Zeljanica (cheese & spinach pie), p12

I’m originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but have been in the UK for 23 years. I came after the war and settled in Bristol. This recipe is from Paula, who’s the mum of one of my best friends – it’s been in her family for years. In fact, I often refer to this as ‘Paula’s zeljanica’. She’s a brilliant cook and this pie often features in her feasts.

I love cooking and how it can bring us all together. Coming from the former Yugoslavia and Balkan region, we love feeding people. Our food is influenced by both Ottoman and Austrohungarian empires, as both ruled the region at different points in history.

I buy a fresh curd cheese from my local Turkish shop to make this pie – it’s a bit like a drier version of cottage cheese. But, if you can’t find this, you can also use a combination of mascarpone and ricotta.