silent past food simply enchanted me. I was charmed and intrigued by its enormousness, infinite space for creativity, endless layers of ideas, and constan joy brimming with delicious surprises. Since then, my thoughts started spinning like crazy in a whirl of vanilla flavored dance, and my life became unimaginable witout pots, spoons and pans filling every corner; without shelves bending from the abundance of cookbooks. This is my kitchen affair.

ODETA, COCINA RENDEZ-VOUS I like travelling, tasting, experimenting and creating in the kitchen. While skimming through the books brought home as souvenirs, I attempt to adapt the tried dishes in my own kitchen. And I am so glad that my friends and family are happy to taste my dishes and are always waiting for the results of my experiments. Even a dish which is not 100% successful can inspire to keep on looking, learning and going on journeys to better know the foreign cuisines.

RENATA, VALGOM EUROPĄ

SKIRMANTĖ, IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING My motto is impossible is nothing. In my kitchen I steam cakes, press yoghurt cheese, make peanut butter halva and prepare plenty of delicious and slightly unexpected dishes.

VALERIJA, CUKERKA Even though I have chosen a serious life path - I am a lawyer - I miss everyday discoveries. As a result, I try to find them in my children, in creative thoughts, and... in the kitchen. I love sweet macaroons, homemade ice cream, the smell of a summer morning and my kids laughter. I cook for myself, my husband and my children; I cook so that every day would be sweet.

VIKTORIJA, RECPETŲ MEDIS I have liked being in the kitchen since my childhood. With my grandmother I used to knead dough for bread rools, wih my father I used to cut vegetables for salads. Now love for food and cooking is growing day by day. I started writing my blog by mere accident. I have never thought it would bring so much to my life: pleasant meetings, interresting events. It also encourages me to learn more about food photography and healthier, more exciting and tastier ways of cooking.

CONTRIBUTORS

I’ve loved cooking since I was little. Back then I used to read cookbooks and even write my own recipes. Truth be told, they were not that impressive - who would enjoy eating a spicy omlette with strawberries? My other passion is travellin. More than a year ago, I linked these two hobbies , and so Valgom Europą (Eating Europe) was born. And now I am happy to be able to part of the first Lithuanian food blogger’s magazine!

VILMA, MAŽOJ VIRTUVĖLĖJ I am crazy about sweet dishes. From an early age I can not pass by a candy store. After making pancakes days slowed down, I started baking pies and cakes. My mother tried to give subtle remarks that I could experiment and taste a bit less. For several years the passion to taste is replaced by passion of baking, sharing and eating with eyes.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE?

YOUR PHOTO

We invite all food bloggers and not only them to contibute their stories, recipes and photos. We would love to share you travelling and food tasting experience; show off your kitchen and food related handmade art or veggie patch in a balcony. Got interessted? Please contact Editor-in-Chief, asta@cloudsmag.eu

Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/Cloudsmag Have a look at previous issues and our recipes on http://www.cloudsmag.eu/en/

Cl uds We are looking forward to reading your comments and critique about the tried out recipes. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about the new issues!

Photo: DovilÄ&#x2014;, DR Food Blog

CONTENTS 14 16 24 34 38 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 80 82 94 104 114 116

CALENDAR OF FLAVORS Internation Children’s Day Father’s Day Haymaking International Bloggers’ Day International Fishermen’s Day Lithuania State Day (Coronation of King Mindaugas) Bastille Day Batle of Grunwald Day International Brewers Day Assumption Day Baltic Way (Chain of Freedom) Day TAKE 1 MAKE 4 Tailand cuisine Small bites Medditeranean cuisine WHAT A SUMMER WITHOUT... ... zucchini

130 ... grill 144 ... tomatoes 162 ... berries

Photo: GabrielÄ&#x2014;, Gabriele photography

CALENDAR OF FLAVORS SUMMER 06.01 International Children’s Day 06.02 Father’s Day 06.13 Haymaking 06.14 International Bloggers’ Day 06.29 International Fishermen’s Day 07.06 Lithuania State Day (Coronation of King Mindaugas) 07.14 Bastille Day 07.15 Battle of Grunwald Day 07.18 International Brewers Day 08.15 Assumption Day 08.23 Baltic Way (Chain of Freedom) Day

06.01 International Children’s Day

Children‘s

Preface, recipes and photos: Kristina & Laura, Su šaukštu aplink pasaulį Big thanks to our little models Goda, Urtė, Domas and Tomas

INTERNATIONAL DAY

hildhood – the best part of our life. Careless, charming, gorgeous, with dozens of small and large discoveries. Pink, full of dreams and a sincere belief that each of them can come true. Childhood - a time when enjoying every day seems to be extremely simple. It is a pity that one day we all inevitably have to say goodbye to those carefree days... To celebrate International Childrens Day, we did our best to create a happy childhood menu. We believe that these dishes really will delight any child. Bring your family to a computer screen and flip the pages ahead - we wonder what the smallest family members will enchant the most? Maybe Königsberg meatballs that are a legacy of the royal kitchen - after all, we all know that children are little kings, princes and princesses. Perhaps the colorful and bright tropical fruit dessert drinks? Maybe gingerbread eating game can become a real attraction? Cook, experiment, taste and create your own small little celebration! We believe that children eyes will shine with joy when tasting these delicacies. And for us, the parents, this is the most wonderful thing in the world.

06.01 International Children’s Day

KÖNIGSBERGER KLOPSE – KONIGSBERG MEETBALLS Serves 4-6 Meatballs: 600 g veal 1 stale bun and milk for soaking 1 egg 1 yolk 3 oil packed anchovies (6 halves) 1 medium onion 4 tbs oil parsley 1 tbs mustard 2 tsp sweet paprika salt pepper cloves nutmeg Sauce: ½ L veal broth 1 onion 1 bay leaf 2-3 allspice berries 60 g small capers 2-3 tbs caper marinade 250 ml heavy cream 1-2 tbs butter 1-2 tbs flour 1 tbs grated lemon zest 2 tbs lemon juice 3-4 black peppers nutmeg, to taste To serve: boiled potatoes marinated beetroot

Grind veal. Soak bun in milk and press out excess liquid. Finely chop onion and fry it in oil. Don’t let the onion brown. Chop anchovies and mix with mustard and eggs. Pick parsley leaves and chop them as finely as possible. Leave stalks for the sauce. Grind some black pepper berries, cloves and nutmeg. Add the remaining ingredients to the veal mixture: the soaked bun, fried onion, anchovie mixture, parsley, sweet paprika and ground spices. Season and mix well. Form plum sized meatballs with lightly oiled hands. In a large pot or saucepan (the bigger, the better) bring broth to a boil. Add halved onion, the remaining parsley stalks, bay leaf, allspice and half of the capers. Add salt, if needed. Let boil for 10 minutes, then gently add the meatballs, preferably in a single layer. Cook on very low heat for approximately 15 minutes. If the heat is too high, the meatballs will get tough. Remove the cooked meatballs and keep warm until you prepare the sauce. Drain the broth in which the meatballs cooked. Add some caper marinade. In a saucepan, melt butter and fry flour. Mixing constantly, add the broth until you obtain a thick sauce. Add cream and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat, add lemon zest and juice. Add nutmeg and ground black pepper to taste. Add cooked meatballs to the sauce. Add the remaining capers and heat on low heat until the sauce boils. Taste and season, if needed, then remove from the heat. When serving, top the meatballs with a generous amount of sauce. These meatballs are always eaten with boiled potatoes and marinated beetroot. The meatballs are best served warm as the sauce gets more sour as time passes.

Tip

Do not use fresh pineapple as it will make the drinks bitter. When preparing watermelon drink, it is necessary to use the best quality coconut milk available (additives free).

06.01 International Children’s Day

PINEAPPLE AND CONDENSED MILK DRINK Serves 6 300 g canned pineapple in syrup 1 small can mango in syrup 1 can sweetened condensed milk sugar (optional) 1-1½ L boiled and cooled water

Chop pineapple and mango as finely as possible, but do not blend them. Mix with the remaining syrup and condensed milk. Then, tasting constantly, gradually add water. If you add the whole amount immediately, the drink may lack sweetness. In this case add some sugar. Chill thoroughly. Mix and pour into glasses (don’t forget a spoon!). The drink may also be served immediately, but in this case you should add some ice to the glass and add less water when preparing the drink.

WATERMELON AND COCONUT DRINK Serves 12 1/2 medium watermelon juice of ½ a lemon ½ cup grated coconut 1 cup coconut milk ½ L water or pineapple juice sugar to taste 300 g canned pineapple in syrup (optional)

Scoop out the flesh of the watermelon. Remove the seeds and finely cut the fruit, but do not blend it. Add chopped pineapple, if desired. Add lemon juice, mix in grated coconut and coconut milk. Mix and gradually add water or pineapple juice. Taste for sweetness and add sugar if needed. Chill thoroughly. Mix and pour into glasses (don’t forget a spoon!). The drink may also be served immediately, but in this case you should add some ice to the glass and add less water when preparing the drink.

06.01 International Children’s Day

This cake is usually served with butter and tea, but things get a twist once special occasions such as the Queen’s birthday arrive. On this day cake slices are pierced, tied to a long string and hung at about eye level. Then those who want to taste it (and win the game!) have to eat their share without touching the cake with their hands. The task may be made even more difficult by tieing up the contestants’ eyes. This game is of course most liked by children.

GINGERBREAD CAKE ONTBIJTKOEK Serves 4-6 1 cup rye flour 1 cup wheat flour ½ cup muscovado sugar ⅓ cup dark molasses 1 cup milk 1 tbs baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tbs cinnamon ½ tsp ground cardamom ½ tsp ground dried ginger ¼ tsp ground cloves ¼ tsp ground nutmeg oil or butter for the pan butter to serve

Preheat oven to 160°C. Sift flours. Add baking powder, salt, spices and sugar. Add molasses and milk, and mix once more. Pour into a parchment paper lined graesed baking pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving. Traditionally the buttered cake slices are eaten for breakfast.

Father‘s

06.02 Father’s Day

Preface, recipes & photos: Aušra, Vaikai ir vanilė Photo (left): Laura, Su šaukštu aplink pasaulį

DAY

y father-in-law, Mr Milano, loves hosting big extravagant parties; he always cooks everything himself and usually starts preparing food at least two weeks in advance. He is a passionate traveler and has visited lots of places around the world. Wherever he goes, his top priority is always experiencing the best restaurants the place has to offer. Mr Milano’s kitchen is equipped with all the possible equipment and gadgets, his cookware and cutlery is always of top quality (and price!), and therefore it is absolutely obvious that he has the highest standards for food and the way it is prepared. Food is a very serious business in Milanos’ household. Meat, cheese and sandwich rolls are always bought at the local Italian Salumeria that carries the best provolone and soppressata. The only worthwhile pizza, in Mr Milano’s opinion, is from the Gallery pizzeria that not only bakes the best pizza ever, but also has the best Pepsi. He knows the bakers at Gallery since they were still wearing diapers. Maybe that’s why their pizza is so good. Mr Milano knows his food, and he is never shy to tell what he thinks about someone else’s cooking. He has an excellent taste. He likes good steak. And he drinks only one kind of wine – Californian Zinfandel. On Father’s day I would be happy to prepare dinner for Mr Milano. It would be a challenge, but I like challenges, especially in the kitchen. I would not dare to cook something extremely sophisticated. I would certainly go with the classics – a good steak and a salad, cheese biscuits, straight from the oven, and a stunning dessert (I would like to impress my in-law, after all). I would focus on not overcooking the steak, and I would make sure that the filling in the lemon-meringue tart is not too sour. The rest would be very easy. I wouldn’t expect no criticism of the food I would have made, but I am absolutely sure that all of it would be expressed with sweetness and a smile, in a way that only Mr Milano can. To all the fathers, grandfathers, and fathers-in-law, I wish a very happy Father’s day!

06.02 Father’s Day

PORTERHOUSE STEAKS WITH MAITRE D’HOTEL BUTTER Serves 2 2 porterhouse steaks, 400 - 450 g each 2 tbs oil 100 g butter 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tsp fresh parsley leaves 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves kosher salt freshly ground black pepper

Pat dry steaks, sprinkle them with salt and place on a cooling rack set above a baking sheet to collect the drippings. Leave steaks, uncovered, in a cold place for 12–24 hours. Maitre d‘hotel butter: in a small bowl mix together room temperature butter, lemon juice, finely chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Transfer butter onto a sheet of parchment, shape into a log, wrap tightly in parchment, twist the ends and place in refrigerator for 3–6 hours to chill. One hour before cooking, bring steaks to room temperature. Sprinkle both sides with freshly ground black pepper. Set a large heavy pan on medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. When oil becomes hot, place one steak into the pan. Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes, until the bottom has browned nicely. Flip the steak and brown the other side, for 3–4 minutes longer. Transfer browned steak onto a baking sheet. Wipe the pan with a dry paper towel, add one tablespoon of oil and cook the second steak. When the second steak is browned on both sides, place it on the baking sheet with the first one, and let both steaks rest at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes. Set oven on broil. Place oven rack about 20 cm below the top heat register. When the steaks have rested, using a sharp knife, make slits perpendicular to the bone by cutting them into 2.5–3 cm thick slices, but not disconnecting the slices from the bone. Top each steak with a slice of cold Maitre d‘Hotel butter and place them in the oven. Broil them briefly, just until the butter has melted. Remove steaks from the oven and serve them right away.

06.02 Father’s Day

CAESAR SALAD Serves 2 1 egg 2 tbs lemon juice 5 tbs olive oil 1 clove garlic 2 anchovy filets 100 g pancetta 2 thick slices of white bread, with crust 1 small head of Romaine letuce ¼ cup grated parmesan salt freshly ground black pepper

To make salad dressing, place egg into a medium size sauce pan, cover with cold water. Place pan on high heat and bring to a boil. When water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Drain the water. Cover the egg with cold water and let sit for 2–3 minutes to cool slightly. When the egg is cool enough to handle, peel it, carefully remove the yolk and place it in a small food processor or in a medium size bowl. Add lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic and finely chopped anchovies, and process (or whisk together) until uniform. Put aside at room temperature until needed. Dice pancetta in ½ cm dices. Cook it in a pan on medium heat until toasted on all sides and slightly crisp. Transfer onto a plate lined with paper towels. Pour the accumulated fat from the pan into a heatproof bowl – you’ll need it for toasting bread. Whipe pan with a dry paper towel. Tear bread slices into bite size pieces. Add 2–3 tablespoons of pancetta fat to the same pan that was used to crisp pancetta. Set the pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot enough, add bread pieces to the pan and toast them, flipping occasionally, until they are nicely browned on all sides. Remove pan from the heat. Trasfer bread bites onto a plate lined with paper towels. Separate letuce leaves, wash in ice-cold water and gently pat dry with a kitchen towel. Tear salad leaves into bite size pieces and place them into a salad bowl. Add toasted bread croutons, crisped pancetta, drizzle with salad dressing, sprinkle with parmesan and gently toss to combine. Serve right away.

06.02 Father’s Day

CHEDDAR BISCUITS Make 12 biscuits 70 g butter 1¾ cup flour 1 tbs baking powder a pinch of salt 1 cup shredded cheddar 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg 1 tsp water

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Place it in the freezer for 25–40 minutes. Add cold butter cubes and shredded cheese to cold dry ingredients. Work butter into flour with your fingers until uniform and no big pieces of butter remain. Try to work quickly so that the dough doesn’t warm much from your hands. Add buttermilk to the flour and butter mixture. Mix gently with a spatula, just until there remain no more visible streaks of dry flour. Try to minimize the number of turns when you mix the dough. You should be able to mix it with no more than 12 turns. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Shape it into a rectangle that is approximately 3 cm thick. Cut the rectangle into 12 equal size biscuits, or use a round cookie cutter to cut out round biscuits. Place biscuits onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C. In a small bowl whisk egg and water. Brush chilled biscuits with egg and place them in the oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until biscuits turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve them while they are still hot.

06.02 Father’s Day

LEMON TART WITH ALMOND MERINGUE Serves 6 Crust: 90 g butter 50 g sugar a pinch of salt 1 vanilla bean 1 egg 20 g almond flour 160 g flour Filling: 125 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice zest of 1 lemon 2 eggs 4 egg yolks 150 g sugar 85 g butter Meringue: 4 egg whites 1 cup sugar 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 2 tbs almond liquor

For the crust, beat sugar and butter until uniform. Add vanilla seeds and beat until fluffy. Mix in egg. Add almond flour and flour. Mix until a dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2–3 hours. Roll the cooled dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a 3-4 mm thick round. Transfer the dough with the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and freeze for a few minutes, until dough hardens. Peel off the parchment paper. Line the dough into a round 23 cm tart pan with removable bottom; trim off excess dough. Refrigerate for 30–60 minutes. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line the pan with parchment paper and fill it up with dried beans or peas. Bake for approximately 15–20 minutes, until the top edges of the crust begin to turn brown. Carefully remove the parchment paper and the beans and return the pan back to the oven. Bake for another 8–10 minutes, until the crust becomes golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave it at room temperature to cool completely.

For the filling, mix together eggs, egg yolks and sugar n a heatproof bowl until smooth. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and mix to incorporate. Place the bowl above simmering water. Make sure water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, approximately 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually add room temperature butter, one small piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. Place a sheet of plastic wrap onto the surface of the filling mixture, to prevent the formation of film. Set aside to cool. For the meringue, whisk egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl just until uniform. Place the bowl above simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has completely dissolved and the temperature on the instant read thermometer reads 60°C, approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk with an electric mixer for about 1 minute, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add cream of tartar. Whisk until stiff peaks form, for another 3 minutes or so. Add liquor and mix well. Carefully remove the tart crust from the pan and transfer it to a plate or a platter. Fill the crust with the lemon filling in an even layer. Smooth the top. Place meringue on top of the filling in an even layer using a spoon or an ice cream scoop. Smooth the top or form peaks. Brown the top of meringue with a kitchen torch. Serve right away.

06.13 Haymaking

Haymaking Preface, recipe & photos: Aušra, Tarp vėjo gūsių

ince ancient times, people used to drink kvass not only as a thirst quenching beverage but also in order to improve one’s digestion, increase appetite and cleanse the body.

Naturally fermented honey kvass does not only refresh when the weather is very hot, but also restores one’s strength and increases the capabilities upon big physical load such as in field works. It is made from fresh raw summer honey, rye bread and rye sourdough starter. Try this energizing beverage enriched with vitamins!

06.13 Haymaking

Tip If you don‘t have any sourdough starter, you can replace it with 20 g of fresh yeast mashed with a pinch of sugar.

HONEY KVASS (GIRA) Makes 3 L ½ kg rye bread 3 L water 300 g unpasteurized honey 2 limes 100 g active rye sourdough starter 100 g raisins extra handful of raisins

Cut rye bread into slices and dry in the oven untill dark brown. Add 3 liters of boiling water ant leave overnight. Strain the mash and add some water, if needed, to have 3 liters of liquid. Pour 1 liter of liquid into a saucepan, add honey and heat until honey has melted (do not bring to a boil!). Mix with the remaining 2 liters of liquid and allow to cool to room temperature. Add active rye sourdough starter, 100 g of raisins, juice of two limes, chopped remains of limes and stir. Cover with tissue and put in a warm place for 24 hours. When kvass starts to foam, filter it, pour in plastic bottles, add 3–5 raisins into each bottle and cork them. Leave kvass for 2–3 days in the fridge until it is ready. Store kvass bottles in a cool place. Best served chilled during hot summer days.

06.14 International Bloggers’ Day

Preface: Asta, Villa Alps & Julė, Kepykla Nr. 5 Photo: Asta, Villa Alps

Bloggers‘

INTERNATIONAL

DAY

ometimes, due to mid-life crisis or just spring winds, we ask ourselves: why do I have a blog? Do I need? Who is reading it? Is it worth to spend the nice days in front of illuminated screen, trying to put our hearts and souls into the stories we write? Maybe just ... leave a note perpetual vacation and ... leave our virtual homes forever? But indeed blogging is so good and it gave us so much. A good handful of amazing people, of which one or the other we call a friends; the coolest events together with like-minded; whole family activities in the kitchen and around the new delicacy photographs. Space to express ourselves and a feedback. Sense that we are part of something. All this is worth noting. This year we have challenged ourselves. Reviewed our long and never-ending lists of dishes we want to try and have found several from fellow Lithuanian food bloggers’ pages, patiently waiting for their turn to come. To celebrate International Bloggers’ Day we made our mind up and chose to prepare dishes recommended by collegues! The most tempting were sweets, but one savory dish lured with... sexuality. Curious? Please turn the page!

06.14 International Bloggers’ Day

SEXY VIETNAMESE CHICKEN Recipe & photo: Valerija, Cukerka Tried out recipe from Odeta, Cocina rendez-vous

have to admit that I’m not crazy about Asian cuisine. But the author of this recipe described this dish so vividly that I could not resist!

I did not follow the original recipe in full. As I don’t like ginger, so I skipped it. I used dark sugar syrup instead of sugar. And I used one small hen instead of several tiny chickens. And let me tell you – the recipe was a huge success! The tastes are wonderfully balanced – not too sweet, not too sour, and the flavors complement each other beautifully. One thing I would change next time - adding something spicy, a pinch of chili, perhaps? A big THANK YOU to Odeta for sharing such an interesting recipe.

Serves 4 1 hen or 3 chickens (total of 1,4 kg) 3 large garlic cloves ½ leek 1 tsp dark sugar syrup 2 tbs soy sauce 2 tbs oyster sauce 1 tbs freshly ground mixed pepper 1 tbs rice vinegar 2 tbs sesame oil juice and zest of ½ lime 6-8 potatoes

Wash and dry chicken. Cut through the breast and butterfly the chicken. For the marinade, finely chop leek, grate lime zest and chop garlic. In a bowl, mix leek, garlic, sugar syrup, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, pepper, lime juice and grated zest. Pour over the chicken. Rub well from all sides. Let marinate for 2-3 hours. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting and let reach room temperature. Preheat oven to 180°C. Lay the chicken flat, skin side down, on a baking sheet and press with a heavy object. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove tha baking sheet, turn the chicken over, press with a heavy object and bake for 20 more minutes. Remove the heavy object from the chicken, turn on the grill and roast for 15 minutes. Serve with potatoes which have been marinated and baked together with the chicken and a salad.

06.14 International Bloggers’ Day

NECTARINE TARTELETTE Receipe & photo: Dovilė & Mantas, Bajalių šeimynėlės kampelis Tried out recipe from Julija, Vilko šaukštai

fresh tartelette is a real summer‘s treat, but I‘ve been afraid to try it due to the possibility of an imperfect shape. But when I saw the recipe for peach tartelettes in Julija’s blog Vilko šaukštai (where it was called the perfect pie recipe), I was amazed by its simplicity. When it‘s raining outside, a piece of this tartelette, along with a cup of tea or coffee, makes bright summer come back.

Serves 8 Crust: 8 tbs soft butter 55 g sugar a splash of vanilla extract ½ tsp salt 190-200 g flour 2 tbs cornflour butter and corn flour for the pan Filling: 55 g heavy cream 1 large egg 2 tbs liquid honey 2 tbs cornflour 4-5 nectarines powdered sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 175-180 °C. Carefully butter and flour a baking tin. Melt butter and let it cool. Mix with sugar until uniform. Add vanilla, salt and flour. Knead and spread the dough on bottom and sides of the tin. Bake for 20 minutes until the dough rises slightly. Sprinkle the crust with corn flour. For the filling, mix cream, egg and honey until uniform. Add corn flour, mix well. Line the bottom of the tin with nectarines and pour the cream mixture on top. It‘s best if the fruit are not fully covered in liquid. Bake for 30-50 minutes. Watch carefully because the baking time depends largely on the oven. The filling should be set and the nectarines should be tender. To serve sprinkle with powdered sugar. The tartelette is best fresh out of the oven because nectarines tend to brown as time passes. Use some more cream if you intend to eat it later.

06.14 International Bloggers’ Day

Tip Any berries can be used in this recipe.

APPLE AND BERRY GALETTE Recipe & photo: Vilma, Mažoj virtuvėlėj Tried out recipe from Neringa, Neringos blogas

his galette is very quick and easy to make, fresh and not too sweet. It is delicate straight out of the oven, but I found it best the next day, once it’s been given time to ripen.

Serves 8 240 g flour 120 g cold butter 65 g sugar 6 tbs cold water 3 medium large apples ½ cup highbush blueberries ½ cup blackberries 1 yolk 4 tbs brown or white crystal sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C. Mix flour and sugar. Cut butter into small pieces and mix with the flour mixture until you obtain crumbs. Add water and knead. Wrap in cling wrap and place in the refridgerator for at least half an hour. Roll the pastry into a 4 mm thick disk. Wash and peel apples and cut them into slices. Places the apples in the middle of the pastry, leaving around 3 cm from the edges. Sprinkle with berries and fold the sides of the pastry. Baste the sides with egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

06.14 International Bloggers’ Day

CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM WITH PISTACHIOS Recipe & photo: Dovilė & Mantas, Bajalių šeimynėlės kampelis Tried out recipe from Viktorija, Receptų medis

hat a summer without the melting cooling delicacy? Last year we found a recipe that bewitched us both and it found a permanent place in our kitchen. I am sure that this ice cream shall cool us and our friends this summer as well. And more than once!

Serves 10 400 ml heavy cream 260 g sweetened condensed milk 50 g dark chocolate chips 30 g unsalted pistachios 360 g simple chocolate cookies

Beat cream until stiff peaks form. Add condensed milk and mix well. Add chocolate chips and roughly chopped pistachios. Mix again. Line a rectangular dish with foil (it‘s best to choose the size according to the size of the lined up cookies). Cover the whole bottom with cookies. Pour the ice cream mixture on top. Top with cookies and press lightly. Cover with foil and freeze overnight. It’s easiest to slice ice cream in size of the cookies and to serve it immediately. Don’t be afraid to experiment with other nuts and dried fruit!

06.29 International Fishermen’s Day

Fishermen‘s Preface: Asta, Saulėta virtuvė Photo: Miglė, My Kitchen Affair

INTERNATIONAL DAY

f your have a fisherman in your family, you know how special and devouring this hobby is. So big and strong that no one would probably be surprised if a fisherman would build his own boat and a camper, in which he or she could live on a lake shore and keep fishing through the whole summer. Where the fish are. Perches, pikes, breams... For real fishermen the water is much more attractive than the land. This is their hobby, their passion, their life. It does not matter whether it’s summer or winter, real fishermen surely will find some open water to dip in a rod. Even if there is no fisherman in your family, who provides you with fresh fish, International Fishermen’s Day is a great opportunity to cook a fish dish for your family. There’s never too much fish or seafood on our tables!

06.29 International Fishermen’s Day

MUSSELS SOUP Recipe & photo: Eglė, Monkey dinner

Serves 3 1½ kg mussels 100 ml dry white wine 3 garlic cloves 1 celery stick 10 small sweet tomatoes (or half a can of chopped Italian tomatoes) 3 tbs olive oil parsley chili

Wash mussels and discard the ones which have already opened. If you have the time, leave mussels in cold water for at least several minutes to clean. In a saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil, add one garlic clove and a sprig of parsley. Add mussels, pour wine and cover the saucepan. Once the mixture comes to a boil, leave it for 3-5 minutes, until the shells open. Remove the mussels and reserve stock. Remove two thirds of mussels from shells and discard the ones which have not opened. In a deep saucepan or a heavy pot, heat the remaining oil with garlic and chili. Add thinly sliced celery and heat for 3 minutes. Then add quartered tomatoes and heat for 5 more minutes. Add the stock, mussels and bring to a boil. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and season to taste. For a heartier soup, add some cooked beans. Serve with toasted bread.

Lithuania

07.06 Lithuania State Day (Coronation of King Mindaugas)

STATE DAY. CORONATION OF

King Mindaugas Preface, recipe and photos: Aušra, Tarp vėjo gūsių

he 6th of July is almost midsummer. It’s time to eat plenty of cherries and blackcurrants, to make apple jam and enjoy it with cheese curd or rye bread. It’s also time to taste a fragrant lime flower tea and drink it with fresh honey, to pick some flowering herbs – St John’s wort, thyme and lady’s mantle - in the meadows… July is the queen of summer! Maybe that’s why in July seven hundred and sixty years ago the Lithuanian king Mindaugas was crowned? Let’s celebrate with a huge and soft sour cream babka, similar to a luxurious crown…

07.06 Lithuania State Day (Coronation of King Mindaugas)

SOUR CREAM BABKA Serves 10-15 100 g butter 110 g sugar 5 eggs 200 g thick sour cream 280 g flour 1 tsp instant dry yeast a pinch of salt 1 tsp vanilla sugar

Bring all products to room temperature. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each to combine. Add sour cream and salt. Stir to combine. Mix flour with instant dry yeast and add to the mixture. Stir gently to combine. Cover the prepared mixture with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Preheat oven to 200Â°C. Stir the dough gently one more time and put into a greased baking tin. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave the cake in the baking tin for a while, then turn out and keep covered with a towel until the babka cools completely. Decorate with fruits, berries, icing sugar, melted chocolate, nuts to make babka even more . Babka stays fresh for 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 days in an airtight box.

07.14 Bastille Day

Bastille Preface: Asta, Villa Alps Photo: Beata, Braškės su pipirais

DAY

astille Day in France is a big day of celebrations. The French dress up and paint their faces in national flag, so called tricolor, colors. All France is decorated in blue, white and red. In Paris a huge military parade takes place and in the evening the French skies are lighted by fireworks. A friendly chat with the French people revealed that there are no special dishes to celebrate the day. The only rule is that it has to be French, but it doesn’t matter if one eats it in a back yard garden or has a picnic in a park. Being not French and having no French friends, you probably will not start celebrating Bastille Day, but this is a great opportunity to get to know the world famous French cuisine. And you do not have to be a Cordon Bleu graduate to prepare a délicieux dish.

First two thoughts of France that came to my mind were purple lavander fields and champagne. These two ingredients can turn an ordinary chicken dish into something fancy. Vive la France, lavender and champagne!

07.14 Bastille Day

Tip

Play around with side vegetables. Use yellow zucchini, colorful bell peppers, red onions together with potatoes. For a more casual version of this dish, cut up a whole chicken into pieces. Use odd pieces and bones to make broth. Simmer chicken in sparkling wine and save the champagne to serve with the dish. It will be dĂŠlicieux anyway!

LAVENDER MARINATED CHICKEN IN CHAMPAGNE Recipe & photo: Asta, Villa Alps

Serves 4 4 chicken thighs 1 lemon 1 tbs dried lavender flowers 3 thyme sprigs 1Â˝ tsp salt a pinch of freshly ground black pepper 10 button mushrooms 1 large or 2 medium onions 2 tbs olive oil 2 tbs butter 100 ml champagne (alternatively dry or semi-dry sparkling wine) 50 ml chicken broth 4 sage leaves 2 big zucchini 6 medium potatoes salt pepper 2 tbs olive oil 2 tbs butter

Rinse and pat dry chicken thighs. Juice lemon. Remove thyme leaves from stalks. Discard the stalks. In a mortar, grind lavender flowers, thyme, salt and pepper with a pestle. Add lemon juice and mix well. Rub the chicken thighs with the herb marinade. Put the chicken thighs to a resealable plastic bag, add the remaining marinade. Seal and shake well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Chop onion and slice mushrooms. Heat a pan, add oil and butter. As soon as the butter starts foaming, add the chicken thighs. Discard the remainin marinade. Brown the thighs on boths sides for around 2-3 minutes each. Transfer to a plate. Fry onions until soft. Add mushrooms and fry, stirring, for a few minutes. Move the onions and mushrooms to one side of the pan. Return the chicken thighs and distribute the onion and mushroom mixture evenly in the pan. Add chopped sage leaves, champagne and broth. Simmer covered with lid for 20-25 minutes. Peel potatoes and boil them for 5 minutes in salted water. Drain and leave to cool slightly. When the chicken is almost ready, cut the potatoes and zucchini in 1 cm thick slices. In another pan, heat oil and melt butter. First, fry the potatoes, then the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes and zucchini on the plates, add the chicken thighs and pour over some simmering liquid with onions and mushrooms. Serve the rest of champagne alongside the dish.

07.15 Battle of Grunwald Day

Grunwald

Preface: Asta, Saulėta virtuvė Photo: Lina, Lituanicon 2013

BATTLE OF

DAY

attle of Grunwald’s date is probably one of those dates that Lithuanians do not hesitate to say correctly even when being waked up from the sweetest dreams in the middle of the night. 15 July 1410. That day, a little more than six hundred years ago, Lithuanian-Polish-Teutonic troops fought between the villages of Grunwald and Tannenberg. Lithuanian-Polish alliance defeated the Teutonic Order. This victory was of huge importance for the whole Europe, but for us Lithuanians this victory was definitely a big step forward - freedom from the Crusaders aggression and recognition in Europe. And now let’s return to the kitchen where great flavors are born and are capable to astonish even the strongest men, even those who bravely fought in the Battle of Grunwald. For your attention - satisfying stew made from oxtails. Perhaps a little unexpected use of the product, but it tastes extraordinary. Balanced for strong men, but perfectly suitable and appealing to fragile women!

07.15 Battle of Grunwald Day

OXTAIL STEW WITH CELERY ROOT MASH AND MARINATED GOOSEBERRIES Recipe & photo: Odeta, Cocina rendez-vous

Serves 4-6 1½ kg oxtails 100 g flour ¼ cup pomidorų pastos 100 g salted pork belly 2 onions 3 garlic cloves 3 celery stalks 2 carrots 3 tomatoes 2 cups beef broth 3 cups Burgundy wine or alike 2 bay leaves 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped 2 tsp fresh flat-leave parsley, chopped 3 tbs oil salt freshly ground black pepper Mash: celery root 2 garlic cloves 1 bay leaf 1 tsp fresh flat-leave parsley, chopped 2 tbs butter salt Marinated gooseberries: 200 g gooseberries 1 cup water 2 all-spice berries 1 tbs sugar 1 bay leaf 3 tbs red wine vinegar

Wash gooseberries and pick off the tops and tails. For the marinade, boil up water, add pepper, sugar, bay leaf and vinegar. Add gooseberries and leave to marinate overnight. Cut oxtail into pieces and roll them in flour. Brown them lightly in a pan on medium heat. Stir in tomato paste. Remove oxtails from the pan and drain the excess fat. Preheat oven to 180°C. In skillet, fry salted pork belly strips, chopped onions and garlic. When onions start to be soft, add celery and carrots, cut in strips. Fry for a few minutes, stirring continuously. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Pour in beef broth, red wine and add the oxtails. Cover the skillet and simmer in the oven for 2½-3 hours. For the mash, peel celery root, cut it into chunks and cook in salted water together with garlic cloves and bay leaf until soft. Remove the bay leaf and drain the water. Mash the vegetables until smooth consistency. Serve oxtails with the marinated gooseberries and celery puree. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top.

07.18 International Brewers’ Day

Brewers‘

Preface, recipe and photos: Marta, Skanios dienos

INTERNATIONAL DAY

‘ve never been a great fan of beer... But then I found an article about combining beer with food – the same way as with wine! Turns out, beer can even further enrich the taste of dishes. Since then I‘ve started looking at beer from another perspective. To me, it‘s not only a casual drink, but a spice which brightens the everyday meal. And once summer has come, on weekends, we pack our picknick baskets and go out. We grill vegetables, fruit, meat and fish, and take a sip of cold beer. This time I suggest you to try this drink in another role – as part of a barbecue sauce which will pleasantly surprise you and your friends.

07.18 International Brewers’ Day

BARBECUE SAUCE Makes 300 ml ½ onion 3 garlic cloves 200 ml dark beer 200 ml tomato sauce ½ tsp ground chili 2 tbs balsamic vinegar 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 2 tbs dark brown sugar olive oil salt pepper

Chop onion and garlic very finely. Fry them in olive oil until the onion is soft and loses its sting. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, season with salt and pepper. Stew for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Once the sauce has cooled, pour it into small jars and keep in the refrigerator. Serve with grilled dishes.

08.15 Assumtion Day

Assumption Preface: Julė, Kepykla Nr. 5 Photo: Egidija, Tinginiai irgi verda...

DAY

t is said that King Solomon’s ring said, “This too shall pass”.Not too rarely do I remind myself of this. When I sit at my desk at work, with no daylight passing through the stacks of papers, I inhale with these words a gulp of hope. On the hottest summer evening in the wildest concert, my hands and feet rise with them to the sky. I know very well that sooner or later candy boxes get empty; that the prettiest shoes tear; and that there comes a time to close the most interesting book with a sigh. Everything that has a beginning, has an end. Once the main summer tasks have been done and the pantries are full of jams and preserves, once we start smelling the approaching autumn, we gather to celebrate The Assumption. In unbaptized Lithuania, this was the day to say goodbye to shoots and flowers. And once Lithuania became a Christian country, this day was identified with Assumption of Mary. I’ll be frank. In my group of friends this celebration has no religious tint. This is the time to celebrate summer for probably the last time. We remember the Midsummer night, picking wild strawberries on a bent, jumping over waves and bathing in lakes. We pick late blossoms and herbs and prepare a simple yet tasty meal. We light fires that we don’t jump over. We whisper silently. We rejoice together and we let in a pinch of bright sadness. We are certain: this summer was as great as it could have been. Next year, it is going to be even greater.

08.15 Assumtion Day

ROASTED HERBED CHICKEN Serves 6 1 chicken (1,5-1,8 kg) a handful of each of the fresh herbs: thyme, mint, parsley, dill, rosemary 5 garlic cloves 100 g butter 4 tbs oil a handful of salt pepper fresh potatoes, carrots and fennel

Wash and dry chicken. Rub the skin and inside with salt and pepper. In a food processor, chop garlic and half of the herbs. Mix half of these chopped herbs with room temperature butter, and the other half with oild. Cover the inside of the chicken with herbed butter. Put some butter under the skin around thebreast. Rub the chicken with the herbed oil. Stuff the chicken with a quartered fennel and a handful of whole herbs. Leave to marinade for several hours. Preheat the oven to 180째C. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Lay the chicken. Put halved potatoes, carrots and fennel on the side. Roast for 1 hour until the chicken skin becomes crispy. Baste the chicken with the juices every 10 minutes. Let the chicken rest, covered in foil, for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot with roasted vegetables.

08.23 Baltic Way (Chain of Freedom) Day

Baltic

Preface, recipes and photos: Miglė, My Kitchen Affair

WAY (CHAIN OF FREEDOM) DAY Summer 1989. 23 August. A 650 kilometer long chain of people holding their hands; people with the very same aspirations and dreams; people led by the desire for freedom and will to build their own future; strong, unfaltering, unified, staunch people, glowing with determination and hope. It was a historic moment that gave a new wrinkle to the then-tragic everyday life. But at the same time, it was an expression of friendship and mutual assistance. Three Baltic States, firmly holding their hands, stood there, declaring about themselves - without words, without violence, only with peace and unity. They were three friends sharing the same pain and cherishing the same dreams. That was The Baltic Way. That was our way to freedom. Thus, recalling on those moments of the days gone by and remembering those colors of unity, let’s once again hold our hands and give our tribute to friendship of those three countries that managed to overcome their fear, hardship and quite harsh history lessons. And what unifies better than food? A white tablecloth taken from the grandma’s drawer and carefully spread on the table; fresh bread served straight out of the oven and instantly filling the whole room with rich flavor of barley and caraway seeds; warm honey butter, bringing in that beautiful blow of fresh meadow bloom; and, finally, a generous chunk of lovingly pressed cheese. These are the actual flavors of friendship, which, like The Baltic Way itself, can best be revealed only when put together.

08.23 Baltic Way (Chain of Freedom) Day

ODRAJAHU KARASK − ESTONIAN BARLEY BREAD O

drajahu karask is a traditional Estonian bread usually eaten still warm, served with butter and honey or lingonberry jam. Barley – one of the most important Estonian staple – gives this bread an extremely pleasant sweet nutty flavor, whereas buttermilk keeps the bread fresh for several days.

1 loaf (24 cm diameter) 1½ cup barley flour ½ cup wheat flour ⅓ cup whole-wheat flour 2 tbs brown sugar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp caraway seeds 1 large egg 1½ cup buttermilk or natural yogurt 2 tbs oil 2 tbs butter

Preheat oven to 180°C. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and caraway seeds. In another dish, lightly beat egg, buttermilk (or yogurt) and oil. Add dry ingredients and mix until well blended. You should get a quite thick but still liquid mixture. If it is too dry, add a little bit more buttermilk. Grease a 24 cm diameter baking dish with half of the butter. Pour the dough and distribute it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining butter over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave the bread to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, wrap the bread in baking paper and store in a dry and cool place. This way, the bread remains fresh and tender for a few days. If the bread gets stale and dries out, sprinkle it with some water and put it into the oven (180°C) for a few minutes. Your bread will rise to a new life!

08.23 Baltic Way (Chain of Freedom) Day

HONEY BUTTER H

oney butter is a traditional Lithuanian spread which is very popular in Dzūkija and Aukštaitija regions. There it is usually savored with fresh dark bread and flavorful mint tea. There are a few cooking techniques for this butter. It might be prepared by simply creaming room temperature butter with liquid honey, or first clarifying the butter and then heating it together with honey. The first method gives you a spread similar to sweet cream, while the second will make it not only sweet, but also enriched with a very pleasant aroma of burnt butter. This is certainly a perfect companion for that freshly baked Estonian barley bread.

Makes ⅓ cup 100 g butter 60 g honey ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground all-spice

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and let the residue settle. Once residue has settled, skim it off and pour the remaining clarified butter into another saucepan. Heat on medium heat, add honey and cook, stirring constantly, until the honey starts caramelizing, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and, still stirring, add the spices. Continue stirring until the butter cools down a little bit. While the butter is still warm, pour it into a small jar or ramekin and leave to cool at room temperature. Store honey butter in the refrigerator; take it out 20 minutes before serving and bring to room temperature to spread it easily.

Tip Do not throw away the whey â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you can use it to make ricotta cheese as well as in porridges and various smoothies.

08.23 Baltic Way (Chain of Freedom) Day

LATVIAN MIDSUMMER CHEESE T

his cheese, also known as Jāņu siers (John’s cheese), is one of the main Latvian Midsummer feast table dishes. But Latvians love it too much and enjoy it all year round. Creamy, sweet and delicately flavored with caraway seeds, this cheese would go perfectly with fresh Estonian barley bread and Lithuanian honey butter.

1 medium size cheese 1 L whole milk 360 g fresh curd 2 big egg yolks 60 g butter 1 tbs caraway seeds salt

Line the bottom of a colander with a double cheesecloth and place it in a larger bowl so that there is a place for liquid to run off. Pour milk into a large pot and heat it gently over medium heat. When small bubbles start showing up on the surface of the milk, add curd and cook, stirring constantly, until whey begins forming around the curd. Once the curd has separated, carefully lift it with a spoon into a cheesecloth lined colander. After removing most of the curd from the pot, empty the remaining whey and curd into the colander. Make sure to press out all whey from the curd. In the pot, where milk was boiled, melt butter. When it has melted, add curd, lightly beaten egg yolks, caraway seeds, and salt. Mix everything thoroughly and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the crumbly curd starts sticking together and forming a smooth, shiny, elastic ball. The longer you heat, the more solid and dry the cheese will be. Finally, transfer the cheese to a clean double cheesecloth. Wrap it into a ball, press down the edges tying them together and hang the cheese to rest overnight. A cheese bag can also be used. Store cheese in a refrigerator. Best consumed within 5-7 days.

TAKE 1 MAKE 4 Foto: Laura, Su šaukštu aplink pasaulį

Thailand cuisine Small bites Mediterranean cuisine

Preface: Asta, Saulėta virtuvė Photo: Diana Petkevičienė, Dirianna foto

THAILAND CUISINE T

ravelling is the best way to get to know yourself and the world. Once we’re in a faraway place and out of our daily routine, we learn and discover. There are many ways to know a country: some meet people who’ve lived there all their lives; others take their backpacks and go on a hike, discovering nature’s purest secrets. If we are brave and curious enough, we can turn away from the main streets to quaint little passages and have a glimpse of what is left when the facade is down and true everyday life reveals itself. Finally, we can eat. When we try foreign dishes and know their tastes, we can feel the spirit of the country, and the impression, a whirling mix of spices and aromas, will linger for years to come. Thailand is one of the countries that entices many. It is distant and exotic, perplexing with the beauty of its nature, a different way of life, unique traditions and... A rich kitchen. All types of meat, fish, fruit and vegetables are used here, and noodles, coconut milk and rice are an indispensable part of the local cuisine. And the choice of spices is even more astounding! Our tastebuds detect a lot more than just salt and pepper. Here pots and pans sizzle with many spices, their mixes, fresh and dried herbs. This is once of the reasons why we sometimes find ourselves wondering about why the ingredients list is so long. But the truth is simple: most likely, two thirds of it will consist of herbs and spices. We assure you that this is what brings an otherwise ordinary dish to a whole new level, makes for and unforgettable experience and maybe even leads to the dish becoming a regular in your menu. The Thai really know how to use spices! Let some exotica into your kitchen – we provide you with a whole day’s menu!

STEAMED PORK BUNS Recipe & photo: Viktorija, Receptų medis

teamed buns are very popular in Asia. They are very convenient to eat on the go, so these buns are a popular „fast food“. They are usually eaten for breakfast. Steamed buns do not look as appetizing as baked ones, but their delicacy and tenderness makes up for it – tenfold! Add some delicious juicy filling, and you‘ve got a perfect breakfast for meat eaters.

Makes 16 buns Dough: 240 ml cold water 12 g fresh yeast or 1½ tsp dry yeast 1 tbs sugar 350 g flour (type 550C) 1 tbs salt 2 tbs sesame oil Filling: 200 g ground pork 1 onion ½ red bell pepper 1 egg 3 garlic cloves 3 dried shiitake mushrooms 2 tbs oyster sauce 1 tbs cornflour 2 tbs water 1 tsp green curry powder Sauce: 9 tbs water 3 tbs soy sauce 2 tbs rice vinegar 2 tsp sweet chili sauce spring onions (green parts only)

For the dough, mix yeast with sugar and some warm water. Leave for several minutes to activate the yeast. Put flour and salt in a large bowl. Add oil, yeast and remaining water. Knead dough. It should be soft and slightly sticky. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap and leave to proof for 1 hour. If you plan to make the buns for breakfast, you can make the dough in the evening and leave it in the fridge overnight. For the filling, let shiitake soak in cold water for 10 minutes. Finely chop the soaked mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Dissolve cornflour in 2 tablespoons of cold water. Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl. The filling can be prepared in the evening and left in the fridge overnight. Divide the dough and filling in 16 equal parts. Take each piece of dough and roll it out to a circle as big as the palm of your hand. If it is still very sticky, lightly flour the dough. Put the filling in the middle, fold the dough in half and press the edges. Gather the edges to form a round knot on the bottom. Put the buns on a piece of parchment paper and steam for 12 minutes. For the sauce, finely chop spring onions and mix with the rest of ingredients.

THAI-STYLE BASS WITH GLASS NOODLES Recipe & photo: Indrė, Gėrimų ir patiekalų magija

t is said that Lithuanians eat not enough fish. Is it because they don‘t like it? Or because they do not know how to prepare it well? In any case, this piquant bass will plase everyone‘s tastebuds and won‘t be heavy on the stomach. Serves 2 2 medium bass, headed

Marinade: ½ lemon 4 tbs oyster sauce 4 tbs soy sauce 6-8 garlic cloves a pinch of ground or freshly grated ginger 2 tbs demerara sugar a pinch of freshly ground pepper mix 1-2 chili Garnish: 150-200 g glass noodles a pinch of salt 8 cherry tomatoes 6-8 spring onions (green parts only)

Wash and scale fish. Gently cut into the skin 3-4 times on each fish. Squeeze lemon into a bowl. Add oyster sauce and soy sauce. Press garlic. Add ginger, sugar and a pinch of pepper mix. Finely chop chili and add to the marinade. Mix well. Taste for sweetness and saltiness. Preheat oven to 170°C. For each bass, take a large piece of parchment paper and add 1 tablespoon of marinade. Place the fish on top and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of marinade. Clip the sides of the parchment paper so that there is an air pocket above the fish and sthe fish lies in a sort of a parchment tent. Repeat with the second fish. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Then cut off the top of the paper tent, add 2 tablespoons of marinade on each fish, and bake, uncovered, until crispy, for 4-6 more minutes. In a pot, boil up salted water. Add glass noodles, remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 3 minutes. Slice tomatoes. Chop spring onions. Place some glass noodles and tomatoes on a plate. Sprinkle with spring onions. Place the fish, in parchemnt paper wrap, on the side. Soak noodles in the sauce that has formed – they‘ll absorb all the aromas.

MUSSELS WITH LEMON GRASS AND GINGER Recipe & photo: Julija, Vilko šaukštai

xotic, exciting, extraordinary – such are the words to describe this dish. Even if you are a true lover of the classics and admire moules marinières with cream sauce flavored with garlic and parsley, we are sure that you will be pleasantly surprised by these Thai mussels.

Serves 2 1 kg mussels 2 cm ginger root ½ red chili 1 lemongrass stalk aprox. 50 g spring onions 1 garlic clove ½ cup dry white wine 60 g ginger and lemongrass wok sauce 2 tbs sweet chili sauce extra virgin loive oil 2 tsp lime juice freshly ground black pepper a few sprigs of fresh coriander

Rinse mussel shells under cold running water. Debeared them with scissors or pulling out with a quick tug. Check to make sure their shells are tightly closed. Discard mussels with cracked shells. If any mussels are open, tap them gently against the counter and discard any mussels that don‘t close up within a few minutes. Finely chop peeled ginger root. Remove seeds of chili pepper and chop it. Chop lemongrass stalk and spring onions. Crush garlic clove with a knife and discard skins. Place a deep skillet or a saucepan on heat and add mussels. Pour the wine and cover with a lid. Steam for 3-4 minutes. Shake the pan a couple of times without removing the lid. Lift mussels from the heat and transfer to a plate or another dish. Cover to keep the mussels warm. Save the remaining liquid. Heat another pan with a splash of olive oil. Add chili, lemongrass, ginger, spring onion and garlic. Fry until fragrant, then pour the remaining mussel liquid. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid almost evaporates. Add ginger and lemongrass wok sauce and sweet chili sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat, season with freshly ground pepper and lime juice. Taste to see if any flavor is missing. Sieve the sauce and pour over the mussels. Serve at once. Serve with toasted bread slices, seasoned with olive oil and rubbed with garlic.

KHAO NIAO MAMUANG – STICKY RICE WITH MANGO Recipe & photo: Dovilė, DR Food Blog

hao Niao Mamuang or simply sticky rice with mango is similar to rice pudding in consistency. This at first sight simple recipe is actually a very pleasing coconute rice dessert with a refreshing taste of fresh mango. A perfect ending to a Thai dinner!

Serves 4 200 g short grain rice for sushi or risotto 250 ml coconut milk 270 ml water 50 g sugar a pinch of salt 1 mango mint leaves

Cover rice with water and leave for 3-4 hours or overnight. Mix coconut milk with sugar and salt. Rinse and filter the rice. If you‘ve got a bamboo steamer, steam the rice in it. Mix with coconut milk. Alternatively, put the rice in a pot and add 270 ml of water and cook for 3-5 minutes. Once the mixture begins to thicken, add half of the coconut milk, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add the remaining coconut milk, remove from the heat and mix. Leave the rice to cool for 30 minutes. Peel and cut mango. Put the mango pieces on a plate, top with some rice. Decorate with mint leaves.

Preface: Julė, Kepykla Nr. 5 Photo: Jolita, Surfing the world cuisine

SMALL BITES S

mall bites are indispensable when we wait for late guests, when we slowly sip a glass of wine, when we’re in a rush on our way to work or when we have dinner in the sunlit balcony. Of course, it might be just a tub of yogurt or a handful of nuts grabbed in passing. But doesn’t it get boring this way? The sweet and savory small bites we’ve prepared for you will surely spice up your everyday menu – especially on those hot days when you don’t want a steak for lunch! – and be a real salvation if unexpected guests arrive. Most likely you will be curious and try out more than one recipe, and this will let you enjoy a wide plethora of flavors. Good luck in experimenting!

BRUSCHETTAS WITH FETA AND ARTICHOKES Recipe & photo: Julija, Vilko šaukštai

imple, easy to prepare dishes are this summer’s hits. That‘s why this appetizer is perfect for breakfast, lunch or even dinner. Crispy bread, salty feta cheese, spicy chili and the pleasant flavor of marinated artichokes are an ideal combination for a summer’s appetizer. Serves 2 4 slices fresh bread 50 g feta cheese some marinated artichoke cores extra virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove ½ red chili some lemon juice freshly ground black pepper to taste a few sprigs of fresh dill

Preheat a large skillet and toast bread until crispy on both sides. Brush with garlic, put on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Dice artichokes, chop dill and chili. Crumble feta on the bread, top with artichokes and chili. Drizzle with lemon juice and a pinch of freshly ground pepper. Garnish with dill and serve immediately.

Tip Add some tomatoes for extra freshness!

PRAWNS WITH DRY-CURED HAM AND SPICY MANGO SAUCE Recipe & photo: Egidija, Tinginiai irgi verda...

rawns go perfectly with the saltiness of dry-cured ham and sweetness of mango. The spicy peppers add an additional layer of flavors. Serve the shrimp on their own or with a bowl of green salad. Serves 4 20 king prawns 20 slices dry-cured ham Sauce: ½ cup mango juice ½ dried chili ½ tsp pink peppercorns 1 tsp cornstarch

Soak skewers in water. Pull off prawn heads, shell them, leaving the tails on, and finally de-vein them. Wash and dry. Wrap each prawn in ham and put 2 or 3 of them on each skewer. Fry in a hot skillet for 3 minutes on each side, or until the prawns turn pink. For the sauce, bring mango juice, crushed chili and pink peppercorns to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in some cold water and slowly add to the mango juice mixture. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Serve the prawns on a large plate in a pool of sauce. Serve hot or cold.

bamboo skewers

TAPAS Recipes & photos: Jolita, Surfing the world cuisine

apas are essential for a Spanish style tapas dinner. They can be almost anything from fried onion rings to olives rolled with anchovies on a stick. However, the most important aspect of such a dinner is conversation. We offer you a few tapas recipes to get your friends around for a chat and some wine. Let the never-ending chats begin!

Serves 4 Crispy flatbreads: 300 g flour 1 tsp salt 2 tsp fennel seeds 100 ml olive oil 120 ml water 7 g dry yeast 1 egg white for brushing

In a bowl, mix flour, salt, yeast, sugar, fennel seeds, add olive oil and warm water. You will end up with a soft dough. Transfer it on a flat surface, add some more flour and knead for 10 minutes. Cover the dough with oiled cling wrap and leave to rest for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 220Â°C.

Potatoes: 4 medium potatoes 1 tbs paprika powder 1 tsp salt olive oil 1 onion 4 garlic cloves 6 large tomatoes 1 tbsp red wine vinegar Â˝ tsp thyme

Peel and cube potaoes. Sprinkle them with paprika powder and salt. Preaheat a pan with some olive oil and fry the potatoes for about 10 minutes until browned on each side.

Calamari rings: 6 baby squids 2 tbsp flour 2 tbsp cornflour salt black pepper 1 lemon olive oil some lettuce leaves

Cut clean baby squid into rings. In a bowl, mix flour, corn flour, salt and pepper. Add the rings and stir to coat evenly. Preheat a pot with some vegetable oil and fry until light brown, about 3 minutes. Fry in batches. Put ready fried squid rings on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Before serving, drizzle with some lemon juice and serve over a plate of lettuce leaves.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a flat circle. Transfer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Put in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool before serving.

Peel and finely chop onion and garlic. Peel and cut tomatoes into small pieces. In another pan heat some olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Fry them for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes. Season with salt, black pepper, thyme and paprika powder. Cook until the tomatoes soften and start looking like sauce. Add some red wine vinegar and stir well. Add fried potatoes to the sauce and stir. Season to taste. Cook for 2-3 more minutes and remove from the heat.

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Anchovies: 1 can of anchovy fillets in oil juice of 1 lemon salt black pepper Âź tsp sugar aprox. 10 green olives a few branches of parsley

In a bowl, mix lemon juice (around 40 ml) and sugar, then add anchiovies and stir to coat. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes. Add some ground black pepper, green olives and chopped parsley. Transfer into a serving plate and drizzle with olive oil.

Red bell peppers: 4 red bell peppers 2 garlic cloves juice of Â˝ lemon 1 tbsp olive oil

Hold washed bell peppers over direct fire on the stove and grill until their skin turns black from all sides. Put the peppers into a bowl and cover with a cling wrap. 5 minutes later put the peppers under running water and peel the burned skin. Remove seeds and cut into slices. Transfer onto a serving dish. Peel and finely chop garlic. Sprinkle on the peppers with some lemon juice, salt, ground black pepper and some olive oil.

Fennel salad: 1 fennel bulb 1 lemon a bunch of fresh mint salt black pepper 2 tbsp olive oil

Finely slice fennel. Cut half of the lemon into tiny pieces. In a bowl combine fennel, lemon, mint leavesand juice of half a lemon. Season with salt and black pepper, stir and serve.

Serve all tapas at the same time in small plates or bowls. Alternatively you can serve them on crispy bread.

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ROCKY ROAD Recipe & photo: Asta, Villa Alps

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here are several versions about how Rocky Road came to be, and they differ a lot amongst Australia, the USA and the UK.

The Australians say that Rocky Road was invented in the middle of 19th century somewhere around Melbourne. Greedy businessmen found a way to sell sweets, chocolate and marshmallows, that have been damaged on their way from Europe, to sweet-toothed not well-educated goldminers. Some local nuts and coconut were added and this sweet bar is popular to the day. It is said that the name comes from the rocky roads the goldminers used to travel to the mines. The Americans say that it was they who invented Rocky Road taste when in 1929 ice cream with marshmallows and nuts began to be sold. The name was supposed to light a smile on peoples’ faces during the Great Depression. A Russian immigrant who opened Annabelle Candy Company in 1950 and started selling Rocky Road bars made this sweet famous – it is still being produced today. The British do not imply that Rocky Road was invented in the UK and they have a slightly different version of this dessert where melted chocolate is mixed with crushed biscuits. Well, let’s leave the English-speaking world to their who, where and how. I say that this is a delicious treat that is quick to prepare and is easily adaptable to any kitchen. Anything goes, really – any type of dried or glazed fruit, all types of nuts, white and colored marshmallows, dessicated and shaved dried coconut, mixed seeds, any candy (think Maltesers or any fudge) and cookie leftovers; white, milk or dark chocolate. You can add some Irish coffee liqueur, sweetened condensed milk or rosewater. It’s a great canvas to test different flavor combinations! So let’s meet one of the versions of Rocky Road.

28 bars or aprox. 60 small bites 200 g dark chocolate (85% cocoa) 140 g mixed nuts 60 g marshmallows a handful of dried cherries a handful of dried blueberries a handful of coconut chips

Chop and melt chocolate over the . Leave to cool slightly. Chop coarely nuts and marshmallows. Stir in all the remaining ingredients into the melted chocolate. Line a rectangular dish with parchment paper and spread mixture in it, then chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into bars or small bites. The amount and thickness of bars depends on the size of the dish you use to chill the mixture. You might need more time to chill a thicker layer of the mixture. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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Preface: Julė, Kepykla Nr. 5 Photo: Jurgita, Duonos ir žaidimų

MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE T

raditions of Mediterranean cuisine unite many Southern European countries which lie on (or at least can see in the distance) the Mediterranean Sea – Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Greece, Turkey and others. The geographical distinction is not really clear, but it can always be distinguished by its specialties. First of all, due to the mild climate of the Mediterranean, the dishes are famous for their lightness. Citizens of these countries can enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables all year round. They are eaten raw, preserving their best qualities – as a lot of women know from researching the Mediterranean diet. In addition, wheat is widely used in Mediterranean cuisine. People make pasta and bake bread… They also consume a lot of rice. And, of course, fish and seafood – in countries that border the sea, it makes up an important part of the everyday menu. Fruit, vegetables, fish, bread, past, rice, spices and olive oil are the basis of Mediterranean cuisine. No wonder that it’s often called one of the healthiest and most beneficial. In the summer we, Northern Europeans, can finally enjoy the bounty of fresh produce. There could be no better time to try out Mediterranean dishes!

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Tip

Homemade or store bought yogurt can be used in this recipe. A recipe for homemade yogurt has been featured in an earlier Lithuanian issue of the magazine, so if you’re interested – drop us a line!

GREEK YOGHURT Recipe & photo: Julė, Kepykla Nr. 5

hick, rich and palatable Greek yogurt will surely claim its worth in your kitchen. And it is so easy to make! We offer you an elementary (some say, traditional) breakfast meal and also invite you to look through a handful more ideas which will inspire you and will shed some new light on old dishes. 750 ml 1 l natural yoghurt cheesecloth

Put a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Line the strainer with two layers of cheesecloth. Pour yogurt and let it sit for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, until it reaches the desired consistency. If the yogurt has thickened too much, thin it with some of the remaining whey. Transfer to a storage container of your choice and keep refrigerated. Ideas for breakfast toppings: • blueberries mixed with maple syrup • honey and roasted nuts (walnuts or almonds) • roasted coconut flakes and lemon curd • granola and fresh fruit • banana, favorite jam, nuts Greek yogurt can also be used: • as a perfect base for sauces (Greek tzatziki, Indian raita and many more); • in salad dressings instead of mayonnaise; instead of buttermilk in pancakes; instead of milk in muffins; • mixed with chopped peaches and fresh thyme or mixed with almond or peanut butter in equal proportions – as a wonderful spread for toast; top with fresh fruit; • as a crepe filling with a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and some honey Greek yogurt will keep for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.

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KOLOKITHOKEFTEDES, GREEK ZUCCHINI FRITTERS Recipe & photo: Karolina, Citrinos žievelė

n Greece zucchini and feta combination is almost as traditional as potato-meat dumplings with bacon sauce in Lithuania. So it is hardly surprising that almost all Greeks make traditional zucchini fritters. They do not need a recipe to mix the batter and always serve the fritters with yogurt sauce.

Serves 2 1½ cup grated zucchini 3 tbs dill basil leaves ½ cup crumbled feta 2 large eggs 3 tbs flour salt pepper olive oil Yogurt sauce: 200 g Greek yogurt 1 garlic clove 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil salt pepper

Sprinkle grated zucchini with salt and let rest for at least 30 minutes. Squeeze out all excess moisture. Put drained zucchini in a large bowl with dill, basil, and feta. Mix to combine. Stir in eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in flour until the dough comes together, adding slightly more flour if it is too wet. Form dough into pancakes. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry patties until golden brown. For the sauce, mix yogurt, minced garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pancakes.

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SALTED COD SOUP Recipe & photo: Renata, Valgom Europą

alted and dried cod is a favorite of the Mediterranean countries. Be sure to taste this exquisite fish when in Spain or Italy. And if you‘ve not yet started to pack your bags, try to salt some cod fillet and cook a fragrant soup. It won‘t be totally authentic, but still delicious.

Serves 6 400 g cod fillet 2 medium potatoes 4 garlic cloves 2 onions 1 small zucchini 2 carrots 1 bay leaf 1 tsp oregano a bunch of parsley black pepper a splash of olive oil

Wash cod fillet and dry it on a paper towel. Rub generously with salt and put on a plate. Carefully wrap the plate in cling wrap. Keep in the fridge for 24 hours or at least overnight. Wash the salted cod well and cut into small pieces. Mince garlic and onions. Fry in olive oil. Cut zucchini in triangles and add to the pan. Add sliced carrots. Sprinkle with oregano and stew for 10 minutes. Add 1½ liters of water. Once it boils, add cubed potatoes, cod and bay leaf. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Just before finishing, season with chopped parsley and some black pepper. Taste and salt if necessary. The soup is delicious with fresh bread and butter, mixed with garlic and parsley.

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BAKLAVA ICE CREAM Recipe & photo: Miglė, My Kitchen Affair

editerranean desserts are an absolute oasis of sweetness. Nuts soaked in honey syrup, fruits steeped in sugar and rose water, generously spiced pastries – there’s a great variety, and it’s just a small hint of that superb sweet side of this part of the world. If it fascinates you as well, don’t hesitate to try this summer-flavored baklava ice cream. Rich cream, mischievously crispy phyllo dough, sweet friendship of pistachios and honey, and a fresh meadow breeze brought in by oregano – no one will be left indifferent!

Serves 9 ⅓ cup pistachios 3 tbs honey 2 tbs oregano 250 ml heavy cream 2 sheets Phyllo dough (25x25 cm) 4–5 tbs melted butter 3 tbs honey

Finely chop pistachios. Put them into a small pot, add honey and cook on medium heat, until nuts are nicely caramelized. Remove from heat and stir in finely chopped oregano. Leave to cool. While pistachios are cooling, whip cream to stiff peaks. Carefully stir in caramelized nuts. Pour the mixture into a small dish (preferably metal) and place it in the freezer for at least a couple of hours, until the ice cream is set. In the meantime, prepare phyllo baskets. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough on a cleen surface. Using a pastry brush, brush it with melted butter. Put the second sheet on top of it and brush it with the remaining butter. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, divide the dough into nine equal-sized squares. Place each square into a separate muffin tin and bake in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes, until all the cups are crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. When the ice cream is set, take it out from the freezer and scoop into baked phyllo cups. Drizzle with honey. If you wish, you can also decorate each serving with a sprig of fresh oregano. Serve immediately. If you are left with some extra phyllo cups, keep them in a sealed dry container. The ice cream can easily rest in the freezer for a few months.

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without ... WHAT A SUMMER Photo: Dovilė, DR Food Blog

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... zucchini Preface: Julė, Kepykla Nr. 5 Photo: Jurgita, Duonos ir žaidimų

hen I was still in my teens, the second half of every summer was the same: once the strawberry season was over, my Grandfather would start bringing in zucchinis from the garden, each one bigger than the last one. This would instantly bring thoughts of contests, blue ribbons, medals and messages in the newspaper about the “biggest pumpkin in history“ or “a fifty kilogram boletus found in the forrests of Dzukija“. The bounty seemed never-ending. If one zucchini appeared in the garden, I soon had to give out millions of these vegetables to friends and coworkers, and the family were doomed to suffer from zucchinious experiments. Truth be told, I was (and still am) not the biggest fan of overgrown zucchini – even the sharpest knife couldn‘t help peel the woody skin. I remember baking my first zucchini bread: I cut the vegetable vertically, and then place each stump on its diameter. Then, giving it my all, I cut off the thick skin. After several years of experiments I persuaded my Grandfather that one could pick zucchinis when they still hadn‘t grown any seeds and the skin is soft and eaten with the whole vegetable. And did you know that if you leave your car doors unlocked, you might find an armful of zucchinis on your back seat when you come back? When I searched for comfort for the overflow of zucchini, I found such and similar horror stories from the other side of the pond. Each year I gather a bundle of must try recipes when the zucchini season comes. Of course, they suffer the same fate as all other must try lists: on D-day, new recipes have filled the place of chosen ones... Or I get too lazy to leave my comfort zone and end up with zucchini pancakes, stews and the wonderful rosemary zucchini bread. But time and time again I promise to myself – if I end up with an armful of zucchini in the balcony, I‘ll surely try out something new. And let the following pages be my inspiration.

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ZUCCHINI AND NUT SPREAD CIABATTAS Recipe & photo: Elinga, Spoon alley

Serves 4 2 small ciabattas 2 young zucchini (400 g) 8 cherry tomatoes 4 garlic cloves 1 tbs oil ½ tsp ground black pepper Nut spread: 200 g cashew nuts 100 ml water ½ tsp salt 2 tbs nutritional yeast flakes Dressing: handful of fresh basil leaves (7 g) 50 ml oil 1 tbs honey ½ tsp salt ½ lime juice

Cut off ends and both sides along the entire length of zucchini. Slice the zucchini lengthwise. Brush the zucchini with oil and grill on both sides for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Cut Italian bread horizontally in half. Brush with oil and grill for 1-2 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with salt. Grill tomatoes. Cut in half. Peel garlic cloves and grill for 1-2 minutes, cut in half. Wash nuts and put in the food processor, pour water, add salt and nutritional yeast flakes. Blend until the consistency is similar to curd. In a small bowl mix oil, honey and lemon juice. Stir well. Add salt and chopped basil leaves. Brush some basil dressing on the bread, place a slice of zucchini, apply nut spread, top with tomatoes and garlic cloves. Sprinkle sandwiches with basil dressing and season with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately, while it is still crispy and warm.

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ZUCCHINI SUSHI Recipe & photo: Egidija, Tinginiai irgi verda...

Makes 20 rolls Â˝ cup sunflower seeds 1 avocado 1 tsp capers 1 garlic clove salt pepper 1 zucchini 1 apple 1 carrot a handful of arugula a bunch of dill 1 tbs sesame seeds smoked paprika

Cover sunflower seeds with water and leave to soak overnight. In a blender, blend the drained sunflower seeds, avocado, garlic and capers until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Using a peeler, slice zucchini into 20 thin strips. Cut carrot and apple into straws. Lay one strip of zucchini. Cover it with a teaspoon of the avocado-sunflower seed mixture. Top with carrot and apple straws, add some arugula and dill. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and smoked paprika, if you want. Roll up small sushi rolls. Repeat with the remaining strips.

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ZUCCHINI PASTA SALAD WITH SALMON Recipe & photo: Indrė, Keistai paprasta

Serves 2 1 young zucchini ½ mango ½ cucumber several spring onions (green parts only) 100 g salmon juice of ½ lemon 1/8 tsp sea salt

Using a julienne slicer or a knife make zucchini strips. Cut cucumber into disks and divide disks into quarters. Using a sharp knife or a potato peeler cut mango into strips. Put the zucchini pasta in a bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice, add cucumber and mango. Chop salmon into pieces of any size. Add to the salad. Season the salad with sea salt and sprinkle with chopped spring onions. Serve immediately.

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ZUCCHINI MUFFINS WITH CHEESE AND SUN DRIED TOMATOES Recipe & photo: Skirmantė, Impossible is nothing

Makes 12 muffins 1½ cup flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 cup coarsely grated zucchini 1 cup coarsely grated cheese 6 sun dried tomato halves 2 large eggs ½ cup Greek yogurt 1/3 cup sunflower oil salt ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 180 °C. Finely chop sun dried tomato halves. Combine flour and baking powder. Add zucchini, half the cheese, tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and mix until well combined. Whisk eggs, yogurt and oil. Add the egg mixture to the flour and zucchini mixture, mix carefully. Divide the mixture evenly among 12 muffins cups, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes. Best eaten the same day. Try them with soup or broth while still warm.

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CHILLED ZUCCHINI SOUP WITH ZUCCHINI CHIPS Recipe & photo: Elinga, Spoon alley

Serves 2 Soup: 2 zucchini (800 g) 200 g leeks 2 garlic sloves 2 tbs oil 600 ml vegetable broth 2 valg. š. lemon juice 4 valg. š. natutal yoghurt salt pepper Chips: 1 zucchini (300 g) 200 ml sunflower oil salt pepper

Cut zucchini in small cubes, slice leeks, peel garlic cloves. Heat oil in a deep skillet or pot and fry sliced vegetables until soft. Add broth; reduce the heat to medium and cook covered for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend with food processor and leave the soup to chill. Wash zucchini and cut with a vegetable slicer or a mandolin. Put zucchini slices on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt and leave for 10-15 minutes. Drain the zucchini slices with a paper towel. Heat oil in a small saucepan or skillet and fry the zucchini. Cook in small quantities. Be attentive, because it gets ready quickly. Place on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve chilled soup with natural yogurt, lemon juice and zucchini chips.

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CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING Recipe & photo: Asta, Saulėta virtuvė

Serves 20 Cake: 500 g zucchini 2 cups flour 2 tsp baking pwder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon ½ cup (45 g) cocoa powder 4 large eggs 200 g brown sugar 110 g sugar 1 tsp vanilla sugar 1 cup oil 100 g chocolate Cream: 500 g cream cheese 1 ½ cup icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla sugar 2 tbs lemon juice 2 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Line a 30 cm baking dish with parchment paper. Shred zucchini and set aside. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix with cocoa powder. In another bowl, beat eggs, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Add oil, vanilla sugar and mix until combined. Add the zucchini. Add the flour mixture and fold until no dry flour remains. Finally mix in chopped chocolate. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Once the cake has baked, turn off the oven and let it cool completely. Remove the cooled cake from the pan and cut horizontally in two pieces. If the cake has baked with a dome at the top, cut it off and use for decorating the final product. In a bowl, add cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla sugar and lemon juice. Beat with an electric mixer until uniform. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form and fold it into the cream cheese mixture. Once the cake base has cooled, put one piece on a plate or platter. Cover with half of the prepared cream and top with the second piece. Top with the remaining cream, only leaving several tablespoons of the cream for the sides. Cover the sides of the cake. Leave the cake in the refrigerator for at least several hours or overnight. Before serving, decorate the cake with cake crumbs and some strawberries. You can also top it with some icing sugar.

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... grill Preface: Asta, Saulėta virtuvė Photo: Asta, Villa Alps

reen grass, blue skies, sun in the sky and good mood; a huge blanket, a gang of best friends, a grill and loud laughter – does all this remind you of something? Oh yes, it‘s one of the biggest joys of summer – a picnic: by a lake, in the forrest, in the garden, on the seaside, in the park or wherever you desire. But it‘s always with a grill! It‘s pretty simple: if we deprive summer of picnics, it would instantly lose a huge part of its charm; and picnics would lose their cham without a grill. Admit it – nothing unites people the way food does, and especially the process of preparing food together. And whatever preprepared snacks you bring to the picnic, nothing beats the pleasure of grilling, right here, right now, altogether. The sound of steaks sizzling over red coal invites everyone to the grill. It is here that the most interesting talks happen and the wildest ideas are born. It is during these moments that you understand how wonderful it is to be a part of something and how quickly we are all united... By food. And after a while, lying on soft grass, you only hear the sound of lips smacking, interrupted by the “mmmmmm“-s and “aaaaah“-s – because no words are necessary; the full cheeks and smiling eyes explain it all. We wish you to celebrate summer; we wish you delicious picnics!

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What a summer without grill

BBQ BREAKFAST Recipe & photo: Skirmantė, Impossible is nothing

Serves 2 6 large button mushrooms (7-9 cm in diameter) 1 medium tomato ⅙ small red bell pepper 1 garlic clove 2 tbs chopped parsley 4-6 bacon rashes 6 quail eggs some salad leaves 4-6 slices of French bread or Ciabatta 2-3 tbs olive oil black pepper chili salt

Clean and peel mushrooms. Remove stems, making mushroom cavity as big as possible. Coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Blanch, peel and seed tomato. Finely chop the tomato, bell pepper, garlic and parsley. Mix with 2 teaspoons of oil, a pinch of chili, some black pepper and salt. Divide filling among mushrooms. Grill for 6-8 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to soften. Beat a quail’s egg into each mushroom and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, until set. To make the process quicker, you can cover mushrooms with foil. At the same time, fry bacon and bread. Once the mushrooms are ready, place some bread on a plate, top with bacon, some salad leaves and three egg filled mushrooms.

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What a summer without grill

GRILLED EGGPLANT AND RED BELL PEPPER SALAD Recipe & photo: Jolita, Surfing the world cuisine

Serves 4 3 eggplants 3 red bell peppers 200 g arugula a handful of parsley Dressing: juice of 1 lemon 3 garlic cloves 3 tbs olive oil salt black pepper 1/3 tsp dried oregano

Slice eggplants and sprinkle generously with salt. Set aside for 20 minutes. Wash bell peppers and put them on an open fire grill or hold them over a gas stove fire. Grill until the skin starts to blacken, then turn. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Let cool for 15 minutes. Peel the peppers and cut into strips. Wash and dry the eggplants. Arrange them on the grill and sprinkle with some olive oil. Grill on both sides. Prepare the dressing. Peel and finely grate garlic. Put it in a bowl, add salt and pepper. Mix well. Add lemon juice, olive oil and dried oregano. Stir well. Pour 1/3 of the dressing on the peppers. Pour another 1/3 of the dressing on the eggplants. Leave vegetables to marinate for a few minutes. In a large serving plate arrange the eggplant, then put the peppers and top with arugula and parsley. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. This salad is a perfect side dish with any grilled meat. It can be topped with some slices of cheese or toasted nuts.

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GRILLED STUFFED PORK Recipe & photo: Beata, BraĹĄkÄ&#x2014;s su pipirais

Serves 10

Cut pork into 10 steaks, cut each on the side with a sharp knife making a pocket for filling.

1 kg pork loin Marinade: salt pepper 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried marjoram some olive oil

For the filling, take room temperature butter and mix with herbs and cheese. Line slices of bacon on cling wrap, place butter on top and wrap it in a sausage. Put it in the freezer. Cut the frozen filling into 10 slices and place them into the steak pockets. Rub the steak with seasoning, salt, pepper and oil. To have the meat roast evenly, it should be of equal thickness, therefore place each of the slices on parchment paper, fold it on top of the meat and slightly tap with a rolling pin or another heavy object. Leave the steaks to marinate for several hours or overnight.

For the filling: 5 slices of smoked bacon 50 g butter a handful of grated hard cheese 2 tbs finely chopped parsley 2 tbs finely chopped dill

Grill until the meat is brown and tender.

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What a summer without grill

SALT BAKED RAINBOW TROUT Recipe & photo: Kristina, Virtuvės fėjos

Serves 4 2 kg rainbow trout 3 kg salt lemon a handful of mint leaves a handful of rosemary sprigs a handfull of dill foil

Wash and dry trout. Slice lemon, pick herb leaves. Stuff the stomach of the fish with herbs and lemon and let sit for 30 minutes. Cut 4 pieces of foil 10-16 cm longer than the fish. Put two pieces of foil so that the longer edges cover each other. Pour 1½ kg of salt on the foil. Place the fish on top and cover with the remaining salt. Fold the ends of the foil, place the two remaining foil leaves on top and wrap their ends as well. Wrap the already wrapped fish carefully and tightly in the remaining uncut foil. Numerous rounds are needed so that the fish doesn‘t burn. Heat firewood (it‘s best to use either birch or alder) until there‘s enough coal. Dig a hole in the coal, place the fish there and cover with coal. Bake for 30 minutes or 25 minutes for a smaller fish. Once the fish is done, remove the coal, wait until the package is cool enough to handle, unwrap the foil, break the salt and remove the fish.

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Tip Choose soft pears. Hard fruit will have to be grilled longer and may burn.

GRILLED PEAR AND MARZIPAN DESSERT Recipe & photo: Dovilė, DR Food Blog

Serves 4 4 sweet ripe pears around 250 g marzipan 100 g white chocolate a handful of raspberries 2–3 tbs oil a handful of chopped nuts vanilla ice cream

Wash pears and cut off the bottoms. Cut each pear into 5 slices and remove the seeds. Divide marzipan in 8 equal pieces and form patties. Place a marzipan patty between two pear pieces. Ligthly brush each pear sandwich with oil on both sides. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side. Don‘t forget to lightly grill the stem. Place one sandwich on a plate and sprinkle it generously with chopped chocolate. Place a second one on top, sprinkle with chocolate. Finally, top each one with the stem. Serve with raspberries, nuts and ice cream.

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What a summer without grill

GRILLED FIGS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND LAVENDER HONEY Recipe & photo: Julija, Vilko šaukštai

Serves 1-2 5 large fresh figs 50 g goat cheese 2 tbs clear honey 1 tsp dried lavender blossoms

Combine honey and lavender in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Leave to infuse, then sieve to remove the lavender. Preheat the grill. Remove stems of figs (this is optional). Cut a deep crisscross at the top of each fig. Squeeze each fig so that it opens up like a flower. Divide the goat cheese between the figs and place them on the grill. Grill for 5–7 minutes or until the figs are slightly warm and the bottom starts to caramelize. Transfer the figs onto plates and drizzle with some little honey.

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... tomatos Preface: Asta, Saulėta virtuvė Photo: Odeta, Cocina-rendez-vous

ould there be summer without fresh ripe red tomatoes, the ones picked with your own hands from the green stems; or those brought back from the market, bought from a lovely lady who brings them straight from the garden every year. You may want to eat these juicy fragrant vegetables (well well, it’s a fruit in fact) on their own - like apples. Or you may simply cut them into chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper. And have you not forgotten about the lovely traditional salad made from tomatoes, chopped onion, sour cream, salt and pepper, the one that has become a true summer classics in almost every Lithuanian family? They say that greatness lies in simplicity. So do you really need anything else on a hot summer day?.. On the other hand, this summer fruit can surely surprise you – just like we are ready to surprise you! So even though tomatoes are perfectly delicious on their own, you can prepare a million dishes with them. And not only salad. Don’t you have any idea of what it might be? If you like seafood, you’ll surely love squid and tomato salad. If you’re considering a weeknight meal for the family, choose amongst tomato tart, curd filled tomatoes and tomato soup. And if you long for simple yet spectacular snacks, be sure to try out tomato jam with your cheese platter. Flip the pages and grab some summery ideas!

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Tip Instead of using tomatoes, you can use solids that remain after squeezing tomato juice. In this case, you should remove the peels before squeezing.

What a summer without tomatoes

TOMATO JAM Recipe & photo: Viktorija, ReceptĹł medis

Makes 400 ml 600 g tomatoes 150 g brown sugar 1 tsp chili flakes (reduce for a less spicy version) 1 tsp smoked paprika Â˝ tsp ground cardamom 1 tbs quince syrup or lemon juice

Cut a cross on the bottom of each tomato. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and remove the peels. Cut into small pieces. Put the tomatoes in a saucepan, add sugar, spices and syrup. Mix well and cook over low heat until the tomatoes soften and the mixture thickens. If the tomatoes are tough and the pieces do not cook, you may use a blender to obtain a uniform consistency. This jam goes perfectly with cheese and red wine. It can also be used in sauces for meat dishes.

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CURD FILLED TOMATOES Recipe & photo: Asta, Saulėta virtuvė

Serves 6 12 large tomatoes a splash of olive oil salt pepper 500 g curd 200 g cheese 1 onion a bunch of spring onions (green parts only) 1 tsp dried basil a splash of olive oil salt pepper 130 g mozzarella

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Wash tomatoes. Cut off tops and scoop out flesh to obtain beautiful tomato “bowls”. Lightly brush each one with oil, sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper. Put tomatoes in a deep baking dish. Prepare filling. Finely chop onion and fry it in olive oil until crispy. Add chopped spring onions and fry for 30 seconds, until soft. In a bowl, mix curd, shredded cheese and fried vegetables. Season with basil, salt and pepper. Fill tomatoes with prepared filling. Top each with a piece of mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and baked through. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

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SQUID AND TOMATO SALAD Recipe & photo: Aušra, Tarp vėjo gūsių

Serves 4 350 g fresh squid 300 g shrimp 250 g cherry tomatoes 4 anchovy fillets 2 garlic cloves 2 tbs lime juice 4–5 tbs extra virgin olive oil handful of small black olives handful of fresh parsley leaves ground black pepper to taste

Clean and prepare squid. Boil shrimp. Add the squid to slightly salted boiling water and boil for three minutes. Remove from the heat, cool and cut into thin rings. Prepare marinade. Mash anchovy fillets to a paste, add crushed garlic, lime juice and olive oil. Stir carefully. Put the squid and shrimps into a bowl and cover with the marinade. Leave for 15 minutes. Cut each cherry tomato in half and place in a salad bowl. Add the squid and shrimps (save the marinate). Scatter with olives and chopped parsley leaves. Toss with the remaining marinade, season with pepper and serve immediately.

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OVEN BAKED TOMATO SOUP WITH FETA Recipe & photo: DovilÄ&#x2014;, DR Food Blog

Serves 4-5 800 g tomatoes 4 garlic cloves 3 shallots 300 ml vegetable stock 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary dried thyme salt freshly ground black pepper olive oil feta cheese

Preheat oven to 180Â°C. Wash tomatoes and cut each one in 8 pieces. Place, skin down, in a parchment lined baking dish. Peel garlic and shallots, cut them in half and add to the baking dish. Sprinkle with some oil, salt and dried thyme. Bake for 45 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Add roasted vegetables to a pot together with rosemary sprigs. Top with stock. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Discard rosemary and blend soup while still hot. Taste and season with salt to taste. Serve with feta and black pepper.

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Tip Uncooked gnocchi may be frozen up to 3 months.

What a summer without tomatoes

GARLIC GNOCCHI WITH OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES Recipe & photo: Radvilė, Salierai rankinėje

Serves 4 Gnocchi: 5 medium potatoes 2 free range eggs yolks 5−6 garlic cloves 1 cup flour a pinch of salt 2 tbs olive oil Roasted tomatoes: 2 handfuls (around 300 g) mixed cherry tomatoes 2 sprigs basil 2−3 cloves garlic juice of ½ lime (around 2 tbs) 1 tbs olive oil

Wash potatoes and boil them unpealed, so they will not absorb much water and gnocchi will be fluffy. Be careful Do not overcook the potatoes: small ones boil for about 15 minutes, bigger ones - about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 160°C, fan-assist. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash tomatoes and cut them in half or slices. Transfer onto the baking sheet, sprinkle with basil leaves (keep a few leaves to decorate the dish), crushed garlic, lime juice and olive oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the tomato liquid has evaporated, and the edges are nicely browned. When the potatoes are ready cooked, cool them slightly and peel while still warm. Mash the potatoes with a fork or a grater. Do not leave any lumps. When the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, add egg yolks. Crush garlic with garlic press and mix into potatoes with a wooden spoon. Sift flour and add salt. Slowly pour the olive oil and stir. When all the ingredients begin to form into a solid mass, start to knead by hand. Knead the dough just a few times between the fingers and turn it a couple of times. Devide the dough into fist size chunks. Work with one chunk at a time and cover the remaining ones with towel. Form a long log. Use a knife to cut 2 cm long pillows. To shape the gnocchi hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the tines of the fork, cut ends out. Press in and down the fork tines gently with a thumb. To boil gnocchi, add not more than 15 pillows at a time to avoid sticking together. Cook for 3-4 minutes. When the pilows float to the surface of the boiling water, transfer them with a slotted spoon into a swerving plate. Serve gnocchi with tomatoes. Finely chop the remaining basil leaves and sprinkle on top, drip a few drops of lime juice. Serve immediately.

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TOMATO CHUTNEY Recipe & photo: Justina, Salierai rankinÄ&#x2014;je

Serves 6 1 kg tomatoes 1 tbs oil 60 g cashew nuts 1 onion 3 garlic cloves 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tbs balsamic vinegar handful basil leaves handful parsley leaves 30 g parmesan cheese

Wash tomatoes and put them into a bowl with boiling water for a few minutes. Peel the tomatoes. Chop them into pieces and put away for later. Heat oil in a pan with high sides or a pot. Crush cashews to your desired size, slice onion and garlic. Put all ingredients into the hot pan. Cook for 5 minutes stirring all the time as these products burn very fast. Add salt and black pepper, stir. Add tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. While the sauce is cooking, chop basil and parsley. Add the herbs to the pan and cook for 20 minutes. Finally, add cheese and cook for 10 more minutes. Chutney goes well with Italian bread, mozzarella chesse and oregano or with rice.

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TOMATO TART Recipe & photo: Beata, BraĹĄkÄ&#x2014;s su pipirais

Serves 6-8 Pastry: 180 g flour 120 g butter a pinch of salt a pinch of oregano 3-4 tbs cold water Filling: 200 g cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup double cream 1/2 cup yogurt 3 eggs 1 tsp harissa paste (or a pinch of harissa powder) a pinch of parsley a pinch of dill a pinch of oregano 100 g feta cheese 2-3 sun-dried tomatoes in oil salt pepper

Put flour, butter, salt and oregano in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in water and process further until the pastry forms into a ball. Wrap it in cling wrap and place in the refrigerator for half an hour. Line a 23-25 cm baking tin with parchment paper. Once cooled, roll out the dough and put in the baking tin, forming the edges. Prick the surface with a fork. Bake in a 180Â°C oven for 20 minutes. Mix eggs with cream and yogurt. Stir in chopped sun-dried tomatoes, add herbs and harissa, salt and pepper and mix well. Pour the filling in the tart shell, arrange the tomatoes on top and put slices of feta around the tomatoes. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

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SEA BREAM WITH CARAMELIZED CHERRY TOMATOES Recipe & photo: Odeta, Cocina rendez-vous

Serves 3-4 3 sea breams 600 g cherry tomatoes 1 garlic 1Â˝ lemon 60 g butter 50 ml olive oil 2 tbs balzamic vinegar 1 tsp sugar Âź tsp salt pepper

Clean fish. Make cuts in the skin and season with salt. Heat a frying pan, add butter and a splash of oil. Fry the fish. Depending on the size of the fish, this will take 5-7 minutes on each side. Heat another frying pan with a little oil, add cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves (do not remove the skins). Once the tomatoes have softened, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, salt and sugar. Stirring lightly, cook for another 3-4 minutes and pour the tomatoes, together with the sauce, on top of the fish. Cut lemon in half, season with sugar. Fry in a preheated pan until it is caramelized. Serve fish with tomatoes and lemon.

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... berries Preface: Julė, Kepykla Nr. 5 Photo: Gabrielė, Gabriele photography

erries are the real joy of summer: red, purple, green, yellowish; sweet and slightly sour; small, hard to get a hold of with your fingers, and large, plump with the summer sun. We eat them by the handful, lightly sprinkled with sugar and topped with milk or cream; we mash them with sugar and freeze them in preparation for the cold season; we cook the most delicious jams which will brighten many on a moody morning in autumn or winter. This time we’ve got a whole bundle of recipes highlighting the most delicious features of berries: an omelette, unexpectedly spiced up with strawberries, berry ice cream, several berry desserts, and even homemade wine! Can you resist?

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f the branches of your gooseberry bushes are full of berries and you are not interested in making jams, just make dry homemade gooseberry wine! After a year or two you will have an opportunity to taste some wine of distinctive flavor. Gooseberry wine is comparable to grape wine and can be served as an aperitif before a meal or accompanied with an appetizer.

What a summer without berries

GOOSBERRY WINE Recipe & photo: Aušra, Tarp vėjo gūsių

Makes 25 L 10 kg goosberries 5 g pectic enzyme 10 g wine yeast 10 g yeast nutrient 3,5 kg sugar

Top, tail and rinse berries, making sure you throw away any rotten ones. Crush gooseberries and place them into a large fermenting bottle. Pour boiling water to cover and leave until the mixture cools. Add pectic enzyme and stir. Then add yeast and yeast nutrient dissolved in a small quantity of water. Stir well, bung up the bottle with a fermentation pipe and let stand in a warm place for three days. After that, strain through a sieve, press as much pulp as you can and add water to a total of 25 liters. Pour about three liters of leaven into a pot and add sugar. Heat until the sugar has dissolved, stiring occasionally. Let cool and mix with the remaining liquid. Pour wine into the fermenting bottle again, bung up with a fermenting pipe and leave in a warm place until fermentation has finished, for about 3–4 weeks. Filter the wine and let stand for several hours to air. Pour into the fermenting bottle one more time, bung up and let stand until the wine clears. Filter, pour into bottles and keep for at least 12 months before tasting. Wine is best when made from not fully ripe berries. Gooseberries have a lot of pectin which can cause solids in wine and make it cloudy. So pectic enzyme is needed. It will disolve the pectin during the fermentation process and make the wine clear a lot faster and keep it from having suspended solids. The yeast nutrient gives nourishment to wine yeast so that it stays healthy throughout the fermentation process. Look for wine yeast, pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient in homebrew stores. Serve goosberry wine cooled, with pickled gooseberries and curd cheese.

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STRAWBERRY OMLETTES Recipe & photo: Renata, Valgom EuropÄ&#x2026;

Serves 2 4 eggs 80 g flour 80 g milk 2 tbs sugar a pinch of salt 2 tsp butter 300 g strawberries powdered sugar

Separate yolks from whites. Beat the yolks with flour, milk and salt. In another bowl beat the whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly, a tablespoon at a time, mix it in the yolk mixture. Melt butter in a pan. Pour half of the mixture and bake a round omelette. Place sliced strawberries on one half of the omelette and fold it in half. Turn over carefully. Cook for several minutes. Place on a plate and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Repeat with the remaining batter.

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Tip

White currants are sweeter than red ones, giving this bread a very delicate, soft and barely detectable sourness. If you use red currants, add a little bit more sugar into the batter.

What a summer without berries

YOGURT BREAD WITH WHITE CURRANTS Recipe & photo: Miglė, My Kitchen Affair

makes 1 loaf (25 cm long)

Bring butter to room temperature.

150 g butter 2/3 cup light brown sugar juice and zest of ½ lemon 2 medium eggs ¼ tsp baking powder 1 cup + 1 tbsp flour 200 g white currants

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 25 cm long loaf pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter and sugar until the latter dissolves. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in lemon juice and lemon zest. In another bowl, sift together 1 cup flour and baking powder. Then, alternately pour yogurt and flour into the egg mixture until you get soft but relatively watery dough, similar in texture to sour cream. In a separate dish, mix currants with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and incorporate them into the dough. Pour the batter into the baking dish spreading it evenly. Bake for about 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean. Chill thoroughly on a wire rack. The bread remains fresh for several days if you store it covered in a dry place. Best used within 4-5 days.

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STRAWBERRY DESSERT Recipe & photo: Egidija, Tinginiai irgi verda...

Serves 2 2 handfuls strawberries 2 chocolate biscotti a splash of black current liqueur 2 tbs sugar a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Wash and quarter strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar and pepper, add liqueur. Mix and let marinade for 10-15 minutes. Crumble biscotti. Divide the strawberries between two plates. Sprinkle with crumbs. Serve immediately.

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What a summer without berries

RICOTTA FILLED FILO ROLLS WITH WARM BERRY SAUCE Recipe & photo: Valerija, Cukerka

Makes 16 rolls 8 filo sheets 200 g ricotta 4 tbs powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract (or ½ vanilla bean) 1 egg yolk 1 tbs milk 100 g mixed berries (strawberries, black currants, raspberries, blueberries) juice of ½ lime

Remove dough from the freezer several hours before making the dessert. Mix ricotta with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and vanilla extract. If using vanilla bean, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and mix them with ricotta. Lay two sheets of filo pastry. Put 1 teaspoon of filling and roll up an oblong pastry. From each two sheets put together, you should obtain 4 rolls. Put rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Beat yolk and milk with a fork. Lightly baste each pastry with the mixture. Preheat oven to 185°C. Bake pastries for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Mash berries with a blender. If using raspberries, strain them to remove the seeds. In a pot, heat berries, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and lime juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Serve the baked pastries immediately, topped with hot berry sauce and fresh berries.

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BERRY DESSERT WITH CREAM CHEESE Recipe & photo: Asta, Saulėta virtuvė

Serves 20 Crumbs: 250 g wholegrain biscuits 120 g butter ½ cup brown sugar zest of ½ lemon Cream: 500 g cream cheese 1 ½ cup powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract juice and zest of ½ lemon 2 cups heavy cream Berries: 600 g fresh mixed berried 2 tbs cornstarch juice of 1 lemon ½ cup powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients for berry sauce. Heat on medium heat for 5 minutes, until berries begin to seap their juices and soften. Don‘t let them totally lose their shape. At this stage the syrup should have begun to thicken. If it hasn‘t, add some more cornstarch. Once the syrup begins to thicken, turn off the heat and let the berries cool. Crush biscuits to crumbs. Mix with melted and cooled butter, brown sugar and grated lemon zest. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice and grated zest until smooth. Separately beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese mixture. In a large glass dish, pour half of the crumb mixture on the bottom. Spread with half of the cream cheese mixture and top with half of the berry sauce. Repeat layering with the remaining ingredients. Set aside a handful of crumbs to top the dessert. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

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What a summer without berries

BERRY ICE CREAM Recipe & photo: Viktorija, ReceptĹł medis

Makes 6 popsickles 200 ml heavy cream 200 g berries 4 tbs sweetened condensed milk 2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add 2 tbsp condensed milk and vanilla extract. Mix, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t overdo it so that the cream does not collapse. Wash and dry berries. Using an electric blender, blend to a uniform consistency. Add the rest of the condensed milk and taste for sweetness. If needed, add some more condensed milk. The ice cream can either be striped or solid. If you choose striped ice cream, pour the ice cream and berry mixtures to the dish interchangeably. If you want a more pronounced berry flavor or solid ice cream, mix the cream with the berries and then pour in the freezing dish. To make popsicles, pour the mixture into special forms or small glasses and insert a wooden stick in each. Leave in the freezer overnight. To remove popsicles from the forms, place them in hot water for 5 seconds and carefully remove the popsicles.

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Photo: Laura, Su šaukštu aplink pasaulį

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MEASURMENT UNITS USED IN THE MAGAZINE tbs - tablespoon, 15 ml tsp - teaspoon, 5 ml cup (250 ml), if not indicated otherwise ml - milliliter l - liter g - gram kg - kilogram

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Bon appétit! NEXT ISSUE - SEPTEMBER 2013

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