As soon as the work week ends, Zagreb native Martina Horvat (52) takes off her blazer, shuts down her laptop, and packs a pot for the road, because she spends her weekends on the island of Krk, which she fell in love with about ten years ago, thanks to her youthful love whom she met again. Her husband Robert works in Austria, so Martina followed him there, but both are soon planning to return to Croatia.
"My husband has been coming to Krk for years, where he created his own little corner—a place full of Mediterranean vegetation and peace. Today, we have about fifteen olive trees there, which are no longer just decoration, they give us our own oil. That island is not just a place to me, it is my peace and inspiration," says Martina. And above all, inspiration for cooking, which she loves so much that a few years ago she started a blog called "Mala od kužine" where she shares not only what she cooks, but also what she feels.
"I didn’t want to make a classic online recipe collection, but a space where food tells a story—full of aromas, memories, emotions. Every dish carries a story and that’s why I write the way I cook, with soul," explains Martina, a human resources manager by profession, who most loves to prepare fish and pasta. Fish, she says, must be fresh and simple, and pasta requires feeling, attention, and precision. And it must be al dente.
"Fish goes with olive oil, a bit of wine, a squeeze of lemon, and a lot of patience. Honestly, I love raw fish the most, it’s also good poached, really, good fish is always good if prepared with care and knowledge. Pasta—it must be ‘al dente,‘ it must absorb the sauce, not float in it. And it must be loved. When you love it, it turns out perfect," says Martina, who soon plans to open a tavern on Krk.
No Compromises in the Kitchen
"I have a dream, and that is a tavern with soul, where only what I brought from the market that day, caught, or picked from the garden will be served. Where you eat under a pine tree, overlooking the olive trees. It will be a blend of island simplicity and Dalmatia, which I carry in my heart because part of my family is from there. I’ll call it Pomalo—because everything that’s good, should be done slowly. I’m in love with herbs—rosemary, thyme, sage, basil... Those are the scents of summer to me, but also of health. It’s no coincidence that Mediterranean dishes are the foundation of the blue zone—the healthiest diet in the world. And that’s why I stick to that path—local, seasonal, simple, with lots of olive oil and love," explains Martina, who most loves cooking for her son, his girlfriend, and her husband. The only compromise she doesn’t allow in the kitchen, she says, are ready-made sauces and instant meals.
"My rules are clear—olive oil must be extra virgin and top quality, preferably homemade, tomatoes must be seasonal and so ripe that they smell and don’t need to be cut, just like all vegetables and fruit, and garlic never, ever comes from a jar, unless it’s black! I cook Mediterranean food, the way I learned—with respect for the ingredient, the season, and tradition. In my kitchen, there’s no cream in carbonara, no frozen squid unless it’s from the Adriatic in a ‘homemade‘ risotto, and no ‘quick versions‘ if a dish requires patience. The wine I drink goes in the pot too. If it’s not good enough for my palate, it’s not good enough for my brodetto. So, compromises? Maybe in life. In the kitchen? No, thank you," says enterprising Martina, who, in addition to an olive grove, also has a small garden on Krk.
The Adriatic on French Foundations
In her free time, she loves to travel and always comes back with some food.
"I love planting, tending the garden, picking lavender and figs. My husband is a classic car enthusiast and we regularly go to the fair in Bologna. I adore Italy. While he looks at cars, I—instead of bags and shoes—run off to the markets. My little paradise is the Albinelli market in Modena. There, your heart skips a beat as if you’ve fallen into the finest song about life. That scent, that bustle, that fruit that looks like it’s from a picture book, women shouting ‘bella signora!‘ and urging you to try cheese or olives you’ve dreamed of. Where a grandma in an apron brings you a plate of hot pasta and looks at you as if you’re her grandchild. That’s where I learn. I learn how they cook, what they use, how their salsa smells when it’s done. And then, when I get home, I turn it into something of my own—something that still has soul, but also my signature. In addition, I spent a lot of time alone, learning from the classics of French cuisine. Because, as much as I’m an islander at heart, I know that when you lay the traditions of Dalmatia, Istria, Kvarner, or even Italy on French technique—a spectacle is born. French cuisine taught me order, balance, respect for ingredients," says Martina, who also confided that she dreams of publishing a cookbook.
"It won’t be just a collection of recipes, but a book where every dish has its own story, because for me, food has always been more than food. It’s the scent of childhood, an old enamel bowl, grandma handing you a piece of bread to taste the salsa, the first brodetto you overcooked, laughter at the table, a tear that falls when you manage to make something just like your mom did. That’s why I want my recipes to live in stories. So people, when they read how I cooked stuffed peppers while rain poured on the tin roof of the house on Krk, not only want to cook the same—but also feel everything I felt then. Because emotion is important. Flavors fade, but the experience remains," concludes Martina.
BAKED MUSSELS WITH BISQUE
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 kg fresh mussels
- olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- parsley, lemon juice, pepper
PREPARING THE MUSSELS
Briefly sauté the garlic in olive oil in a wide pan. Add cleaned mussels, cover, and cook until they open. Reserve the cooking liquid and arrange the mussels in a baking tray.
BISQUE
INGREDIENTS
- a cup of liquid from cooked mussels
- a small onion
- 1 clove garlic
- a small carrot
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 100 ml white wine
- 100 ml cooking cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- olive oil, a pinch of chili
PREPARATION
Sauté onion, garlic, and carrot in olive oil. Add tomato paste, white wine, and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the mussel liquid and cook everything together for ten minutes. Stir in the butter and cream, then blend everything with a hand blender. Strain to a smooth texture if necessary.
PREPARING THE BAKED MUSSELS
Pour the bisque over the cooked mussels and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for five to seven minutes. Serve with parsley and lemon juice.
OVEN-BAKED ANCHOVIES WITH BREADCRUMBS, LEMON AND HERBS
INGREDIENTS:
- 500 g fresh cleaned anchovies
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large lemon (juice + zest if desired)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2–3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 5–6 tablespoons breadcrumbs (more if needed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Baking paper
PREPARATION:
In a large bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, finely chopped garlic, and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the cleaned anchovies (without heads and guts, opened lengthwise) to the marinade. Gently stir to coat evenly. Let stand for 10–15 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and gently mix so the anchovies are evenly coated. Add more olive oil or breadcrumbs if the mixture is not compact enough. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Arrange the anchovies in a single layer—they must not overlap. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (top-bottom setting) for about 10–15 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy. Serve warm with a slice of lemon, a bit of fresh arugula, homemade bread, or potato salad.
SCAMPI SOUP
INGREDIENTS FOR THE STOCK:
- 500 g uncleaned scampi (with heads and shells)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 carrot (chopped)
- 1 celery stalk (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 100 ml white wine
- 1 liter water
- 1 bay leaf
- a bit of thyme
- parsley, salt, and pepper
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SOUP:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
- 100 ml white wine
- 100 ml cooking cream
- scampi meat (preferably from tails)
- optional: a bit of cognac or brandy (for flambéing)
PREPARING THE SCAMPI STOCK
Fry the shells, heads, and tails of the scampi in olive oil until they turn red and fragrant (5–10 min). Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and briefly sauté. Pour in white wine, let the alcohol evaporate. Add water, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley, salt and pepper. Cook for 30–40 minutes on low heat. Strain everything through a fine sieve—save the resulting stock, discard the solids.
PREPARING THE SOUP
Melt butter with a bit of oil in a pot. Add flour and tomato paste and briefly fry until it gets a slightly reddish color. Pour in white wine, mix well, then add the stock. Cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooking cream, scampi meat (briefly sautéed), and flambé with a bit of cognac if desired. Blend everything with a hand blender and strain for extra smoothness if needed. Serve warm, with a few whole scampi as decoration, and you can also add a few drops of olive oil, fresh parsley, and homemade croutons.
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