http://www.croatia.org/crown en-us http://www.croatia.org/crown N/A letters@croatia.org Sun, 03 May 2026 12:08:37 +0000 20 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11310/1/Things-that-Sarah-Cosic-eats-drinks-and-uses-everyday-all-made-in-Croatia.html Sarah Æosiæ, born in Canada, living in Croatia: After living here for almost a decade, I've grown to love certain products, so I wanted to share a few in case you're visiting (or living in) Croatia. Do you love them too? ... Today we went to visit Baka Jagica and she shared her delicious recipe for Strukli (a classic home cooked dish from the Zagorije region in Croatia). Everything was made from scratch, and Baka Jagica walked us through her famous recipe. Strukli is one of my favorite Croatian dishes and this recipe didn't disappoint! darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Sun, 22 Aug 2021 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11271/1/Croatia-shining-in-2020.html I am sure that many of you, like me, have lived about ten lifetimes this year, the most chaotic, stressful, unpredictable and scary perhaps ever. But we are still here, hanging on, and hoping for better things. But 2020 was not such a disaster for everyone. In fact, if you take a step back from all the doom and gloom and try and look on the brighter side of life, there is an awful lot of positivity to celebrate, especially if you are Croatian. In an effort to balance the understandable depressive posts on the web, here is an ode of recognition to 25 things which made Croatia shine in the pandemic year of 2020. On the photo, an amazing cat-like Croatian island. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Tue, 15 Dec 2020 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11203/1/Yoko-Nishii-between-the-Dobro-Restaurant-in-Tokyo-and-Tokamachi.html By the end of 2019, distinguished Japanese pianist Yoko Nishii has visited the city of Tokamachi, which is the seat of "Croatia - Japan Friendship House", completed in 2012. Except for having the purpose of cultural center, it also serves for preparations of Croatian sportsmen for the forthcoming 2020 Summer Olympic Games to be organized in Tokyo. Yoko Nishii has visited Tokamach for completing the material for her newest CD, which will contain pianistic works of Rachmaninov. She was surround by a small team of professionals, because everything had to be registered under the best acoustic conditions. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Fri, 10 Jan 2020 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11182/1/Vladimir-Novak-Croatians-in-America-fascinating-photomonograph-published-in-2018.html  Vladimir Novak (1928-2016) darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Sun, 27 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11125/1/Croatian-islands-products---Hrvatski-otoeki-proizvod.html àÃÂÃÂàÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂÃÂàà darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Mon, 26 Nov 2018 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11022/1/Vjeko-Martinko-director-of-Hotel-Villa-Astra-in-Lovran-celebrating-his-70th-birthday-in-October-2017.html Vjeko Martinko, director of the Hotel Villa Astra in the town of Lovran, Croatia, celebrated his 70th birthday with his friends and colleagues, including his schoolteacher Ana Ujeviæ. As always, Vjeko is full of energy, fresh ideas and challenges for the future. The celebration was held in a peaceful and very pleasant environment of the hotel and the surrounding beautiful park, filling us with a special energy and enthusiasm. Hotel Villa Astra is one of the trademarks of Croatian private entrepreneurship, offering its guests a unique place for creative rest in a friendly atmosphere, where one feels like at home. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Mon, 16 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11019/1/Dubrovnik-Restaurant-4th-Annual-Farm-to-Table-Celebration.html Dubrovnik Restaurant will be hosting its 4th annual Farm to Table celebration on Thursday September 28th, starting from 6:30 p.m. and going to 11:00 p.m. The celebration will feature food and wine from local farmers. Music will be provided by Klapa Astoria. A complimentary Croatian gift is included and there will be raffle prizes. Admission is $50 per person. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 27 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11000/1/Darko-Varga-1956-2017-distinguished-Croatian-publicist.html Darko Varga, 1956-2017, born in the city of Osijek, grown up in the town of Dalj, attended High School in his native city, and completed his studies in Electrical Engineering at the University of Zagreb. From 1993 till 2000, he served as director of HEP (Croatian Electric Supply) in the region of Baranja on the NE of Croatia. He was active in revitalizing Croatian villages as well as ecotourism in Baranja, ravaged in the early 1990s during the Serbian aggression on Croatia. Also, he was an indefatigable promoter of cultural traditions of the region. His latest work on an impressive monograph dealing with the cuisine of the noble Croatian family of Zrinski, has been published in 2015 on the occasion of 450 years since the legendary Siget Battle in 1566. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Thu, 03 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10973/1/Dragos-Restaurant-a-part-of-close-knit-Croatian-community-in-New-Orleans.html Drago and Klara Cvitanovich opened their restaurant in New Orleans in 1969. They set out to offer delicious seafood and a good time to guests for a reasonable price. At that time, they couldn’t even imagine how many guests would become. Drago’s now has more than 400 employees who help us carry our legacy forward. In the weeks after Katrina tornado, their restaurant gave away more than 75,000 free meals. In March 2017, Nenad Bach visited Tommy Cvitanovich, the son of Drago and Karla, who is currently leading the company. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Fri, 21 Apr 2017 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10860/1/Goranka-Gudelj-presenting-Croatian-cooking-artistry.html   Goranka Gudelj, London darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Sat, 02 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10829/1/Beautiful-Croatia-founded-and-directed-by-Amanda-Grbavac-organized-an-event-in-New-York-on-26-April-2016.html Beautiful Croatia will be hosting stylish and unique events throughout the year. With over 15 years of experience in events, Beutiful Croatia also offers an event management service, to help make your destination dream event a reality. Beautiful Croatia presents all this to you with style, lots of love and happy spirit. On travels around the world, there was always one country that stood out for me like the brightest gem, it stole my heart and never let me go. That country was Beautiful Croatia. On the photo Sylvio Roubertto Kovacic, haute couture fashion designer, Amanda Grbavac founding director of Beautiful Croatia and Robert Grgurev, President of Startas USA. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Fri, 13 May 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10812/1/My-Little-Piece-of-Land-exhibition-of-Croatian-farmers-in-Auderghem-Bruxelles-on-4th-March-2016.html We have the pleasure to invite you to the exhibition My little piece of land, in which farmers from Croatia talk about their life and how they work in harmony with nature. The Exhibition Opening 4th March 2016, 4:30 pm, DG Environment, Avenue de Beaulieu 5, B-1160 Auderghem, Bruxelles, Belgium. The opening includes the buffet, tasting of the first bottles of rediscovered Croatian white wine variety Palagružonka from the island of Vis. The exhibition was created by Suske consulting in cooperation with the Croatian agency for environment and nature. On the photo Marija Martinko, Zagreb, a member of the organizing committee. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Wed, 24 Feb 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10786/1/Lovre-Stavun-linking-Croatia-and-Japan-via-his-native-city-of-Zadar.html Lovre ©tavun is a young Croatian tourist guide living in the city of Zadar, who is very fond of Japanese language and culture. It is even more impressive that he learned Japanese without visiting Japan yet! In his article, that he wrote in English and Japanese (sic!), he discusses the possibilities of offering completely new contents for tourists visiting Croatia, with emphasis on his native Zadar. "How many natural wonders does the country of Croatia possess, but those same wonders are rarely ever offered as something of value to Japanese tourists." lstavun@gmail.com (Lovre Stavun) Thu, 07 Jan 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10750/1/Nenad-Bach-Newsletter-October-2015.html Nenad Bach: Several months passed like a wink and here we go into another Fall or should I say Autumn of 2015. There is no perfect moment to start a family, build a home, produce an album or finish the Newsletter... I am trying to finish this Newsletter for the last few weeks and finally today is the day. I will try to remember at least 5% including a performance with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and visit to the Emergency Room in Croatia. I am searching for boredom but can't find it. Here are few Events I would like to share with you. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 11 Oct 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10632/1/Bunjevci-Croats-from-Backa-and-their-Christmas-traditions-expressed-in-straw-and-cakes.html Straw work is a unique naive art form which originates from the rich folk art of the Bunjevci-Croats settled in the north of Baèka. In Tavankut, a village near the town Subotica, the self-taught women nourish and preserve this naive art skill by entwining beads and making paintings out of straw which portray specific motifs and themes from the life of the Bunjevci-Croats. Also, delicious and richly ornamented Christmas cakes called bo¾iènjak are prepared. On the photo Christmas cake by Dubravka Vrbljanac. With this article we wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Sat, 06 Dec 2014 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10604/1/Dubrovnik-Restaurant-to-celebrate-first-anniversary-on-August-28-2014.html Dubrovnik Restaurant located in New Rochelle, New York will celebrate its first anniversary on August 28, 2014. Dubrovnik serves Croatian dishes and gets its name from owner Zeljko “Jerry” Tomic’s hometown. The first annual celebration will have limited seats and will be by reservation only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 21 Aug 2014 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10583/1/Ane-Strazicic-Rodriguez-Traditional-Croatian-Cuisine-From-the-Region-of-Dubrovnik.html Ane was born on the Croatian island of Mljet, where she grew up in a fisherman’s family, which instilled in her a love for cooking. After moving to the United States in the late 1980’s, she married a professional chef from Puerto Rico, Luis Rodriguez, and had two children, Alberto and Michelle, who loved their Mom’s cooking and inspired her to compile the recipes from her native region in a cookbook. Story by Susanne Metz. SusanneMetz@verizon.net (Susanne Metz) Wed, 09 Jul 2014 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10576/1/My-Little-Piece-of-Land-attractive-brochure-about-Croatian-farmers-published-by-Suske-consulting-in-Germany.html   The project "My Little Piece of Land", initiated by Suske consulting, Germany, focuses on visual and written portrays of 14 farmers from protected areas in Croatia and their favourite places in the landscape. The "favorite places" will be presented with a traveling exhibition in public buildings nationwide. This accompanying brochure offers more information about the farmers using original quotations regarding their approach towards farming, relation to the landscape, every day work, farming traditions, the beautiful and the difficult side of being a farmer in Croatia and more. On the photo Marija Martinko, a member of the project team. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Fri, 27 Jun 2014 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10572/1/Josos-Croatian-Seafood-Restaurant-in-Toronto-in-Stephen-Holts-interview-with-Leo-Spralia.html Stephen Holt interviews Leo Spralia at Joso's, one of Toronto's top Seafood restaurants, during the Toronto International Film Festival as broadcast on the Stephen Holt Show. Sept.'02. The restaurant serves food prepared in Dalmatian way from Croatian coast. Owned and operated by Leo and Shirley ©pralja and founded by Joso ©pralja in the 1960′s, Joso’s restaurant has achieved continuous success of over 36 years in business and is considered a landmark of the Toronto hospitality scene. It has been visited by numerous celebrities, like Mike Jagger, Paul Newman, Jose Feliciano etc. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Wed, 11 Jun 2014 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10559/1/quotCroatian-Cuisinequot-is-the-first-mobile-app-to-feature-indigenous-Croatian-recipes.html "Croatian cuisine" is the name of the new Croatian mobile application in the form of an inventive culinary guide that primarily helps users find their way through indigenous and traditional Croatian dishes. This mobile application is entirely a Croatian "product" - under the authorship of Andreja Horvatiæ, the application was developed by two Croatian companies Interactive1 and Grafikon. It is available via the App Store and Google Play. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Tue, 06 May 2014 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10468/1/Phil-Boskovich-King-of-Onions-descendant-of-Croatian-immigrants--dies-in-2013-at-the-age-of-97.html Boskovich was born in Los Angeles in 1915 to Croatian immigrants. After graduating from North Hollywood High School in 1933, he joined his father, Stjepan, on the family’s small farm, according to a release from the company. His brother Joe, cofounder of the company, died in 2008. Today, Boskovich Farms grows produce on more than 15,000 acres in California and Mexico and employs more than 500 people in Ventura County. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Sat, 05 Oct 2013 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10461/1/Cliff-Searching-in-Croatia-by-Orlando-Duque-etc-etc.html Orlando Duque visited Croatia and searched for the most attractive cliffs to dive. He was delighted with the Croatian natural beauties and executed a  number of incredible jumps from cliffs. For such a small country, Croatia offers visitors an incredible range of landscapes: from the Mediterranean coast with its necklace of 1244 islands to the sunflower-gilded Slavonian plains, via pristine rivers and the wildlife-rich subalpine regions of Gorski kotar and the Velebit mountains. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Fri, 20 Sep 2013 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10451/1/First-Taste-Dubrovnik-in-New-Rochelle-Croatian-Restaurant-in-New-York.html Okay, folks, close your laptop and pick up the phone. You need to book a meal at Dubrovnik Restaurant in New Rochelle, New York, right now, this instant. Here’s the deal: this month-old Croatian restaurant has an intimate stony outdoor terrace on which its owner has built a serious, bang-up, wood-burning oven. Imagine tiny, tender, smoke scented octopus and squid, the tips of their tentacles curled lightly charred. Or a generous whole branzino, its belly stuffed with herbs, sparkling with Croatian sea salt, and still cracking from the fire. Heaven. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 14 Aug 2013 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10321/1/Entertainment-in-Croatian-restaurant-Dobro-in-Tokyo-accompanied-with-sarma-and-buzara.html Hello! Morning (ハロー! モーニング。, harō mōningu?) was a weekly Japanese TV show featuring members of Morning Musume, and sometimes other Hello! Project members on TV Tokyo. In this episode they introduced Croatia as an opponent of Japan during the Football World Cup 2006 in Germany and showed some cultural things and made a quiz afterwards. Really funny, especially from Croatian point of view. ;-) darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Sat, 22 Sep 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10276/1/Sasa-Casic-young-Croatian-winemaking-prodigy-of-Pakrac-and-his-teacher-Ivan-Enjingi.html Sa¹a Æasiæ is 28 year old professional wine maker from the town of Pakrac on Croatian north. He has been awarded as the most successful young entrepreneur in 2012 by the Ministry of Enterpreneurship and Crafts of the Republic of Croatia. This is a result of ten years of hard work and advices of his older colleague, another distinguished Croatian wine-maker Mr. Ivan Enjingi. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 07 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10247/1/Cooking-Croatia-Easter-In-Croatia-And-Traditional-Croatian-Easter-Cake-by-Tamara-Novakovic-.html Tamara Novakovic is a passionate self-taught cook, food blogger, freelance food writer and photographer behind bite-my-cake.blogspot.com. Her life journey has led her through Faculty of Humanities in Zagreb, Croatia to discovering passion for making cakes. She is currently a weekly food columnist for Croatian newspaper V magazine and food magazine Repete. Tamara Novakoviæ writes on Croatian Easter traditions, and with a recipe for the delicious traditional Easter cake. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 07 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10206/1/MeL-Lovric-meat-industry-company-in-Croatia.html The Lovric family started its traditional manufacture stemming from the cottage industry in the 1980s. Each MeL's product has been created by working hard, step by step. The company distributes products in its own chain of stores, but it also supplies hotels, cruise ships, restaurants, etc. MeL products are proud holders of the titles "Croatian Quality" and "Croatian Creation". Jakov Lovriæ on the photo. ilija.veselica@gmail.com (Ilija Veselica) Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10179/1/Mediterranean-Culinary-Adventures-on-the-Opatija-Riviera-in-Croatia---Feasts-for-the-Senses.html In the fall of 2007, I took a well-deserved vacation in Europe. I visited Croatia on that trip and fell in love. I just had to go back. And so I did, and on a five-month journey of discovery, the idea to create a Website devoted to international gastronomy and travel destinations was born... You will be transported to a wonderful world of field trips, sumptuous wine tastings, hands-on cooking classes and adventurous truffle-hunting or wild asparagus picking. You'll learn, you'll experience, and you'll enjoy. It will be a rich, rewarding and enlightening get-away and you'll be glad you chose to spend your time with us. Written by Carmen Grenier from Canada. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10085/1/Frank-Westerman-Dutchman-wrote-a-book-about-the-Lipik-Lipizzaners.html Frank Westermann is a Dutchman who has numerous friends in the town of Lipik. He wrote a book in Dutch entitled Brother Mendel’s Perfect Horse (Dier, bovendier) dealing with the Lipik lLpizzaners.  He was especially interested in the stallion Conversano Batosta 53 that was born in 1987 as one of two oldest and still living stallions of the Lipizzaner horse breed Conversano in the world. This horse breed has its roots back in 1767. ipuscenik@yahoo.com (Ivan Pu¹æenik) Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10078/1/Nik-Orosi---one-mans-passion-for-coffee.html Nik Orosi (left) dreamt about coffee one night, about how he was preparing it in some box and knows that he told his wife, immediately the next morning,  to tell her he was finished with his previous business career and  that he wanted to open a café with real coffee because he had dreamt it! stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10073/1/Kava-Cafe-in-New-York-City-gets-rave-reviews.html John Saric (left), the owner of Kava Cafe was so impressed with Stumptown Coffee Roasters that he was moved to open a coffee bar within walking distance of his home in New York City. "Kava" is the Croatian word for "coffee." The name is a tribute to Saric's parents, who are from Croatia. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10042/1/Ivan-Gligoras-Pag-Cheese-awarded-with-the-Superior-Taste-mark-in-Brussels-2010.html The famous Pag cheese produced in the cheese plant Sirena – Mala sirana in Kolan at Island Pag owned by Ivan Gligora, has recently been awarded two golden stars and the right to label this cheese with the Superior Taste mark at the international Superior Taste event in Brussels. This is the greatest award so far for this cheese that has thus been included in the circle of seventy top food products in the world. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 02 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10001/1/Croatian-Cooking--Brenda-Brkusic-on-KOCE-TV.html Brenda Brku¹iæ shows us how to make delicious, healthy, traditional dinner from the Coastal region of Croatia, like Brudet, Blitva and Polenta. Croatia is known for its pristine island beaches, crystal clear waters and picturesque architecture, but we learn in this episode of Cooking for Health and Pleasure that it is also known for great food! darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9989/1/Fifty-three-Croatian-wines-awarded-at-the-Decanter-World-Wine-Awards-2010.html Fifty three Croatian wines have won awards at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2010, one of the most prestigious and acclaimed competitions in the industry. In 2009 Croatia has been hailed as a major force in the wine world after the country won more gold medals than established rivals including the US, New Zealand and Portugal at a leading tasting competition. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9921/1/Zdravko-Kalabric-at-the-34th-Congress-of-the-World-Association-of-Chefs8217-Societies.html Along with his friend and colleague, Zlatko Marinovic (Chef/Owner of Nostromo in Split and captain of the regional team participating in the 2008 Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany), Chef Kalabric flew in from Brodarica to attend the 34th WACS Congress held in Santiago de Chile. He worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens, including the Ritz Carlton Montreal, the Chateau Champlain and a private club in Toronto. Participated in the Culinary Olympics (IKA). SusanneMetz@verizon.net (Susanne Metz) Sat, 30 Jan 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9925/1/Croatian-Cooking-Show-on-the-OC-Channel-PBS-Jan-27-and-Feb-3-2010.html Brenda Brkusic (left) drops in to co-host two episodes of "Cooking for Health and Pleasure".  She will be preparing Croatian dishes on the show. These episodes will be airing on KOCE's OC Channel with part one airing on Jan 27 and part two on Feb 3, 2010 stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9912/1/Grapes-from-Croatia-Hungary-and-Slovenia-are-gaining-a-following.html  'Try the Pannonhalmi Tricollis," the bartender at Ardesia advised me. A wine bar in midtown Manhattan, it had only been open for a few months. Were they already trying to unload their unpronounceable-hence unsalable-wines? Or did I look like an easy mark, the sort who would fall for a wine that had as many consonants as it did vowels? On the other hand, it only cost $7 a glass. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9899/1/Original-Zinfandel-Crljenak-Katelanski-arrives-in-the-United-States.html The almost extinct Dalmatian grape varietal Crljenak Ka¹telanski has been resurrected and replanted by one of Croatia’s top winemakers, Zlatan Plenkovic. The first shipment of Zlatan Crljenak arrived in the U.S. two weeks ago! Zlatan Crljenak comes from Plenkovic’s vineyards in Makarska. It is a vibrant, youthful and very intriguing Croatian Zin. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9876/1/Croatias-gold-medal-winning-wines-.html Croatia's discovery continues, with wine experts now realising what locals, and those in the know, have  been aware of for many years. The recent Decanter World Wine Awards gave eight gold medals to Croatian wines, whilst Argentina could only muster, seven and Chile four. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9729/1/Worlds-Longest-Sausage-Made-In-Vinkovci-Croatia.html On Saturday February 14, 2009 Croatians in Vinkovci cooked up what they claim to be the world's largest sausage, measuring 530 metres or 1,738 feet. Organisers said the sausage was the world's largest and could feed as many as 3,000 people, but adding it was merely "training" for next year when they plan to produce a sausage measuring 1,000 metres. For Valentine. No comments. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 15 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9675/1/Martin-Kotarski-Croatian-pupil-winner-of-prestigious-humanitarian-award-in-Japan.html We are proud to report in more detail about prestigious Japanese humanitarian award conferred by the Goi Peace Foundation to Martin Kotarski, a very young Croatian student. Martin is on the photo with Natalija Juri¹iæ, his prof. The report has been prepared on the bases of material submitted upon our request by Martin himself, exclusively for the readers of the CROWN. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9672/1/Zlata-Bartl-Croatian-inventor-of-Vegeta-died.html Zlata Bartl (1920-2008) is known as inventor of Vegeta, an original, natural, and universal condiment of unique taste. Vegeta was created in 1958 in Podravka company in the town of Koprivnica, Croatia, and is used in over 40 countries. It is one of the most popular of European condiments. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9655/1/Croatian-pupil-Martin-Kotarski-and-Bill-Gates-awarded-in-Japan.html   Martin Kotarski, 14 years old Croatian pupil, and Bill Gates (both on the photo), are recipients of a recognition from the Goi Peace Foundation in Japan. Martin received Children's Category 1st Prize for his essay Joined by a Cookbook. He prepared a cookbook with traditional Croatian meals in order to get money for poor people of his school. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9437/1/The-Worlds-Healthiest-Foods-by-George-Mateljan.html The George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods was established by George Mateljan to discover, develop and share scientifically proven information about the benefits of healthy eating, and to provide the personalized support individuals need to make eating The World's Healthiest Foods enjoyable, easy, quick and affordable. mijat.marko@gmail.com (Marko Mijat) Tue, 22 Jan 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9424/1/Rare-Croatian-wine-and-the-Internet.html Dianna Dapkins thought the Internet would be the perfect place to find a rare Croatian wine that her local merchants in rural Shelburne, Mass., don't stock. Sure enough, K&L Wine Merchants, an Internet retailer that also has stores in Hollywood and San Francisco, sells the Plenkovic Zlatan Plavac Barrique for $34.99. c.mateo@verizon.net (Martin Cvjetkoviæ) Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9392/1/Looking-for-a-recipe.html     I was wondering if you knew of a Croatian recipe for prosciutto and noodles? lauralovesthearts@yahoo.com (Laura Florence) Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9286/1/CROATIAN-FOOD-FESTIVAL-A-Diversity-of-Flavours-from-Croatia-at-the-UN.html   Croatia has it alL.. Come and enjoy a diversity of flavours from Croatia - a unique fusion of Mediterranean and Central-European cuisine. Taste award-winning olive oil, great seafood, tender meat dishes, unique ©trukli and Pa¹tlcada, rich Croatian chocolate and much, much more. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 03 Oct 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9156/1/The-perfect-wine-legacy---It-all-started-when-Peter-Vegars-great-grandfather-left-Croatia.html   It all started when Peter Vegar's great grandfather left Croatia with a grape cutting to escape the poverty and to fulfil his dream of living the perfect life in a vineyard. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9105/1/Family-tradition-continues-at-Grgich-Hills---The-Croatian-connection.html Of his life's work, 84-year-old Mike Grgich says he is clearly not done, but adds, "All of my life's work is coming to fruition unexpectedly."   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 29 Jun 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8918/1/Croatia---The-New-Foodie-Frontier.html Croatia has been my second home for nearly three decades. I learned to cook from my mother-in-law, in the tiny kitchen, two blocks from Zagreb's bustling, colorful open market. She taught me that the key to any successful dish began with selecting the freshest ingredients, preferrably local. Herbs and spices were also important.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8906/1/A-Cellar-Full-of-Miracles.html Wine has been part of Miljenko Grgich's (left) life since he was born, the youngest of 11 children in the small village of Desne, Croatia. His father was a respected winemaker and young Miljenko, at the age of 3, would be put into a vat of grapes and told to - walk around and have a good time.   stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 18 Jan 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8770/1/Truffle-fever-hits-Croatias-Istria-peninsula---for-their-supposed-aphrodisiac-effect.html   MOTOVUN WOODS, Croatia - It's 5:00 am and dawn is still far off, but Keti and Bela are already at work and don't seem to mind the cold autumn mist shrouding the Motovun woods in the heart of the Istria peninsula. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 03 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8722/1/Letters-Zinfandel--Senator-Migden.html     Hilda Foley (at left) submitted two letters regarding the discussion of California to adopt the "orphan" Zinfandel grape as its official grape. DNA testing has shown the variety to come from Croatia.   Read more ... stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Mon, 25 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8647/1/Olive-Oil-Tasting-in-Seattle.html   The famous DeLaurenti Specialty Food and Wine Store in Seattle's Historic Pike Place Market will host a tasting of Dalmatian Kitchen Olive Oil which is produced and bottled in Croatia. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Sun, 03 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4861/1/E-Come-taste-Croatian-wines-daily-5-8-PM-New-York-City.html ÂCome taste Croatian wines daily @ Adriatic Wine & Liquor 5-8 PMXLS Imports (www.xlsimports.com) will be offering free samples of the Bibich Debit, Bibich Riserva, and Bibich Grenache from 5-8pm at Adriatic Wine & Liquor.Come taste Croatian wines and learn a bit about Europe's new riviera, the true home of the Zinfandel grape! We will also offer a sampling of fine Croatian olive oils that are produced by the Bibich family, imported by New Riviera Imports (www.newrivieraimports.com - you may buy online). No RSVP required, just bring yourself and friends, be ready to try some great wines, and pick up a few very unique bottles for the weekend!Adriatic Wine & Liquor714 10 Ave (corner of 49th St)New York, NY 10019CroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 18 May 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4863/1/E-A-Journey-to-the-Heart-and-Soul-of-Dalmatian-Cuisine.html ÂA Journey to the Heart and Soul of Dalmatian CuisineTo: The Global Croatian CommunityRe: "ADRIA: A Journey to the Heart and Soul of Dalmatian Cuisine"Some of you may remember my post to some Croatian groups and lists a few months back concerning a book project about Dalmatian food and wine that I had begun to develop. I received letters of support and encouragement from many of you, and some valuable connections and alliances have been made. Before I go on to the main purpose of this letter though, I would like to say that my communication with Croatians worldwide has been one of the most positively refreshing experiences I've ever had. You are all such proud, warm and enthusiastic people, with a profoundly deep love for your homeland and its cultural treasures. I consider it a privilege and an honor to bring the richness and diversity of the culinary traditions of Dalmatia to the world through this book. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being the proud, warm and vital people you are, and for aiding me in educating the world about one aspect (perhaps the most important!) of your vibrant culture.I have spent countless hours researching the food and wine of your country, and it gives me great joy to announce that I will travel to Croatia with a photographer in mid-April to do the most important part of the research. We land in Zagreb on April 15th, Easter weekend, where we will meet with Dr. Jasenka Piljac of the Institut Rudjer Boskovic to discuss Croatian wine and the research currently surrounding it. Some of you may have read her fantastic book, "Zinfandel: A Croatian-American Wine Story". On the 18th we will travel to the coast and journey south to visit wineries, restaurants and villas, and experience the richness of the coastal cuisine, wine and breathtaking landscapes firsthand so that we may adequately document them in words and images for the book. There are no words existing in any language to describe the excitement I have for this journey. We have been invited to several vineyards, restaurants and villas along the coast to do our research and photography, and some proprietors are actually extending me the opportunity to use my skills in the kitchen (I am a 17-year veteran of the culinary industry here in the US) to learn the intricacies and details of how the food is prepared. I intend to document our experiences in the food and culture daily through words, images - and hopefully some audio - at my website, JohnJGoddard.com, and at the food website I operate, ArticlesOfMastication.com. You will be able to see the progress of the book as it is being written there, and I hope you'll stop by and encourage friends and family to do the same. From Zagreb we will head to Porec, then make stops in Sibenik, Grebastica, Trogir, Podgora and Gradac. We will then stay in Orebic for the month of May, and make visits to Korcula, Dubrovnik, Vid, Hvar, and other surrounding towns and islands. For the months of June and July, I will begin the tasks of compiling and editing the book in Podgora, where I will stay at a little house in an olive grove overlooking the bay. I have more hard work ahead of me than I ever have in my life, but again, my excitement for what I am about to experience cannot be described. I am still seeking a publisher for the book, but I'm confident that the project will find adequate representation and be made available to the world. With God's help, it will become a reality.At this point in its development, I intend to divide the book into two main sections, "The Journey," and "The Recipes". The first section will detail our travels along the Dalmatian coast and describe the culture, food, wine and landscapes we come across. The second section will provide readers with recipes for preparing favorite Dalmatian dishes in their own homes. I have amassed a small collection of recipes from various websites and books, but I would also like to invite each and every one of you to contribute favorite family recipes to the book by emailing them to me directly. If you have a family story or treasured memory associated with a particular recipe, I hope you'll consider sharing these as well. I would like to include short stories with the recipes to add an emotional element to their depiction. I will, of course, give credit to contributions with each recipe I choose. I have faith that the response to this request will be as positive as the response I've received from you so far, and I look forward to preparing and tasting the recipes you submit. All of the experiences I've had in developing this project so far have been so incredible that I have not made plans to return to the United States once the work on the book is complete. I have decided to stay in Croatia for as long as your country's government will allow, and it's my sincere hope that I can make my permanent home there. I feel a strong affinity for your country; I believe that Croatia and I have a lot in common. I too have experienced horrendous conflict and devastating battles in my life. And, like Croatia, I have now found peace, and work diligently with every fiber of my being to rebuild and be strong once again. It seems only natural that while I do this, I contribute what I can to the awareness of your beautiful country, its rich cultural heritage and the proud, amazing people who inhabit its cities, hills, valleys and shores. Ja marljivo ucim hrvatski jezik, ali jos govorim, razumijem i pisam malo... But please feel free to contact me directly at the email address below with your recipes, stories and suggestions for the book, or forward this message to friends and family who would be interested in the project. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting as many of you as possible while I am in Croatia.Velika hvala,John J. Goddardjohn@johnjgoddard.com PS - If anyone has the time or desire to translate this message properly into Croatian and send along a copy to me, I will give a copy of the book in exchange once it has been published.-- John J. Goddard is an independent writer.http://www.johnjgoddard.com/  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 08 Mar 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4864/1/E-Istria-Croatia-For-Foodies-the-Next-Tuscany.html ÂIstria, Croatia: For Foodies, the Next TuscanyBy GISELA WILLIAMSPublished: January 22, 2006With a bounty of seafood in the surrounding Adriatic waters, and with white truffles in its rolling hills, Istria, a heart-shaped peninsula in northern Croatia, is starting to attract adventurous foodies weary of overpriced and overcrowded tables in Tuscany and Provence. Antonin Kratochvil for The New York TimesAdriatic waters draw vacationers to Istria, a peninsula in northern Croatia. The Destinations of 2006 Forum: Traveling in Europe Lidia Bastianich, chef and author of "La Cucina di Lidia" grew up outside the town of Pula near the tip of the peninsula and travels there at least four times a year. "In Istria you'll find intensely wonderful pristine flavors from the earth. That's the beauty of the region. One is still able to go around and taste artisanal products almost straight from the family table." Ms. Bastianich and her daughter Tanya, an art historian, offer custom trips to the region through their travel company Esperienze Italiane. But she also recommends Tasteful Journeys, a boutique luxury tour company founded by friend and fellow Istrian, Wanda Radetti. Istria, Ms. Radetti says, is a rich "mosaic of Roman, Germanic and Slavic heritage, history and ingredients which produces exciting culinary results." In 2006 she plans to organize at least one trip to Istria with Milan Licul, a native of Labin who is the owner of two New York restaurants, Arno and Delmonico's. "Much of what you'll eat in Istria is produced within a 10-mile radius," says Ms. Radetti. "There's a man with a restaurant called Kukuriku in Kastav. Everything he cooks is from the area: the honey, the cheese, the mushrooms - and the lamb is from a nearby island where they feed on fresh herbs and the saltiness of the sea." Istria is a year-round destination, but Ms. Bastianich is particularly fond of the early spring, when she forages for wild asparagus. Truffle fans might prefer the fall, when generous helpings of white truffles are grated like cheese onto a dish rather than sparingly and carefully shaven. And stay tuned in 2007 when the Istrian island of Veliki Brijun will be the much buzzed about home of the spa resort complex of Brioni, the fashion company. GISELA WILLIAMShttp://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/travel/22istria.html?emc=eta1 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4865/1/E-COOKING-IN-CROATIA.html ÂCOOKBOOK REVIEW 'COOKING IN CROATIA & BOSNIA: 425 CROATIAN and BOSNIAN RECIPES' by KARMELA KISBy Katarina TepeshWe owe a huge debt to Croatian homemakers who have been cooking the dishes listed in Karmelaâs cookbook pages for a thousand years, and who continue to inspire each new generation.Karmela Kis received the recipes from her great aunt Ivana who dominated her kitchen like a maestro conducting an orchestra. She selected 424 mostly traditional comfort foods we remember our mama and baka making all their life.Among the many enticing Croatian dishes, such childhood favorites as stuffed paprika and cabbage, risotto, blood sausages with apples, pork cutlets, lamb in open fire, puran with mlinci are included, along with many tempting seafood dishes like squid, cevapcici, raznjici, burek, gulas with polenta, fresh fish such as carp and pike. With a nod toward healthful ingredients of buckwheat and barley, using herb infused style of cooking. For desserts old Croatian favorites are featured inspired by wild blueberries, the apples, peaches, plums, pears along with rice pudding, knedelce plum dumplings, war cookies, kremsnite from Samobor, our ancient Croatian potica, poppy seed, palacinke, strudl, chocolate rum torte, snow balls, apple compote, Istrian fritters, wine foam, rich bishopâs bread, rum balls, almond meringues and many others delicious desserts. Karmela suggests cooking techniques of boiling, poaching, steaming, sautÃing, braising, stewing, grilling and broiling from all areas of Croatia, covering Istria, Dalmatia, Slavonia, Zagorje, Podravina and includes recipes from Bosnia.Croatian cooking comes both from the heart and intellect, being somehow flexible to substitute in a pinch, but devoted to Croatian spirit. Karmela Kis owns an organic farm in Istria where she grows her own ingredients and is actively involved in Europeâs perm culture movement. She holds a degree in Language and Literature from Zagreb University. In her cookbook, Karmela uses metric measurements. You will need to keep in mind how 1 pound =  kilogram or 455 grams; 1 ounce = 30 grams; 1 liter = 2 pints or 32 fluid ounces; 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces;Keep Croatians cooking! Above all, have fun and Dobar tek! 'Cooking in Croatia & Bosnia: 425 Croatian and Bosnian Recipes' by Karmela Kis published by BookSurge available in paperback at www.amazon.com $16.99  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4866/1/E-Jana-in-New-York-go-get-it.html ÂJANA IS HERE in the USAwww.janawater.com ÂScientists have confirmed that Jana natural artesian water began its long journey from the surface to a depth of 2500 feet well over 3,000 years ago. Jana Water is bottled at the source at an underground depth of 2500 feet in the picturesque Croatian village of Saint Jana, nearby the Adriatic Sea. Croatia, a country known for its water has the largest supply of drinking water in all of Europe. Croatia has more than 1000 islands, situated along the coast of the Adriatic Sea, many lakes surrounded with lush forests, and many more hidden natural treasures.About the Agrokor Group:Creative Enterprises International, Inc. has entered into an exclusive long-term manufacturing and distribution agreement with the Jamnica ("JANA") division of the Agrokor Group. Jamnica has also agreed to a reciprocal distribution and sales of Jana Skinny Water™ to their customers throughout the European Union (EU).Jamnica is the largest manufacturer and distributor of bottled water [ 300 million liters annual production ] in all of Southeast Europe maintaining a very successful 175 year tradition! Jamnica's parent corporation, Agrokor Group, is a 2.5 billion Euro food and beverage company and represents the largest corporation in all of Southeast Europe. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 01 Oct 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4867/1/E-Famed-Uglesichs-in-New-Orleans-Set-to-Close.html ÂA Lunchtime Institution Set to Overstuff Its Last Po' BoyÂBy R. W. APPLE Jr. Anthony and Gail UglesichPublished: April 27, 2005EW ORLEANSSAM UGLESICH grew up among mariners and fishermen off the coast of Croatia on rocky Dugi Otok, whose name means "long island," surrounded by the azure waters of the Adriatic. Twice he set out for the United States. The first time, he jumped ship in New York, but was caught and sent home. The second time, he made his break in New Orleans, then as now a more permissive city, and got away with it.Naturally enough, he opened a seafood restaurant in his adopted city, specializing in the local shrimp, soft-shell crabs, lake trout and oysters. The year was 1924, the place South Rampart Street; Louis Armstrong had played gigs a few doors away.Three years later, he moved to a modest frame cottage on Baronne Street. There, as the neighborhood around them crumbled, he and his son, Anthony, along with Anthony's wife, Gail, gradually built a reputation of legendary proportions. Grander establishments like Galatoire's, Commander's Palace and Antoine's loomed larger in the guidebooks, but the exacting standards of little Uglesich's (pronounced YOU-gull-sitch's) - everything bracingly fresh from lake and gulf and bayou, nothing frozen or imported, and absolutely no shortcuts - generated greater buzz.Without benefit of advertising, word of Uglesich's big, tan, glistening oysters, its sweet, plump crawfish balls, its searing shrimp Uggie and its overstuffed yet feather-light po' boys spread across the city and then across the country. It mattered not to most people that it took no credit cards and served neither dessert nor coffee.Five days a week, 11 months a year, lines have formed outside the ramshackle building, which displays a sign from the long-defunct Jax Brewery in one window. On Good Friday this year, customers began arriving at 9 in the morning, even though the restaurant does not open for lunch, the only meal it serves, until 10:30. Soon there were more than 200 people in line, and the sun was setting as the last of the day's 400-odd clients were being served.All this with just 10 tables inside and 6 on the sidewalk outside.Soon Uglesich's will close forever, at least in its present form. Anthony and Gail Uglesich are exhausted, worn out by years of rising at 4:30 and working flat-out all day. Balding, bearlike, Mr. Uglesich, 66, told me he would shut the doors in mid-May, but he has renewed his liquor license, just in case he finds retirement miserable."I may go nuts," he said at the end of a particularly brutal day. "I doubt it, but I won't know until I try it. If I do climb the walls, I might try packaging our sauces for retail sale, or maybe do some catering - people are always offering me thousands of dollars to cook for their dinner parties - or reopen here for four days a week, with limited hours and a very limited menu, just appetizers. No more of this, though."Mrs. Uglesich, 64, a petite woman whose regular customers call her Miss Gail, put the situation bluntly. "Our bodies are telling us we can't take it anymore," she said in the soft, liquid accent that marks her as a New Orleans native. "Anthony has missed only two days' work since we were married, and that was 41 years ago."Neither of the Uglesiches' two children - Donna, 40, a businesswoman, and John, 35, author of "Uglesich's Restaurant Cookbook" (Pelican Publishing) - has shown any desire to take over the business. "It's too hard," Mrs. Uglesich said.With many New Orleans restaurants, including some of the most famous ones, relying these days on frozen crawfish tails and frozen soft-shell crabs and on shrimp and crabmeat imported from Thailand or China, Uglesich's stands out more than ever."Look," Mr. Uglesich said, peering through wire-rimmed glasses, "90 percent of the shrimp eaten in this country is imported. Local crawfish costs me $7 a pound, compared with $2.50 imported. People in restaurants here know they can get away with things. But I'd pay $10 for Louisiana crawfish, if that's what it takes. Otherwise, what's going to happen to our local fishermen? When we're gone, I don't know."http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/27/dining/27orle.html?ex=1115265600&en=eeb64c5c477c4919&ei=5070  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 09 May 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4868/1/E-Tudor-Wines-Gains-Recognition-With-Style-Quality-And-Terroir.html ÂTudor Wines Gains Recognition With Style, Quality And TerroirÂwww.tudorwines.comSanta Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Producer Creates World Class Wines of Remarkable CharacterFor Immediate ReleaseMONTEREY, Calif./EWORLDWIRE/April 21, 2005 --- Tudor Wines is emerging as one of the new, top echelon, American cult wineries. Founded in 1999 by cousins Dan Tudor and Christian Tudor, they specialize in small, handcrafted lots of Pinot Noir from family-owned vineyards in the celebrated Santa Lucia Highlands. Tudor Wines represents a continuation of a 2,200-year-old family history of winemaking and grape growing.Tudor's wines are characterized by delicate nuance brought by dedicated winemaking. They feature impeccable balance, handcrafted elegance and reasonable pricing. The winery's first release, the 2000 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir, is reflective of the spectacular family-owned vineyards where the grapes were grown. It showcases gorgeous cherry and berry nuance, silky texture and a long, vibrant finish. Only 1,400 cases were produced.The Tudor family had been making wine on the island of Hvar, on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, since 200 B.C. In the early 1900s, the family came to America and began growing grapes in California, where the company is still one of the state's largest producers of table grapes. Tudor Wines is a proud continuation of this amazing viticultural family history.With the current popularity of Pinot Noir, Tudor has widened its distribution to include most of the United States. The company has been met with national critical acclaim, and its reputation has blossomed into a cult-wine status among knowledgeable consumers.Christian Tudor acts as the winery's general manager, while cousin Dan Tudor and consulting winemaker Larry Brooks - co-founder of Acacia, founder of Echelon and long-time manager of Chalone's wineries - create world-class Pinot Noirs.More information about Tudor Wines is available by calling (831) 224-2116, or by visiting www.tudorwines.com .CroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 21 Apr 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4870/1/E-TV-chef-Lidias-got-a-new-show-also-starring-her-mom--kids.html TV chef Lidia's got a new show, also starring her mom & kidsAll in the familyBy SONO MOTOYAMAsono@phillynews.comPosted on Wed, Mar. 30, 2005 WITH A DEMEANOR suggesting both a warm, buxom Italian nonna and a stern drill sergeant ("Pay attention!" she admonishes her viewers, or, "Got that?"), Lidia Matticchio Bastianich has endeared herself to television audiences and diners alike.With her public-TV series and restaurants - including three restaurants in New York and a Lidia's in Kansas City and in Pittsburgh - she has spread her gospel of homey Italian cooking, the importance of family meals and of eating fresh, seasonal food.While middle-aged women may make up the core of her fan base, Bastianich points out that she also has young mothers who watch her shows with their children and men too. She says of her male fans, "They tell me, 'You make me look good.' "With her new show, "Lidia's Family Table," which WHYY will begin airing Saturday, she took into account the desires of her followers. The show is based on her new cookbook, published last November, also titled "Lidia's Family Table.""I get a lot of feedback from my viewers and they tell me what they'd like to see, what they want to know," she said from her home in Douglaston Manor, N.Y., where she tapes her shows. "The overwhelming message was, We want to know more about your family, how you cook for your family.""I'm so excited about this 'Family Table,' " Bastianich said recently, cheerful despite a recent, painful knee surgery. "The new show, it has more of the family, it shows more of my house because that is what [viewers] wanted to see. I talk about techniques and how I behave at home so they can emulate that, so that they can take it and make it their own."She includes useful tips on how to cook in quantity, make quick sauces you can prepare while the pasta cooks (see accompanying recipe) and use scraps one might normally throw away - such as a stale loaf of bread, or the rind of a cheese. Her techniques, described in detail in her book, involve using all of the senses - for example, to listen for the "clicking" of rice when making risotto so you'll know it's time to add wine.Her house and garden take featured roles in the new series, along with members of her extended family. Her grandchildren are shown plucking tomatoes from the garden. Her mother, Erminia, demonstrates how she makes her special skillet chicken dish (see accompanying recipe). Her son, Joseph - a former bond trader turned wine merchant, winemaker and restaurateur in his own right (including a partnership with star chef Mario Batali) - and daughter, Tanya - an art historian by training, who is collaborating with her mother on a book and Web site - make appearances to assist, taste and joke with their mother.SUBHED HERE: A turbulent historyWith a restaurant and entertainment domain that also encompasses a line of specialty sauces, including ones developed for Williams-Sonoma, and a culinary travel company offering trips to Italy, Bastianich said she still has time to have her family over for dinner at least once a week. (Her mother lives with her; her daughter's family lives within walking distance and her son's family is in Connecticut.)But things were not always so cozy and secure for Bastianich.She was born in Pula, on the Istrian peninsula, which has a turbulent history. Istria, within the last century, has been a part of Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia and is now Croatia (op-ed precisely would be: occupied by Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia and now free Croatia) . But Bastianich has warm memories of her childhood there, of olive and grape harvests, and of her grandmother's farmyard animals."I would go forage to get the eggs," Bastianich said. "We had a pig, and the slaughter of the pig and making the sausage and prosciutto - I remember all that vividly." She remembers that the family pressed their own olive oil and distilled their own grappa."That was imbedded in my mind, those pristine flavors."These memories became no doubt even more precious to her because this idyll was disrupted when the family fled their home during the communist Yugoslavian regime and were forced to live in a political refugee camp.The family had the opportunity to emigrate to America, eventually settling in Queens, N.Y., but the adjustment was not easy. Bastianich, not yet 12, and her older brother, Franco, learned the language more easily than their parents, so took on responsible adult roles at an early age.Her father found work as a mechanic and her mother was a piece worker in a New Jersey factory. "I remember many times my mother crying," Bastianich said. "My father never really did get adjusted. He had difficulties learning the language. He was always nostalgic."One can imagine that these difficult times, coupled with memories of her homeland, cemented the importance of food and family in Bastianich's mind. Today she emphasizes implanting food sensory memories in children, by allowing all sorts of cooking smells and tastes to permeate the home.SUBHED HERE: Spaghetti and meatball beginningsBecause Istria has had such a varied history, the cuisine of the region shows Austro-Hungarian, Italian and Slavic influences. These traces eventually found their way into the cuisine of Bastianich's signature Manhattan restaurant, Felidia, which she opened with her then-husband Felice Bastianich, with items like sauerkraut and bean soup.Their early restaurants, however, had much more recognizable fare. They opened their first restaurant in Queens, in 1971."At that time the Italian restaurants that were in vogue were the Italian-American restaurants," Bastianich remembered. "Spaghetti and meatballs and manicotti and all of that, and that's the restaurant we opened."Bastianich, only 24 at the time, was not yet a professional chef, so the family hired a chef to head up the restaurant, and Bastianich learned along the way as sous chef (this experience became the basis for her Italian-American cookbook and TV series). The success of the first restaurant prompted them to open a second Queens restaurant.Somewhere along the way, Bastianich developed the confidence to cook the way she liked to cook at home. "So while the chef was doing his meatballs and parmigiana and all that, I would make polenta," she said. "This is how I began to build my reputation. People would begin to ask, Well, what did you cook today?"Soon the food press began making pilgrimages to Queens. Bastianich and her husband decided to sell the Queens restaurants and put everything they had into Felidia.With the opening of Felidia in 1981, she cooked full-time the regional Italian cuisine that she had grown up with, which was unusual at the time. "The press and Julia Child and everyone else began to come down," Bastianich said. "It was very exciting."With press attention came offers to appear as a guest chef on cooking shows, including Julia Child's. Eventually she was offered her own show. "I'm a communicator, you know. I love teaching. I said I would love to do the show."The rest, as they say, is history. The cookbooks, the TV appearances, the restaurants (if you can't afford the upscale Felidia, I heartily recommend New York's theater-district Becco - which she co-owns with her son - which has a terrific, pasta-centric $21.95 prix-fixe dinner and a wine list of all $20 bottles).Though Bastianich may have a mini empire, she likes to bring the focus back to family and home. For example, for service in her restaurant, she said, laughing, "I have radishes pickling right now in my garage."Her kids are currently in the business with her, and her parents, she points out, helped out when she was just starting."We were always a family support group," Bastianich said firmly. "Even the first restaurant, [my parents] loaned us some money and they watched the kids while I worked. And on Monday when we were closed we would all go with the kids and clean the place... . My success is really a family story."http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/11263765.htm  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 30 Mar 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4869/1/E-Zinfandel-A-Croatian-American-Wine-Story.html ÂZinfandel: A Croatian-American Wine StoryI have been able to get Dr. Jasenka Piljac's book available for purchase online, via my company's web site, www.xlsimports.com . Visitors can click on "Store" and they will find the book there. The direct link is http://www.xlsimports.com/purchase.htm . We can take ordersby phone at 516-869-4034 and we can accept check by mail (address on the web site).Below is a synopsis of the book from Jasenka:The aim of the book "Zinfandel: A Croatian-American Wine Story" is to provide a picturesque and detailed portrayal of the search for original Zinfandel from an insider perspective. This book is a detective tale and a travel log written for all Zinfandel lovers interested in reading about my first hand experience on the 'Zinfandel trail' and the final discovery of its Croatian match. It is also intended for all wine lovers and future visitors to Croatia who will, among the four chapters, surely find useful information about viticultural tradition, wine production and history of Croatia â a small country with more than a thousand islands and five million smiles. I hope you'll enjoy reading my story about a grape's journey through its Croatian-American past! Of course, it's a terrific read, it's printed in English, and I hope a lot of Croatian Americans get a chance to read it!Note that I have no financial interest in the sale of the book, I am doing it as a favor to Jasenka.Hvala!!All the best,Dan Pedisichdpedisich@tickertech.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 30 Mar 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4871/1/E-My-Favourite-Croatian-Recipes-by-Sandra-Raguz-Lougher.html ÂMy Favourite Croatian RecipesÂÂHrvatski recepti na engleskom jezikuÂBy Sandra Raguž LougherÂFirstCroatian cookery book published in U.K. Âhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905203004/026-6946983-4519635ÂA mouth-watering collection of 60 traditional Croatian recipes gathered from the regions – Dalmatia, Istria, Slavonia, Zagorje… an unforgettable culinary experience.ÂEasy to follow, vividly and carefully described instructions, packed with original specialities like the famous brodet (fish stew), Dalmatian lamb, Croatian pepper cakes, and plum dumplings… Every recipe illustrated in full colour.ÂSumptuous recipes for every occasion, using a wide variety of seafood, meat, cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruits – Croatian cuisine is a winning combination of simplicity with style. Enjoy!ÂMy Favourite Croatian Recipesby Sandra Lougher is published in paperback byPen Press Publishers LtdISBN 1-905203-00-4 Â10.95ÂAvailable fromÂwww.amazon.co.ukwww.waterstones.co.uk,Âwww.tesco.comwww.penpress.co.ukPen Press Publishers LtdÂThe Old School39 Chesham Road, BrightonEast Sussex BN2 1NBU.K.For sample recipes and family pictures in Croatia please visitSandra Raguž Lougher’s website Âhttp://uk.geocities.com/sandralougherPostovani gospodine/gospodjo,Javljam Vam se u nadi da mi mozete pomoÃi. Zelim Vam se prvo predstaviti.Moje ime je Sandra Raguz Lougher i u Velikoj Britaniji zivim vec dvaneast godina.Nakon postdiplomskog studija informacija u Londonu, radila sam u universitetskim knjiznicama. Prije sest godina sam se udala za Britanca Colina i preselila u Vels, gdje se moj sin Daniel rodio.Jedan od mojih prijatelja Engleza je prije par godina putovao po Hrvatskoj i nije mogao pronaci knjigu hrvatskih recepata na engleskom jeziku. Tako da mi je on predlozio da napisem “ My Favourite Croatian Recipes” koja je upravo izasla iz tiska i prodaje se na amazon.co.uk. Izdavaci su Pen Press i ovo je prva kuharica nasih recepata objavljena u Velikoj Britaniji. Sada je pokusavam popularizirati. Veleposlanstvo Republike Hrvatske u Londonu ce organizirati promociju, a i Algoritam knjizare u Hrvatskoj su narucile prve primjerke.Vama se obracam sa nadom da mozda mozete nesto uciniti u promidzbi ove knjige. Da li bi mogli oglasiti moju knjigu na vasim web stranicama ili tako nesto slicno? Ako budete trebali vise informacija, slobodno me kontaktirajte na gornju adresu ili email. Takodjer, moja web stranica je prije par dana krenula sa radom, te je mozete posjetiti na http://uk.geocities.com/sandralougher (ne treba www).Hvala Vam unaprijed za Vase vrijeme, vjerujem da ste vrlo zauzeti.Nadam se vasem skorom odgovoru.Pozdrav iz Velsa,Sandra Raguz LougherÂ3 Hawthorn PlacePontywaun, CrosskeysNewport, South WalesNP11 7DWU.K.tel. 01495 / 273015email: sandralougher@hotmail.comhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905203004/026-6946983-4519635 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 04 Mar 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4872/1/E-The-worlds-biggest-truffle-was-found-in-Istrian-peninsula-in-Croatia-weighing-13-kg.html  The world's biggest truffle was found in Istrian peninsula in Croatia, weighing 1.3 kg!The hilly area around the town of Ilok, is known since Ancient times as "Delicium Mundi", due to high quality white wines from their wineyards. The most famous is TRAMINAC, known as Royal Wine. It was served during the coronation of Queen Elisabeth, and is still represented in the Queen's collection of wines. The town of Ilok suffered very much during the Greater Serbian aggression on Croatia in 1990s. Martin Bogdanovich arrived to the USA as a young fisherman in 1908. After years of hard work he became the proprietor of the fish factory "Star Kist" in San Pedro, the largest in the world. Lidia Bastianich (born in Croatia, in Istria), was proclaimed the best cook in the USA in 1999. She is chef of her own Felidia restaurant in Manhattan (New York), and coowner of another two restarants in New York, and one in Kansas City. Zinfandel was often called the "mystery" grape because its European origins were oddly uncertain. Bottled wines bearing the varietal label "Zinfandel" appeared as early as 1883 in California. Hence, Zin is known as "California's grape". However, since recently (2001), due to joint efforts of the USA and Croatian specialists, we know that the american zinfandel originates from Croatia, more precisely, from Kastel Stari near the city of Split. There it is known under the names of mali plavac and crljenak. The search of the origin of zinfandel has been initiated in the second half of the 20th century by mr. Miljenko "Mike" Grgich, one of the greatest american winegrowers (born in Croatia, on the Peljesac peninsula, famous for its "double insolation" of grapes: simultaneously from the sun and from the sea reflection). As a young student of agronomy in Zagreb, dissatisfied with the communist rule in ex-Yugoslavia, he emigrated to the USA. With the advent of free Croatia in 1990s, he returned back to his homeland. Mr. Miljenko Grgich had first drawn worldwide attention in 1976 as a result of the famous "Paris Tasting" in which an all French panel of judges chose his 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay over the best of the white Burgundies in a blind tasting. His wines have been enjoyed not only on special occasions by world leaders such as Presidents Reagan and Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II and President Francois Mitterand. His wines are being offered on tables of the White House in Washington. For more information see Grgich Hills, and also at HIC (in Croatian). The Croatian name for a cook is KUHAR. It is interesting that in Istria (important peninsula on western part of Croatian coast), near the town of Zminj, there is a small village of Kuhari (= cooks). Moreover, mr. Josip Pino Kuhar, born in the village of Kuhari, is outstanding kuhar in Croatia. The world's biggest truffle was found in Istria, weighing 1.3 kg!The Pag Cheesehttp://www.croatianhistory.net/etf/cook.html  Croatian cook-bookCreative cooking at Podravka, Koprivnica Croatian cuisine Croatian cakes and sweets, by Maja and Mladen Sokele (in Croatian) Gastronaut - Croatian cusisine La cuisine et les vins, ambassade de Croatie en France King of Chips   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 27 Jan 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4873/1/E-CROATIAS-BIG-MAC-Sardine-snack-makes-a-splash.html Sardine snack makes a splash24 August 2004 Â"Oily fish not only tastes good, it is very healthy, the richest source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 acids," he said. "It is an antioxidant." KALI: Croatia's Adriatic coast may be hard to beat for natural beauty but tourists often complain it lacks a proper culinary identity, offering little other than expensive fish or cheap grilled meat. The Srdela (Sardine) Snack project hopes to change this. You have to like fish but for those who do, a group of local enthusiasts has put together menus for a simple, healthy meal plus a glass of home-made wine, for just two euros, hoping it will become a trademark of true Croatian food. If the way locals and visitors have taken to the new menu is anything to go by, the idea to expand it into a franchise with hundreds of outlets could take off. There is nothing fishy about the Snack, launched last month in a former pizzeria in a fishing village on the central Dalmatian island of Ugljan. Everything served here – sardines, pilchards, anchovies, mackerel and tuna steak – is freshly caught locally and either grilled, broiled, fried or served in a light marinade. Red or white wine comes from vineyards on the nearby mainland. "Clients are absolutely thrilled. Business has boomed fourfold in this past month," said Djenko Perin, keeper of the Trita which had languished as a pizzeria. The picturesque village of Kali, with its long fishing tradition, seemed a logical choice to test the market. The idea was the brain child of Ante Kolega, a Kali native who is an agriculture professor in the capital Zagreb. Confident of sardines' nutritive value, he asked his friend Perin in Kali to test the new menu. As part of a state-backed project, Kolega aims to introduce the Srdela Snack as an authentic Mediterranean meal not only in seaside areas but in a chain – with up to 1000 outlets, he says – throughout the country over the next five years.CROATIA'S BIG MACSome have already dubbed the Srdela Snack a Croatian response to the Big Mac.The average Croatian's diet is very much meat-based, so the sardine concept is quite radical. Roadside inns to fancy city restaurants serve a rich variety of meats, including popular grilled minced meat fingers "cevapcici", or young suckling pigs and lamb roast on a spit over open fire. Non-meat eaters may find it hard to get a decent selection of fish or vegetables at reasonable prices. And most fish restaurants are expensive. Kolega says sardines and oily fish have long been neglected in the Croatian diet except on the coast. "Oily fish not only tastes good, it is very healthy, the richest source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 acids," he said. "It is an antioxidant." Served on paper plates with toothpicks instead of cutlery and wine poured into paper cups, the new fish dishes may not exactly be a holiday highlight. Yet patrons lunching at the Trita say they are a perfect for an affordable sit-down or takeaway meal on a hot day. "The fish is very good, tasty and we did not have to cook it ourselves," said 19-year-old holidaymaker Vlatka Buzjak from Zagreb. The planned Srdela Snack franchise system will also include fishermen in a bid to help them find regular buyers for their catch without middlemen. "There is plenty of fish to ensure a steady supply. And fishermen will be able to earn twice as much as they do now," Kolega said.http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3013055a7773,00.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 27 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4874/1/E-Croatias-challenge-to-the-Big-Mac.html ÂCroatia's challenge to the Big Mac August 24 2004 By Kolumbina BencevicKali, Croatia - Croatia's Adriatic coast may be hard to beat for natural beauty but tourists often complain it lacks a proper culinary identity, offering little other than expensive fish or cheap grilled meat.The Srdela (Sardine) Snack project hopes to change this.You have to like fish but for those who do, a group of local enthusiasts has put together menus for a simple, healthy meal plus a glass of home-made wine, for just two euros, hoping it will become a trademark of true Croatian food.'Oily fish not only tastes good, it is very healthy' If the way both locals and visitors have taken to the new menu is anything to go by, the idea to expand it into a franchise with hundreds of outlets could take off.There is nothing fishy about the Snack, launched last month in a former pizzeria in a fishing village on the central Dalmatian island of Ugljan.Everything served here - sardines, pilchards, anchovies, mackerel and tuna steak - is freshly caught locally and either grilled, broiled, fried or served in a light marinade. Red or white wine comes from vineyards on the nearby mainland."Clients are absolutely thrilled. Business has boomed fourfold in this past month," said Djenko Perin, keeper of the Trita which had languished as a pizzeria.The picturesque village of Kali, with its long fishing tradition, seemed a logical choice to test the market.The idea was the brain child of Ante Kolega, a Kali native who is an agriculture professor in the capital Zagreb. Confident of sardines' nutritive value, he asked his friend Perin in Kali to test the new menu.As part of a state-backed project, Kolega aims to introduce the Srdela Snack as an authentic Mediterranean meal not only in seaside areas but in a chain N with up to 1,000 outlets, he says N throughout the country over the next five years.Some have already dubbed the Srdela Snack a Croatian response to the Big Mac, the epitome of fast-food success worldwide. Others might wonder what is so special about a Mediterranean country pushing fish as its own typical meal.The truth is that Croatia's diet is very much meat-based.Establishments ranging from roadside inns to fancy city restaurants serve a rich variety of meats, including popular grilled minced meat fingers "cevapcici", or young suckling pigs and lamb roast on a spit over open fire.Non-meat eaters may find it hard to get a decent selection of fish or vegetables at reasonable prices. And most fish restaurants are expensive.Kolega says sardines and oily fish have long been neglected in the Croatian diet except on the coast."Oily fish not only tastes good, it is very healthy, the richest source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 acids," he said. "It is an antioxidant."Served on paper plates with toothpicks instead of cutlery and wine poured into paper cups, the new fish dishes may not exactly be a holiday highlight.Yet patrons lunching at the Trita say they are a perfect for an affordable sit-down or takeaway meal on a hot day."The fish is very good, tasty. And we did not have to cook it ourselves," said 19-year-old holidaymaker Vlatka Buzjak from Zagreb.The planned Srdela Snack franchise system will also include fishermen in a bid to help them find regular buyers for their catch without middlemen."There is plenty of fish to ensure a steady supply. And fishermen will be able to earn twice as much as they do now," Kolega said.The only thing left to resolve is reconciling the offer with Croatia's new traffic law which introduced a zero tolerance for alcohol last week."What does one do, if you cannot have a glass of wine with your fish?" said a customer.http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=418&art_id=qw1093347904367B213  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 23 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4876/1/E-Povitica-and-the-Croatians-in-Kansas-City-on-Food-Network.html ÂPovitica and the Croatians in Kansas City on Food NetworkHello Everyone!Food Network airs a show called "Food Finds" this week's (July 31, 2004)episode featured food finds in Kansas City, and in particular was a segmentabout povitica in Kansas City. The piece talked about povitica and theCroatians in Kansas City. A very well done piece!You can read a little more about it at:http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_fi/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9962_33596,00.htmlÂYou can find the bakery that was featured in the povitica piece at:Strawberry Hill Povitica Tel: (800) 634-1002 Website:http://www.povitica.com -Marko letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4875/1/E-Povitica-in-Kansas-City-on-Food-Network---Video-Available.html ÂPovitica in Kansas City on Food Network If you want to purchase a video on how to make Povitica, make out a check to Povitica for $20.00 and send it to Povitica %Don Wolf, 3535 N 63 Terrace, Kansas City, Kansas, 66104.80% of the proceeds goes to St. Theresa's orphanage in Zagreb, CroatiaThel video was made with the help of a local TV station in Kansas City who donated the equipment. Steve Fracol, a Croatian American from Kansas City was the videographer and Emily Novak, whose parents came from Gerovo (same as mine) in Gorski Kotar his the baker and spokesperson.The big bonus is the beautiful tamburitza music in the background. It was filmed in my Teta Agnes's kitchenYou are also invited to visit St. Theresa's orphanage at:www.sttheresasorphanage.comLove to all, especially the childrenDon WolfWolf1936@aol.com letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 30 Jul 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4878/1/E-Croatian-Winery-in-Australia.html ÂA third-generation Croatian-Australian winemaker, James TalijancichÂFrom the Advertiser, a newspaper from Australia. John P. Kraljic, Esq.Swanning around the valleyBy CHRIS HERDE19jun04IN THE Swan Valley on the outskirts of Perth, they love their tourists - enough to place signs everywhere warning them to be careful. We find this out at the start of a day in the valley drinking and eating to excess.A sign on the steering-wheel cover on our hired Tarago says it all: "Beware. Western Australian roads can kill and injure tourist drivers! Please remember Australia cares about your safety". Duly noted. Thankfully our driver promises not a drop will pass her lips.The wonderful thing about the Swan Valley is you don't have to drive too far to see it all.There is plenty to experience on the Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail. This 32km loop encompasses more than 80 restaurants, wineries and breweries as well as over 50 fresh produce stores - not to mention cheese and chocolate factories and other gastronomic delights. In keeping with the Swan Valley's most famous export, our first visit is to the Talijancich Winery. A third-generation winemaker, James Talijancich tends the vines his grandfather planted after arriving from Croatia in the 1930s. Despite their award-winning success, the winery looks like the family operation it is, with whitewashed walls and an old dog greeting us when we arrive for some tasting. James has seen many changes in the Swan Valley but most of all is the surge in popularity of the region."The Swan Valley was left behind when Margaret River took off 25 years ago but we've come back with premium table wines," he says.The Talijancich Winery is an innovator, having promoted the verdelho grape which has filled a vital niche market for the valley, producing a full-bodied white table or fortified wine. The valley's expertise in growing the grape is such that the Novotel Vines Resort hosts an annual international verdelho conference. After considerable time tasting, we venture to Merrich Estate Olive Farm for lunch.Shirley and Saki Richardson bought the property seven years ago after arriving from South Africa, and planted 600 olive trees.As well as making an award-winning extra virgin olive oil, they also have the excellent Mediterranean Kitchen. Chef Christian Montagne provides a menu, blessed with lashings of olive oil and based on Moroccan, Turkish, Egyptian, French and Italian cuisine.Our next stop - the Margaret River Chocolate Factory in the heart of the Swan Valley - is more a case of looking but no tasting.We then travel to the Feral Brewery, which bills itself as "undomesticated but sophisticated". It is not your normal country pub. Visitors can see the workings of a modern microbrewery, producing an adventurous range of speciality beers including exotic draughts such as pumpkin and strawberry porta beers.I decide upon the Organic Pilsner - definitely a taste you could get used to. For details on the Swan Valley, phone the Swan Valley and Eastern Region Visitor Centre, (08) 9379 9400.The author was a guest of Novotel and Virgin Blue. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 19 Jun 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4877/1/H-Clanak-o-Vinogradu-VINOKLET-u-Cincinnatiu.html ÂVINOKLET - Hobi prerastao u buisnesswww.vinokletwines.com ÂSTO MENI ZELIO, TO TI SE VRATILO ZIV MI BIO I POZIVIO...Bok svimaEvo jedan mali clanak nadam se da ce vam se svidit.Poznati Vinograd smjesten je na brezuljku u oklici grada Cincinnatia avlasnistvo jeHrvata Krese Mikulica koji je stvorio VINOKLET iz nekadasnje sume.Mi kao novo doseljena Hrvatska obitelj iz Austarlije zbog poslovnih razloganasli smo se u Cincinnatiu.Trazeci Hrvatska drustva po Cincinatiu nismo imali puno srece, grad je kakosvi znamo vise poznat po Americkim revolucijama nego Hrvatskim drustvima,Uz pomoc obitelji Juric (jedna od rijetkih Hrvatskih obitelji sto jetakoder nekoc bila stanovnik Cincinnatia) ovaj mali biser smo upoznali te sproveli mnoge vecere uz zanimljive price (koje uvijek izadu uz dobro vino).Drustvu bi se i Kreso pridruzio i pridonio sa svojim vicevima iprepricavanju o svojim pustolovinama. Danas je Vinoklet ne samo poznat po osvjenim medaljama za VINA vec i vecerama koje sami rostiljate (posjetite web stranicu www.vinokletwines.com za vise detalja).TIMES (Primjerak March 1) casopis je nedavno imao clanak o VINOKLETUpokazivisi zanimljivost kako je Kresouspio promjenit Americku kulturu te mu se Amerikanci uvijek vracaju irostiljaju sami svoje vecere.Price se i uz smijeh protezu i do Londona koje je nasa prijateljicaJadranka iskusila tokom njenog boravkakod nas (Kako vidite na sliki Kreso se i dalje spominje).Nemogu a da ne naglasim i mladu obitelj Puljic iz St Louisa koja imaveliku vezu sa Chicagom, isto tako je gostovala u Vinolketu te nas je Marko potakao da objavimo o Vinokletu u HRVATSKOJ KRONICI.Preporucavam ako ste u oklici Cincinnatia - Ohio morate svratitu doVinokleta necete biti iznevjereni.Posebno bi zelio naglasit ako imate priliku svake godine kao i ove (September 11~12) odrzava se festival vina na imanju Vinokleta gdje bude prometa i do 30 000 tisuca radoznalih Vinskih kriticara.Moze te samo zamislit uz pomoc vina kave tek tada teme padnu za pricu,jedno je sigurno nece vam biti dosadno.Za kraj prikladna Hrvatska zdravica uz kapljicu iz VINOKLETA"Zivio mi opet nebio proklet""Rukom rucio srcom kucio , bacvu do novog mocio""Sa mladim spava, sa starim vecerava - S coravim blago rasciscava""Vazda pio , nikad se ne opio""Tane ti oko pratilo tudje po brdu mlatilo"STO MENI ZELIO, TO TI SE VRATILOZIV MI BIO I POZIVIO...NapisaoMario Babic iz CINCINNATIA letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 19 Jun 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4880/1/E-Another-Croatian-American-Vinter-in-California.html   Franicevic, Another Croatian-American Vinter in CaliforniaThe following story appeared in the North Bay Bohemian concerning Frane Franicevic and his wines which have received good reviews. John Peter Kraljic, Esq.**************************************************Swirl 'n' SpitTasting Room of the WeekSuncà WineryBy Heather IrwinLowdown: Frane Franicevic has fallen a little bit in love with his '03 Mistral. He describes the mix of Chardonnay, Gew&uumlrztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc with a combination of fatherly pride and creative accomplishment, all the while smiling a little quixotically at the unlabeled green bottle he's about to uncork. Though the wine has barely had time to miss its oak barrel incubator (it was bottled two weeks ago), Franicevic isn't afraid of giving his friends--or a nosy taster--a sneak peak at what's to come. As the sun streams into the tasting room from the windows behind him, he pours the wine and crosses his arms across his belly approvingly.Vibe: Born to a Croatian winemaking family, sun, wine and grapes are part of Franicevic's blood despite the fact that he's actually a doctor of psychology with no formal winemaking education. He just kind of ended up in wine country while working on his dissertation. "I'm not a fan of the city. I like accessible parking," he says with a thick accent.Taking a break from Freud and Jung, Franicevic decided to make a few bottles of wine "for fun" with friends, winning a number of amateur awards over the next few years. In 1991 he decided he had more wine than he knew what to do with and created his first winery, One World. SuncÃ, which means "sun" in Croatian, was founded in 1998 on a former horse farm.A less than formal affair, SuncÃ's tasting room is fashioned from a detached studio in back, the Pinot Noir vineyards from former horse pastures and the barrel rooms from the barn. A tiny pink bicycle is parked behind the family's home, which is just a few feet away. New doors, carved in Romania, lean against the siding, waiting to be hung.Despite the rustic charm, the wines hold up to more than just family appeal. SuncÃ's wines are consistent winners in major regional competitions--most recently the San Francisco Chronicle's winetasting competition held in March--with many sold-out before they ever reach the commercial distribution.Mouth value: At first blush, reds seem to be the heavy hitters. SuncÃ's Pinot Noirs are consistently outstanding, each unique. The 2002 Russian River Rodella Vineyard ($34) comes from 50-year-old vines and reflects a softer, more European style. The 2002 Piner Ranch Pinot Noir ($34) is a more fruit-forward Californian-style Pinot, with more intense, grapey flavors. Franicevic's Zinfandels are also remarkable, with the 2001 Clear Lake Old Vines Zin ($24) winning a gold award from the Chronicle. We liked the dry fruit and floral notes of the 2002 Amador Old Vine Zin (Winzerhof Vineyard) for just $20. Franicevic's current batch of whites are young, but promising. Tasted side by side, the '02 Fumà Blanc is oaky and toasty, while the '03 Sauvignon Blanc (just bottled) hints at the bright floral to develop over the next several months.Five-second snob: Know the difference between Fumà Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc? Both use Sauvignon Blanc grapes, but a fumà is traditionally aged in oak barrels, imparting an earthier, oakier flavor. The Sauvignon Blancs are often aged in steel tanks to give a crisper, lighter taste.Spot: Suncà Winery, 1839 Olivet Road, Santa Rosa. Open daily, 10:30am to 5pm. No tasting fee. 707.526.9463.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 11 Jun 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4879/1/E-Croatian-Chef-Shines-in-Seattle.html ÂCroatian Chef Shines in SeattleÂThe following is a restaurant review from Seattle Weekly and highlights the work of chef Maro Gjurasic. John Peter Kraljic, Esq.June 2 - 8, 2004The TastemakerWith roots in pre-boom Seattle, Il Bistro is still no relic.by Neal SchindlerReviewing a restaurant that's older than you can be daunting. Around since 1977 (I came along two years later), Il Bistro doesn't just epitomize Seattle fine dining today; it was one of a handful of ambitious restaurants that sparked the ascent of high-end eating in the city during the past 25 years. And to irreverent younglings like me, the place is proof that not everything hailing from a prior generation should be rejected out of hand.Silver-haired manager Randy Brown was a bartender at Il Bistro when the place first opened its doors, and his experience shows: Brown's soft-spoken manner and steady gaze bespeak the confidence of a man unconcerned with the ebb and flow of industry hype. As recently as the late '70s, upscale dining seemed novel to many Seattleites. Brown remembers that era quite well. "People would come in [and say], 'Well, I thought this was Italian food,'" he recalls. "You know, people were used to the pizza and spaghetti. Well, yeah, it's Italian, but Italians eat chicken, they eat steak, they eat veal." Without condescension, Il Bistro staffers have long been educating customers, other restaurants, and even the state liquor board on the subject of fine dining. So while you may never have visited the cavelike dining room to the left of the Pike Place Market entrance, you've probably observed its influence on local restaurants ranging from Salty's to the Queen City Grill (opened by Il Bistro's original owner, Peter Lamb).It all began with coffee. "We had the second commercial-grade espresso machine in the city of Seattle," Brown says. "Starbucks [in the Market] had the other one. They made our own mix of coffee, called the 'Bistro Blend,' just for this restaurant. People were coming in and going, 'God, what is that?' Well, it's an espresso machine."Next came the Scotch collection. In the '70s, the Washington State Liquor Control Board showed little interest in sophisticated beverages-a vexing predicament for a restaurant hoping to introduce diners to a higher breed of drink. "At the time when we opened," Brown explains, "we could get some Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, a couple of the more popular single malts." Current owner Dale Abrams adds: "We've educated the liquor stores, and they've brought in Scotches for us. We've educated with grappas as well, and some single-barrel bourbons. Sometimes we'll be the only one in the state to have it, 'cause we're the ones who ordered it."The restaurant's pioneering work has paid off: Il Bistro stocks four dozen single-malt and blended Scotches, along with two dozen bourbons and a hefty assortment of grappas, liqueurs, cognacs, whiskeys, et al. Though the dining room merits the bulk of a reviewer's attention, it's worthwhile to consider how assiduously Il Bistro has developed the more casual side of the establishment, turning a simple L-shaped lounge into a nearly unbeatable bar.But on to the food. Despite Il Bistro's storied past-Lauren Bacall has eaten there, Pearl Jam have partied there, and comedian Red Skelton once sent back a plate of tortellini he claimed was "ice cold"-the kitchen isn't mired in nostalgia. Chef Maro Gjurasic runs a forward-thinking operation he characterizes as "what an Italian chef would do living here [in the Northwest]." Gjurasic grew up in a Croatian household, so his respect for Mediterranean flavors is great, but his and Abrams' vision for the restaurant gracefully accommodates local ingredients, as well.While some Italian eateries around town produce traditional cuisine that evokes ancient nonne stirring sauce, Abrams and Gjurasic take risks, as with their endive and Dungeness crab salad ($8), which collides a trio of clean flavors: sweet crabmeat, bitter endive, and a cool mint dressing that catches you off guard. Compared to Il Bistro's antipasto plate ($12), their rigatoni bolognese ($14), and the tomato-bathed seafood opera that is their cioppino ($24), this salad is a risky, nouveau proposition, and the finished product is slightly overwhelming. The crab's ocean flavor never quite complements (or opposes) the endives' bitterness, and the mint, though a bold attempt at bridging the two, doesn't quite make the connection.But slight misfires happen when a kitchen is truly alive, and there's a real sense of play at Il Bistro, which means Gjurasic is free to experiment and tinker. As a result, his kitchen brings an unusual boldness to traditional fare, including the menu's obvious showpiece, the caretto d'agnello ($38), a rack of lamb in rosemary -sangiovese sauce. The meat cuts beautifully, and the contrast between its sunrise-pink interior and lightly charred surface is lovely.Equally effective, the black fettuccini con frutti di mare ($18) takes "shellfish" very literally; covered with clams and mussels, a bed of squid-ink pasta peeks shyly out from beneath the armada of shells. The dark, spicy, Sicilian-style sauce makes excellent use of the region's characteristic flavors, including anchovies, and all the seafood is bracingly fresh.One mark of superb cooking is the use of rich flavors-not heavy textures or overlarge portions-to satisfy. After three sumptuous courses, my companion and I still had room for dessert, so we ordered strawberries with balsamico and mascarpone ($9). The vinegar, berries, and cheese were layered, parfait-style; the balsamic, we learned, had been aged for 25 years. No surprise there-its complex, slightly raisiny zing was an ideal accompaniment to both the sweetness and creaminess of the dessert. Add in the last tart sips of our 1999 Monsanto Chianti ($37/bottle), heady with cloves, and you have a painterly masterpiece, a meal that stands up to any Italian food (or chophouse fare) in town. And rest assured: This Seattle survivor still has plenty to teach us about fine food done right.nschindler@seattleweekly.comIl Bistro, 93A Pike St., 206-682-3049, PIKE PLACE MARKET. Dinner 5:30-10 p.m. daily; late-night menu until 1 a.m. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 11 Jun 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4882/1/E-Zagreb-Restaurants-Given-Favorable-Reviews.html ÂÂZagreb Restaurants, Croatian Wine Given Favorable Reviews The following story appeared in the Financial Times. John KraljicCapital place for meat and trufflesBy Justin MarozziPublished: May 7 2004 17:55 | Last Updated: May 7 2004 17:55The gourmet traveler is unlikely to give Zagreb much of a thought when planning the next binge overseas. If the city evokes any reaction at all, it is likely to beunfavorable, a lingering memory of the Balkan conflicts of a decade ago, rather than a slavering at the prospect of all those truffles and home-cured ham.Croatia may have returned to the fold, with property-hunting Italians, Germans and Britons snapping up villas along the 2,000km coastline and raving about Istria - "the new Tuscany, darling" - but its capital has remained wistfully aloof from theexcitement, a wallflower at the ball.Which is a shame and an injustice, for Zagreb has much to offer the dedicated foodie. The first revelation is pršut (pronounced prushoot), so ubiquitous you would think it was everyday fare rather than the extravagant treat it would be anywhere else.It is made from a pig's hind leg, scrubbed, salted, drained of blood, hung outside to dry, smoked inside and matured for a year. The result is Croatia's answer to the far more famous prosciutto of Italy. The best stuff comes from Dalmatia in the south, though Istrian producers are not far behind.I sit down to my inaugural tasting in Stari Fijaker, a consciously old-fashionedrestaurant just off the main shopping drag of Ilica. PrsÊut is generally served as a starter, though what Croatians consider an hors d'oeuvre might come as a shock. They take meat very seriously here.This is no place for vegetarians. Should you doubt their passion for flesh, walk up the steps that lead north from the main square of Trg bana JelacÊica, and plunge into Dolac market, a temple to red meat, together with all sorts of cheeses and traditional foods - would madam care for some salted horse intestines? - which would give Brussels food inspectors a heart attack. (If and when Croatia joins the European Union, one wonders what will happen to them.)After my debut at Stari Fijaker, I make a resolution to eat pršut every day. Theheavenly ham, which must be cut very finely, is just too good to miss. In a word, addictive. Once you and your stomach get used to the sheer quantity of meat, you can follow it with a mixed grill, which usually includes a fabulous spicy sausage orkobasica.Pudding can wait, but don't pass up on the chance of some Paški, sheep's cheese from the island of Pag. If it tastes unlike anything you have ever tried, that's because it is. Hard and piquant, it owes its distinctive flavour to the saltiness of the soil and to the abundant sage on which the sheep graze. The cheeses with which it is most often compared are mature cheddar and parmesan.One of the beauties of Zagreb is its diminutive size, more market town than metropolis, which makes it easy to get around on foot. Sampling some of the city's best restaurants is therefore a pleasure, an experience made more uplifting by the monumental architecture, a panoply of Austro-Hungarian façades that bespeak long-gone imperial confidence.The city also offers the epicurean visitor the opportunity to walk off the mountains of meat and carafes of wine (of which more later). For the ultimate meat experience, Baltazar, past Zagreb Cathedral, is highly recommended, as is the formal and elegant Pavilion across from Palace Hotel, seriously good gušca jetra (goose liver), but my favourite for a complete blow-out is Kod Zaca, a real hole-in-the-wall eating house where there are no menus, no receipts and cash is king.By way of encouragement I tell Zaca the last time I had truffles in Croatia was a disappointment, the lightest sprinkling of the fungi over a bland pasta in the heart of Istria. Can he respond to the challenge? The answer is obvious even before I taste my steak. As the waiter approaches our table, he is lost in clouds of divine truffle-scented steam. The chef has not held back.Inspired by this act of hedonism, we cut loose on the wine list, beginning with a vibrant, berry-laden Plovac Ploški from Hvar, before moving on to a rousing finale with a succession of bottles of Kozlovic Muskat dessert wine and cigars. Even horse tastes superb, if a little stringy, when it is drowned in the richest truffle sauce. No wonder Croatians get irked by Italians who buy Istrian truffles, return home and sell them as Italian with a big mark-up.After a few days in Zagreb, your body will moan for mercy. Enough is enough. Time for fish. Tucked away in the centre of town is KorcÊu La. There is no better place to escape the deluge of meat. The fish soup is a delight, the grilled Adriatic squid a masterpiece, served with blitva or Swiss chard.If Zagreb's cuisine comes as a revelation, Croatia's wines have come a long way too. Bronstein is a chic wine cellar owned by Vlado BorosÊic, a curly-haired bohemian who has been doing a roaring trade with the diplomatic community and the growing ranks of the new rich. Mind you, his wines are not cheap. Some of them cost what a modestclaret or burgundy will set you back in London, but this observation does not impress. "I've drunk so many terrible burgundies," he says, wincing at the memory. "Nobody produces such low quality wines in Croatia. In 10 years, we'll be able to export some top quality wines, but not before. We lost a decade with the war."There are worse places for a final port of call. Apart from the wines, Borošic stocks a range of truffle preparations and one or two home-made pršuts. It's tempting, but I've already done my shopping. I'm travelling home 6kg heavier, thanks to the finest Dalmatian pršut I've tasted.Justin Marozzi's 'Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World' is published in JulyDETAILSRestaurants:Stari Fijaker, Mesnica 6 Dolac marketBaltazar, Nova Ves 4 Pavilion, Trg kralja Tomislava 22Kod Zaca, Grskoviceva 2Korcula, Teslina 17Bronstein, Kaptol 19 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 10 May 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4883/1/E-Lidia-Bastianich-among-100-Women-who-shape-our-New-York-City.html ÂLidia Bastianich among 100 Women who shape our New York City"New York Daily News" dated Sunday April 25, 2004 listed 100 WOMEN WHO SHAPE OUR CITYFrom A to Z, an honor roll of New Yorkers who are leaving an imprint on the way we livewritten by Michele Ingrassia http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/187183p-161932c.html Lidia Bastianich is included among 100 Women who make a difference. Below is a paragraph from the article "Walking Tour of Croatian History in New York"Among most successful business people during the present time is chef Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Lidia was born in 1947 in the village near Pula, Istria. She learned how to cook from her mother and grandmother and took her Istrian skills all the way to America. Lidia is now restaurant owner of Felidia on East 58 Street, cookbook author of four books and fantastically popular 52 part public television series PBS-TV chef. She prefers to market her business as Italian and considers her family ethnic Italian, but also speaks fluent Croatian. Lidia is a long time member of the "Istrian Club," a not-for-profit group in New York who assist Istrians in Croatia. From her childhood in Istria, Lidia recalls trips to the market, harvesting olives for olive oil, collecting mussels and clams at the seashore and sleeping under the stars on a mattress filled with dry cornhusks on summer nights. Lidia remembers going with her grandmother to the communal mill to grind the wheat into flour for pasta and bread. This "from the earth" understanding and respect for food has given her a definite style as a cook.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 04 May 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4884/1/E-WINE-TALK---myths-die-hard.html ÂWINE TALK Taking the Party on the Road"Recently it was determined that zinfandel is identical to a grape long cultivated in Croatia. In other words, it is an immigrant. But myths die hard, and having taken zinfandel as our own, we are, it would appear, reluctant to give it up."Editor's Note:Is there any kind of brochure or leaflet or book or add or ANYTHING coming form Croatia about Zinfandel? Are we watching another golden carriage pass by?Nenad BachWayde CarrollFOR A GRAPE Wines from 275 wineries were featured at the 13th annual Zinfandel Festival in San Francisco in January.By FRANK J. PRIALPublished: March 24, 2004HARDONNAY is America's favorite wine, but if someone gave a party to celebrate it, how many people would come? Oh, a handful of fanatics, perhaps, plus the people who produce all those oak flavorings. But that's it. There is nothing visceral about the appeal of chardonnay.Ah, but zinfandel, now that is something else. There was a party for zinfandel in San Francisco in January, and 8,500 people came. In the course of a long, liquid afternoon, they tasted, if that's the appropriate word, more than 550 wines offered by some 275 wineries.Tasted might not be the right word because, according to participants (both winemakers and revelers), hardly anybody bothered to sip and spit. It was a wine drinking affair. In all fairness to the hosts, no one had to drink or taste on an empty stomach: each arriving guest was handed a baguette at the door, and there were mountains of California cheeses available. The party, the San Francisco Zinfandel Festival, is an annual affair organized by Zinfandel Advocates and Producers, better known as ZAP, a nonprofit group dedicated to, in its own orotund words, "advancing the public knowledge of and appreciation for American zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history." In other words, to tirelessly plug the wine, an exercise which has been wildly successful. I must note here that the organization means red zinfandel, and definitely not that wimpy, pale pink stuff known as white zinfandel.The tasting, on Jan. 24 at Fort Mason, was preceded by several other events including an equally over-the-top Good Eats and Zinfandel lunch in Golden Gate Park, at which 36 zinfandel producers and 36 restaurants teamed up to show how well the wine goes with food. Only a modest 800 fans took part.At the first ZAP tasting, in 1992, 22 wineries poured their wares for a small group of zinfandel fans. It was the kind of tasting that goes on every week in San Francisco, virtually unnoticed. But this one grew. Today ZAP claims 6,000 advocates and 310 producer members. Almost all zinfandel comes from California. Small amounts are made in Oregon, Washington and New Zealand. Similar wines are made in Italy and Croatia. In Italy, the grape and the wine are called primitivo. Most of the wines poured at the big tasting were bottled ones from the 2001 vintage. Many producers also offered barrel samples, wines not yet bottled, from 2002. Aside from showcasing zinfandel, ZAP finances research on the grape's provenance and history and covers most of the operating budget for the Zinfandel Heritage Vineyard in Oakville, in the Napa Valley, where zinfandel vines are gathered from all over California to study and preserve. Some of these vines are more than 100 years old. Part of zinfandel's appeal is its long connection with America. For years it was known as this country's only native vinifera vine. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and chardonnay all have traceable European origins. Recently it was determined that zinfandel is identical to a grape long cultivated in Croatia. In other words, it is an immigrant. But myths die hard, and having taken zinfandel as our own, we are, it would appear, reluctant to give it up.Zinfandel was long considered a second-tier grape, suitable mostly for jug wines. It was a major constituent in wines like Gallo's Hearty Burgundy. Later, producers like Ridge Vineyards showed that it could be fashioned into wines with elegance and complexity. Today's winemakers turn the grape into a remarkable array of wines, from light and simple styles to wines that are intense and long-lived. In recent years, old-vine zinfandels have been popular; so have high-alcohol wines, some of them containing 16.5 and 17 percent alcohol (most table wines have a 12.5 to 14 percent alcohol content).Though many of the zins poured at the festival were alcoholic monsters, many seemed less massive than in former years, wrote Paul Franson, who publishes a newsletter about the Napa Valley. That was either because of climatic conditions or of restraint on the part of winemakers who may recognize that big isn't always better. Many of the wines, in fact, were more like the friendly zins of yore, though that wasn't what most festival attendees were seeking, Mr. Franson wrote.Calling the wines zins is part of zinfandel's populist image. Winemakers cannot resist the slightly louche effect that comes from rhyming zin with sin. Names that have appeared over the years include Original Zin, Mortal Zin and, in the case of wordsmith-winemaker Randall Grahm, Cardinal Zin, Made from Gnarly Old Vines. For zinfandel lovers who can't make it to San Francisco for the annual bacchanal, ZAP takes its show on the road. As road shows go, it's a big one. This year, some 50 wineries will pour new releases for their fans in five cities beginning with New York on April 22, where they will pitch their tent, figuratively speaking, at the 200 Fifth Club at 200 Fifth Avenue. Ticket information is available at www.zinfandel.org. The road show offers less wine than the main event in San Francisco, but no one is likely to complain about being limited to 50 wines. In addition, there is the usual detritus of fan-oriented events, including caps, T-shirts and the like. A zinfandel T-shirt says something about the wine's laid-back image. I ask you, who could conceive of a cabernet sauvignon T-shirt?http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/24/dining/24WINE.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 24 Mar 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4885/1/E-Nobilo-Best-Wine-From-New-Zealand.html ÂNobilo Best Wine From New ZealandThe following is from The Arizona Republic. John KraljicWhite from New Zealand bursts with balanced flavorThe Arizona RepublicJohn Carlos Villani john.villani@arizonarepublic.com The Arizona RepublicJan. 21, 2004 12:00 AMThe Nobilo Wine Group, founded in the mid-1940s by Croatian-born NikolaNobilo, is one of New Zealand's largest producers. Nobilo makesChardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and ice wine.Named the Best New Zealand Wine Producer at the International Wine &Spirit Competition in London last October, Nobilo was praised for its2002 Icon Series Sauvignon Blanc, picked by Wine Spectator magazine asone of its 100 Best Wines.While the 2002 edition of this affordable wine is sold out, there's aplentiful supply of the 2003 Icon Series. Crafted from grapes grown inMarlborough, this Sauvignon Blanc originates from vineyards whose soilsvary from gravelly and sandy to thick and loamy. The result is a winewith balanced character.Taste: In the spirit of classic Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, the2003 Icon Series carries forth with a crisp citrus sachet that'sbeguiling and invigorating. The very pale color is deceptive; the bottleis loaded with subtle and sensual flavors. The aroma combines scents offresh-cut grass with a touch of lemon and wood, while the flavor is afull-mouth explosion of balanced grapefruit, herbs and eucalyptus. Thefinish is brief yet smooth, with a slight hint of mint.Goes with: Fresh seafood, especially oysters and chilled Dungeness crab.It also would be ideal with salads and poultry.Availability: $15.99 at AZ Wine Co., 2515 N. Scottsdale Road,Scottsdale, (480) 423-9305.Reach the reporter at (602) 444-8384. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 21 Jan 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4886/1/E-Croatians-Make-Wine-in-New-Zealand.html ÂCroatians Make Wine in New ZealandThe following is a long article on wine made in New Zealand whichappeared in the January 14, 2004 edition of the NY Times. It mentionsthe key role played by our immigrants in the development of the wineindustry there. John KraljicJanuary 14, 2004The Other Down UnderBy R. W. APPLE Jr.MARTINBOROUGH, New ZealandFOR generations," said Nigel Elder, a former paratrooper in the BritishArmy who now tends the vines at Martinborough Vineyard, "we exported ourbest produce. We didn't taste it, so we didn't know how good it was."Well, that's not true anymore, and the evidence was there on the table:sweet, sensual scallops from Whitianga, a little fishing port on theCoromandel peninsula, so fresh they threatened to jump off the plate,showered with basil, coriander and lemon grass; unashamedly wild-tastingrack of lamb from Hawkes Bay, tender and rosy-red; three New Zealandcheeses, including Waimata Farmhouse Blue, a tangy, buttery delicacythat could readily stand comparison with Roquefort or Maytag; andluscious fig and Arataki honey ice cream.The setting was an open-fronted cafe called the French Bistro, astrictly mom and pop operation in this little North Island market town,where my wife, Betsey, and I were eating lunch with a crowd of winepeople. Wendy Campbell cooks, alone, and her husband, Jim, serves. Yeteverything was based wholly or largely on regional ingredients of thefirst order, and the drink was just as local and just as good as thegrub.Such wine-and-food epiphanies are becoming more and more commonplace infast-changing present-day New Zealand.Along with other former British colonies like Canada, Australia andSouth Africa, this heart-stoppingly beautiful island nation toleratedindifferent if not actually inedible cooking for most of the lastcentury. Many of the half-million people who entered New Zealand between1861 and 1881 were laborers accustomed to empty bellies in theirEuropean homelands. ("Hunger, the never-ending hunger," one of themrecalled in his journal.) When they had the chance for the first time intheir lives to eat as much as they wanted, they ate roast meat. A greatdeal of it.Old habits do, indeed, die hard. In the year ended in March 2003, theMeat and Wool Innovation Economic Service estimates, New Zealanders ate217 pounds of meat apiece. But the gastronomic revolution thattransformed eating in other English-speaking countries in the 1980's and90's, propelling London, Sydney and Vancouver into the ranks of theworld's most celebrated restaurant cities, has reached far-off NewZealand at last, and roast mutton no longer rules here."The food and wine explosion in this country in the last few years hasbeen astounding," an accomplished young chef named Alister Brown toldme. "It's amazing how quickly we are catching up with the rest of theworld."Like most younger Kiwis, Mr. Brown has been shaped by what hisgeneration calls "the big O. E." - the big Overseas Experience, asojourn of a year or more abroad. For him, it included stints ofculinary work or study in Montreal, Vermont, San Diego, Maine andScotland."We all travel," said Mr. Brown, whose restaurant, Logan Brown, is oneof the pace-setters in Wellington, the capital, which reminded us ofSeattle with its blustery, rainy climate; hilly, waterside location; andwell-developed cafe culture. "What we see and taste, we want to emulateor improve on when we come back home. We are a very young country, notstuck in tradition."(Some wanderers never do come home, like Peter Gordon, who pioneeredPacific Rim cooking in London while chef at the Sugar Club, and JoelKissin, Sir Terence Conran's partner in Guastavino's in New York.)Whole new industries have sprung up to cater to new tastes. Twenty yearsago, olive trees were all but unknown in New Zealand; now there are 800olive oil bottlers. Innovators like Rick and Carol Thorpe, who producethe Waimata blue cheese we admired, have created a cheese-makingtradition almost overnight. Fruit growers have introduced unfamiliarspecies - pepino dulce from Chile, for example, with a refreshing,melony flavor; tart, torpedo-shaped, ruby-colored tamarillos; andyellow-fleshed Zespri Gold kiwis, a welcome, zingy change from theoverexposed green variety.Grass-fed beef vies with lamb on restaurant menus, along with gifts fromthe seas that gird the country: enormous spiny lobsters from Kaikoura,whose very name means "food lobster" in the Maori language; meaty paua,or blackfoot abalone, which graze on seaweed in icy southern waters;richly flavored green-lipped mussels, now widely farmed; and fat turbotcaught off Milford Sound.All of this is chronicled for New Zealand food lovers by Cuisine, aglossy and well-edited magazine that goes to almost 80,000 subscribersevery other month.THE New Zealand wine revolution started in Marlborough, at the northerntip of the South Island, in the 1980's. Cloudy Bay sauvignon blancstunned the wine world with an unprecedented style - irresistible aroma,lush mouth-feel, plenty of acidity but suggestions of passion fruit andlitchis rather than the herbaceous flavors more common in sauvignonblanc produced in other nations.Less noticed at the time, growers across the Cook Strait inMartinborough, near the southern tip of the North Island, werepioneering the cultivation of pinot noir. Their early efforts producedmostly simple and shallow-flavored vintages, but as the years passed thewines grew complex, powerful and beautifully perfumed.Clive Paton of Ata Rangi, whose pinot vines are 24 years old, older thanany others in Martinborough, conceded that years of experimentation lieahead for him and his wine-making colleagues. "There's a big learningcurve with this grape," Mr. Paton said as we tasted his wine, which atits best is ethereal and muscular at the same time.Yet today New Zealand is gripped by pinot fever. Much of it is too softand sweet for my taste, but established winners like MartinboroughVineyard, Dry River and Ata Rangi, as well as Felton Road Block 3 andBlock 5, have exciting new rivals, among them Mount Edward, FrommClayvin Vineyard and now Escarpment, which is produced by Larry McKenna,the winemaker responsible for bringing international attention toMartinborough.One of the finest pinots, reminiscent of great Burgundy, is Dry River,made in Martinborough by Dr. Neil McCallum, a meticulous,Oxford-educated chemist who quotes Marx, Hegel and Karl Popper intasting notes. He tends his 24 acres like a garden and handcrafts hisconcentrated, slow-maturing wine in a winery no bigger than a one-cargarage. It emerges in a mere trickle, however, and only the lucky few onthe allocation list taste it regularly.That will change. Dry River was bought last year by Julian Robertson,the New York billionaire, and Reg Oliver, the owner of El Molino, apinot producer in the Napa Valley. Besotted with New Zealand, Mr.Robertson, who formerly ran Tiger Management, a leading hedge fund, hasinvested heavily in luxury resorts as well as vineyards here.Mr. Robertson and Mr. Oliver are not alone. Since 1995, according to onetabulation, 39 New Zealand wineries have been acquired by Americans.When I went to see Dr. McCallum last August, he said he would remain aswinemaker under the new ownership, "with everyone dedicated to makingthe best wine we can." The injection of new money, he said, would enablehim to buy better winery equipment and put an extra 1.5 to 2 acres intopinot production. A substantial part of the additional wine, he told me,would be exported to the United States.Dr. McCallum believes that getting the maximum amount of sunlight ontohis grapes is one key to the success of his pinot. To that end he uses aspecial trellising system to open up the top of the vines and a patentedreflective mulch to bounce light onto the bottoms of the grape clusters.Martinborough is a curious town, where the streets, seen from above,form the outline of a Union Jack. It was laid out by John Martin, theimmigrant owner of a sheep station, who named its streets for exoticplaces he had enjoyed on his travels - Suez, Strasbourg, Venice, Ohio.(Ohio? Must have liked football.) The top vineyards are clustered withinwalking distance of one another, beneath the "rain shadow" caused bymountains to the west, which guarantees cool summers and long, dryautumns.ANOTHER influence on Martinborough wines is the cooling winds fromnearby Cape Palliser. This is an area of scenic grandeur as well asagricultural bounty, a clean, green and serene slice of New Zealand. Westayed during our Martinborough visit at Wharekauhau, a fabulous (andfabulously expensive) inn 45 minutes away. Under pink clouds at dusk, itmade an unforgettable impression, sheltering under mist-clad tripleheadlands, with huge, roly-poly sheep and shaggy cows munching on lushgrass in the foreground and black sand beaches and pale blue sea justbeyond."It feels like springtime every day of your life," a young waiter said.The inn fed us well, notably an unctuous risotto with rabbit, wildmushrooms and marjoram, and sorely tempted us with an 800-bin winecellar. But the best food in the region lay down the road in Wellington.Logan Brown, under Mr. Brown and his partner, Stephen Logan, occupies aconverted 1920's banking chamber with giant Corinthian pilasters,polished wooden floors and dark green banquettes, improbably located ina Southern Hemisphere red-light district. Mr. Brown fashions flavorsuntroubled by shyness in his roasted garlic and thyme custard, Stiltonand pumpkin dumplings, and plenty-spicy grilled squid and chorizo. Hemakes delectable ravioli with paua and spikes them with a lime beurreblanc. The quality is as dependable as the tides.Most Kiwi chefs steer clear of the kind of overexcited eclecticism thatsome Australian chefs favor - fusion cooking that can be sublime orsilly, most often the latter. (Even Neil Perry, the genius at Rockpoolin Sydney, sometimes crosses the line and serves a dish made up, forexample, of Korean, Cantonese, French and Malaysian elements.) Mr. Brownmakes a dandy Keralan fish stew with grouper and citrus juice, butthat's as close as he sails to Asia.His first love is game. The night we stopped for dinner, with formerPrime Minister James Bolger and two young New Zealand friends of his andours, Mr. Brown was featuring loins of farmed Cervena deer,porcini-rubbed fillets of wild hare (shot by government-licensed huntersas part of a campaign to reduce overpopulation) and a deep-flavored wildboar pie with cranberry relish, which thrilled me, a pig-fancier fromway back, every bit as much as a hot fudge sundae thrills a 7-year-old.It was ideal food for a cold night and an ideal match with the feralflavors of a good, mature New Zealand pinot noir.The next morning, we made straight for Te Papa Tongarewa, theglistening, ultramodern national museum (its name means "place wheretreasured things are kept"). Our target was the Maori exhibits, but themuseum plugged holes in our food and wine knowledge as well.We learnedof the key role Croatian immigrants have played in the wine industryhere; the Brajkovich clan has made top-quality wines near Auckland since1944, under the name Kumeu River, and the matriarch of the Babichfamily, a competitor, was named Mara Grgic - a relative, no doubt, ofNapa's Mike Grgich. We also learned that kumara, the ubiquitous NewZealand yam, was brought in open boats by the ancient, intrepidPolynesian settlers from South America.More good luck: the museum's restaurant, Icon, with 30-foot windowsoverlooking the harbor, capped our morning with the most tempting lunchwe could have asked for, including steely, ice-cold Clevedon oysters,needing nothing but a turn of pepper, and a close-grained rump of babylamb with a flavor full of bass notes, wrapped in pandanus leaf androasted over thyme.ON the way to Auckland, in the northern part of the South Island, westopped to see Napier, a seaside city flattened by an earthquake in 1931and completely rebuilt in an Art Deco style. It is as architecturallyhomogeneous, in its way, as Georgian Bath.Napier's hinterland, which goes by the name Hawkes Bay, is another ofNew Zealand's wine hot spots, specializing not in pinot noir but inother red and white wines. We were late for lunch (bull blockinghighway, unplanned pit stop, poor road signs) at Craggy Range, agorgeous spread owned by an Australia-based American tycoon, TerryPeabody. But the vineyard restaurant, Terrôir, with David Griffiths inthe kitchen and Prue Barton in the drum-shaped dining room, reprisingtheir success at Vinnies in Auckland, welcomed us anyway.Memories of our fraught arrival faded quickly after wood-roasted garlicspread on house-baked sourdough bread, garlicky fish soup, and chickencooked in the open fireplace, with a glass of sunny Te Muna blocksauvignon blanc and another of the Quarry, a well-stuffed Bordeaux-styleblend. All of Craggy Range's bottlings are the products of singlevineyards, made under the watchful eye of Steve Smith, one of thecountry's premier authorities on wine.Craggy Range is the new kid on the block; Te Mata, just up the road,opened in 1896 and gained a new lease on life starting in 1978 underJohn Buck, its jolly chairman. Its Coleraine cabernet/merlot, a subtle,nutty, spicy and always harmonious blend, has a reputation unequaled inNew Zealand.In a single decade, Mr. Buck said, he has watched his country's wineindustry grow from 100 to 350 producers, most of them making less than10,000 cases a year (his own makes 25,000). Size constraints, he added,mean New Zealand will "never be a major world player," but prices forvineyard land keep climbing, propelled mainly by a tidal wave ofoverseas investors."It's going to have to hit the wall sometime," he said, "and I suspectthat the time may come soon."And so up the Esk Valley, past rhododendrons the size of Mount Rushmore,and on to Auckland, a city arrayed above a harbor (home port to theAmerica's Cup fleet in 1999 and 2003) as lovely as Sydney's farbetter-known one. Home to more than 1.2 million people, a third of thenational total, greater Auckland is fast developing a broad range ofrestaurants. Few are fancy - "New Zealand doesn't do posh," someone toldme - but some of them are memorable.Who could forget the snazzy Auckland Hilton, jutting into the harborlike a cruise ship, and its restaurant, White? Launched by Luke Mangan,the Sydney superchef, it now showcases the cosmopolitan cooking of GeoffScott. We liked his tempura-fried oysters; his locally grown whiteasparagus, with fat, pink finials, dusted with parmesan; his al dentepasta with cockles and pipis, a local mollusk, in a sage-infused broth;and his orange tartlet with confit oranges and tamarillos and crèmefraîche. Too bad about the service.The food at the French Cafe, a favorite hangout of our luncheoncompanion, Lauraine Jacobs, and other members of the Cuisine staff,spoke more Italian than French. Its best idea, I thought, was English -another game pie, this one made with duck, spinach and mushrooms. Thefood at Soul, overlooking the yacht basin, ranges beguilingly across theMiddle East, from Turkish phyllo packets, or burek, to quails stuffedwith Moroccan sausage and roasted in vine leaves. But langoustines areSoul's crown jewels. Judith Tabron, the savvy owner, sources them from afisherman friend who pulls them from the frigid seas around the ChathamIslands. Cooked briefly and served with lemon for squeezing, they lookstunning and taste sublime.If we could have stuffed the O'Connell Street Bistro into our luggageand brought it back to the States, we would have. You start smiling theinstant you sit down. The floors are bare, the menu is plain and the 12tables are covered with paper. The effort goes into dishes like friedsquid, as crisp as cornflakes; mussels in their pearly shells, steamedin white wine with plump caperberries; and prime lamb and beef from theCambrian stud near the Bay of Plenty.A delight to eat, every single dish, as were guiltily satisfyingversions of sticky toffee pudding and St. Emilion au chocolat, a pair ofgreat English desserts developed by a pair of great English chefs of the1970's, George Perry-Smith and Francis Coulson.As a final flourish, we took a boat ride out to Waiheke Island, justbeyond the harbor in Hauraki Gulf, where several of New Zealand's cultreds are produced, including a Bordeaux-style blend from Tony Forsyth'sTe Whau vineyard. Atop Te Whau's steep, north-facing grape slopes isperched an award-winning restaurant of Corbusier-inspired design. Itserves mouth-watering hot-smoked salmon, among other items, and offersmore than 600 wines, including every big New Zealand name and multiplevintages of the French first growths.As the shadows lengthened, we ate some oysters with the hospitable Mr.Forsyth, a former management consultant, tasted a lot of wines and gazedback at the towers of Auckland, shimmering in the distance like amirage. Then, to our surprise, he announced that he had a helicopterwaiting. It whisked us across the waves, over islets and bridges andback to Xanadu in 10 minutes. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 16 Jan 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4887/1/E-Insight-into-good-eating---June-in-Croatia.html ÂInsight into good eatingJune will see a new Insight Guide to CroatiaBy GEOFFREY WILLIAMS13dec03SHOPPING and eating are two of the favourite activities for travellers and Insight Guides is tapping in to that market as it revamps and relaunches its travel guides in Australia.This year, Insight put out guides for shopping around the world and next year will publish a range of eating guides, each written by local gourmet experts. The opening editions will be on Paris, London and New York. Universal Publishers, which publishes and distributes Insight Guides in Australia, says the dining guides will be aimed at seasoned travellers who want the best. But to ensure the IG range also appeals to younger travellers, IG will revamp and relaunch its City Guides series next year with a new smaller format, improved editorial and new photography. The new look will begin with the popular destinations including Paris, Rome, New York, London, Amsterdam, Sydney, Singapore, Tokyo and Beijing. June will see a new Insight Guide to New Zealand, featuring adventure activities and sports but a strong emphasis on food, wine, performing arts, film and culture. There will be updated editions on Laos & Cambodia, Shanghai, Croatia, Iceland, Korea, Northern Spain, Tanzania & Zanzibar and Dubai. Of the 120 Insight Guides available here, the top sellers are: Australia, New Zealand, China, Italy and France. http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,8140329%255E24389,00.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 31 Dec 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4888/1/E-Insight-into-good-eating---June-in-Croatia.html ÂInsight into good eatingJune will see a new Insight Guide to CroatiaBy GEOFFREY WILLIAMS13dec03SHOPPING and eating are two of the favourite activities for travellers and Insight Guides is tapping in to that market as it revamps and relaunches its travel guides in Australia.This year, Insight put out guides for shopping around the world and next year will publish a range of eating guides, each written by local gourmet experts. The opening editions will be on Paris, London and New York. Universal Publishers, which publishes and distributes Insight Guides in Australia, says the dining guides will be aimed at seasoned travellers who want the best. But to ensure the IG range also appeals to younger travellers, IG will revamp and relaunch its City Guides series next year with a new smaller format, improved editorial and new photography. The new look will begin with the popular destinations including Paris, Rome, New York, London, Amsterdam, Sydney, Singapore, Tokyo and Beijing. June will see a new Insight Guide to New Zealand, featuring adventure activities and sports but a strong emphasis on food, wine, performing arts, film and culture. There will be updated editions on Laos & Cambodia, Shanghai, Croatia, Iceland, Korea, Northern Spain, Tanzania & Zanzibar and Dubai. Of the 120 Insight Guides available here, the top sellers are: Australia, New Zealand, China, Italy and France. http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,8140329%255E24389,00.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 18 Dec 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4889/1/E-Zinfandel-turned-out-to-be-identical-to-Croatian-grape.html ÂZinfandel turned out to be identical to Croatian grapeScratch an American, Find an ImmigrantBy FRANK J. PRIALPublished: November 19, 2003THANKSGIVING is the quintessential American holiday and deserves to be celebrated, at least occasionally, with the bounty of our fields, our farms, our seas and rivers and, by all means, our vineyards. Hardly anyone is going to argue with that premise. It's when you get down to particulars, especially where the vineyards are concerned, that the trouble starts. For example, just what do we mean by an American wine? The obvious answer is a wine from California or Oregon or Long Island, instead of a wine from, well, any other country. But cabernet and chardonnay, just to take two, are really European grapes transplanted to our shores. There are so-called native American wines like Concord, Delaware and Niagara but they all appear to have some foreign antecedents and, face it, they're not all that great to drink. There is scuppernong, from the muscadine vine, which has some fans in the Deep South, and is about as American as a wine can get. But patriotism goes only so far. That leaves zinfandel, which has been known for a long time as, yes, the American wine. There is only one problem: it is not American. Over the last half century, everyone who has known anything about wine, has known, deep down, that zinfandel was not native to this land. It was a vinifera vine, just like cabernet sauvignon and riesling and all the other big names, but there was always hope. First it was thought to have come from Italy. An Italian grape called the primitivo was said to be identical. Then we were told it wasn't. Next came something called plavac mali, a grape fromCroatia. That wasn't it, either, but the geneticists and others who worry about such things were getting warm. Two years ago, in December, 2001, they finally nailed it down. Zinfandel turned out to be identical to another Croatian grape, the crljenak kastelanski, which, as you must already know, is pronounced tsurl-YEN-ak kas-tel-AHN-ski. With that announcement, primitivo got a reprieve; turns out it really was the same as zinfandel all along. Plavac mali is a relative; a brother-in-law, perhaps. The first known documentation of zinfandel in this country was in the 1820's, when it was offered as a table grape in the catalog of a Flushing, N.Y., nursery. Planted in California in the 1850's, it became the state's most popular grape by the 1880's. Now it is second only to cabernet sauvignon among California red wine grapes.For my money, and in spite of all evidence to the contrary, it is still the American grape. It's been here longer than most of us who think of ourselves as Americans, the Croatians don't seem to want it back and it makes a very American-style wine: intense and excessive in all things if it isn't tightly controlled. What's more, it happens to be the perfect wine for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey is not the most delicate of birds; in fact, even a farm-raised turkey can be stronger tasting than many game birds. It calls for a big, aggressive red wine.Zinfandel specialists have backed away from the hubris of the late 1990's, when vintners like Cecil De Loach were pumping out zins with the alcoholic content of port. Dr. Johnson and Boswell may have downed two bottles of 18 percent alcohol in an evening, but just one bottle of zinfandel of that strength is rather risky these days. Most of the current crop of zinfandels are in the range of 14.5 to 15.5 percent alcohol, high enough when one considers that good Bordeaux rarely pass 13 percent. It's well to bear in mind that the laws allow a 1.5 percent margin in determining the alcohol content of a wine. Thus, a wine listed at l5.5 may well approach 17 percent alcohol. Among the top zinfandel producers, like Ravenswood, Rosenblum Cellars, Turley Cellars, Storybook Mountain and Ridge Vineyards, alcohol levels range from around 13 percent to 16 percent. Some carry this power better than others. Ridge, for me, has always been the benchmark zinfandel producer, and tasting through a group of Paul Draper's 2001's showed that his wines remain at the top of any zinfandel list, or close to it. Some of this vintage's wines drop below the 75 percent varietal content necessary to use the grape name. Thus the 2001 Three Valleys is listed as simply a red wine although it contains 50 percent zinfandel. The rest is carignane, petit sirah and other red grapes including mataro (mourvedre) and grenache. The Geyserville and Lytton Springs 2001's are also proprietary reds. Rosenblum Cellars offers almost a dozen different zinfandels, from vineyards ranging from Paso Robles on the Central Coast to Mendocino in the north. The Richard Sauret Vineyard and the Planchon Vineyard bottlings are worth seeking out. The winemaker Joel Gott is producing fine zinfandels from various parts of California. A generation ago, his father, Cary Gott, made a name for himself producing striking zinfandels from the Amador County region. Joel Gott's 2002 California Zinfandel, utilizing grapes from Napa, Lodi and Amador, is a delightful wine. He adds to its complexity by blending petit sirah, carignane and barbera into the wine. Many of the smaller producers' wines never leave California. One not-too-small producer's wines can be found almost everywhere. I'm talking about E&J Gallo, which has become a serious fine-wine producer in recent years. Under the Gallo of Sonoma label, the Frei Ranch zinfandel is a good buy. Under the Rancho Zabaco label there are always several zinfandel bottlings worthy of note, beginning with Dancing Bull and moving up to the Chiotti Vineyard bottling from Dry Creek Valley. At around $12, the Dancing Bull zin is a great introduction to this varietal. Not a subtle wine, it will hold its own with any hearty Thanksgiving dinner. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/19/dining/19WINE.html?ex=1070600400&en=b962143710fd82ff&ei=5070 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 09 Dec 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4890/1/E-Croatian-Owned-Trio-Gets-Rave-Reviews.html ÂCroatian-Owned Trio Gets Rave Reviews The October 23, 2003 issue of Time Out New York Magazine has a cover story concerning "Cheap Eats" in New York City. One section of the coverage is entitled "Free Munch - Don't Settle for Peanuts" and lists great places to go to get free bar food while having a drink. The article provides a list of restaurants "in meal order," I.e., starting with appetizers and ending with dessert.Trio is mentioned twice, as a place to get a "main course" and "dessert!" Trio is owned by the Ivanac family from Brela, Croatia. John Ivanac and his sister Maria also own Villa Berulia located on 34th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues."MAIN COURSE - Trio (167 East 33rd Street between Lexington and Third Avenues, 212-685-1001). Serves small-plate dishes starting at 5 pm nightly. They vary according to what the chef feels like sending out, but might include tender Croatian meatballs in marinara sauce, pizza wedges, crisp potato dumplings with crÃme traiche, freshly basked foccacia with Dalmatian Coast olive oil, or tomato-basil-mozzarella bruschetta. Consider making this a two drink stop.********DESSERT - Make that three drinks at Trio. The bar also serves great homemade cranberry-almond biscotti. And if you actually break down and dine here, you'll get free fruit-infused grappa at the end of your meal." letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 03 Nov 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4892/1/E-Pope-John-Paul-Toasts-the-World-With-Croatian-Wine.html ÂPope John Paul Toasts the World With Croatian WineOctober 18, 2003Pope Says Will Stay 'As Long as God Wants'By REUTERSFiled at 9:24 a.m. ETVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - An emotional Pope John Paul said on Saturday heintended to stay on as head of the Roman Catholic church ``as long asGod wants'' and said he and Church leaders should proclaim their faithto their ``dying breath.''The pope made his comments to cardinals and bishops from around theworld at the close of a four-day seminar on his pontificate, whichmarked its 25th anniversary on Thursday.``I ask you to continue to pray for me so that I faithfully carry out myservice to the Church for as long as God wants,'' he said, speaking inslow Italian.As has become custom, a senior aide read most of his address to thegroup, gathered in the Vatican's audience hall. The pope, who suffersfrom Parkinson's disease, has asked aides to help him read his speechesin order to conserve his strength.``Our main commitment...is to never shrink from the courage to proclaimthe gospel, even until our dying breath,'' he said in a part of thespeech read for him.A swift deterioration in his visible condition has again fueledspeculation that he might choose to resign instead of ruling for life asmost of his predecessors have done.The last pope to resign willingly was Celestine V, who stepped down in1294. Gregory XII reluctantly abdicated in 1415 when there was more thanone pope reigning at the same time.Saturday's comment was similar to one the pope made on Thursday, the dayof the anniversary, when he said God wanted him to continue leading theCatholic Church despite his frailty.The pontiff, who appeared in relatively good form but with moist eyesthat betrayed his emotion, also urged the prelates to lead simple lives.``Our work will be more incisive when we know how to highlight the faceof the Church that loves the poor, that is simple, that takes the sideof the weakest in society,'' he said.He said Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whom he will put closer to sainthoodon Sunday, was ``an emblematic example'' of how the Church should be. Asthe pope spoke, preparations were starting in St Peter's Square forSunday's beatification of India's revered ``Saint of the Gutters.''The anniversary festivities reach their climax on October 21 when thepope elevates 31 prelates to the College of Cardinals -- the elite groupthat will choose his successor after he dies.The pope and the prelates then retired for a sumptuous lunch with a menuthat included shrimp mousse, duck a l'orange with porcini mushrooms andwhite truffles.In the Vatican press room, a nationalistic cry of horror went up amongItalian journalists when a spokesman announced that the wine at thelunch was from Croatia. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Oct 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4891/1/E-Review-of-Croatian-Restaurant-Ponticello-in-Astoria.html ÂPonticello RistoranteThe following appeared in the Sunday edition of Newsday, in its QueensSection. I've been here before and recommend it as well. They alsoserve Croatian wine. John Kraljic********************************DINING OUT: PonticelloBy Peter M. GianottiSTAFF WRITEROctober 19, 200346-11 BROADWAYASTORIA718-278-4514www.ponticelloristorante.com(2 Starts)ASSESSMENT: Confident Italian.OPEN: Dinner every day. Monday to Friday for lunch.PRICE RANGE: Main courses, $16.50 to $28; pastas and risotto, $13.50 to$16.50; appetizers, $7.95 to $11.95; soups and salads, $6 to $8.50.CREDIT CARDS: All major cards.WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Main dining room at street level.DIRECTIONS: Between 46th and 47th streets.Four stars mean outstanding; three, excellent; two, very good; one,good; none, fair or poor.Ponticello, for decades one of Broadway's brighter lights, has upped itswattage.Renovated and expanded, the veteran restaurant definitely stands out. Itremains a sturdy marble bridge to traditional Italian fare along a routedominated by cuisines Asian and Latin.The player piano is devoted to Sinatra classics, show tunes and anoccasional polka. The staff moves to the slower numbers, sometimesattentively, sometimes perfunctorily. But owners Josip "Pepi" Honovicand Bogomir "Luigi" Kucica are an ever-watchful, friendly duo, givingPonticello neighborly warmth.Their main room, a high-ceilinged space decorated with architecturaldrawings of capitals and rimmed with cascading greenery, is comfortableand very busy. More private rooms are on the side, and downstairsopposite a well-stocked wine cellar.Daily specials abound, but listen carefully because edited versions canbe heard at each table. The waiter quickly recites a few. So one groupmay learn about half the seafood, and another receive a partial pastabriefing. After three or four nearby tables get their messages, youshould know most of the evening's repertoire.Bracing, generous minestrone is a satisfying starter. It's much betterthan the pale, underseasoned onion soup and pastina in brodo. The hotantipasto is an uneven affair, highlighted by fine eggplant rollatine,marred by overcooked stuffed mushrooms and baked clams.Spiedini alla Romana, the deep-fried cheese sandwich with a tangy,caper-strewn sauce, is a solid, wintry opener. Countless mounds oflightly gilded, fried calamari come from the kitchen. But the friedzucchini is more dark brown than gold.Pastas are worth sampling, either as appetizers or middle courses. Theyinclude very good perciatelli in a spirited, slightly smoky-sweet tomatosauce flecked with pork. Penne with broccoli, garlic and oil, is ablunt, tasty dish. Pappardelle here are diamonds of pasta, tossed in amodest veal sauce. But spaghetti carbonara is on the dull side, moreheavy than rich. Ponticello prepares hearty, homey manicotti.The house version of steak alla pizzaiola is among the top main courses:a fibrous, juicy cut, under a mantle of peppers and scarlet sauce. Theyalso make veal alla pizzaiola.Osso buco, mild and mellow, could use a bit of gremolata in the juices,with its trademark hint of lemon peel. Tender calf's liver allaVeneziana, however, does have lively flavor, heightened by the onionsand a light, vinegary edge. Rustic pork chops with hot peppers andvinegar also are flavorful and easily recommended.Sauteed snapper, respectable and right, materialized instead of theordered branzino. Dover sole a la meuniere boasts excellent fish, butthe sauce is cloudy-floury more than buttery, and another shot ofparsley would help, too.Ponticello's standard accompaniment is a savory combo of mashed potatoesand cabbage, a country-style hint of the establishment's Istrian rootsthat makes you want to sample more of the region's dishes. Sides ofsauteed broccoli rabe and spinach could turn the most ardent carnivoretoward greens.The desserts you'll be told about are comparatively few. But try thefirst-rate cannoli, lush tiramisu and a delectable two-tier rendition ofa napoleon. The ricotta cheesecake doesn't quite hold together; and theapple strudel is anonymous.You may linger over a strong espresso and perhaps partake of the sambucathat alights shortly before. It adds to the glow of Ponticello. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Oct 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4893/1/E-Croatian-Tailgaters-in-Kansas-City.html ÂCroatian Tailgaters in Kansas CityThe following article from the New York Times discusses some of thefoods the writer saw at a tailgate party prior to a Kansas City Chiefs'football game. Note the Croatian foods which were being served at someparties. John KraljicSeptember 24, 2003Before the Sunday Kickoff, Tailgating With GustoBy PETER KAMINSKYANSAS CITY, Mo.They come here to the Arrowhead Stadium parking lots from Independence,Grandview, Boonville and from out in Benton County by the reservoir, allwith a passion for food and football. They come dressed in red, drivingred vans and red pickups. They light fires in the parking lots beforefinishing their morning coffee. They are fans of the Kansas City Chiefs,but more than this, they are tailgaters, heartland enthusiasts of alfresco cuisine.And they are not alone. More than a million people attend NationalFootball League games each weekend. Dan Masonson, a league spokesman,estimates that 400,000 tailgate before kickoff. Hundreds of thousandsmore - millions maybe - tailgate before college football games and inthe infield during Nascar races (race officials estimate that at least30 percent of the crowds tailgate). Their numbers swell when you takeinto account Friday night high school games and Saturday collegelacrosse matches, amateur soccer and flag-football leagues.Allocate a six-inch bratwurst for each of these weekend tailgaters -taking two million as a conservative estimate - and you could lay astraight line of sausages from the Meadowlands, the Giants' home, toRavens Stadium in Baltimore - 191 miles.Todd Wickstrom, who runs Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, Mich., saidsales of foods for grills and picnics increased some 30 percent on theUniversity of Michigan's game days. Tailgate dining costs less andtastes better than eating in the stadium, he said. "You can drink yourown beer, eat your own barbecue," he continued, "and then you can go tothe game and be full and not have to fight to go through all the lines."But there is little fast food among die-hard tailgaters. For some fans,the time spent cooking is half the fun. At Louisiana State University,some fans show up 48 hours before kickoff to start tailgating, accordingto the sports information director, Michael Bonnette. When the Tigerstraveled to the University of Arizona, he added, the L.S.U. fans wereshocked to discover that tailgating was allowed only five hours beforegame time. "Our fans just felt like they had gone to another country,"he said.If you had to pick just one tailgate event to attend - and I haveattended dozens - Arrowhead's would be the one. Chiefs fans tailgatewith gusto, and eat well while doing so.With its history as a meatpacking center, Kansas City is the birthplaceof one of America's four great barbecue traditions (the others beingTexas and the two Carolinas), and on game days the scent of slow-grilledmeat hangs like a haze over the more than 300 acres of the stadium'slots. Arrowhead's management recognizes the passion. There are enoughPort-a-Potties surrounding the stadium to accommodate 70,000 fans, andspecial receptacles for disposing of live coals are visible everywhereyou look.Arrowhead is tailgaters' Valhalla.It is also the site of a lineup that suggests a pickup-truck version ofthe Oklahoma land rush.At 6:30 a.m. on a recent Sunday, as the Chiefs slumbered before theirfirst home game, against the San Diego Chargers, there were lines ahalf-mile long outside the stadium. The parking lots open at 9 a.m., butarriving three hours early is necessary for those prepared to jockey forthe best spots, close to the stadium.Lucy Long, an assistant professor of popular culture at Bowling GreenUniversity in Ohio, had told me that tailgating was male-dominated."It's a chance to show off," she said, "through the money spentpurchasing expensive gourmet food or through culinary prowess." Butthere at the wheel of the seventh van in the line was Deborah Davis, whowith her husband, Richard, heads a competitive barbecue team called ButtHead Barbecue. They had begun their preparations the night before, as Ilearned during a visit to their farm in Adrian, Mo. The Davises, both49, have devoted a room of their modern barn to a well-equipped kitchenwhose décor of football helmets, autographed pictures and banners makesit look like a shrine to the Chiefs and the University of Missourifootball team.Mr. Davis had already loaded his large portable smoker with the first ofthe 18 slabs of ribs he prepares for game days, while Ms. Davis hadprepared the mise en place for a fresh black bean salsa with Hollandtomatoes. "The local ones just didn't happen this year," she saidwincing. A natural chef, she wielded her knife with speed and precision,then moved along to prepare a marinade for barbecued shrimp.It looked good, and I asked if I might have the recipe. Ms. Davis lookedup with a smile, but Mr. Davis answered, "Nope."I was not surprised. Those who compete in barbecue contests never tellanybody anything. As is football games, the tiniest adjustments canconfer an overwhelming advantage.I had witnessed similar preparations earlier in the day during a visitto another group of Kansas City tailgaters, this one cooking under thename the Gremlin Grill. Run by three brothers, Al, Pat and BrettMcSparin, the Gremlin was competing in the summer sun at the BarbecueBlaze Off at the Calvary Baptist Church in Blue Springs, Mo. ("And YouThink It's Hot Here?" read the sign in front of the church.) Porkshoulder was on the menu for the Blaze Off, but the brothers,accompanied by a legion of children, wives and friends, were alsostarting to smoke a prime rib that they would eat at their Arrowheadtailgate party the next day."We've been doing this for about 15 years," Pat McSparin said. "We aredie-hard fans."AT 7 a.m. Sunday morning, Al McSparin's teenage son, Tyler, was tossinga football to friends under light pole G-28, the spot the McSparins haveheld for every game since they began tailgating in 1988. Over in Lot H,Rich Davis did the same at his spot. Lobbing a pigskin is whattailgaters across the country do when they're waiting for the lots toopen. From inside the stadium came the booming sounds of the bass andorgan introduction to the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin.' " Itwas loud enough to make my heart thump.At 8:58, the stampede commenced. Like an invasion force hitting thebeach, the McSparin crew approached in half a dozen vehicles, parked andbegan to unload gear. By 9:04, two grills had been assembled, and thefirst puffs of smoke curled upward from them. Seven minutes after that,there were three tents erected above long tables, a cocktail bar andcoolers full of cold drinks. As a breakfast offering, someone put acouple dozen chicken kabobs over the fire.As the McSparins established their family beachhead, the wide plain ofthe parking lots here were transformed, nearly as quickly, into atailgating encampment dedicated to the pleasures of food and drink. Theair grew thick with smoke as the aroma of thousands of grills hit fromall sides.Fifty feet away from the McSparins, Ken Yarnevich and his friends - someCroatian, some Slovenian, all Chiefs fans - set out a spread of stuffedcabbage and plates of the nutty, buttery pastry, part sweet, partsavory, that is known as povatica.One fan had also prepared a marvelous concoction of ground pork and beefin a savory brown sauce. Joe Horvat, who calls himself Joko the Croat,said it was djuvec.Continuing around the lots, I savored more marvels. Here were grillsattached to the trailer hitches of pickup trucks and mobile kitchensthat might have served Hollywood movie sets. And there in Lot M wasMonty Spradling preparing the most perfectly cooked hamburger I haveever tasted. Indeed, so confident was Mr. Spradling in his offering thathe served it to me on a bun, unseasoned and with no condiments.His secret? "The single most important thing here is to use excellentbeef from a butcher who grinds aged chuck," he said. "My butcheractually throws a little brisket trimmings into the grinder." And histechnique? Simple. "Cook on a hot but not flaming fire for 5 to 6minutes per side. I only turn once."Around 10:30 a.m., the combination of smoke, food, music, good spiritsand anticipation of the game began to blend into an irresistible, almostpsychedelic haze of bonhomie.It led me inexorably toward Rich Davis and his ribs. In contravention ofthe Kansas City barbecue canon (which calls for a sweet red sauce), Mr.Davis served his ribs bare, with only a dry rub for seasoning, and itwas among the best I have eaten in the tailgate or barbecue-competitionworld. I told him I tasted different kinds of peppers as well as clovesand floral sweetness."You're right on the peppers," he said, "wrong on the cloves." Thesweetness? A true pit master never tells.Over at the McSparin bacchanal, Al McSparin was finishing his smokedprime rib. I drew myself an ice cold pint of Foster's beer from his keg,mounted on a truck, and dug into an herbaceous, earthy, smoky, saltyslab of beef. By the time I was finished, ticket-holders were streamingpast me into the stadium, a river of red.As best as I could tell, the departing fans had doused their fires andgotten rid of the coals, but Pat McSparin was not so sure. "You canalways count on some idiot putting his hibachi under the car so that noone will steal it during the game," he said. "Then you have to call thefire department."Oh, yes, the game. Chiefs 27, Chargers 14. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 28 Sep 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4894/1/E-Grgich-Hills-in-Forbes-Magazine.html  Wine of the Week  Grgreat Grgich  Nick Passmore At 80 years old, Mike Grgich has lost none of his enthusiasms--whether for charming leggy models 60 years his junior, or for making the superlative, age-worthy chardonnay he is famous for, he still approaches life with an infectious gusto.  Now I don't know Mike well enough to comment on the former but I do know he is still making fabulous wine. A vast majority of white wine is meant to be drunk within a year or two of being produced. However, a very small percentage of the best chardonnay can go on improving for at least ten years, and coincidently, I recently got to taste two such wines within a few days of each other. It brought home to me not only just how great some chardonnay can be when it has a few years of bottle age on it, but how the best from California are equal to, or even surpass, fine Burgundy. When To Drink: Now Breathing/ Decanting: 30 minutes Grapes: 100% chardonnay Appellation: Napa Valley Region: California Country: U.S. Price: Approximately $75, if you can find it Availability: Extremely limited, probably auction only Web Site: Grgich Hills The first one I tried was this week's wine, Grgich Hills Chardonnay 1991, and the second, which will be the subject of next week's column, was from Chateau Montelena. These are two of the most storied names in California winemaking and curiously they are linked by history. In 1976, before he started his own winery, Mike Grgich was the winemaker at Montelena when its chardonnay won first prize at the famous Paris blind tasting that put California winemaking on the map. What I found most fascinating about the 1991 Grgich Hills Chardonnay was how it evolved the longer it was open. At first it was all tart green apples and bright citrus fruits--pleasant but nothing special, a one-dimensional wine. But just a few minutes later, it opened up, and hints of oak and vanilla emerged. Time went on, another glass was drunk, and the wine became increasingly interesting and complex. After half an hour it rounded out and softened; the bright fruit, so obvious at the beginning, was augmented by layers of other flavors: wood and spice, vanilla and honey, smoke and damp earth. Also, it now showed a finish that seemed to go on for ever. It really came into its own when the food arrived. This is absolutely not a cocktail wine, not an aperitif wine, but a wine that shows its subtle, nuanced complexity when paired with food. The 1991 is difficult to find and probably only available at auction. But Grgich is still making wonderful wine, so it will be a sound investment, for your palate, to buy a case or two of the current vintage (the 2000 sells for around $40 per bottle) and spend the next ten years anticipating the pleasures to come. Forbes Fact Although it sounds appropriately rustic, the origination of the name Grgich Hills is due more to happy coincidence than geography. The name of the winery is derived from, obviously, Mike Grgich's last name and that of his partner, Austin E. Hills, an heir to the Hills Bros. coffee company, now part of Sara Lee (nyse: SLE) http://www.forbes.com/2003/08/06/cx_np_0806wow.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 06 Aug 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4895/1/EH-Boskinac---A-New-Croatian-Star.html   BOŠKINAC A NewCroatian Star GrandOpening July6th 2003, Novalja, Island Pag, Croatia  www.boskinac.com  Info@boskinac.com 011-385-53-663-500Tel 011-385-53-663-501Fax letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 26 Jun 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4896/1/E-A-Tiny-Corner-of-Croatia-is-Bursting-With-Exquisite-Cuisine.html ÂA tiny corner of Croatia is bursting with exquisite cuisineBy NONIE FISHFor The Register-Guard "HOW DOyou do? My name is Darko. I am your driver." Thus began a 7 1/2 -hour driving adventure - we were passengers in a Taurus station wagon in an unknown land. It was the final leg of a 37-hour trek to the town of Mali Losinj on the island of Losinj, Croatia. How long had we been chasing this holiday? Ever since last Easter, when Italian-Croatian friends extended an innocent invitation. "We would love to have youcome to the island with us this summer," they said. Shopping for produce on the island of Losinj, Croatia, is a colorful experience. There's a wide selection of fresh fish at the public market on Losinj. Spaghetti Fruitti diMare is one of the delightful dishes served at Restaurant Artatore on Losinj,Croatia. A cold antipasto platter, including crab and whipped white fish salads, is served at Restaurant Artatore. A group boards a boat for a trip to Restaurant Artatore on Losinj. Crostoli is a traditional birthday treat. Photos: NONIE FISH / for The Register-Guard It takes four flights to get from Eugene to Trieste, a mid-sized city at the northeast border of Italy and the closest jumping-off point to Losinj. The itinerary included our favorite small airline, Air Dolemite, with first-rate food service taking advantage of the best Italian specialties - an assortment of panini, breadsticks, prosciutto (ham), hunks of Parmesan and chocolate biscotti. After landing in Trieste, we made a fast run through an Italian supermarket. We purchased olive oil, wine, saffron, San Danile prosciutto and a dinner to take along in the car. The selections were overwhelming. We chose olive oil by color and region produced, and picked our wine - merlot, amarone, rubesco, sangiovese, pinot grigio, pinot biancos, malvasia andtocai. Buoni! Olive oil and wine - the two most important elements of theItalian-Adriatic table. For dinner in the car, wechose a little salami di felino, mortadella for my husband, olives and pecorino(sheep's cheese). It was the first weekend of Ferragosto - the beginning of the Italian summer vacation. The roads were crowded with tourists, doubling the normal drive time between Trieste and Losinj. Darko was an ultimate professional in navigating his cell phone as well as the rain-slickened roads, speaking in alternating Croatian, Italian and English on his phone and with his American passengers. Eventually, we crossed intoCroatia, the sky black as midnight and producing a rainy torrent. At a ferrycrossing, where the plan was to switch cars at the other side, my son, Michael,slipped and dropped a bag of groceries. Fortunately, only a bottle of pinotgrigio was sacrificed. The air was filled with the bouquet of diesel and vino. We dragged ourselves into the ferry's galley and sat grim-faced and punch-drunk. Once in a while, we broke into uproarious laughter. As we arrived in Mali Losinj, all I wanted was a bowl of hot soup and a comfortable bed. We were met with hugs and kisses, and began catching up with one another. Immediately, we became awareof luscious aromas from the kitchen - bowls of brodo (broth) with tiny stelline(star pasta). We thanked God for our safearrival, and then slid our spoons into the brodo. The flavors of beef, chickenand grated Parmesan cheese bombarded me with happiness and the thoughts ofAntoinetta Pogliani. How incredibly lucky it was to cook with the 83-year old matriarch of the Pogliani family - our hosts. The food is magnificent on this island. The basic ingredients have been blessed: fruit, vegetables, cheeses, seafood, poultry and meat are easy to come by at amazingly low prices. Our days began at the breakfast table, where plans for the rest of the day were decided. We talked of picnics or hikes, discussed which beaches were best for swimming, debated eating outor in, and created the lists for the day's food shopping. A double-birthday celebration (mine and Antoinetta's) included Restaurant Artatore, where the cold antipasto platter contained pesce in soar, a breaded fried white fish marinated in avinegar sauce. A salad of calamari and potatoes, shredded crab with its ownroe, was seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil and salt. A warm seafood platter includedtender mussels, clams the size of little fingernails and scallops highlightedby the yolk-colored roe. On the bottom of the platter was a sea of nectarousbroth flavored with garlic. Pieces of bread held tightly by eager hands absorbedthe liquid. These simple Italian seafood dishes served without grated Parmigiano is tradition at its finest. Not even World War II, when Mali Losinj was part of Italy, was cause enough to remove this enclave of Italians from the land that is now called Croatia. Our birthday cake was an amazing rendition of a Genoise-like cake, a wonderfully moist sponge cake frosted with whipped cream that contained diced peaches and a hint of peach brandy. Candles were lit and the two mothers made wishes, and it was my honor to serve the cake. Buonissisma! I will always remember myfirst taste of warming brodo, the grilled lamb, and pork sausages (cevapeici) served with coleslaw and red bell pepper puree, called Ajar. Red, white and blue Croatian flags waved off the bows of the boats. This is a part of the world unspoiled by tourism; but it won't be long before more people who love what these islands have to offer will visit this paradise. Angnello con Erbe Di'Isola in Tecia (Lamb with herbs in a casserole) Mrs. Pogliani prepared thisone evening. Tecia means "pot" in the Istrian dialect. 4 pounds lamb, cut into manageable size pieces, about a 1/2 pound apiece (use any pieces of lamb: leg, ribs, chops, etc.); You may have to use 2 saute pans 1 large head garlic, divided into cloves and peeled; cut half of them into matchsticks 6 sprigs (each about 4 incheslong) fresh rosemary, some of it with torn off stems, other kept long (donot use dried rosemary) Olive oil 1 or 2 medium onions, cut into quarters 1 small bunch fresh sage (do not use dried sage) 4 to 6 fresh bay leaves (or 1 or 2 dried) Salt and pepper to taste 1 1/2 cups dry white wine (or more if needed) 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (enough to keep lamb moist and keep meat from sticking to bottom of pot; Addmore broth if needed; don't let it stick) Water Cut slits into fleshy sections of lamb about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. First, stuff garlic into a slit and into the next slit, stuff rosemary. Pour a small amount of oliveoil, just enough to cover bottom, into saute pans, about 1/8 inch. Laypieces of lamb in the pan, being careful not to have pieces touch. Scatter generously pieces of rosemary around the meat. Scatter rest of garlic cloves over meat if there are any left and as many pieces of onion that fit, not overdoing, maybe 4 pieces into each pan. Scatter the sage and bay leaves into the pan. Salt and pepper meat. Brown on both sides on lively (medium-high)heat along with the onion sections. Carefully brown the thicker sections,as they will have more than one side, until all are golden brown, about 5to 7 minutes per piece of lamb. When brown, add white wine and chicken broth to lamb and let boil for 30 seconds. Cover and put on low heat. As the wine and broth mixture cooks, it may boil away. Add water a littleat a time so meat will not stick. Cook until meat is tender and comes away from the bone. Remove bay leaves and twigs from the herbs beforeserving. Serves 6. Contorno di Patate e Sedano (Side dish of celery root and potatoes) We had this dish to accompany the lamb. 2 heads celery root, peeled and each cut into 5 or 6 pieces 6 yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold, each about 3 inches long) 2 large-size carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch size pieces 1/2 cube butter, sitting out of refrigerator to soften About 1 cup warm milk 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese Sprinkle of grated nutmeg (to taste) Salt and pepper to taste Cut up the vegetables and place in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to boil, cover, turn down heat to low and cook until fork easily pierces vegetables. Drain, put through afood mill or food processor, add butter in pieces and mash together. Add milk slowly, only as much as the mixture will take. Add cheese and nutmeg; incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve (can reheat in a microwave). Croatian Pepperonata alla Lussignana (Bell pepper mix) For a salad, we had sliced tomatoes with the name Cuore di bue, or "heart of the bull." Heart shaped, they were served alongside the Pepperonata. This version is a room-temperature pepper and tomato spread. 3 large yellow bell peppers, chopped (or a combination of red, green or yellow bell peppers) 3 small eggplants, chopped 2 small zucchini, chopped 1 onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, chopped 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 4 large tomatoes, chopped Virgin olive oil to taste, plus extra Salt and pepper to taste Chop or dice the vegetables and parsley. Film a pan with olive oil, and cook vegetables in the oil over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute and mix occasionally. If the vegetables seem too dry as they cook, add a little water now and then. Cook on low heat until vegetables are softened almost like a spread. Mash together. Taste for salt and pepper and correct seasonings if necessary. Drizzlewith olive oil before serving at room temperature. Sugo di Agnello (also called Sguazeto) alla Mrs. Pogliani (Lamb sauce with spice) Another recipe for using lamb was a sugo (sauce) and penne pasta. This is typical to the archipelago of Losinj. We sat around the table, inhaled the individual aroma and swooned as we ate bite after bite, hoping it would last. Part 1: 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup extravirgin olive oil, depending on pan size 2 pounds leg of lamb, cut into 2-inch-by-3-inch pieces, with bones 1 1/2 large onions, thinly sliced 2 whole cloves garlic 1 small bunch sage 1 6-inch sprig rosemary Film saute pan with olive oil. Dry pieces of meat with paper towels so they will brown well (if wet, they will steam and not brown). On medium heat, add onions and garlic; stir until each side has been covered with oils from pan. Turn heat down and cover until onions wilt and lightly brown. Remove cover and put lamb into a pot. Make a bouquet garni from sage and rosemary (wrap in cheesecloth and tie witha string). Put into pot. Cover pan and let cook on a lively (medium-high) fire, watching closely by lifting the lid every 10 to 15 minutes, until tender enough to be pierced by a fork. Then remove lid, stir and move around pieces that stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook and turn pieces of lamb an additional 12 to 15 minutes while the juices slowly evaporate andlamb pieces turn brown. Part 2: 1 tube imported double-concentrate tomato paste 5 whole cloves 1 cup dry white wine Salt Black pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon freshly groundnutmeg 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (to taste) 1 pound penne pasta 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese Combine the tube of tomato paste with 3 cups of water and 5 whole cloves and set aside. Add dry white wine to lamb. Continue cooking on a lively (medium-high heat) fire and stir meat around in the pan until the wine evaporates. Pour tomato paste over meat and continue cooking for at least 45 minutes to an hour. At this point, the liquid almost covers the meat. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of salt, black pepper to taste, freshly ground nutmeg and cinnamon into tomato paste mixture. Add more water if liquid evaporates too fast; but only a little at a time. Put cover back on, turn heat down to medium-low and cook 1 hour. Check occasionally. (When the tomato sauce is done, it will have a light creamy consistency.) At this point, if the lamb is not done, add more water slowly until lamb is cooked through and falls off from bones. Keep testing with a fork until the fork goes in easily, then check every 15 minutes or so, adding a little water when needed. When lamb is done, remove from pot and set lamb aside for another meal. Bring another pot of water to boil, add 1 or 2 teaspoons salt: Add the pasta and cook until al dente. When pasta is finished, drain, put back into pasta pot and pour warmed tomato sauce over pasta, correct for salt and pepper, toss with cheese and serve immediately. Crostoli A birthday tradition in the Pogliani family is a fried sweet, called crostoli, that is found in the region around Trieste. It is made each time a family member has a birthday. In English, we call them bowties or rags. Mrs. Pogliani took me into the kitchenone afternoon and began the crostoli lesson. 5 egg yolks 1 whole egg 1 tablesppon cooled melted butter 1 teaspoon sugar 1 pinch salt 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons rum As much all-purpose flour as liquid absorbs to make a soft dough Vegetable oil Powdered sugar Mix yolks, egg and melted butter, sugar, salt, red wine vinegar and rum together. Add a little flour at a time and with a fork mix slowly at first, incorporating flour, as much as the mixture will hold in order to make a soft, rollable dough. At this point, stop adding flour. Soon a ball will form. Let bowl sit covered 1/2 hour. When ball can be handled, sprinkle flour onto a dry board, push extra aside so only a light coat remains on the board. Roll out into a 1/8 -inch thickness. Cut with a ruffled pastry wheel into ribbons 1-inch-by- 1/2 -inch long. Pull cut dough strips slightly lengthwise until you can tie each one into a single knot. Set each aside ona lightly floured cloth. While working on dough, heat a pan large enough to hold crostoli 2 at a time with enough vegetable oil to come a third of the way up the side of pan (no more, the oil expands when heated and will overflow). Heat oil until a small piece of dough dropped into pan fries to a golden brown. Then put into pan 2 knotted pieces to deep fry to a golden brown (only 2 at a time). This probably takes about 1 minute. Take crostoli from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper from brown paper bags. Continue to fry 2 at a timeuntil all are finished. Allow oil to cool while frying if it gets too hotand crostoli get too dark, then continue frying. If possible, oil may beused again. Attractively pile the crostoli high on a platter and sift with powdered sugar. This is nice to serve for dessert with a sparkling wine such as proseco or a moscato d'Asti. Brodo di Antoinetta (Chicken and beef broth) This is the welcoming broth we ate the night we arrived after our incredible 7 1/2 -hour trip from Trieste, through the pouring rain. 2 chicken legs 2 chicken thighs 1 piece beef shin - 3/4 to 1 pound (with bone, important because it gives broth more flavor) 2 large carrots 2 whole cloves garlic 1 whole onion, peeled and sliced, root end removed 1/4 peeled celery root or two stalks celery cut in half Salt and pepper to taste Pastina ( 1/4 cup per person), preferably little pasta stars Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese to pass at table Put all ingredients except pastina and grated cheese into an 8-quart stockpot, cover with cold water and bring to boil; keep at a gentle boil. When foam appears, skim and continue to skim until it is as clear as you can get it. Simmer broth on low heat for1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Cool, remove chicken, beef and vegetables and set aside. You may use the items removed from the pot lateras a boiled dinner. Continue to skim once more and try to get it as bright as possible. When ready to serve, remove as much broth as you will serve for dinner and put it in another pot. Set 2 cups orso aside into a small pot. Bring both broths to boil, check for salt and pepper,and correct seasons if necessary. For each person you will be serving, put 1/4 cup of pastina into the broth. Cook until pastina is al dente (check by tasting). Check to see if there is enough broth in the pan or if the pastina has absorbed too much. If so, add some of the 2 cups of hot broth or as much as you think necessary to serve as a soup. Check for salt and pepper. Serve and pass grated Parmigiano. Pesche nel Biechiere alla Walter (Peaches in the style of Walter) One morning, we purchased six golden-skinned peaches - touched by a blush of rouge - to make a pie. But one thing led to another, and we were exhausted. Antoinetta's son, Walter, demonstrated a family specialty. Using the everyday white wine of the region, Malvasia Istriana, we sat around the table making our own individual desserts. For one 8-ounce glass: 1 peach 2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar (or more if peaches are too tart) 1/2 to 3/4 cup dry whitewine (such as a pinot gris) to fill glass Peel peach. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Dissolve 2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar into 1/2 to 3/4 cup of dry white wine. Put peaches into glass and pour white wine over them. Let stand about 30 minutes. Eat with a spoon and drink wine. Insalata di Marisa (Marisa's salad) Another simple summer recipe - with what we called the taste of the island - came from a cousin of the Poglianis. Serve with a loaf of sliced, dense, crusty bread. 4 large tomatoes, hopefully 2 should be very ripe, cut into eighths 1/2 small red onion, slicedthinly 2 small crisp green cucumbers, skinned, seeded and cut into rounds 1/2 large or 1 small yellowbell pepper cut into matchstick pieces 4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon robust red wine vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Combine vegetables in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to make the dressing. Pour dressing over the vegetables. Toss and serve.All the juices in the bottom of the bowl that collect are for dipping withpieces of hearty bread. Nonie Fish is a free-lance food writer from Eugene.http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/01/fd.croatia.0101.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 09 Jan 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4897/1/E-Grgich-Hills-Cellars-25th-anniversary.html It's another 25th anniversary for MikeGrgichÂThursday, November 21, 2002By PAUL FRANSONRegister CorrespondentThis year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Grgich-Hills Cellars by winemaker Miljenko "Mike" Grgich and coffee magnate Austin Hills.It follows Grgich's other 25th anniversary last year, that marking the renowned Paris tasting where a 1973 chardonnay he made for Chateau Montelena outdid the best French white Burdundies.Since the winery was founded, it has developed a reputation for excellent wines, but ones that might have been a bit ahead of their time. They're made in a European style rather than the richer California model, and the chardonnays age for years, while the cabernets are highly regarded for both their elegance, aging well and being particularly compatible with food.ÂLooking back on a quarter centuryGrgich reflected on the last quarter century, and how his winery and its winemaking has evolved. The winery produces now about 80,000 cases per year, and Grgich intends to stay at that level. "We intend to grow quality, size," he said.To achieve that goal, the firm has been acquiring vineyards throughout Napa Valley, and now owns Grgich-Hills now owns 418 acres of vineyards. In two years, will be able to supply all its own needs.ÂIn this, he depends on his partner Austin Hills. "He keeps the winery on solid ground," said Grgich. "He's a smart businessman with good experience. He gives us good advice."Reflecting his European winemaking training, Grgich has always emphasized that vineyards are the most important element of the winemaking process, a concept sometimes forgotten in enthusiasm for "cult" winemakers. "We make our wines in the vineyard," he said. "My job is to grow balanced grapes, then pick them at physiological maturity," he said.ÂThe winery now has vineyards in what Grgich considers Napa Valley's best sites for the specific grapes: zinfandel on 40 acres in Calistoga, cabernet sauvignon in Rutherford and Yountville, 86 acres chardonnay and four of merlot in Carneros and those same grapes plus sauvignon blanc in American Canyon.ÂLast year was the first the winery produced a varietal merlot. It formerly used it as a component of its cabernet sauvignon wines along with small amounts of cabernet franc and petite Verdot.Â"I've been very surprised at the merlot from American Canyon," said Grgich. "It's very balanced with a softness I don't see in merlots from other sites." The winery made 500 cases.In all his vineyards, Grgich is moving toward organic farming of the vines, though he says they've always used minimal chemicals and none of the vineyards are firmly organic yet.Grgich is especially fond of zinfandel, which reminded him of vines from his native Croatia. He comes from a small town near the coast in the former republic of Yugoslavia that has a wine-making traditional as long as that of nearby Italy. He fled his native land, ending up in Napa Valley where he acted as a winemaker for Chateau Souverain, Christian Brothers, Beaulieu and Robert Mondavi Winery. He joined Chateau Montelena in 1972, then started Grgich-Hills Cellars in 1977.It's recently been determined, with Grgich's help, that zinfandel is a little-known indigenous Croatian grape variety called Crljenak kastalanski and closely related to its popular Plavac Mali vine.ÂMaintaining his love for zinfandel, Grgich-Hills recently introduced a very limited production wine, Miljenko's Old Vine Zinfandel, from his Calistoga vineyard planted in 1884. On the 50-acre property, Grgich planted zinfandel using cuttings from the old 4-acre zinfandel cultivar from the site. The budwood had never been through the heat-treatment process used to eliminate viruses, but Grgich finds it makes superior wine.Changes in winemakingAlthough he still regards the vineyards as the key part of his winemaking, Grgich is a master in the process most consider winemaking. "In the winery we marry the flavors of the grapes, oak and yeast and send the wine on a honeymoon," he said poetically. "None of the flavors should stick out but they should be integrated and rounded."He hasn't stood still, however. "Every year we've done something better," he said.One big change for the winery in recent years was to adopt the popular technique of fermenting of chardonnay in oak barrels instead of stainless steel, which helps marry the flavors. It also let the chardonnay age on the yeast cells rather that isolating them, which releases tasty amino acids and proteins from the dying yeast cells.In optimum years, Grgich-Hills makes limited amounts of a sweet dessert wine named Violetta after Mike's daughter. The winery just released its 2000 vintage; the last year it was made was 1995.ÂGrgich notes another big change in the wine business. "Forty years ago, if you had a good wine, that was enough."Twenty years ago, you had to make an even better wine, and provide good service for customers." Now, he said, "You have to have that and superior communications with the public as well."ÂGrgich remains active in promoting his wine, attending many functions around the country. The winery is renovating its new visitor center to include an upscale experience by appointment only, and is turning his former residence, a prominent Victorian in Yountville surrounded by vines, into a hospitality center and offices .Mike Grgich is still going strong at 79, but he's increasingly turning day-to-day operations over to Violet and nephew and winemaker Ivo Jeramaz.Mike Grgich has moved into a modern house overlooking his vineyards in Calistoga and continues to go into the winery as needed. He's legally still the winemaker and approves all the wines.In addition, he spends time on other projects here and abroad. He is involved in the Roots of Peace program that clears mine fields in Croatia and elsewhere. He has also established a small winery in Croatia to transfer modern technology to his homeland and sells its wines here.ÂMost of all, he remains a spokesman for the American dream. "I tell newcomers to America to do quality work and have a good character so people will trust you. If you do, there are always people willing to back you. That's the only way to succeed."It's a lesson he learned well. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Dec 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4898/1/E-Truffles-from-Croatia.html ÂTruffles fromCroatiaThe following restaurant review from the New York Times mentions that the restuarant features truffles from Croatia. Most Croatian truffles come from the interior of Istria and are considered some of the best in the world. John KraljicNovember 13, 2002No Mothers, but a Respect for TraditionBy ERIC ASIMOVSOME restaurants never change. The character of a Peter Luger Steak House, for example, or an Il Mulino is so distinct and fully formed that you want to preserve it forever. Other restaurants, the great majority, must evolve or fade into sameness, their distinguishing features turning opaque and gray.It would be easy to imagine Le Madri in that whatever-happened-to category. Pino Luongo opened the restaurant in 1989 to a great deal of heat and fanfare and it quickly became the must-visit restaurant for what Bryan Miller, then the New York Times critic, called "the hugs-and-kisses-I-love-your-hat-Ciao-baby crowd."ÂThose stylish days are long gone. Situated in a neighborhood with a pulsating nightlife, Le Madri today posts a sign out front offering a free parking tie-in for the out-of-towners who make up much of the clientele. It hasn't heard a "Ciao, baby" in years.ÂAnd yet, Le Madri has evolved rather than ossified, and the results are more than encouraging. Under a new chef, Pippa S. Calland, who took over the kitchen this year, the food is better than ever. It is no longer the rustic Tuscan fare prepared, according to Mr. Luongo's original conceit, by the nurturing hands of a rotating team of Italian mothers. Unburdened by that particular gimmick, Ms. Calland combines a respect for Italian traditions with an international sensibility that nonetheless never strays too far from Italy and is always anchored by good taste.Her evolved-Italian approach is typified by a surprising but excellent appetizer of tender pan-roasted clams, served with cubes of chorizo, cranberry beans and sawed-off tubetti pasta in a broth of tomatoes and chipotle chilies. The chorizo and chipotle add just the right smoky notes to this spicy, earthy dish. She serves rabbit confit in a crock with soft polenta, kale and melted taleggio, the fragrant, oozy mass adorned with toasted walnuts and pearl onions. It's the kind of dish that makes you wish for a cold rainy night and an old movie. So does bruschetta piled high with chicken livers, onions and pancetta, all imbued with the flavors of sage and balsamic vinegar.Coziness now rules in the dining room, too. Once, the pale walls and vaulted ceiling seemed fit for Florentine princes, though they made the room piercingly loud when full. Now the room has been softened by muted plaid wall coverings, echoed in the equally muted but different plaid that covers the chairs. It is quieter, but the room feels as if it is swathed in flannel pajamas, patterns that juxtapose oddly with the pseudo-grape vines twined around wires overhead.Waiters might as well be wearing footie pajamas, too, for all their puppylike eagerness to narrate the scripted extra details about the daily specials: for $87 you can taste the best white truffles that Croatia has to offer over risotto (superb, I must confess). A wood-burning oven on one side of the room remains a visual focus, perfuming the air with the scent of smoke, bread, oil and toasting herbs. From the oven come fine pizzas, light and crisp-crusted.It's fun to see what Ms. Calland does with seasonal ingredients. One night she made a wonderful soup of ground chestnuts and rice, lightly sweet yet made savory by pancetta. On another night the chestnuts were in the risotto, with fennel sausage under a blanket of cheese. On a third, they had been ground into a pasta dough, giving it a pronounced chestnut flavor, served with a bright sauce of sliced brussels sprouts and squash.ÂAlmost all Ms. Calland's pastas are distinct and lively, with clear, engaging flavors. Cappelletti are filled with sweet roasted butternut squash, delicious tossed with brown butter, sage and Parmesan. Housemade spaghetti has a lovely al dente texture and makes a good light dish with oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes and ricotta salata, all given unexpected punctuation by mint and hot red pepper. Tagliatelle in a veal and pork ragù is a fine rendition of the Bolognese classic.ÂNothing at the table is quite so impressive as prime rib of beef, served as a mound of wide slices surrounding a bare bone, with a pile of broccoli rabe and roasted potatoes underneath. The meat is tender and delicious, yet with real aged character. Following closely behind is outstanding grilled rack of lamb. By contrast, a grilled veal chop is almost wholly without character, while braised short ribs make more of an impact visually than in the mouth. For seafood, the simpler the better. Whole wild bass, roasted in the wood oven, showed off all its subtle nutlike flavor. It was superior to both lackluster sautéed cod and pan-roasted striped bass fillet.ÂDesserts are not on a par with the rest of the meal. If you ever wondered how to make ice cream taste dry, try the gelato rolled in crushed almonds, served with a baba in amaretto. It's almost like eating sand. That is thankfully not the case with the top-notch tiramisù, though the field of dusted chocolate on top does trigger the cough mechanism.While Le Madri may never attract flashbulbs and paparazzi again, it is ripe for rediscovery. When it was hot, it promised more than it delivered. Now it's the other way around.Le Madri**168 West 18th Street, Chelsea; (212) 727-8022.ATMOSPHERE Airy and comfortable, although plaid patterns add odd notes to the Tuscan design.SOUND LEVEL Once loud, now manageable.ÂRECOMMENDED DISHES Clams with chorizo; rabbit confit; sautéed chicken livers; fritto misto; pizzas; chestnut soup with rice and pancetta; chestnut pasta with brussels sprouts and squash; cappelletti with butternut squash; spaghetti with oil, garlic and tomato; tagliatelle with pork and veal ragù; prime rib; rack of lamb; wood-roasted whole fish; tiramisù.SERVICE Responsive and eager to please.WINE LIST Surprisingly skimpy; Tuscan reds are the focus.ÂHOURS Lunch, Monday through Friday, noon to 3 p.m. Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, to 11:30 p.m. Sunday, to 10:30 p.m.PRICE RANGE Appetizers, $9 to $17; main courses, $14 to $38; desserts, $9.CREDIT CARDS All major cards.WHEELCHAIR ACCESS One step up outside at entrance, two steps down inside; restrooms are down a flight of stairs.Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction to food, ambience and service, with price taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 13 Nov 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4899/1/EH-Gavrilovic---Croatian-Tradition.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 09 Nov 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4900/1/E-Rudar-and-Istrian-Clubs-in-the-NY-Times.html The following article appeared in the food section of the October 2,2002 New York Times.John KraljicIn Astoria's Clubs, a Taste of IstriaBy ED LEVINEFROM outside, the Istria Sport Club looks like scores of other faceless,bunkerlike buildings in Astoria, Queens. But as soon as you walk throughthe door and downstairs to the dining room, you realize you've passedthrough a doorway to Istria, a 1,500-square-mile arrowhead-shapedpeninsula south of Trieste, Italy, jutting into the northeastern end ofthe Adriatic Sea.Fought over for centuries by Celts, Romans, Austro-Hungarians, Germans,Italians, Yugoslavs and Croats, Istria, most of which now belongs toCroatia, has faced perpetual social and political transitions. Perhapsbecause of the turmoil, Istrians have clung to their food, a fascinatingblend of Italian, Slavic and Hungarian influences. The cuisine alsoreflects the region's geography of mountains, sea and forest.No more than 15,000 Istrians live in New York City, club membersestimate, but you would not know it by looking at the owners of some ofthe city's leading Italian restaurants.Giuliano Ziuliani, who owns Primola on the Upper East Side, came fromIstria. So did Milan Licul of Scaletta on the Upper West Side and EzioVlacich of Piccola Venezia and Joseph Honovic and Luigi Kucica ofPonticello, both in Astoria.Perhaps the most famous Istrian-born restaurateur is Lidia Bastianich ofFelidia in Midtown Manhattan.But you will not find a complete menu of Istrian dishes at any of theserestaurants. Mr. Ziuliani said that while he would serve Istrian disheson request, "the only place to find real Istrian food in New York is atthe social clubs."At the Istria S. C. (as its awning says), one of the two best-knownclubs in the city, groups of men sit smoking stubby De Nobili cigars andplaying briscola, an old northern Italian card game. A television set atthe bar is tuned to a soccer match. The simple whitewashed walls arecovered with photos, posters and maps of Istria.A large dining room leads to a garden with a picnic area, boccie courtand barbecue pit where, on warm spring and summer nights, pigs areroasted. A wall of a smaller dining room is dominated by a glass casethat is filled with trophies won by the youth and adult soccer teamsthat the club sponsors.The club is nominally private, though I found showing up hungry, curiousand cheerful to be sufficient criteria for entrance. It does not takereservations.There were eight in our party, and we told the chef, Anka Frankovic, asmiling woman who said she had gone to cooking school in Croatia forthree years, that we wanted her to cook typically Istrian food for us.The feast that followed began with dishes that might seem moreMediterranean: creamy bacalao, dried salt cod that had been whipped intoan ultrasmooth garlic purée; tender grilled and fried calamari; andgrilled whole fish deboned by our waiter, who told us he had been on theCroatian junior soccer team many years ago.But then came the signature Istrian highlights, like sauerkraut studdedwith meaty pork sausage and suffused with the flavor of pancetta;feathery gnocchi with braised veal chunks ladled over them; and fuzi,delicate little envelopes of hand-formed pasta that hold on to atomato-based sauce studded with tender pieces of beef and pork.As an accompaniment to the meal, the club offers fruity Istrian winesmade from malvasia grapes. For dessert, Ms. Frankovic sent outpalacinka, Hungarian crepes filled with Nutella or jam. The bill came toless than $35 a person.The roots of the social clubs are centuries deep. For almost 800 years,Istria was part of the Venetian empire. In the 20th century alone, itwas ruled by Hapsburg Austria, Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia and Croatia.As World War II drew to a close, Istria was liberated by the combinedefforts of the Allies and Yugoslav forces led by Tito. As Titoconsolidated his power, it became clear that the Istrians of Italiandescent would no longer hold equal political and social sway with theYugoslavians.Tito allowed hundreds of thousands of Istrians to return to Italy asrefugees. Some of those refugees became the first wave of Istrianimmigrants to arrive in New York.The Istria Sport Club was founded in 1959 by people from that initialgroup, and moved to its current location, 28-09 Astoria Boulevard (28thStreet), in 1975. (Information: 718-728-3181.)"This place allows people from the old country to stay together," saidRocky Vlasic, 57, who said he went to the club nearly every day to eat,drink, play cards and socialize. "We are all friends here. We respecteverybody."Ms. Bastianich, who said she always tried to offer a few Istrian disheson her menu at Felidia, put it another way: "Istria's always beenoccupied. As a result, Istrians are insecure, they're chameleons. Sohaving these clubs is a survival tactic. Istrians have always feltchased. So the clubs fulfill a deep need."The Istria Sport Club was initially formed as a sports club to bringtogether the politically and ethnically diverse segments (Croats, Slavsand Italians) of the Istrian population that had settled in New York. Inthe mid-1970's, large numbers of people from Labin, an eastern city,came to New York. Labin is an overwhelmingly Croatian city, so theyeventually formed the Croatian-dominated Rudar Club in 1977.Rudar, officially the United Miners Soccer Club, is tucked into an oldpaint store at 34-01 45th Street, just off Northern Boulevard, inAstoria; (718) 786-5833. The only sign on the door is the club's coat ofarms, two crossed mining hammers above a soccer ball. (Coal mining wasthe major industry in Labin.)When we arrived one night, we walked through a private party and madeour way downstairs to the cozy cellar dining room. There we met WandaRadetti, who leads tours of Istria. Ms. Radetti, who said she was in thesame refugee camp as Mrs. Bastianich after World War II, lives aroundthe corner from the club and is a regular.The clubs, she said, are "our reaction to adversity." She continued: "Weparty, eat, drink and dance. When we come here, it's like coming home.It's the family some people don't have here."There is no printed menu, just a board of specials, all in Croatian.First came beef tartare, assertively seasoned with, among other things,parsley, garlic, mustard and anchovies. Then a hearty veal soup, alongwith the requisite fuzi and gnocchi. At home, Ms. Bastianich hadexplained, Istrians make fuzi or gnocchi for their Sunday meal. At theclubs, diners get the luxury of both.Highlights at Rudar included an incredibly tender roast octopus andpotato dish, a surprisingly delicate stuffed cabbage; raznjici, whichare skewers of grilled meat that we dipped in ajvar, a red pepper sauce;and very fine palacinka. We washed it down with Jamnica sparkling water,which according to the label, has been bottled since 1828.Ms. Radetti asked one of the chefs, Jasna Pusec, whether she had madeany strudel that night. Alas, she had not, but we were more than contentwith the palacinka."People come here to get the food their grandmothers made for them,"said Walter Cekada, president of the Rudar Club, which has 150 members.His grandmother held passports from four countries during her lifewithout ever leaving Istria, he said. Mr. Cekada's goal is to make surethe club stays relevant for the next generation of Istrian-Americans."We built a bar and a little club on the third floor just for the youngpeople," he said. Sure enough, a handful of 20-somethings were seated ata bar on the third floor, listening to David Bowie.At the private party, Passage, a rock band Mr. Cekada had flown in fromIstria, was playing traditional Istrian tunes on electric guitars andkeyboards. On a break, one musician told me: "In Istria, we playAmerican rock because that's what the tourists want to hear. It's onlywhen we come over here that we get to play Istrian music."Ms. Radetti was dancing up a storm. She looked as if she did not have acare in the world."Here, somebody will always care how you are," she said. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 02 Oct 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4901/1/E-Solved-Croatia-is-officially-the-source.html ÂSolved: The Great ZinfandelMystery Croatia is officially the sourceJuly 10, 2002ÂRod Smith: WineSolved: The Great Zinfandel Mystery The birthplace of California's signature grape turns out to be CroatiaRecent Columns:Solved: The Great Zinfandel MysteryJul 10, 2002ÂOne of the biggest mysteries in the wine world appears to be solved. A UC Davis plant geneticistÂhas confirmed the Old World origin of Zinfandel--and it's not Italy."Zinfandel comes from Croatia," says Carole Meredith. "The grape we call Zinfandel, and theÂgrape the Italians call Primitivo, are both Crljenak Kastelanski."That's Crljenak Kastelanski: pronounced tsurl-YEN-ahk kahstel-AHN-ski. Its discovery answers aÂquestion that has fascinated wine lovers and scientists for more than 100 years: Where didÂCalifornia's signature wine grape come from? Meredith's research culminates a 35-year search byÂtwo generations of scientists facing nearly impossible odds. With more than 10,000 grapeÂvarieties in the world, locating Zinfandel's Old World source was like finding the proverbialÂneedle in the haystack. In fact, Crljenak is a forgotten variety in its homeland, Dalmatia, and theÂmore than 1,000 islands off its coast in the Adriatic Sea. So far, Meredith and her team have foundÂonly 20 Crljenak vines, planted among other grapes in three locations.But 20 vines is enough to rescue the original Zin from oblivion--and that's important well beyondÂthe satisfaction of establishing Zinfandel's pedigree. Aside from giving Zin new legitimacy amongÂthe wine world's leafy aristocrats, the discovery closes the genetic gap between modernÂCalifornia Zinfandel vines and their ancient forerunners. Who knows what sensory delightsÂawait Zin lovers once the old Croatian clones become part of the California vineyard mix?When Meredith revealed her finding casually to friends and colleagues this spring, the newsÂelectrified the wine world. She will formally present her discovery in August at a grape geneticsÂconference in Hungary. She is also working on a paper to be published early next year in theÂJournal of Enology and Viticulture.The quest to solve the mystery of the Mystery Grape is a scientific whodunit with a diverse castÂof characters. When Meredith became the chief detective on the case in 1991, it had already beenÂin progress for decades. UC Davis professor Austin Goheen and graduate student Wade WolfeÂlaid the groundwork in the 1960s and '70s. The legendary Napa Valley vintner Miljenko "Mike"ÂGrgich, a native Croatian, was a key informant. The investigative team included scientists,Âhistorians, grape growers and students in California, Italy and Croatia.Serendipity played a part, too. One of the most important contributions was made by a CroatianÂstudent at UC Davis. Jasenka Piljac was a dishwasher in Meredith's laboratory in the early '90s.ÂAfter graduating from Davis and returning to Zagreb, Piljac served as translator and researchÂassistant during Meredith's 1998 sleuthing mission. "The timing worked out very well," saysÂMeredith. "I would not have been able to do it without her. And that's an example of the almostÂeerie way things have fallen into place on this quest."The mystery of Zinfandel has haunted wine lovers and viticulturists for more than a century.ÂUnlike every other fine wine grape in the state, Zin apparently had no European homeland.ÂCabernet came from Bordeaux, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Burgundy. But for all anyoneÂknew, Zinfandel came from outer space.Recent historical research, largely by wine historian Charles Sullivan, has revealed that the firstÂ"Zinfendal" vine appeared in a Long Island, N.Y., nursery in the 1820s. It may have come from theÂgardens of the Austrian imperial palace in Vienna, which in the 18th century included vines fromÂevery part of the empire, then including Croatia. Once in the United States, the vine went outÂWest just after California's statehood in 1850, and it is thought to have shown up in the SonomaÂValley in 1859.It arrived in the midst of viticultural mayhem. Because California has no native wine grapes,Âhundreds of grape varieties were being imported and planted during that period of explosiveÂdevelopment. Some were misnamed, others were known by multiple names. Zinfandel was just aÂface in the crowd.Yet within a few decades it was the most planted red grape in the state; only in 2000 was it finallyÂovertaken by Cabernet Sauvignon. Ultimately, Zinfandel became the symbol of California wine.Fast-forward to the late 1960s. Goheen, the legendary UC Davis viticulturist, is traveling inÂSouthern Italy in Puglia, near Bari. He tastes a spicy, berryish wine that strongly reminds him ofÂZinfandel. He asks to be taken to the vineyard--and finds himself looking at vines that appear toÂbe Zinfandel. His hosts call the vines Primitivo.That got the wheels turning. Goheen brought Primitivo cuttings back to California and confirmedÂthat--visually, at least, since DNA testing wasn't yet available--they seemed indistinguishableÂfrom Zin. Shortly thereafter, Wolfe, a doctoral candidate in plant genetics, announced to theÂAmerican Society of Enology & Viticulture that isozyme analysis (a precursor of DNA testing)Âshowed that Zinfandel and Primitivo were probably the same.The Cutting EdgeBy the late 1980s, DNA profiling was developed to a high degree of accuracy, and Meredith wasÂon its cutting edge. She used it to demonstrate that the grape known as Pinot Blanc in CaliforniaÂwas different from the French Pinot Blanc and was, in fact, the obscure variety called Melon.ÂMeredith's assistant, graduate student John Bowers, would later use the same techniques to showÂthat Cabernet Sauvignon was an offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc.Now, Meredith turned her attention to Zinfandel and Primitivo. "Here was a mystery, and IÂthought I could find the answer," she recalls. "That was the scientific driver." But there was moreÂto it than just the challenge. "Since we know what part of Europe all our other varieties cameÂfrom, we know where to look for new clones that will give us diversity in California vineyards,"Âsays Meredith. "With Zin, all we could do was look in old California vineyards. But if we knewÂwhere it came from, we could look there and find more diversity to greatly improve the range ofÂclones."The DNA tests used on plants are the same as those used on humans. Tissues (whether blood,Âmuscle or leaf) are subjected to chemicals that dissolve components progressively until all that'sÂleft is a clear substance containing DNA molecules, each composed of sequences of nucleotidesÂrepeated over and over. A machine scans the isolated DNA for specific sequences, marks them andÂmakes millions of copies that are finally visible as bands on gel. Then they can be compared withÂDNA from other plants.In 1992, 25 years after Goheen's suspicions were aroused, Meredith ran a DNA test on tissueÂsamples from Primitivo and Zinfandel vines. They appeared to be indistinguishable. But the testsÂwere still rudimentary, so it wasn't until 1995 that a more advanced DNA analysis convincedÂMeredith that the two vines were, in fact, the same variety.But what did that mean? Primitivo was not a native Italian grape. Sullivan and other historiansÂbelieve it may have been introduced during the 18th century, possibly by Catholic monks.ÂHowever, no wines were labeled Primitivo before the 1890s, long after Zin was established inÂCalifornia. In any case, the true homeland of Primitivo-Zinfandel was unknown.Is it the Same?In the early 1980s, the writer Leon Adams suggested that Zinfandel might be the same as PlavacÂMali, a widely planted Croatian red grape that yields a berryish, tannic wine similar to Zin. ThatÂidea was pressed in the '90s by Mike Grgich, who had immigrated from Croatia as a youngÂwinemaker in the 1950s and gone on to become a pillar of the Napa Valley wine community.ÂGrgich (who produces a Plavac Mali wine in Croatia under the Grgic label) became a primeÂmotivator in the Zin quest, directing the detectives to promising sites in his native country.There were Plavac Mali vines in the UC Davis collection, and some appeared to beÂindistinguishable from Zinfandel. However, Meredith's tests during the late '90s gave mixedÂresults. Knowing that mislabeling of vines in institutional collections is common, she decided toÂgo to Croatia and collect samples herself.No sooner had she started planning a trip than she got an e-mail from University of ZagrebÂgenetics professor Ivan Pejic asking for advice on a new project to study the indigenous grapes ofÂCroatia. "That's when I said, 'I'm coming over there, so why don't we work together?' " recallsMeredith.In spring of 1998 she traveled to Croatia and met Pejic and his colleague, viticulturist Edi Maletic.ÂWith Piljac, Meredith's former lab student, they traveled through the Dalmatian Coast andÂislands, taking tissue samples from about 150 Plavac Mali vines in 40 vineyards. Back in her labÂat UC Davis, Meredith ran the DNA tests.The results were disconcerting. Plavac Mali was not Zinfandel. However, it appeared that oneÂwas a parent of the other, although it wasn't clear which way the genes went. The game was stillÂafoot.Meanwhile, Pejic and Maletic devoted themselves to walking vine rows in Dalmatia, looking forÂZin-like leaf shapes in the spring and Zin-like fruit in the fall. Finally, in September 2000, theyÂfound another likely suspect in a mixed planting of old varieties. It was a single specimen of anÂobscure old variety called Crljenak Kastelanski (meaning red grape from Kastel, a town nearÂSplit). Still lacking the funds for expensive DNA analysis, they sent tissues from the vine toÂMeredith for testing in her UC Davis lab.No dice. The vines didn't match, and at that point it looked as though the search had hit aÂdead-end.Yet everyone agreed Crljenak really, really looked like Zin. So Pejic and Maletic went back to thevineyard--a six-hour trek by car from Zagreb to the coast--where they realized that in the thicktangle of canes they had mistakenly taken tissue from the shoot tips of a neighboring vine. Thistime they made sure their sample was from the Crljenak vine before they sent it to California.Bingo. A perfect DNA match linked Crljenak, Zinfandel and Primitivo. On Dec. 18, 2001, sheÂrecalls, Meredith e-mailed Pejic, saying, "I'm convinced." Subsequent testing of samples from othervines provided a bonus revelation: Plavac Mali is an offspring of Crljenak and another Croatiangrape, Dobricic.Now that Crljenak has been rescued from its precarious position--literally on the brink ofÂextinction--the next step is to look for more Crljenak vines.The variety was virtually wiped out by vine diseases in the 19th century, then further reducedÂduring the Communist era when the native grapes were systematically replaced by high-yieldingÂvarieties suitable for mass production.Widening the PoolThe goal is to widen the pool of possible clonal material that can enrich the grape's diversity.ÂSelections from Croatia will complement the Zinfandel Heritage Vineyard, a one-acre NapaÂValley planting of Zinfandel selections taken from old vineyards throughout California by UCÂDavis clone specialist James Wolpert and his team.The ongoing search for Crljenak in Croatia, led by Pejic and Maletic, is being substantiallyfundedÂby several California wine producers, led by Ridge Vineyards. The Croatians are focusing on theÂlarge island of Solta, just off the Dalmatian Coast from Split. The vineyards on Solta include quiteÂa bit of Dobricic, which makes it likely that Plavac Mali's other parent, Crljenak, may be foundÂthere, too. "It makes sense that if they got together, they must have been growing fairly closeÂtogether," notes Meredith. "So Solta is a strong possibility."Meanwhile, California producers have begun to propagate both Primitivo and Plavac Mali andÂmake wine from the grapes (try Tobin James Cellars Primitivo '99, "James Gang Reserve"). AndÂCrljenak has been propagated at UC Davis. Cuttings will be available to growers within a year orÂso, which means we could begin to see California Crljenak wines as early as 2006.And then we'll find out from a sensory standpoint if it's all just a matter of names. Will, in fact, aÂZin by any other name smell as sweet?Copyright 2002 Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.latimes.com/la-fo-wine10jul10.column letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Sep 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4902/1/E-TRIO-first-Croatian-Restaurant-in-New-York.html The following excellent review of Trio Restaurant appears in thisweek's New York Observer. John KraljicI have been in TRIO few times and recommended them many times.. Alwaysexcellent service, charming and unobtrusive host and delicious food. Five stars.Nenad BachWhen's the last time you said, "Let's go out for Croatian"?Croatian Now's yourchance.Dining out with Moira Hodgsonby Moira HodgsonWhere to Go if You're In the Mood for CroatianThe setting is a Murray Hill townhouse. At the entrance is a longmahogany bar where a handful of men in open-necked shirts are quietlywatching a baseball game on TV with the sound turned off. The strains ofa piano playing "As Times Goes By" drift down a short flight of stairsthat leads up to the dining room: a long room that feels like afirst-class dining car on the Orient Express (except it's twice aswide). It's done up with dark wood, brocade banquettes, heavy beveledmirrors, candle-lit sconces, smoked-glass ceiling lamps and small framedImpressionist prints. The tables, set with white cloths, are decoratedwith brandy glasses stuffed to the brim with overblown red roses.Welcome to Trio, which claims to be the only restaurant in Manhattanthat serves Croatian cuisine. As the pianist struck up "Fascination," wesat down in a booth under Monet's Water Lilies, near a middle-agedcouple having an animated conversation in Croatian and drinking grappa.Trio is owned by a Croatian, John Ivanac, who is also the proprietor ofVilla Berulia-a popular Italian restaurant just a block away that's beengoing strong for 21 years. His latest venture is a family affair: Hiswife Silva is the pastry chef, and his son, John Jr., is the generalmanager. Chef James Rich, who was formerly chef de cuisine atBrasserieBit and executive souschef at Palio, runs the kitchen-he's nota member of the family, but his grandmother was from Croatia.Croatia is a strip of land that runs along the Adriatic Coast. Itscuisine is influenced by a few nearby countries: Italy, Austria andGreece. From Italy come seafood stews and pasta; from Greece, cheesesand grilled fish; from Austria, pastries such as palacinka and strudel.Mr. Ivanac grew up poor in a small coastal village. He left his familyat the age of 16 to work as a waiter on a luxury cruise liner and jumpedship in New York. In Croatia, his family had produced wine and oliveoil-not exactly a lucrative business in those days-but now the farmsupplies the restaurant with cured meats, cheeses, olive oils andhomemade grappas. There are also some impressive Croatian wines on thelist, priced between $25 and $48, that are well worth trying.To get in the mood, we started off with a bottle of red Croatian wine,Dingac, from the Peljesac region, and dalma, a platter of charcuterieand cheeses from the coast."Let me explain you some dishes," said our charming young waiter, whotold us he was half-Croatian and half-Italian. He was smartly dressed ina black shirt and dark striped tie. As he leaned over the table toidentify the meats and cheeses he'd just set down, his tie landedsquarely in a dish of olive oil. It was like a skit from Fawlty Towers.We all laughed as he dabbed his tie with a napkin and started again."That must be prosciutto," I said, pointing at some dark pink slices onthe plate. "Great!"He looked surprised. "You like that! Are you Croatian?"It was prosciutto, but made from lamb, not pig, and it came from Mr.Ivanac's estate. It had a rich, meaty flavor, like duck prosciutto. Theplatter also held smoked beef; a sausage similar to mortadella (alsobrought in from his farm); a mild, creamy feta, manchego andsheep's-milk cheeses; and black and green olives marinated in garlic andherbs. It was the kind of simple dish you imagine ordering in a localcantina at sunset with a glass of the house wine.But the food at Trio is more ambitious, and the chef casts his net farand wide. Crab Louis is not exactly a traditional Croatian dish (Ibelieve it dates back to the 1920's, to some fancy hotel likeDelmonico's). Mr. Rich folds the crab meat into a pink mayonnaise andserves it with slices of avocado in an updated presentation, on aradicchio leaf. The grilled calamari took us back to the Adriatic coast:It's a little tough, but nicely charred and served with a wonderful,light balsamic sauce. The seafood salad is also fresh and clean-tasting,mixed with potatoes and onions in a red-wine vinaigrette.Mr. Rich has altered some Croatian dishes for American tastes, such asthe strukli, turnovers that are normally made with pastry. He uses apasta dough instead, to make large ravioli that he fills with aseductive mixture of goat's-milk ricotta, salt cod, raisins and pinenuts, and serves with a roasted-garlic beurre fondue. The ravioli were abit leathery around the edges, but the filling was wonderful.Just about every seafood dish seems to be on target here. Poachedmonkfish with grilled prawns, braised leeks and pommes maximes is aterrific combination, even though it comes with what is described on themenu as "a 25-year-old balsamic drizzle." Roasted whole Atlantic seabream stuffed with herbs comes Croatian-style on a bed of meltingbraised cabbage. My favorite was the buzara, a subtle seafood stew in atomato white-wine broth laced with chunks of fish, scallops, shrimp,potatoes and clams.On another night at Trio, we had a different waiter who was not quite ascharming as the one who'd dipped his tie in oil. We ordered a mixedgrill for two that consisted of kielbasa, a Croatian sausage calledcevapcici (a blend of pork, lamb and beef), lamb chops and steak. Thedish was garnished with artichoke chips and a bright-pink coleslaw madewith red and white cabbage marinated in a red-onion vinaigrette, and itcame with three different sauces. I asked what they were."Typical Croatian sauce," replied the waiter."What's that?" I persisted.He shrugged. "Mustard," he said, indicating with his finger. "Redpepper. Brown sauce."(The red sauce, in fact, is called ajvar and is made with eggplant, redpeppers and roasted vegetables; the brown sauce is bordelaise, and theyellow sauce is a mustard- tarragon béarnaise.)Desserts include a feathery strudel (the fillings change daily) androzata, a flan made with a purée of strawberries. The palacinka (crêpes)come filled with a berry mousse and were served cold; they werepleasant, but I prefer them hot.After dinner, Trio offers a digestif on the house (one of therestaurant's many nice touches). Of the dozen or so house-made grappasto choose from, we tasted the "fig," the "home blend" and what ourwaiter described as "wild grasses." They were all very good, but the figwas our favorite.Trio is a charmer of a restaurant. It's different, comfortable andold-fashioned in a thoroughly endearing way. When's the last time yousaid, "Let's go out for Croatian"? Now's your chance. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 03 Jun 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4903/1/E-Croatia-in-Bon-Appetit-Magazine---Dennis-Valcich.html Bon Appetit's May issue is a theme issue entitled "Islands of theMediterranean - Delicious Food in Magical Settings." 22 islands arefeatured, among them a small, little-known island (islet) of Osljak, locatedacross from the island of Ugljan. Unfortunately, the article is not postedon the web.The article states that Osljak is a mile and a half in length. The "round,cypress-dotted pincushion in the Mediterranean is so small, in fact, thatNew York banker and Osljak native David Valcic can loop it in minutes in hisgleaming speedboat." The story centers on the Valcic family which I wouldguess dominates the population of the island. Five recipes are included inthe article: (i) prosciutto, cheese and condiment platter, (ii) grilledwhole fish with olive oil and garlic, (iii) cucumber and sour bean salad,(iv) mixed bean and cabbage salad, and (v) swett lemon fritters (i.e.,fritule). The story with photos totals four pages.Dragi Nenade,Kupite i pogledajte article i slike u novom broju tog renomiranogcasopisa, sto smo mi Valcici organiziralikao promociju Hrvatskog turizma.Dennis Valcich----------------------------------------------E-mail: dvalcich@ihug.com.auWeb: http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~dvalcichThese recipes are based on centuries of knowledge and experiments of Croatian grandmothers, withÂsometimes primitive facilities and poor availability of fresh produce and ingredients, but with enthusiasm,Âlove for food, imagination and excellent taste. Today, we update their recipes by introducing modernÂtechnology and much wider variety of fresh ingredients, but at no time has the food been changed in itsÂauthenticity and taste.Cuisine is a form of art, like sculpture, painting or music. Every housewife, in preparing food, will add herÂown personal touch to accommodate the taste of her family. Every nation has its own national cuisine,Âwhich reflects its people, character, geographical position, climate and fresh food availability.Croatian culinary tradition is versatile and unique. Unfortunately until recently our chefs were moreÂinclined to introduce and experiment with cuisine from other countries, such as Italy, France and Greece.Croatian cuisine was created under the influence of our neighbours, who were our masters for the last 900Âyears. Perhaps we should thank them for the richness of our cuisine today. Orientalflavor (Turkey andÂGreece), Italian and Mediterranean flavor (Italy and France) and Northern continentalflavor (Austria andÂHungary) are evident in the cuisine. For centuries these flavors were blended by our grandmothers andÂeventually became a part of Croatian traditional and national cuisine.This book has been written in English for the purpose of showing the world that Croatians do have excellentÂcuisine. This is important especially now, when we can finally proudly say that we have a Croatian nation.ÂAs you will notice most of the recipes come from the parts of Croatia called Dalmatia, Slavonija and Istria,Âfor the simple reason that they are rich in variety and availability of the ingredients, especially lamb andÂseafood. This does not mean that the continental part of Croatia is not represented with its fine cuisine.Dennis B. Valcich was born on a small island of Osljak in the Adriatic in the Zadar Channel. He wasÂeducated on the island up to the end of primary school. He went to high school in theneighboring town ofÂPreko on the island of Ugljan. He attended the Hospitality College in the ancient city of Dubrovnik for theÂduration of three years. He worked in Dubrovnik in hotels such as Argentina and Jadran, in Zadar in HotelÂZagreb, in the restaurants Zadar and Kornati and many others.In 1966 he migrated to Sydney, Australia and worked at Hotel Australia, the Wentworth Hotel, theÂTravelodge and many other restaurants.Since publishing his first Croatian cookbook in English, Dennis together with his wife Mira, established andÂpromoted Croatian Food, Wine and Tourism Festival, the first of that kind in CroatianDiaspora. The festivalÂis in its sixth year, held for five days, in top hotels like Inter-continental across Australia and New Zealand.Dennis has also appeared on numerous TV cooking shows in Australia and Croatia, as well as in all nationalÂpapers and magazines, and demonstrated Croatian cuisine at the cooking school.Dennis is also personal chef for some of the biggest Croatian business families like, Jim Bosnjak-Westbus,ÂRoy Medich-Medich Enterprises, Ron & Tony Perich-Leppington Pastoral Co. Russel Buckley-Hume Doors,ÂRay Begovich-Land Development, Australian Olympic Committy, Volvo-Australia and others.Dennis has also introduced Croatian cuisine to Australia's top politicians like, Premier of N.S.W. Mr. BobÂCarr, former Prime Ministers Mr. Gough Whitlam and Paul Keeting, leader of opposition Mr. Kim BeazleyÂand Prime Minister Mr. John Howard, and number of other ministers. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 06 Apr 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4904/1/E-San-Francisco-Style-Cioppino.html ÂOp-ed at the bottom of the page.ÂÂDALMATIAN FOOD POPULAR IN MODERN SAN FRANCISCOÂIn February 1929, Sunset Magazine adopted the editorial policy that stillÂguides it: a magazine of Western living for people who live in the West.ÂOver the years, the recipes that have appeared in its pages have become a historyÂof Western tastes.ÂÂSuch factors as climate, geography, and ethnic mixtures have shaped itsÂregional life style. Informality and a willingness to experiment are a largeÂpart of everyday experiences in the West.ÂÂThey first presented San Francisco's famous Cioppino in 1941, crediting itsÂinvention to San Francisco fishermen from the Dalmatian Coast (Croatia)ÂDungeness crab is the star of this robust shellfish stew; clams and shrimpÂadd their flavors, too.ÂIt's traditional to sop up the thick tomato and garlic sauce with lots ofÂextra-sour sourdough bread.ÂÂSan Francisco Style CioppinoÂÂ1/4 cup olive oil or salad oilÂ1 large onion, choppedÂ2 cloves garlic minced or pressedÂ1 large green bell pepper, stemmed,seeded, and choppedÂ2/3 cup chopped parsleyÂ1 can 15oz tomato sauceÂ1 can 28oz tomatoesÂ1 cup dry red or white wineÂ1 bay leafÂ1 teaspoon dry basilÂ1/2 teaspoon dry oregano leavesÂ12 clams in shell, suitable for steaming, scrubbedÂ1 pound large shrimp (about 30 per lb), shelled and deveinedÂ2 ive or cooked large Dungeness crab (about2lb each)ÂÂÂÂÂ,cleaned and crackedÂÂIn a 6-8 quart pan over medium heat, combine oil, onion, garlic, bellÂpepper, and parsley; cook, stirring often, until onion is soft. Stir in tomatoÂsauce, tomatoes (break up with a spoon) and their liquid, wine, bay leaf, basil,Âand oregano. Cover and simmer until slighly thickened, about 20 minutes.ÂÂTo broth, add clams, shrimp, and crab. Cover and simmer gently until clamsÂpop open and shrimp turn pink, about 20 minutes longer.ÂÂLadle hot broth and some of each shellfish into large soup bowls or soup plates.ÂÂMakes 6 servings.ÂÂOp-edÂCheck:Âhttp://www.sallys-place.com/food/ethnic_cusine/germany.htmÂhttp://www.sallys-place.com/food/ethnic_cusine/ethnic_cusine.htmÂhttp://www.croatia.net/html/cuisine.htmlÂÂPlease write to Sally and ask her to put Croatian Cuisine as a part of Ethnic Cuisine. First address is a sampleÂfor the German Cuisine at her site and the second address is an Ethnic Cuisine Page. There are many more sites that need such attention. If there is a site that reflects on Croatian Cuisine, that should be presented as a possibility. People will use the info if it is ready to go. National cuisine is part of a culture's identity.ÂThere we go, I found it on a Croatia.net. That is the third address. Use that as a sample and compliment them.ÂOn http://www.crolinks.com/ you can find the most comprehensive LINKS library of Croatian lifestyle.ÂÂBRAVO CroLinks.com as well as Croatia.net. What a magnificent job you have done !ÂÂNenad BachÂÂDistributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 23 Mar 2002 07:00:00 +0000