July 26, 2006

Curious George is hungry! Looking for recipes for foods I have previously had prepared by a Serbian friend.

A few years ago we had a boarder whose father was Serbian and she spent some of her childhood raised in Yugoslavia by her grandmother. While she lived with us she'd go through phases of trying to cook stuff her grandmother used to make, and they were pretty much always delicious. There was one thing I'd like to try making myself, but I can't remember the recipe (and it wasn't a strict recipe anyway). I think it was called "burek" or "borek" and was a breakfast food served with Greek yoghurt. You made a really, really thin pastry (like filo) and layered it in a dish with a mixture that was, I think, eggs, butter and feta or goat's milk cheese. When she made it she cheated and used filo but her mother would make it with homemade pastry so it was much heavier. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I adored it, despite the insane levels of buttery goodness. She also tried this weird thing with minced beef and rice and a few other things wrapped in cabbage leaves and boiled, but she messed it up and the beef wasn't cooked in the middle. Don't know what it was called but I'd still like to try it if anyone can give me a recipe.

posted by tracicle 17 years ago
  • I think it was called "burek" or "borek" It wasn't Berek, was it?!?! <>
  • Ban borsht!
  • Borat?
  • How 'bout this?
  • Heard of Google, Number One?
  • Don't forget the golabki!
  • Yes, I've heard of google. I've even tried googling for it, many times, but without knowing the spelling or the correct ingredients, it's very difficult to find. Hence asking here where there's a chance someone has actually made these before. Shocking, I know.
  • Ralph, the cheese-filled cigarro burek looks closest, except she made hers layered like a lasagne. That sarma/golabki recipe sounds kind of gross, actually. I'd like to try it just for the sake of it.
  • The last one sounds like cabbage rolls. Every group of Eastern Europeans seems to have their own variation. In the Latvian-Jewish side of my family, they're served with a tomato sauce.
  • I soooooooo would not give #1 trouble about Google. If she wants to ask a question that people might mock on her own damn website, she can. Right? Right. :) (but, um, I think she can defend herself!) One of my friends is Serbian... it seems like a great deal of their cuisine involves feta cheese. And sausages. And cabbage. Sort of a hybrid of all kinds of Eastern European foods, not forgetting the Greek influences. If I can get any information about this for you, Tracicle, I will... although RTD may have you pretty well covered there.
  • Was that Serbian Jewish? Borekas Googling assures me that the Jews invented Borekas, and the Turks invented Bureks. Both are philo dough pastries filled with spinach, or meat, or other substances. Chekhov tells me that it was a Russian inwention.
  • Philo dough pasties are also pretty tasty.
  • I HAVE IT! I HAVE IT! Turkish/Greek same/same. There's minor variations even in Turkey, depending on what type of yoghurt used. Cigarttho Burek, I think is what you mean, and it's yummylicious. Can't get to my Turkish cookbook yet, but will get you it if the hive mind fails. Oh, yea, schwarma/sarma, golumki/gowunki/golabki--mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! *drools
  • RalphTheDog's link seems closest so far, although the version I've eaten was much more simple -- no herbs, done like lasagne, served in squares with natural yoghurt for dipping. Now I have the hunger pangs, but I'm not going out for dinner for two more hours!
  • I just noticed the cabbage rolls too. Hmm, love cabbage rolls and cabbage soup. That's it tracicle, you have me pining for Brents Delicatessen in the Valley about 400 miles away. Curse you and your Jewish Serbian friend! I am in a world of goys. (And dear god, but many of those are the kind of gentiles that consider ME a gentile!)
  • Burek sounds yummy. I may have to try it out myself. Cabbage rolls are also great, especially from Tony Packo's. Oh, gosh how I will miss that restaurant. Such yummy cabbage rolls, and chicken paprikas to die for.... What was I talking about?
  • Road trip!
  • I've had something similar in Crete, but I think that was Tiropita. Boreki seem to crop up in various places - here's an Israeli recipe, and a Turkish one. I think, however, that the true Serbian version is probably made with yufka , which is a thicker version of filo.
  • kind of like when you hear the term piroshki etc. Numerous versions: which would you prefer? I have recipes for various flavours? i do have a cookbook which supplies many others
  • Oops deleted first part of comment - it is Burek (Initially Turkish; and Borek with umlauts) Received first recipe from prospective Serbian mother-in-law who supplied 'things i should learn to cook'. Great recipe! (Ultimately converted said ex to asian cuisine) Have all available, not online tho sadly.
  • Hmm, rereading this thread in the morning has made me hungry. I may have to bike up Bathurst to Daiter's and get me some cabbage rolls this weekend.
  • All I have for lunch is a brown bag ham sammach :(
  • damn it can tremember how to spell emsemmitch in oz.............
  • closely related to Emma Chisit
  • Traditional Serbian Cheese Pie Borekas for superb knishes.
  • By George, I think bees has got it...
  • Add some spinach and you'd have Greek Spanakopita
  • The Lebonese version of cabbage rolls calls for tomato juice as the simmering liquid. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top of the rolls once they're in the pot cover with juice. Yummy.
  • Spanakopita *tounge falls out of mouth and rolls along the floor leaving a trail of drool. Mmmmm. I freaking heart Greek food.
  • Oh, SHUT UP, people!! I'm starvin' here! Ilse, I am sooooo hungry for Greek food. Guess I'll have to get a plane ticket to Albuquerque. There's nowhere here that can touch the Greek resturant down the street from my daughter's apartment. Spanakopita--with retsina!
  • I went to the market today. Seriously considered buying burek. Bought black mussels instead, but I blame this post for the faint shadow of a doubt that flashed across my brow.