Spring is at last springing

For about a month, since the snow has well and truly gone and we have stopped skiing, I have been looking forward to Spring. It all looked very promising in March and we had a beautiful three weeks. When the sun was shining it was glorious, I planted up the pots on our balcony, although we were reminded summer was not quite with us as the evenings got quite chilly.

At the same time, the UK had an unusually warm March, photos of rose wine and Pimms being drunk outside London pubs started to appear on Facebook. I was also being told by friends and family that the blossom had started to come out, and the daffodils were sprouting. It was a very different story here. Although daytime temperatures were warm, the grass was still brown from all the snow, trees were still bare and there were no signs of any imminent daffodils. Hopefully, I thought we would only be a week or so behind the UK and the daffs would pop through in time for Easter... but sadly my hopes were shattered and the weather took a turn for the worse as the bank holiday weekend approached.

For Easter we took our first road trip to Dubrovnik, which is about 5 hours from Sarajevo (only 280km but the roads are slow). The moment we got out of the Sarajevo area and approached Mostar it was like we had entered a different country. The grass was green, the blossom was blossoming and the spring flowers had sprung and this was the case all the way to Dubrovnik. I hadn’t realised how much I had missed it and was totally taken back by lush green fields full of lambs.

Following a wet (and quite cold, yet very enjoyable) weekend in Dubrovnik we found ourselves back on the road to Sarajevo. About 20km outside the city we stumbled across an inch of snow which took us somewhat by surprise, under normal circumstances I am delighted to see the snow, but having had nearly 2m on the ground for most of January, February and March I was somewhat ‘over-it’. Luckily, this was very localised as by the time we had reached the city, it had all gone, however the temperature had dropped quite considerably.

Sarajevo remained the city which spring forgot. The grass was still brown, no blossom had appeared and there were still absolutely no signs of any daffodils, the winter clothes came back out again and it started to rain.

Last weekend we returned to the UK and as with Dubrovnik, I was delighted to be greeted by spring (and of course more rain). The trees were starting to get leaves and were in the bright green stage, the daffodils were almost over and the blossom was in full bloom.

It was a fleeting visit and we returned to Sarajevo yesterday. Much to my delight we have been greeted with Spring. It is considerably warmer, the grass is now green, trees are sprouting leaves, the blossom is in bloom and I have even seen a couple of daffodils. I am almost tempted to re-pack the winter clothes, although this could be tempting fate as I have heard that it is not that unusual to have snow here in May...

From baking to painting

The Viennese biscuits were well received today as a small group from Helping Hearts and Hands got together to finish painting a couple of rooms at the Bjelave Orphanage – one of the causes the foundation supports.

Myself and five others have spent the morning painting brightening up a couple of the rooms with a number of well know cartoon characters. Although my artistic skills are limited (to say the least), it was made easy for me as the characters were drawn and all I had to do was paint them with lots of lovely colours!

It only took a few hours of our time and the result was fantastic to see, our work really brightening up the rooms for the babies and toddlers.

Baking, whisking and simmering

It has been a productive morning in the kitchen here at Bespoke British Baking. Having not baked for a couple of weeks, I had withdrawal symptoms, so made up for it by knocking up a selection of goodies this morning!

I have started with making some chicken stock, this is something I always plan to make after cooking a roast, but never actually get around to it. It couldn’t be easier, simply throw the chicken carcass, bones etc... all into a big pan, add an onion, carrot leek (and any other old looking veg lurking at the bottom of the fridge). Add cold water and bring to the boil. Then simmer for several hours. I am planning on a chicken risotto for supper this evening, so the stock will really add depth and flavor.

I then got the mixer out to make some Viennese Finger biscuits. I am off out to lunch today, so thought I would take a small batch with me, additionally I am spending tomorrow decorating an orphanage for the charity I work with, so I thought some biscuits will be much needed for tea breaks! These are super easy to make and take no time at all and are a perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee.

I was then left with four egg whites from the biscuit recipe, so thought I would try out my new Kenwood mixer on making some meringues – it does boast that it can mix up to 16 egg whites at once! As anticipated, the mixer worked a treat and saved a lot of arm muscle through beating by hand! These are now in the oven, I have set the timer so they can finish cooking whilst I am out... so fingers crossed I have followed the instructions correctly!

All in all as successful and busy start to the week, my commute to the kitchen is much improved on what I was used to in London.

Viennese Fingers (makes approx. 20)

100g softened, unsalted butter

40g icing sugar

2 egg yolks

1.5tsp vanilla essence

125g all purpose flour

100g cooking chocolate, chopped

30g butter (for icing)

Preheat oven to 180degs and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Cream the butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg yolks and the vanilla and mix thoroughly. Sift in the flour and using a flat bladed knife, mix until combined and the mixture is smooth.

Place the mixture into a piping (icing) bag fitted with a fluted 1cm nozzle and pipe the mixture into wavy 6cm lengths on the baking sheets.

Bake biscuits for 12 minutes or until golden brown and then place on a wire rack to cool.

For the icing, place the chocolate and butter in a bowl and place in a microwave for 30 second intervals until melted, keep an eye on the chocolate so it doesn’t burn, mixing it regularly. Dip half the biscuits into the chocolate and set back on the baking sheets to set and cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to two/three days.

Gifts from the West (England)

We recently looked after a friend’s dog as they took a trip back to the UK. Billie the black Labrador staffy mix was a pleasure to look after, we had been contemplating getting a dog of our own and this was the perfect trial run! All the walking and picking up poo helped us realise that we don’t really want to have a dog whilst living in a flat without a garden. She was also a great way to meet other people (who have dogs).This might sound little strange, but moving to a new country makes ‘friends’ a little on the rare side. We do socialise with colleagues (some of whom have become friends), but other than this social circles can be a little on the small side. I have been advised that having kids are a good way to meet people, but in the absence of children, Billie did a great job!

Billie has since gone back home and by means of a thank you, her owners kindly bought us back some goodies from the UK. It doesn’t get much better than gifts from the UK... they are normally food based and receiving them makes me very excited! We were very kindly given some delicious red wine, but more importantly, we (I) was given some baking powder and some cake sprinkles! I am now eager to bake my next batch of cupcakes... and Billie is very welcome to stay again!

We have received other food parcels from UK from visiting relatives, contents of which included; tea bags, Branston Pickle and Baked Beans (all standard requirements). Tabasco and a bizarre selection of dried herbs, a selection of seeds so I can grown fresh herbs (more to follow on this), cupcake cases, fajitas mix and of course bacon, sausages and cheddar cheese!! I am sure the requests will grow more bizarre the longer we out here and it is requested that all guests keep 10kg of luggage space free as I will be providing a shopping list ;-)

Ladies who lunch... and do a little more!

Arriving in Sarajevo, I knew no one so had to work very hard at meeting new people, so I

was not sat in on my own all day.

I was told about a group of international ladies who had got together and formed a charity, raising money for local causes related to children and women - Helping Hands and Hearts Foundation. I managed to get invited to one of their meetings, which doubled as a session to put together 'care packages' for children at the local hospital. I walked into a group of lovely lovely women who all welcome me with open arms and made me feel immediately at home.

Primarily the Foundation fundraises money which then goes towards a number of local

causes including, a local orphanage, children's ward and children's cancer ward at the hospital. The money raised really makes a difference to those who are touched by it, be it by redecorating rooms at the orphanage or distributing monthly packages and gifts to children in hospital.

Within the group, nationalities are represented from across the world from the Netherlands and Turkey to the Philippines and South Africa. Like me, many of them are in Sarajevo as their husbands and partners had secured jobs over here. We meet once a week for lunch, which I really enjoy. It is of course a great excuse for a good old chat, but equally, we have the opportunity to make plans for the foundation and exchange information on events taking place around the city.

I am looking forward to becoming more involved with the Foundation and being able to

do my bit to make a difference to a few lives in Sarajevo.

Pause for thought

Last Friday, 6th April, saw the 20th Anniversary since the start of the Siege of Sarajevo. The Siege ran for a staggering 4 years, where Sarajevans were held hostage in their own city, whilst under almost constant fire from enemy forces that surrounded the city.

The anniversary was marked in a very poignant fashion, 11,541 red seats were laid out along the main road. Each red seat symbolising someone who died in the conflict. The seats stretched for over 800m and throughout the day, friends, family and relatives paid tribute by placing flowers, soft toys and sweets on seats remembering those who are no longer with us.

20 years on, the scars are still evident across Sarajevo, not only by bullet marks on buildings but by the huge percentage of the population who still suffer loss every day and will continue to do so for the next 20 years.

If you cant bake it, buy it!

I woke up yesterday morning with a bizarre craving for a Hot Cross Bun. Under normal circumstances (ie: when in the UK) I am partial a toasted Hot Cross Bun with melted butter, however, up until this point I wasn't even missing these Easter treats.

Realising that I wasn't going to be able to pop to Marks and Spencer to buy a packet, I went online and found a recipe so I could make a batch. Much to my delight, I could get all the ingredients locally... so off I went!

After plenty of kneading, knocking back and proving I had a delicious batch of Hot Cross Buns! It was definitely worth the wait and I think they tasted even better than normal. It was at this point I realised that we are not going to have to miss much about the UK in terms of food as I have a Kenwood Mixer, various blenders, a good selection of cook books and plenty of time to be able to make and bake things I wouldn't normally in the UK. How exciting!

A bit of background reading

There is no shortage of books written about this region and it's somewhat turbulent history, especially the more recent troubles in the mid-nineties.

I would recommend the following books:

1.       The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steve Galloway

2.       Zlata's Diary: a child’s life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic

3.       Fools Rush In by Bill Cater

Additionally, not such a light read, but will give you all the detail you want on the area try: The Balkans, 1804-1999 Nationalism, War and the Great Powers by Misha Glenny (not a book for your handbag, as it will take up your whole bag)!!

A number of blockbusters have also been made, again, focusing on the war in the nineties:

1.       Welcome to Sarajevo

2.       No Mans Land- probably my favorite and this won an Oscar for the Best Foreign Film

3.       In the Land of Blood and Honey - this is the newest film and was written and directed by none other than Angelina Jolie. She even graced the city with her presence at the Bosnian Premiere in February this year and made a speech in Bosnian. Probably even better than that was the Brad Pitt came along too ;-)

Welcome to Sarajevo!

So, we have been here for just over two months, and what a two months it has been! We have seen temperatures drop to -20 degrees and the most snowfall the country has seen in 26 years, a staggering 1.5 meters. We have skiied, met lovely new people, drunk beer at the brewery, visited the Tunnel Museum and started to explore this beautiful country. And so far, with what we have seen and experienced, we are very excited about the next couple of years ahead of us!

Having left my home in London, my career, friends and family to move to Sarajevo with my partner who has secured a job out here, I can honestly say it has been an exciting, enjoyable and somewhat nerve wracking start to our time out here and so far and we love it! Much to the relief of my Mother!

I promised myself I would write a blog, to capture the things we get up to during our travels, not just for friends and family back home, but for others who might also be considering a move to this part of the world and also those who are already here enjoying life in the Bosnia.

I have put my career in Event Management and Marketing on hold, I have turned my hand to baking, a skill which I thought would be transferable world-over, wherever we end up. After all, everyone loves cake right? So, to earn my keep I am going to try to make a living out of baking good honest home cooked British food for ex-pats here in Sarajevo. At this stage, I am offering, bespoke cupcakes, scones, biscuits, quiches, pudding and seasonal favorites (hot cross buns, mince pies, Christmas cakes etc), however the slight twist (and dare I say challenge) on all of this, is that I only have Bosnian ingredients at my disposal!

So, my aim is to share what I learn here, along with interesting things we learn about Bosnia and the Balkans as we discover more of it... I hope this makes for interesting reading! Enjoy.