Palacinke with stewed plums

It seems like nearly every country has its version of American pancakes - France has its crepes, Mexico has its tortillas, Norway has its lefse and several countries in Central and Eastern Europe have palacinke.

I first learned about palacinke while watching a cooking show by Lidia Bastianich, the noted cookbook author and restaurateur. It's a dish she ate many times while growing up in Istria, a peninsula that's now part of Croatia, but once belonged to Italy.

Palacinke were ubiquitous on every breakfast menu on our recent trip to Croatia, but they were also commonly found in Ljubljana, Slovenia's charming capital, where we also spent a few days.

They were served many different ways, including with maple syrup and a swath of jam smeared on the plate.

  

At a street fair in Ljubljana, you could order them stuffed with mango, Nutella or even Snickers candy bar.

Abundant and delicious food choices are just one of the reasons to visit this city.

 The streets in the old part of Ljubljana are jammed with tourists enjoying a drink or dinner at one of the many bars and restaurants lining the river banks.

Ljubljana's old town has become a not-so-secret hip place to visit. Walk along its medieval streets and gaze at its beautiful architecture with clay tile roofs and you'll hear a multitude of languages being spoken, including English.

The city's triple bridge, consisting of a main stone bridge with balustrades, and two side bridges, is a well known landmark and popular meeting place.

 Dominating the city though, is Ljubljana castle, most of which was built in the 16th century, following a devastating earthquake.

Inside the castle, you can climb the 19th century watchtower, tour the 15th century church of St. George, or just enjoy lunch or an ice cream cone in its central courtyard.

The gift shop features beautifully decorated cookies:

 And lovely hand-painted boxes with traditional Slovenian designs.

 Music is everywhere in the city, performed at various venues, including the neoclassic opera house, home to the Slovenian National opera and ballet companies.

We were lucky enough to find ourselves in Ljubljana on the eve of the country's 25th anniversary of its independence from Yugoslavia, and discovered we had front seats, from our hotel room, to a fireworks display above the castle. 

The anniversary also meant we had to navigate the way to our room past armed guards outside our door, since four European presidents were staying at our hotel during the festivities.

You may not be able to get to Ljubljana any time soon, but you can pretend you're there when you dig your fork into these palacinke. 

I serve them here with poached plums, my new favorite topping for yogurt, cooked oatmeal or ice cream. Spoon some inside the palacinke, then ladle on a bit more on top. If you really want to gild the lily, serve with whipped cream. 

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Palacinke

recipe from Lidia's Italy, by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

printable recipe here

• 2 eggs


• 1 tablespoon dark rum


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 2 tablespoons sugar


• 1/3 teaspoon salt


• 2 cups all-purpose flour


• 8 tablespoons melted butter ( or more)


• 2 lemons, zest of, finely grated.
  To make the palacinke batter, whisk together the eggs, 2 cups water, the rum, vanilla, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, until well blended. Sift the flour on top, a bit at a time, whisking each addition in until smooth. Drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the melted butter, whisking until the batter has slightly thickened, with the consistency of melted ice cream. Finally, whisk in the lemon zest. Put the remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter in a small cup and keep it warm.
  Set the crêpe pan or skillet over medium-high heat until quite hot. Pour in a couple tablespoons of the reserved melted butter, quickly swirl it all over the pan bottom, then pour excess butter back into the cup, leaving the bottom lightly coated with sizzling butter. (If the butter doesn't sizzle, heat the pan longer before adding the batter.) Immediately ladle in a scant 1/3 cup of batter, tilt and swirl so it coats the bottom, and set the pan on the burner.
  Stewed Plums
  Cut 4-6 plums in quarters, discarding pits. (I use any kind, from Italian prune plums to Santa Rosa plums). Place the plums in a saucepan with three tablespoons of water, two tablespoons sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Let come to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook over love heat for about ten minutes, or until fruit has softened.