Homemade Kisilak

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When a half-liter of our local farmer’s raw milk went sour while my youngest son was away on a school trip, my wife wanted to pour it down the drain.

Instead, I ran a quick “proof of concept” to make kisilak, our traditional Prekmurje term for plain, homemade cottage cheese.

Nothing goes to waste in a working kitchen.

Making cottage cheese at home from fresh or slightly soured raw milk is remarkably simple. Gentle heat separates the milk into firm, creamy curds and liquid whey. A quick strain through cheesecloth gives you a soft, fresh cheese that is miles ahead of most store-bought tubs.

Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta

Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Instructions Link to heading

Knead and rest the dough Link to heading

On a clean work surface or in a wide bowl, combine the flour and semolina.
Create a well in the center and crack in the eggs.
Gradually incorporate the eggs into the flour until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead using a stretch-and-pull technique: hold the base of the dough with one hand and push it away from you with the heel of the other hand.
Gather the dough back together, rotate it, and repeat for 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Roll by hand Link to heading

Generously sprinkle a wooden board or work surface with semolina.
Take one portion of dough out of the wrap and press it flat with your hand.
Roll it out slowly from the center outward using a rolling pin.
To get the dough very thin, loosely wrap the edge of the dough sheet around the rolling pin, then roll and gently pull outward with your hands.
Repeat until the sheet is thin enough that you can almost see the surface beneath it.

Fold and cut Link to heading

Sprinkle the top of the thin dough sheet generously with semolina to prevent sticking.
Fold the sheet loosely into a flat log: fold, sprinkle with semolina, fold again, sprinkle again, and fold one last time.
Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut the log crosswise into strips about 8–10 mm wide.
Gently lift and unfurl the strips with your fingers to separate them into tagliatelle.
Repeat with the remaining dough portions.

Cook and serve Link to heading

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil.
Add the fresh tagliatelle.
Cook for about 2 minutes, until the noodles float to the top.
Drain in a colander.
Toss immediately with your favorite sauce and serve.

Notes Link to heading

Divided into quarters and ready for a half-hour nap in the fridge. Resting the dough is mandatory if you want to roll it paper-thin by hand.

Slowly working the rolling pin. A heavy dusting of semolina ensures the dough glides smoothly across the wooden board without sticking.

Unrolling the cut logs into perfect ribbons. There's nothing quite like the sight of fresh, hand-cut tagliatelle.

Batch one is ready. The dusting of semolina gives the noodles a rustic texture that will grab onto every drop of sauce.

Into the rolling boil. Fresh pasta cooks in a flash—blink and you'll miss that perfect al dente window.

Drained and steaming. Look at those beautiful, ribbon-like folds ready to meet the plate.

This is a true kitchen ritual. Skip the pasta machine, rolling the dough by hand with a classic rolling pin gives the noodles a rustic, textured surface.

Homemade on Aleš Lončar