On Wednesday evening, January 22nd, the members of the Triglav Association gathered for the second culinary workshop.
This time, our dear Nataša, a member of the Association since the very beginning, shared her knowledge with us. Her knowledge of Slovenian culture and tradition, which she preserved even after several decades outside her homeland, has always given the Association a special spirit.
The topic of the second workshop was anise biscuits. The spice anise is used in making biscuits and gives it a specific taste and smell, especially in these winter months. It is a complete pleasure to taste them with a cup of homemade tea or coffee. Bisuits are folded, so the name comes from the folded shape of the biscuit.
Preparations, props, table and everything necessary for the workshop to begin have been made. As last time, there was no shortage of coffee or tea to warm up, along with Ljilja's biscuits and dates with walnuts. It was a time for getting to know each other, exchanging small cooking secrets and recipes. The number of participants increased, and considering that the practice of cooking skills at 19:00 had to be replaced by practicing the voices and new songs of the choir, it was time to start working.
First, Nataša, with a lot of emotion, explained the process of making anise biscuits, but not from the Internet, rather the way her mother and grandmother used to do it. Then she started making a mixture of eggs, sugar and flour, of course, with the assistance of experienced housewives Dubravka, Zdenka, Olga, Majda and others. Step by step, the anise biscuits were ready for the oven. Under the watchful eye of Nataša, in ten minutes, shaping began, using a glass or a roller, whichever is easier for someone. Of course, we couldn't resist the smells, so we tried the first round even before the second one was baked.
The choir members slowly started arriving, surprised by the smells they encountered. For many, it was the first time they had tasted anise biscuits and they were enthusiastically asking for more. After the work was done and the dishes were washed, we gathered for a little more "talking" and remembering what our mothers or grandmothers used to cook. We also mentioned Idrija's dish similar to Italian ravioli. We hope that they will also be one of the topics of our workshops, because as a protected dish on the list of intangible cultural heritage, it certainly deserves attention. With the first days of spring (perhaps after a walk organized by the hiking section), we plan to taste dandelions, as the first healthy spring salad. Of course, sometimes in the preparation of Slovenian dishes, some ingredients are missing, but resourceful housewives either find a faithful replacement or help us with the purchase of the "threads" that bind us to Slovenia, such as teacher Metoda, our students, friends and relatives.
Until the next workshop, we leave you the recipe for anise biscuits:
Ingredients:
3 eggs
120 g sugar
100 g flour
anise (most often bought in health food stores)
Procedure:
Using a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar into a smooth, light cream. Slowly add flour to the mixture, mixing by hand with a whisk. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and use a teaspoon to place small mounds of the mixture, leaving about 3-4 cm of space between the cookies. Sprinkle each biscuit with a few anise seeds. Bake at a moderate temperature for approx. 10 min at 180 C, depending on the temperature, until golden brown. When hot, immediately after taking it out of the oven, remove it from the baking sheet and place it on a wooden rolling pin to form the bisuits.
Good luck and have fun at work!
Bernarda Pleša
