I am very pleased to bring you yet another Croatian Cookbook, my third, other two being Walk through Croatia, which was sold all across the world, and if many letters I have received is any indication, you truly enjoyed the books and made me very happy.

I decided to publish the third Croatian cookbook because you ask for it, and this time I called it Classic Croatian. Why Classic Croatian, well in this new book you will experience dishes that are truly classic for certain part of Croatia.

I decide to keep dishes from last book because they are also classic dishes from number of regions. I also decided to publish this book with a soft cover, which will be much easier for you to read and handle, and also to make it distinctive different from other two, that you may already have.

In my two other books I told you how Croatian cuisine is different, versatile, traditional that consists of two very different cuisines and very beautiful. Recipes are as old as the country, for centuries our grandmothers created dishes which we enjoy today. Modern Croatian chefs of today modified and polished these dishes to suit today’s modern cuisine.

The beauty of Croatian cuisine is in having two cuisines, one being Continental cuisine and other very different Mediterranean cuisine.

Since Croatia is very rich in wheat, game, farm animals and dairy product they make base for the Continental cuisine. On the other hand very long and crystal clear Adriatic coast, with over one thousand island and geographical position with fresh seafood, shellfish, crustaceans and lamb which pasture sea sprayed green grass, gives the foundation for the Mediterranean cuisine.

For the visitor to Croatia wandering about countryside, Adriatic coast or many islands, it is an experience they will never forget. They will find large selection of local authentic dishes, which are prepared with the freshest of ingredients and herbs, by in house cook, not by some famous chef.

Fresh garlic, onions, parsley, tomatoes, virgin olive oil and home made wine are always used to make regional dish of Croatia.

The world today is discovering new and exciting cuisines from all over the world, thanks to modern and fast travel, as well as world migration.

It makes me very happy that I could introduce Croatian cuisine to the world, in time when it was totally unknown to the world. My Croatian Food, Wine and tourism Festivals, my newspapers and magazine articles as well as television broke an ice in recognising of Croatian cuisine today, but we have a long way to go yet.

In every book I published I have to say thanks to my wife Mira, because all the cake section belongs to her hard work, planing and personally testing every cake.

A small note for the Australian readers, I just released my sauces and marinades under “Chef at home” label which I am sure you will enjoy.

Finally I wish to thank all my supporters who bought my two other books, thanks for your letters and incarregment , and I hope you will enjoy this book as much as Mira and me enjoyed bringing it to you.

Bon appetite

Your Chef at Home

Dennis B. Valcich