Istria is the largest Croatian peninsula at the far north-west of the Croatian coast. This little region bursts with flavors and some of the most magnificent dishes of Croatian cuisine. In this region you will notice a highly Italian influence in everyday life and cuisine (Italians are the largest minority group in Istria).  
One of the signature dishes of Istria are Fuži. Simple and yet amazing pasta which is served with a variety of sauces, meat and vegetable dishes.

Time needed: about 1 hour
Dough preparation and pasta making: about 1 hour
Cooking time about 2-3 minutes

"Burek  je s mesom, sve ostalo su pite."
(by every Bosnian ever) :-)

Even-though spread across the Balkans this savory phyllo-pie is a Bosnian specialty. If you were ever in Bosnia you must have tried a Burek. They are sold in every bakery, on every corner across the country. There are many varieties of this pie and their name changes according to the filling inside (and your current geographical position).

Here are some of the most common ones:
Burek - filled with meat
Zeljanica - filled with spinach and cottage cheese
Sirnica - filled with cottage cheese, sour cream and eggs
Pita od jabuka - apples 
and the list goes on....

We'll be doing couple of those here on bite&sip but let us start with meat!

Time needed: about 2 hours
Dough preparation and resting: about 1 hour
Baking time about 40 minutes

We love a risotto! There is something so comforting about this creamy nice dish that offers so many options and varieties. You can tweak any risotto recipe and make it just perfectly fit your own taste. And it can be with meat, fish, vegetarian, vegan-- with a risotto everything is possible!

Time needed: 45 minutes
Preparation about 15 minutes
Cooking time about 20 minutes
Resting time: 10 minutes

Nor sure if I should call this a breakfast, lunch or dinner dish. Somehow this delicious, savory, spicy and fresh dish fits every time of the day. Shakshouka is a Mediterranean thing, and how you move from county to country the name and some ingredients do change so keep exploring and combining until you find your favorite!

Time needed: 30 minutes
Preparation about 5 minutes
Cooking time about 25 minutes