About Andrea

Hi, I'm Andrea Pisac.

I'm an anthropologist, writer and cookbook author, and for the past decade I've been on a mission to preserve and share the everyday traditions that make Croatia feel like home.

My books are not just collections of recipes. They are stories about the people behind the dishes, the customs that shaped them and the little details that rarely make it into modern cookbooks.

Because I believe that when you understand why we cook something, not just how, you become part of the tradition yourself.

From anthropology to the kitchen

Before I became a full-time writer, I completed a PhD in anthropology at the University of London and worked as a research fellow at Goldsmiths.

Anthropology taught me to be endlessly curious about ordinary life.

Every recipe begins long before the ingredients. It begins with a question: Who made this dish? When was it served? What family ritual kept it alive? What does it tell us about the people who created it?

That's the anthropologist in me.

The writer then takes over, turning those discoveries into stories that bring each recipe to life. Finally, the teacher makes sure every step is clear enough for you to recreate it with confidence, wherever you live.

Together, these three perspectives shape every cookbook I write.

Why these cookbooks are different

Croatian food is wonderfully diverse, but it has often been overlooked outside our borders.

When I began writing my first cookbook, I wanted to create something I wished had existed while I was living abroad: a cookbook that didn't simply list ingredients but actually taught you how Croatian home cooking works.

I write every recipe for someone who has never made it before.

I assume you've never baked mađarica, folded štrukli or shaped kroštule. I don't expect you to know which baking tin to use, how thick the dough should be or what the mixture is supposed to look like halfway through.

So I explain everything.

Every single step is photographed, so you'll never have to guess whether you're on the right track. Ingredients are provided in both metric and US cup measurements, baking tins and kitchen tools are specified for every recipe, and every instruction is written with one goal in mind: to make even the most traditional Croatian dishes feel achievable, wherever you live.

Alongside the recipes, you'll discover the stories behind them—when they're prepared, why they matter and how they fit into everyday Croatian life.

I often say that my goal is to write as if your baka were standing beside you in the kitchen.

Patiently.

Without assuming you already know the tricks.

More than recipes

Today, my Croatian Cookbook Collection includes books on traditional desserts, everyday classics, savoury baking and Croatian sweets.

Together they preserve hundreds of recipes from every region of Croatia, from beloved family favourites to festive dishes prepared only once a year.

More importantly, they preserve the memories and traditions that surround them.

Because recipes are only half the story.

Croatia Honestly

In 2014, I left my academic career in London and returned to Croatia to create Croatia Honestly—a blog dedicated to helping people discover the country's everyday culture beyond the usual tourist highlights.

Today, more than 100,000 readers visit Croatia Honestly each year to explore traditional Croatian cooking, everyday Croatian culture, local destinations and customs that rarely appear in guidebooks.

My work has been featured in The Guardian, Paste Magazine and New York Magazine, among other Croatian and international media, with many describing me as an unofficial ambassador of Croatian culture. It is a title that perfectly captures what I hope to achieve: helping people understand Croatia not only as a place to visit, but as a way of life.

The same philosophy shapes every cookbook I publish.

Recognition

I'm incredibly grateful that this work has resonated with readers around the world.

My cookbooks have sold more than 35,000 copies worldwide and have found homes on every continent.

Along the way, I've received the City of Zagreb Award for my contribution to cultural tourism, the Marco Polo Award for travel writing and several international cookbook awards.

But the recognition that means the most to me is much simpler.

It's hearing from someone who baked Croatian walnut roll for the first time because of one of my books.

Or someone whose Croatian grandmother finally said:

"Yes... that's exactly how we make it."

Those moments remind me why I started writing in the first place.

I hope my books help you experience Croatia not only through its recipes, but through the traditions, stories and everyday rituals that make this country so special.

Welcome to my kitchen.