SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

We are left with many of her cookery books; brown-edged, dusted with flour, butter or a splash of red wine. They contain both her handwritten recipes and those that circulated among her friends.

Francka was born in Šenčur and married in Cerklje before World War II. Her husband Jože had a carpentry workshop there, and she became the soul of the home - always wearing an apron. Her kitchen always smelled so good. Cooking was the bond that kept us together. There were always lots of people in our house. They had six children and she often made a feast for all of them (including their partners and her grandchildren).

I remember how much she enjoyed cooking. As a little girl, I loved to watch her create in the kitchen. I was always there when she was making apple strudel. First, we spread a white tablecloth on the table, which she used only for rolling out the dough. She gave me an important task: to peel the apples. "Watch your fingers," she said, showing me how to turn the apple in my hand. If I peeled an apple without breaking the skin, she would always say, "This will be a lucky strudel."

While she stretched the dough until it was translucent - in slow, patient movements, as if it were something sacred - I sprinkled crumbs with a teaspoon, then sprinkled apples, cinnamon and sometimes a few raisins on top. Then we each grabbed a tablecloth at our end and carefully wrapped the dough. She always let me butter the top of the strudel at the end. 

Every time I make a strudel, I have the feeling that it is with me. She has entrusted me with a piece of her tradition, so every time I smell a strudel, I think of her and of our moments together in the kitchen. 

Her cookbooks are now mine. They are not just about measurements and ingredients, they are about belonging. 

I still remember her words, "If you cook for others, you show them that you love them." 

"Trust that everything has a purpose. Even what seems small. In cooking and in life in general. Respect or follow the instructions in the recipes and you're sure to have a successful dish."

I know my grandmother would say, "Life is like cooking. Don't skip steps. Slow goes a long way. It is not about perfection, it is about purpose. With respect, patience and trust, things always come together."

Maja Grošelj, 3 May 2025