European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Food stewing in the Balkans casseroles variations on a theme by Sharon hudc1ns special o stripes Magazine i . The first time 1 ate it in Yugoslavia it was a meat and Rice concoction Flavoured with tomatoes and mixed vegetables served on a plate. A Short while later i ordered a dish with a similar name in Greece and was confronted with a Small individual casserole filled with a Type of pasta i had never seen before Flavoured with tomatoes and onions and redolent of cinnamon and cloves. In Germany i discovered that a Large Dollop of it usually containing no meat was the inevitable starchy accompaniment to any main dish at any yugoslav restaurant. One slovenian restaurant however made it yet another Way with Rice several kinds of meats and a different array of vegetables and served it As a main course. Then i bought a can of it imported from Bulgaria and found i had just purchased the Eastern european version of mixed vegetables no Rice no pasta no meats. I . Hunting through 30 cookbooks Only added to my bewilderment. I found 19 Spellings for the name of this dish and almost that Many different recipes for it. It took a couple of Days to sort through All the material i had collected and come up with a Clear idea of what this dish really is. And it turned out that i d had Good reason to be confused. Whether you spell it Djuve Serbo Croatia Nghi Peciu Romania Nghi vetch Bulgaria you vets greek or Guezec turkish or any of the other 14 similar Spellings it s a Basic peasant casserole made from ingredients commonly found in those Balkan countries. Beyond that generalization however the regional and National differences in this dish make for such a variety of ingredients and preparations that the romanian Ghi Peciu bears Only a passing resemblance to its greek counterpart you vets. And that Djuve Rice served at so Many yugoslav restaurants in Northern Europe can be considerably different from the casserole named Ghi vetch that you la find in Bulgaria even though All these dishes Are culinary and linguistic Sisters. In spite of All the different Spellings however the pronunciations of Djuve Ghi Peciu Ghi vetch Yiove Tsi and Guvenc Are quite similar. The words All have the same Root meaning pot Flower pot or deep earthenware casserole referring to the Type of casserole in which the dish is traditionally cooked. The easiest Way to keep All these casseroles straight is to think of them in purely National terms. And indeed the yugoslavs romanians and bulgarians All claim some form of Djuve Ghi Peciu Ghi vetch As a National dish. The greeks and turks Reserve that appellation for other comi nations of ingredients however regional differences and affinities Are important too which Means that the casseroles of this name made by macedonians in Greece Yugoslavia and Bulgaria Are More Likely to be similar to each other than to their National counterparts made in Athens Belgrade or Sofia. Yugoslav Djuve pronounced Yoo Vech is a meat and vegetable casserole which also contains some kind of starch such As Rice or potatoes. Any kind of meat including Chicken and fish can be used but pork and Lamb Are traditional. The meat is a yugoslav in one of the Many markets of Macedonia. Cut into files chops or cubes and browned in lard or vegetable Oil. Tomatoes onions Bell peppers and seasonal vegetables Are added and the casserole is seasoned with paprika garlic herbs Stock and sometimes wine before being baked slowly until All the liquid is absorbed. Variations include Novacki Djuve Hunter s Ste Flavoured with Bacon and wine vinegar and Bosacki Lonac a bosnian casserole containing a mixture of meats pork Bacon Lamb Bee plus onions potatoes tomatoes Bell peppers eggplant carrots celery herbs and White White. The name of this bosnian specially comes from Lonac the Serbo croatian word for the deep earthenware pot in which the casserole is baked. Romanian Ghi Peciu or Ghi Veci is a casserole of chopped and sliced vegetables sauteed in Olive Oil Flavoured with garlic and other herbs moistened with Stock and perhaps White win and baked until the vegetables Are tender and the flavors have Linda White photo melded. Some Cooks Don t saute the vegetables before baking but the flavor is better if this extra step is included seasonal fresh vegetables Are used the number and Type varying with availability. Any romanian Cook will Tell you that Ghi Peciu must contain at least 10 vegetables and a Host or hostess hoping to impress the guests will use As Many As 18 different vegetables. See the following list of vegetables commonly used in this dish sometimes cubes of pork veal or fish Are included in the casserole and often the top of the dish is garnished with seedless Green grapes or with Fried onions. Plain yoghurt usually accompanies Ghi Peciu and is spooned Over the top of each serving. A related dish is the romanian jewish a vetch Dep Este made from whole fish Trout or Pickerel stuffed with mixed vegetables baked on a layer of mixed vegetables and served with the natural sauce that forms during cooking. Bulgarian Ghi vetch or Gyu Vech is made from stripes Magazine apri 3,1986