BABA JELENA

Born in 1952 in Glozdje (Ivanova, Croatia) is often seen as the heart and matriarch of the family.

She is strong, practical and known for her incredible cooking skills. She values resilience, family loyalty and cultural customs. She is one of my two blood-related babas who can never fully understand how to make only “a little bit of food”.

Although she holds on to her recipes tightly, she is slowly revealing the secrets of her cooking to her grandchildren, including me.

She always makes sure every guest leaves fully fed. Baba Jela’s cooking could feed the whole street and last you days. She loves to cook with her homemade smoked meats, which amplify her cooking style even more.

She is the SMOKEY Baba.