How to Make Butter and Buttermilk

My grandmother (on my father’s side) used to make homemade butter and buttermilk. Dad was telling me last night how when he was a kid they didn’t have refrigeration, and so any milk they had went sour fairly quickly if it didn’t get used. He said whenever they had milk that went sour, they would … [read more]

Sarma

Sarma is a popular Balkan entree which is made by stuffing, rolling, and cooking sour cabbage leaves. It’s a traditional meal served during winter festival holidays, such as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. Sarma is also a traditional meal served at weddings.

Kemal and I don’t wait for special occasions … [read more]

How to Make Sour Cabbage (Sauerkraut)

When Kemal was growing up, he and his family made sour cabbage (sauerkraut) in the winter. They used the leaves of the cabbage to make a very popular Balkan entree called sarma. Sarma is sour cabbage leaves that are stuffed, rolled, and then cooked. It’s similar to stuffed grape leaves except instead of grape leaves, … [read more]