Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Serbia

Good evening this is Belgrade calling....well welcome back Serbia it is so wonderful to have you with us after your absence in Chow Down to Eurovision in 2014.

While Serbia was missing from Copenhagen some of us had a Serbian representative  thrilling us in Melbourne.  I co hosted a Eurovision fan club event and through the magic of twitter had discovered that the 2011 Serbian contestant,  Nina was living in Melbourne.  

You can imagine everyone's surprise when I needed to "fill in" time because the votes weren't ready and asked if anyone from the audience could help me sing Caroban....and Nina volunteers!

She gave an amazing performance and was so incredibly lovely and generous with her time having photo's taken with everyone. 

Caroban is most certainly a Eurovision crowd favourite!

Nina in Düsseldorf 2011

Nina in Melbourne 2014

I think I nailed the "stay cool" on stage selfie, right??

The Chow Down to Eurovision could easily be sponsored by cabbage and pork farmers as so many European recipes love these ingredients.

I know when I say cabbage soup you probably think Charlie Bucket from Charlie and the Chocolate factory but believe me this is so delicious I could happily live off it for a week. 

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients

• 1kg cabbage
• 2 brown onions
• 2-3 tsp. hot paprika 
• 150g bacon pieces
• 300g pork mince
• 750ml passata
• Olive Oil
• Knob butter
• Salt/Pepper

Method

• Quarter the cabbage and slice into 2cm strips
• Dice the onions
• Add a splash and a knob of olive oil and butter to a oven proof pot
• Add the onions, fry for a couple of minutes till softened
• Add the cabbage and coat with onions and oil
• Add the bacon and mix well
• Cook till cabbage starts to soften
• Dot the top of the cabbage with the pork mince
• Add the passata 
• Bake with lid on in a 180°C oven for 45 minutes
• Season to taste
• Top with some parsley and enjoy with a crusty loaf 

Cabbage, more than just coleslaw

The cabbage has a sweetness that would warm any winters night

Beauty Never Lies is a brilliant life motto and will be the Serbian entry in Vienna from Bojana Stamenov. 

This preview video is my favourite of 2015 for it's simplicity in capturing people's love for Eurovision and embodying a sense of empowerment. I am different and it's ok!

Bojana is going for a record with the number of languages the song has been recorded in, Serbian, English, French, German, and Spanish... but there is still time for Italian, Swedish and Russian before Eurovision starts! 

This is one of the songs I am really excited about seeing in Vienna plus Bojana seems such a lovely person. In interviews she comes across as someone who would be great fun to be around....I think we could be besties......#justsaying

срећно!

Past Serbia Chow Down To Eurovision:

2013 Avjar 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - Serbia

It is hard to believe but we are already in Serbia, the final country of the 16 competing in Semi Final 1. We have a vegetarian appetiser today so that if you choose to host a party and cook all 39 dishes to celebrate the Eurovision weekend there will be something for everybody. It is a weekend for us in Australia due to the time difference and the way it is broadcast on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. I still watch it live on the internet but it is fantastic to immerse yourself in Eurovision for 3 solid days because you have to replay it and then replay past contests and play the cd's and ......I'm not going to be on that strange obsession show am I???

I couldn't decide between which of the Serbian past contestants to include so we will be getting a bonus track. Both acts have pretty impressive hair, the first being Marko Kon & Milaan from 2009 placing 10th in the semi final. The second entry is from 2011 where Nina reached 14th in the final. It may have been due to her slightly more sensible hair.

Avjar

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 red capsicum
• 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup parsley
• juice of 1 lemon

Method

• Place eggplant and capsicum in a baking tray and cover with foil
• Put the tray into a 210°C oven for 20 mins
• Remove the foil and cook a further 10-15 minutes till the vegetables are on the verge of collapse. (physically not emotionally)
• Remove from the oven and cover with foil for 5 mins to help loosen the skins
• When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and seeds from the capsicum and skin from eggplant and discard.
• Put vegetable flesh, oil, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processer
• Pulse till chopped but not pureed
• Serve on bruschetta or as a dip
• To mellow the flavour of the garlic you can add it to the vegetables when you remove the foil before they finish cooking
• Originally the vegetables were minced by hand but in the words of Sweet Brown "aint nobody got time for dat".

 It is not the most photogenic dish in the Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 but the flavour is douze points all the way.

In May Moje 3 will bring their song Ljubav Je Svuda and what promises to be excellent hair once again.

срећно!