Category Archives: Balkans

M&M Enterprise Cooking, Vol. X

Posted on September 9, 2018 by hnbjr

Srpska salata It’s been a few days of rich and bountiful eating, so I decided to go for something lighter, not to mention the cucumbers and tomatoes, so fresh a few days ago, were in danger of getting overripe. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, food, macedonia | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Literary Lunches: Rebecca West

Posted on January 27, 2016 by hnbjr

Today we’ll kick off what will hopefully be a literary lunch series, in which I’ll showcase a (usually) simple meal from a great book.  All I had time for today was a quick lunch — a couple of slices of prosciutto di … Continue reading →

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Review of Peter Hessler’s River Town

Posted on March 27, 2013 by hnbjr

Peter Hessler was a Peace Corps volunteer in Sichuan in 1996-1998 and his book chronicling his life there, River Town, is an excellent Peace Corps memoir. Even though I can’t think of a place more different from Macedonia, where I served, … Continue reading →

Posted in america, Balkans, Chinese, education, international development, macedonia | Leave a comment

Face-to-Snout with Our Meat?

Posted on April 3, 2012 by hnbjr

If you want to eat meat, do you have to kill it yourself? Some people say yes. I’m less convinced and explore the reasons why in this piece for the American Interest, out today.

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Thoughts on Militarism on Italy’s Day of the Republic

Posted on June 2, 2011 by hnbjr

Italy rarely has national holidays that anyone cares about. Milan My building is pleasantly empty at the moment, with most denizens having gone away for a long weekend. Militarism is rarely on display for secular holidays here, although this year … Continue reading →

Posted in afghanistan, america, Balkans, the italian right, the right in europe, war | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vlastimir Đorđević at the Hague

Posted on March 1, 2011 by hnbjr

[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw7gNPJI7BY] (Video primarily in Serbian although the judge speaks in English.) Readers of yesterday’s post, which quoted Rory Stewart questioning the ability of the UN and similar organizations to do much of anything, might’ve detected a hint of disappointment. … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, human rights, international justice, kosovo, serbia, UN | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Friday AM briefs

Posted on February 25, 2011 by hnbjr

There’s way too much news this week, from the Libya to the milleproroghe, from Macedonia’s electoral crisis to the role of social media in the events that have shaken the Arab world.   Fini’s proclamation that the PM was not … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, electoral crisis, fini, il cav, italy, macedonia, the italian right | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Friday AM Roundup

Posted on February 18, 2011 by hnbjr

What’s great about Friday morning?  Having the Economist placed at your feet.  And even though this is a blog, sometimes it takes having the paper placed in your hands to do a good scan. Premesso’s not-quite week in review, drawn … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Balkans, Bossi, electoral crisis, eu, film, il cav, immigration, italy, lega nord, macedonia, obama, the italian left, the italian right, the right in europe, veneto | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

More Zungu Zungu, less Bunga Bunga

Posted on December 15, 2010 by hnbjr

This site isn’t meant to break news. But there’s been a near-perfect storm of events — so much excellent newsworthy material on Italy, the Balkans and international relations in general, and not nearly enough time to bang out a coherent … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, Bossi, electoral crisis, fini, il cav, immigration, italy, kosovo, lega nord, serbia, the italian right, Wikileaks | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Organ Harvesting in Kosovo

Posted on November 16, 2010 by hnbjr

It’s such a common urban legend that it’s almost the stuff of jokes.  But organ theft is, apparently, alive and well, and right here in what’s loosely called “Europe.” Carla del Ponte caused a minor stir a couple of years … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, kosovo | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment