jdherr75@sabreshockey.comAre you tired of the greasy banitsa that have all oil and little else? Well, this article will convert you to banitsa, whether you like it or not.

Why make banitsa when it is so easy to find on the street, you ask?

People: homemade banitsa is so much better than what you'll find in any store.

In Balchik, the best banitsa place in town has a banitsa elevator. Even with the banitsa elevator, their banitsa is too oily and does not have enough sirene.

And the holiday season would not be complete without homemade banitsa, regardless of your religion.

There are many occasions for banitsa besides the holiday season, and it is always a good treat.

There are many different flavours for banitsa for the holiday season, but I will focus on the traditional and spinach varieties.

Making homemade banitsa with my colleagues gave me a warm fuzzy feeling I will never forget.

A colleague had a special recipe that involved sheep sirene. I usually don't like sheep sirene, but this banitsa was fantastic. We made three big banitsas, and we ate until we were stuffed.

If you are hardcore, you can make your own dough. For the lazy, phyllo dough is a good substitute.

You will have to wait until next time for the banitsa recipe with phyllo dough, because it is different than the homemade recipe.

Be careful, homemade banitsa involves rocket science, so be prepared for anything. Please remember that my stove is controlled by evil wombats, so cooking times are approximate.

In one cooking session, the wombats were unruly and turned my banitsa into an edible rubber tire that not even stray cats would eat.

Enjoy the holiday season, and watch out for wild wombats.

Homemade Banitsa Dough,
courtesy of Ani Dolcheva in Balchik

325g flour, sometimes a little more
50ml water
1 spoonful oil
1 small spoonful salt

Banitsa ingredients
150-200g sirene, crumbled
3 eggs
about 150-200ml milk
4-5 spoonfuls of oil, or about 50g melted butter
100g fresh spinach, chopped into small pieces (optional)

Directions: Knead ingredients together, then roll out with hands into a long strip. Use knife and divide dough into three sections. Make three balls, and place balls into a pan with flour. Wait 20 minutes, then roll each ball of dough into a very thin almost paper-like state with a rolling pin or clean broom handle. You will need a well floured surface for this part, because the dough is very sticky. You will probably have the dough break a little, but that's OK. Place dough into a greased banitsa pan. Dough arrangement resembles a folded, somewhat crumbled piece of paper, but in a vertical way, not completely horizontal. Sprinkle melted butter or oil onto the dough, then add the sirene, egg, and milk mixture into the pan. Bake at 200°C for about 40-45 minutes, or until done. Then sprinkle cooked banitsa with water droplets and place towel over it. Cool for about 15-20 minutes, then eat and enjoy.

Joseph Herr is a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer currently working in Balchik. His column appears weekly and he can be contacted at jdherr75@sabreshockey.com.