The Balkans, or the southeastern corner of Europe south of the Danube and west of the Black Sea, has a fascinating and often tumultuous history. Fertile valleys and plains, broken up by various hills and mountains, were home to numerous ancient civilizations – Greeks, Illyrians, Dacians, Scythians, and Sarmatians. The Persian Achaemenids tried to … Continue reading Walnuts, Two Ways, Version 1: Tarator (Balkan walnut/cucumber soup)