Karen  Evenden sees Croatian cooking following the Mediterranean philosophy of “what grows together goes together”, but in addition to that her favorite Croatian grocery store essentials are Podravka’s Vegeta, Frank’s Palenta and Croatian Sea Salt.

The holidays are coming up and you just got off the phone with your Croatian mother who doesn’t understand how your “Amerikanka” bride can’t make a simple Dalmatian Fish soup. Don’t hold your breath for the Food Network or a network morning show to devote time to introduce you to Croatian cooking. Approach your task the old fashioned way, through a cookbook, or the Croatian-American cookbook, A Taste of Croatia, by Karen Evenden.

In this cookbook and travel memoir, Karen Evenden reveals a culinary culture based on freshness and seasonality. She explains how Croatian dishes can be easily created anywhere fresh ingredients can be found. “The beautiful thing about Croatian cooking is that the ingredients are a short list and they are simple if comparing to say, French cooking.”  explains Ms. Evenden.  A Taste of Croatia is filled with straightforward recipes, photos, food facts and anecdotes that allow you to connect with the people of Croatia through their food. In her book, Ms. Evenden delivers the spirit, culture, history of the Croatian people and their food. Most of the recipes have been savored by generations of Croatians and all of the recipes have been adapted for use in American kitchens. The book is based on the author and her husband’s three year odyssey sailing the Adriatic coast and living aboard their 50-foot sailboat, the Klatawa.

Ms. Evenden believes that what makes Croatian cuisine so distinctive is the use of dried fruits in savory dishes. This she says not only enriches flavors but is a clever way to bring vitamins to dishes during the winter months. Among the more than 124 recipes, picking one or two favorites was not easy. High on her list are the Pork Tenderloin with Poached Dried Plums (pg. 142) The Mystery Chicken with Tomato and Fig Sauce (pg. 127) and of course The Seafood Brudet (pg. 106). A starter is a soup, fish or vegetable, traditionally Croatian, and for a dessert she recommends the Crustless Cheesecake (pg. 176).

Ms. Evenden grew up watching and loving Julia Childe’s work in the kitchen, but takes much of her inspiration from talks with local cooks whether they be in Dalmatia or areas of Kentucky. She sees Croatian cooking following the Mediterranean philosophy of “what grows together, goes together”, but in addition to that her favorite Croatian grocery store essentials are Podravka’s Vegeta, Frank’s Palenta and Croatian Sea Salt.

When writing her book, Ms. Evenden discovered that Croatia is a land of good cooks who consistently manage to work culinary magic with limited ingredients and tight budgets. “In that land, I learned that the tastiest food is made from scratch with ingredients that are seasonal and locally grown … from the field to the fork.” Throughout the book, Ms. Evenden indulged in sharing some of her favorite memories and experiences via a series of short essays and brief anecdotes that grew out of our more than three years of sailing the Adriatic coast. She describes the market in Trogir as “one of the best little markets in the Mediterranean… with the freshest seasonal fruits and vegetables, homemade cheeses, locally smoked prsut, freshly butchered chickens, long garlands of dried figs strung alternately with aromatic bay leaves, fruit jars filled with honey, locally grown and pressed olive oil…”  Warning: This book will make you hungry!

The Croatian-American community has truly embraced this cookbook and they are extremely honored that an American woman has felt so passionately about Croatia and its culinary tradition that she has ventured on to becoming the first American Ambassador of Croatian Cuisine. “Those of us whose parents and grandparents emigrated from Croatia's Dalmatian coast and Adriatic islands truly enjoy a renewed acquaintance with favorite places, foods and recipes in Karen Evenden's delightful, enthusiastic look at Croatia's people, its scenery and cuisine,”  exclaimed Mary Karabaich, an enthusiastic fan of the book from Seattle, WA.

This past summer Ms. Evenden was invited to attend the Croatian National Independence Day celebration sponsored by the LA Croatian Consulate.  She was introduced with her book to that very prestigious gathering. “I was very privileged to meet Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, the new Croatian Ambassador to the United States.  I receive nothing but compliments about this book...a fact that makes me feel both humble and proud,” explained a gushing Ms. Evenden.

Karen Evenden has become an Ambassador for Croatian cuisine in a time where Croatia has been dubbed “The new Riviera” by the New York Times, but Croatian cuisine has not yet received the attention Karen Evenden has long believed it deserves. The food world in the US, cautious with smaller ethnic cuisines due to marketing risks, has enthusiastically embraced A Taste of Croatia. Tracey Ryder, President and CEO of Edible Communities writes, “This book, although it pays homage to the culinary traditions and flavors of a culture halfway around the world, is a gift to those of us who care about authentic foodways and culinary traditions and who love delicious, seasonal food.” A Taste of Croatia is now available through the website atasteofcroatia.com, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. Ms. Evenden hopes to provide each reader with his or her own enriching, delicious, inspiring and thought-provoking “taste of Croatia.” Dobar tek!

(Originaly published in Croatian Chronicle, March 11,  2009)