Homemade Cooking Bliss!
Oh the food in Albania!!
Food is the way to a person’s heart. There is a reason why for centuries when guests arrive you present them with a treat and a beverage. It’s hospitality 101!
This cooking class did not disappoint, the dishes were truly just so delicious. The ingredients were super simple and ingredients that you would find in nearly every pantry back home, but together with the process just created something magical.
First thing is first, wine & appies for all! The wine was really good (and we all know I am not a wine drinker) and was made by the family that hosted the cooking class. The appetizers were fresh corn bread topped with cheese, spices and fresh tomatoes.
The perfect start to getting the hunger rolling. HAHAHA. As we got started they informed me that they have a rule, if any guest can finish all the food they will get their picture added to the wall. I looked at the wall and then looked at her with a inquisitive expression and she replied…”Exactly, no pictures because no one has ever finished all the food!” buwahahaha. Spoiler alert, my picture is also NOT on the wall.
Steps to the perfect meal!
- Getting started on the Tave Kosi. Since all of the dishes needed to bake in the oven we needed to get started with the bechemel type sauce for the Tave Kosi and put them in the oven.
- Prepare the dough for the Lakror, let it rise.
- Chop up the tomatoes and onions for the filling in the Lakror and saute.
- Prepare the cookie dough and form the cookie shapes and set aside.
- Roll out the dough for the Lakror and prepare the pie shaped dish and bake.
- Eat the Tave Kosi.
- Remove Lakror and put in the cookies.
- Eat the Lakror.
- Remove the cookies.
- Eat the cookies.
- Satisfaction achieved.
Tave Kosi
One of the most iconic Albanian Dish, known as “Independence Dish” since it was the most favorite dish of Ismail Qemali, Albanian first Prime Minister.
Traditionally it is a dish of lamb and rice baked with a mixture of yogurt and eggs added to a roux. But you may substitute the lamb as we did and we did not include rice in ours either.
sample
Get the Recipe
Simple Steps for preparing it :
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees C.
2. Boil the chosen meat for about 10 minutes in 1 L of water and pinch of salt.
3. After boiling dice the meat in small cubes (1cm). Remove the extra fat part.
4. Mix in a bowl the diced meat and 1 tbs of butter. Put it on the pre-heated oven for 7 minutes, until the meat has turns crispy and light brown.
5. Put a pot in the stove, stir together flour, butter, egg and yogurt. After 2 minutes add the water from the boiled meat. Mix it well for 3 minutes.
6. Spread all the mass of the Pot to the bowl where the meat was and put it in the oven for 20 minutes in 250 degrees C.
7. Put it out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes.
For one bowl of “Tave Kosi” is needed :
- 200 g of Lamb or Veal
- Whole egg / for 3 bowls
- 1 tbs of Butter
- Around 1 tbs of wheat flour
Lakror
“Lakror” is also the Albanian version of Byrek. Very special and of course delicious. It is very different from the other pies or Byrek because it is prepared in just 2 Layers where the fill-in sits in the middle. The fill-in mass can be cooked differently regarding the taste and season. We made ours with the classic tomato and onion filling.
sample
Get the Recipe
Simple Steps for preparing this dish :
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees C.
2. Prepare the Dough mixing Flour, a pinch of salt, yeast, and warm water.
3. Work on the dough until it is uniform. Cover it and let it sit for 20 minutes.
4. Dice in small cubes 1 average Onion and 1 Tomato
5. Start frying the onions in a pot with some vegetable oil. Do not season!
6. After being cooked for 15 minutes, the onions will be brown. It is time to add tomatoes.
7. Mix it well, season and cook it for 7 minutes. Put it out of the stove.
8. Roll the bottom layer of the pie and put it in the baking pan after oil touch.
9. Spread the Tomato & Onion filling in in the all bottom layer.
10. Roll the second layer of the pie and twist the sides to prevent the spread of the spinach.
11. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 250 degrees C.
12. Put it out of the oven and cover it with tablecloth for 10 minutes. Dye the pie with butter to stay soft.
For one medium pie is needed :
- 250 g of wheat flour
- 1 egg / 3 pies dough
- yeast
- 1 avarage onion
- 1 avarage tomato
- salt and pepper
Sheqerpare
Sheqer means sugar in Albanian and Pare translates to coin…so technically this translates to Sugar Coin. (This is how it was explained to me)
Sheqerpare are shortbread or sugar cookie type consistency soaked in a syrup made from sugar and water. They are typically served alongside raki to visiting guests in the household!
sample
Get the Recipe
Simple Steps for preparing this Simple Albanian Desserts:
1. Pre warm the oven at 180 degrees C.
2. Prepare the Syrup through boiling the water and sugar with the lemon slice, prevented the juice turning sugary.
3. In another pot mix the melted butter, 1 tbs of sugar and all the eggs.
4. Start adding flour. Around 13 tbs are needed.
5. When the mass is all uniform divide in 9 round cookies.
6. Place a walnuts in the middle of the cookies.
7. Bake in oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees C.
8. After removing it from the stove, pour the warm syrup and let it sit for more than 15 minutes.
For 9 Cookies of “Sheqerpare” you will need
- 250 g of melted Butter
- 1 full egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbs of Sugar
- 10 g of Dessert Baking Soda
- some walnuts
For the Syrup you will need
- 2.5 Water Glasses full of sugar
- 3 Glass of water
- 1 Slice of fresh Lemon
In addition the tour also includes appetizers, family made wine and Raki, as well as a second Cooked Raki which was prepared with honey, cinnamon, cloves and a little water and then cooked on the stove. It is commonly used for colds as well.
Jackelyn Approved
...and It Was Worth It. 
Fresh Market Tomatoes
Appies, corn bread, cheese, spices and tomatoes
Traditional Clay Dish
Spice Blend
Local Wine
Prepping for Tave Kosi
Tave Kosi
Preparing Lakror
Preparing Lakror
Sheqerpare
Sheqerpare
Cooked Raki & Sheqerpare
Tave Kosi
Lakror
Now You Know!
YUMMY!
My first real cooking class in the Balkans and it didn’t disappoint!
Honestly, this was some amazingly delicious home cooked food. This was also the only cooking class I could find in the city of Tirana. Well done on having a monopoly on this type of experience. I am always eager to learn the local recipes so I can share them with my friends back home in Canada. It’s a win win for all!
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Please note that I have not received these products for free or at a discounted price in exchange for my opinion. There may be links that are affiliate links but at the time of posting this review, I have not received any monetary kickbacks.