A’marie Stories: Food as a Space of Play and Tenderness
“Food is everything — love, ritual, art, a way to express yourself and connect.”
With these simple yet deeply inspiring words, Irena Bakić from Radni Trokut summed up what every woman who cooks, kneads, smells, and shares with care and joy feels. Her story is not only about food — it’s about space and emotion, about that quiet pleasure of creation that unites the simplicity of home with the beauty of detail.
For Irena, the kitchen has never been just a place for cooking — it’s an extension of life, a field of exploration, a space for play and tenderness. In Radni Trokut, she creates edible stories that evoke childhood, seasonal markets, and travels. Each dish bears her personal signature — naturalness, warmth, and unpretentious aesthetics.
As the first cold days arrive, I too find myself spending more time in the kitchen, trying new dishes to enjoy with my boys or over a glass of good wine with friends.
Irena shared with me three simple yet special recipes — small rituals that celebrate slowness, texture, and the pure joy of cooking. I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do.
✶ Twisted Sourdough Grissini
Ingredients:
- 275 g all-purpose flour (you can also use 00 or any bread flour)
- 125 g water
- 100 g natural starter or 1 level teaspoon dry yeast
- 50 g olive oil
- 5 g salt
- herbs or spices of choice (herbs, citrus zest, seeds, za’atar, or your own mix)
Method:
Mix the flour, water, and yeast, and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Add salt and oil, then knead into a smooth dough (by hand, if possible).
Cover and let rise — at room temperature until doubled, or overnight in the fridge.
When ready, roll into a rectangle (approx. 35×8 cm), sprinkle with spices, and cut into strips. Roll each strip into thin grissini and, if you like, twist or tie them into knots.
Arrange on a baking tray, drizzle with a few drops of olive oil, and sprinkle with a bit of salt.
Bake at 220°C for about 10 minutes (depending on thickness), until golden and crispy.
✶ GF Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 250 g flour of your choice (Irena uses a gluten-free mix, but you can use regular pastry flour or a blend)
- 125 g cold butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- spices of choice (in this version: immortelle and coarsely ground pink peppercorns)
- about 100 g kefir or yogurt
Method:
Mix flour, salt, and spices (save some for sprinkling).
Rub in the cold butter until the mixture has a sandy, crumbly texture.
Gradually add kefir, stirring lightly with a fork — just enough for the dough to hold together when squeezed in your hand.
Shape into a ball and chill for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
Roll out to about 2 cm thickness, cut out shapes, brush with kefir, and sprinkle with the remaining spices and salt.
Bake at 190°C for about 15 minutes — they’re done when golden and slightly browned at the edges.
You can add whatever your heart desires to these biscuits — grated cheese, seeds, dried fruit, nuts, or even leftover roasted vegetables from lunch.
✶ Flavored Butter
An idea rather than a recipe:
Softened butter + salt + seasonings of your choice = endless possibilities.
Three versions Irena prepared for the opening of our store:
- Butter with onion jam, thyme, and chili
- Butter with capers, olives, lemon zest, and rosemary
- Butter with fig jam, fig leaf syrup, and beetroot powder
Irena’s food philosophy beautifully intertwines with the A’marie world.
We both nurture the idea of everyday rituals that bring us back to ourselves — through texture, scent, silence, and touch. Her recipes are not here to impress but to inspire — to remind us how lovely it is to pause, knead, smell, and enjoy what we create with our own hands.
Within that simplicity lies something truly special — the feeling of home, peace, and contentment.
Enjoy the recipes.
A’marie
