Book review: Macedonia – Recipes and Stories from the Balkans by Katerina Nitsou

The opening paragraph of Macedonia – Recipes and Stories from the Balkans describes Macedonian food as “rustic and unassuming, guided by the land and perfected by the people”, setting the scene for what is a love letter to the cuisine from the Balkans, penned by chef and food writer Katerina Nitsou.

The book brings together 100 traditional recipes divided into small plates, salads, soups, meats, poultry, fish, vegetables and sides, breads, sweets and preserves.

A landlocked region, Macedonia offers a rich, fertile land, sunshine and temperate climate, which results in award-winning wines and dishes peppered with cultural influence from surrounding nations and those who once occupied the area.

Rustic, traditional dishes include hearty zelkova mangia (cabbage stew), which pairs the vegetable that grows in abundance in Macedonia (and pops up many times in the book), with pork shoulder, hot banana pepper, paprika and garlic to create a slightly spicy broth. Meanwhile, the gershlaso pileshko meso (chicken and orzo) with red wine and spiced with chilli, nutmeg and cinnamon is practically autumn in a bowl.

Piperki so ovchjo serenje (roasted pepper and feta cheese dip) is a highlight among the book’s mezze recipes, some of which reflect the cuisine’s Greek or Middle Eastern influences, such as Nitsou’s recipe for sarmi so lozov list (stuffed vine leaves). Others are less recognisable, such as the palachinki so praz (leek pancakes), which Nitsou says is served to guests like a slice of savoury cake.

The chapter on breads covers baked goods, from day-to-day staples to celebration breads for big events and religious holidays, while sweets include sesame cookies, baklava, fritters and yogurt cake, to pear strudel, which uses sour cream to make the pastry light and flaky.

A touching tribute to a little-known cuisine, this book, written by a proud Macedonian, covers all the bases for a chef looking to expand their European culinary knowledge and skillset.

Macedonia – Recipes and Stories from the Balkans, by Katerina Nitsou (Kitchen Press, £20)