The Taste of Mediterranean Cuisine

The deep, blue sea named the Mediterranean (or Med) gives heart and life to the countries around her. The Mediterranean got its name from Latin and means “middle of the Earth” or “inland”. People in this region took the sea as the main trading source, so, obviously, people around the Mediterranean share more than a beach and water; they share history, a bit of culture and of course overlapping cuisines. They have created a varied and cosmopolitan cuisine which is one of the most famous cuisines that exist in this world. Like everything in the Mediterranean that is special, so does the Meditation cuisine is special too; every tiny detail that it owns is special; starting from Mediterranean food through out Mediterranean cooking to Mediterranean dishes. The Mediterranean cuisine could be roughly divided into three dining regions: southern European, North African and eastern Mediterranean, but it has also made an enormous influence in many cuisines. This cuisine is considered to be one of the most exotic cuisines in the World.

Keys of Mediterranean Dining

The main keys of every Mediterranean dish are the perfectly grown vegetables. All Mediterranean dishes are abundant with vegetables like peppers, onions, eggplants, mushrooms, cucumbers, squashes, garlic, artichokes and various lettuces and greens. What makes this cuisine one of a kind is the fact that the basic in the Mediterranean cooking is the usage of many herbs like basil, rosemary, mint, cilantro, oregano, parsley, dill and fennel. The heart of the Mediterranean dinning is seafood. Shellfish are extensively used in many Mediterranean dishes from stews, soups, pastas to salads. Also, anchovies are mostly eaten in the Mediterranean region, and there are many ways to prepare this fish. As well, ell, swordfish, octopus, monkfish, squid and cuttlefish are the other fish that are predominantly served.

Source for meats in Mediterranean dinning are smaller animals like goats, lambs, pork, rabbit and sheep. Beef, on the other, is uncommon for this cuisine. In addition, another key of Mediterranean dinning is the usage of olive oil. Almost all Mediterranean dishes start with olive oil. What is more about the Mediterranean cuisine is that it has mouth-watering wines especially famous are the Balkan wines. Wine is the most famous preserved drink, and it is said that Mediterranean dish is not complete if there is no wine.

Pita Bread - The Core of Every Mediterranean Dish

One of the specialties that stand for the Mediterranean cuisine is pita bread, which is a round pocket bread extremely used in all Mediterranean countries including the Middle eastern and the Balkans. Interesting about pita bread is the way of the Mediterranean cooking of the “pocket” in its middle. The “pocket” is made by stream that wisps out the dough; and as the bread flattens and cools, then the pocket is left in the middle of the bread. This pita bread could be found in all forms and sizes. Moreover the Mediterranean cooking has an interesting way of baking this bread: under “sač” which is a large lid, and the bread is covered with the “sač”, and then goal and ashes are put on the lid. Also, baking in brick oven is recommended. This kind of Mediterranean cooking is used in Montenegrin cuisine, Greece cuisine, Croatian cuisine, Turkish cuisine and many more.

We could say that pita bread is used with everything! People fill the “pocket” with everything like a sandwich. In the Greece cuisine pita bread is the main component of pita-gyros and pita-souvlaki. Also, it is consumed with dips like tzatziki. Furthermore, pita in Turkish cuisine (or pide) is used for all pizza-like meals, and here it has a soft texture and it has not got a pocket. One of the pizza-like Mediterranean Turkish dish is lahmacun. Also, pita bread is widely used in whole Balkan countries. In addition, pita bread is sacred to the people where it is used, so there are many customs connected with pita bread. One of them is the pita bread with a hidden coin in it used on the night before Christmas Eve.

Mediterranean Cuisine – World’s Healthy Diet

It is believed that Mediterranean dinning is very healthy, so the modern nutritionists have made a special diet named the Mediterranean diet. Furthermore, it is said that Mediterranean cooking stands for naturally healthy eating. All healthy diets contain vegetables, fish and vegetables which are the keys of Mediterranean dining. UNESCO has recognized Mediterranean diet as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Italy, Greece, Spain and Morocco in 2010. Thos diet has made a great impact in every aspect of human health. Researches have shown that the traditional Mediterranean food prepared with the Mediterranean cooking reduces the risk of heart disease, a reduced incidence of cancer and cancer mortality, and a reduced incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

To conclude, Mediterranean cuisine isn’t ruled by a single culture, it is a creation of cultural exchange and influence, thus you can be easily confused about the Mediterranean dishes because many countries serve the same dish. It is a highly rich cuisine, with many interesting ingredients. Fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and the high level of olive oil usage make the Mediterranean cuisine World’s number one healthy diet recognized by many famous nutritionists. Also, there would not be a Mediterranean dish if there is no pita bread and wine.

Books about Mediterranean cuisine:

• Secrets from Coastal Italian Kitchens by Academia Barilla
• Islands of the Mediterranean by HF Ullmann
• Delicious Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine by Martha Rose Shulman
• Mediterranean Diet Cookbook For Dummies by Meri Raffetto

Photo: maveric2003

The Taste of Mediterranean Cuisine

Overview of Romanian Cuisine

Romania is one of the countries that has a very turbulent history, thus it also has very diverse cuisine. In the Romanian traditional cuisine we will notice marks of various international cuisines. This cuisine was influenced by Turks, Serbian, Germans and Hungarians. Romanians have kept the best recipes from these countries, and successfully tried to adapt to their local traditional cuisine.

Romania has many traditional dishes which will leave you breathless. One of the most famous Romanian traditional dishes is "mămăligă", which is porridge made of yellow maize, and it is also called as the "bread of the peasants". This meal is also known in its Italian form called "polenta". Furthermore, "mititei", also known as "mici", is another traditional Romanian meal made of grilled minced-meat rolls. The mixture for "mititei" is made of beef, pork and lamb blended with garlic, thyme, savory, black pepper, coriander and anise. This dish is best served with beer and mustard. The both names of this meal, "mititei" and "mici", mean "small ones". In Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina you can find them under the name cevapcici.

Another specific meal that Romanians have is "ciorbă", a sour soup made of meat and various vegetables. What is interesting about this meal is that Romanians have made a quite difference between "supa", which is a soup, and "ciorba". In most of the cases soups are clear and have no added acid, as "ciorbă" may contain a huge mixture of soup ingredients, like lemons. Moreover, Romania is well-known to its "brânză de burduf ", which is a salty type of cheese. This cheese has a strong taste, made of sheep’s milk, and it is a little soft in texture. It is made according to a traditional Roman recipe, and even today it is made in the old fashion way: the sweet curd is sliced into very small pieces, salted and then it is hand-mixed in a wooden bowl. After the mixing, the mixture is put in a sheep’s stomach or skin that are carefully cleaned, or in a tube made of pine bark. If the cheese is kept in the tube made of pine bark, it will get specific pine favour. This cheese is unique to Romania, and maybe Romanian cuisine is famous due to brânză de burduf.

One of the most famous dishes that Romanians are very proud to have is "tochitura". It is made of fried pork, smoked bacon and sausages smoothed with white wine. This amazingly tasteful meal is served with mamaliga, Brânză de burduf and egg fried in Romanian style. This dish is extremely popular, and you could find many variations of it around Romania.

A food is nothing without beverage. Like all countries, so do Romans have their specific traditional drinks. "Tuică" is a strong brandy made of plum, and it has many variations in the taste according to the production area. Also, Romania is one of the world’s wine producers, which has numerous types of wine all with amazingly good and specific flavour. You can check the article about Balkan Wines for more informations.

To conclude, even thou Romanian cuisine had many influences during the years, it became very famous and unique. Romanian dishes and beverages are very delicious, and they are true challenge to the whole wide world.

Overview of Romanian Cuisine

Balkan Wines – Balkan Wineries

The beverage that has marked the whole era of humankind is wine. The Romans and Greeks worshiped Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, as the god of wine and merriment. Moreover, wine is important for many religious traditions, such as the Jewish Passover and the Christian Eucharist. It seems that wine has been around us ever since the first men’s footstep. Also, it is believed that wine first appeared in the Balkans around 4500 BC, so here is a small overview of Balkan wineries.

Bulgaria

On one hand, there is Bulgaria which produces wines since the Thracian times. Due to administrative reasons, the vineyards in Bulgaria are classified into five regions, and there are no vineyards only around the capital city, Sofia. One of the wine regions is the Eastern Region, which is affected by the Black Sea climate, and white wine is the most produced wine in this region. Some of the most famous wineries are Varna and Khan Krum. Another region is the Northern Region, and in this area it is produced white and red wine. Well-known wineries from this region are Russe, the Suhindol and Svishtov. Next on this list is the Southern Region which the most familiar for its red wines, and Plovdiv and Assenovgrad are the most eminent wineries. Another wine region is South-Western Region which has the warmest climate of all regions, and red wine is its special. The vineyard that marks this region is Melnik. Finally, the Sub-Balkan Region is the last in this list. This region produses red wine the most, and the recognized winery is Sliven.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

On the second hand, there is Bosnia and Herzegovina with its unique wine taste. The wineries in this country are few, but the wine is one of a kind, and there is no even similar taste no where in the world. The oldest winery in the country is Hepok Vinarija. This winery is founded in 1886 during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Another winery, which is very exclusive, is Brkic wine family cellar. What makes this winery one-and-only is that there is produced high quality wines, Zilavka and Blatina, which are symbols of the country.

Montenegro Montenegro, one of the youngest country in Europe is next on our wine list. Only the south part of the country is suitable for wine growing. The leading “force” in Montenegro is Plantaze, which is the major producer of bottled wine in the former Yugoslavia. It produces Krstac which is wine made of the same called grape only grown in Montenegro and Serbia.

Romania

One of the world’s largest wine makers is Romania, which has same climate as France, the wine country. Romania has four wine regions. One is Tarnave which produces the fruity wines due to the cool climate, and famous wineries in this region are Medias, Tarnaveni, Valea Nirajului, Zagar, Jidvei, Blaj and many more. Another region is Dealu Mare translated as Big Hill. Because it is old in tradition, this region is believed to be the cradle of red wines. The eminent vineyards are Ceptura, Tohani, Urlati, Valea Calugareasca, Tohani, Pietroasa and Breaza. Then, on our list comes Cotnary which produces the sweatiest wines in Romania. Frumusica, Cotnari and Cucuteni are well-known wineries in the region. Finally, Murfatlar is the one of the most important wine regions in Romania. It is placed near the Black Sea which provides needed humidity and freshness in growing grape. Vineyards that mark this region are Medgidia, Cernavoda, and Adamclisi.

Croatia

Another Balkan country that has perfect wine is Croatia. Its wine has very long history since 5th century BC when the wine was introduced by the Greek settlers, and since then Croatian wine has reaching its peak over and over again. Croatia produces 700 types of wine and has over 300 vineyards which are divided into costal and interior wine regions.

Slovenia

Furthermore, the country that kept the wine heritage is Slovenia which has several wine regions that will last forever. One of them is known as Goriska Brda which produces high quality wine. Another one is the coastal region Kras near the city Koper. Moreover, Podravski or also known as the valley of the Drava River and Posavski or the valley of Sava River are regions that produce unique wine typically only for Slovenia.

Macedonia

Nothing goes without the heart of the Balkan, Macedonia. This country is also placed on our list of Balkan wine countries. Macedonia is sunny, mountainous country whose climate is influenced by the Mediterranean Sea, which makes Macedonian wine only one of its kinds. Furthermore, Macedonian vineries produce all kinds of wine. The dominant role in wine making has Tikves which produces 2/3 of Macedonian wine. This vinery is placed in the centre of the country, and it covers cities Negotino and Kavadarci. Demir Kapija is another town famous for the wine production. Almost all cities in Macedonia have vineries with brilliant wines which taste amazingly.

Serbia

The last one on our list is Serbia. Same like the other Balkan countries, Serbia has an excellent climate for producing wine. Also it has several wine regions which create unique wines. Kinds of grape that are symbols of Serbia are Temjanika and Prokupac.

To conclude, all countries on the Balkan are perfectly wine makers having very old tradition in the production of a quality wine. I could say that wine is embedded deeply in human culture and society especially in the Balkans. Another eminent proof that Balkans is the cradle of wine is the fact that all countries have wine festivals such as Wine Fest in Sarajevo, Tikveski Grozdober in Kavadarci, Vinoskop in Skopje, Vinaria in Plovdiv, Wine Gourmet Festival in Zagreb and many, many more. Your choice is to came, try some wine, try some traditional Balkan dishes and have a wonderful time on the Balkan.

Balkan Wines – Balkan Wineries

Thick soup with sweetcorn

Ingredients:

• 3 young corncobs
• 250g. smoked pork ribs
• 1-2 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• peppercorns
• caraway seeds
• marjoram
• 1 bayleaf
• 2 onions and 2 cloves of garlic
• 200g. potatoes
• 1dl. milk
• 2 tbsp. lard

Put the following into 1l. cold water: 1 teaspoon of salt, a few peppercorns, a bayleaf, a pinch of varaway seeds and of marjoram, a peeled and halved onion and peeled cloves of garlic. Water with spices should be cooked 10-15 minutes and then cooled. 

Wash pork ribs well, cut into pieces and put into the cold marinade to stand overnight. Fry chopped onion in lard the following day, add ribs from the marinade. Peel and dice potatoes, husk and crush sweetcorn, add everything to onion and ribs and cook slowly for a while. Pour in milk and strained marinade and simmer until all is tender.

Thick soup with sweetcorn

Romanian thick fish soup

Ingredients:

• 2 onions
• 1-1,5dl. water
• 2 carrots
• 1 parsley root
• 1 parsnip
• 1 celery root
• 1-2 bayleaves
• peppercorns
• salt
• 1-1,5kg. freshwater fish
• 30g. oil
• 30g. flour
• 1 teaspoon red paprika pepper
• 1dl. sour cream
• 1 egg yolk
• juice of 1 lemon

Pour water into a deeper pot. Peel onion, cut into slices. Scrape carrot, parsley, parsnip and celery, cut lengthways and put into cold water together with bayleaf, some salt and a few peppercorns. Heat and simmer until vegetables and tender. Then strain soup and heat it again.

Cut cleaned fish into bigger pieces and simmer in strained soup until tender. Heat oil, add flour, fry until slightly brown, add red paprika pepper, pour some cold water and then somesoup. Mix all and pour into the soup with cooked fish. If necessary add more salt and pepper and simmer for a short while. Add cooked and chopped roots to the soup.

Before serving, beat egg yolk with sour cream in the soup dish, add lemon juice and stirring all the time pour into the soup. With this thick fish soup can be served croutons.

Related recipes:

• Romanian cabbage soup with bacon
• Thick soup with squash
• Thick soup with young nettles

Romanian thick fish soup

Mosaic Bread

Ingredients:

• 150g. butter
• 150g. canned sardines
• 150g. lean ham
• 100g. Swiss cheese
• 10 olives
• 1/2 pickled pepper
• 1 small French baguette
• 1/2 cup milk

Grind the sardines, 1/3 of the ham and an egg-sized piece of crustless bread, soaked in milk and squeezed dry. Mix everything with the butter until creamy and homogeneous. Cut the rest of the ham, Swiss cheese, olives and pickled pepper in small cubes and mix with the prepared paste. Refrigerate. During this time, cut the heels of the baguette and take the soft bread inside out, leaving about half an inch of bread below the crust. Then fill with the refrigerated paste. Refrigerate. Cut with a very sharp knife in thin slices about half an inch thick. It is better when prepared one day in advance.

Source: Pitt.edu

Mosaic Bread

Romanian Mussaka

Ingredients:

• 1,5kg. potatoes, sliced
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 medium onions, sliced
• 800g. tinned tomatoes, chopped
• 450g. minced pork
• 250ml. beef stock
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Romanian Mussaka is a traditional Romanian recipe for a classic dish of layered potatoes, meat and tomatoes covered in beef stock and oven baked:

Heat the oil in a large pan or wok and use to fry the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until just softened. Add the onions and fry for a further 10 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to an oven-proof casserole dish then top with the meat and tomatoes. Season with salt and black pepper then stir to combine. Pour the beef stock over the top then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 60 minutes. Serve hot.

Source: Celtnet.org.uk

Related recipes:

• Mussaka with ham from Bachka

Romanian Mussaka

Lamb roast

Ingredients:

• 1 back leg lamb
• 200g. smoked lard (bacon)
• 200g. garlic
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tbs. basil
• 1 tbs. marjoram
• 2 glasses red wine

Cut the smoked lard in little pieces about 1-2 cm long and 1/3 qcm in section. Do the same with the garlic.

Dry the meal with a towel and place it on a wooden platter. Start to cut little pockets in the meal, not very large but as deep as you can and fill each of them with one piece of smoked lard and one piece of garlic. The more pockets you fill the more tasty your roast will be. Push the pieces deeply in pockets because the lamb decreases a lot by cooking.

Sprinkle half of glass of wine over. Spread over the salt, pepper, basil and marjoram.

Place it on the grill of your hot oven. Under the grill place a tray deep enough to keep 1-2 liters of water. Pour in the water another half glass of wine and let it bake for 70-90 minutes (depending on how large is your lamb). At every half an hour complete the water under the lamb and add a half glass of wine.

Serve it with spinach puree and garlic sauce.

Source: Exploringromania.com

Lamb roast

Romanian carp with white wine

Ingredients:

• 1-1.5kg. carp
• 500-600g. onion
• 2dl. oil
• 2 bayleaves
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 3-4dl. white wine
• 1 lemon
• parsley
• salt and pepper

To prepare this recipe, Romanian carp with white wine, follow our directions:
Remove scales form fish, draw, wash well, wipe, salt and cut gashes on both sides. Heat oil add peeled onion cut into tin slices, add pepper, bayleaf, cook slowly until soft and light brown. Roll carp in flour, fry on both sides in heated oil. Put it into an enamelled djuvetch, cover with cooked onion, pour wine over and bake in the oven preset at 175°C about 30-40 minutes.

When done, take it out carefully, place on a long plate and put in a a warm place. Pass sauce through a sieve, add some water as needed, cook shortly and pour over the fish. Garnish with lemon rounds and parsley leaves. Serve with cooked rice sprinkled with chopped parsley. Bon appetit.

Related recipes:

• Carp with red wine
• Carp with olives
• Carp-Bulgarian way
• Carp on onion from Vranje

Romanian carp with white wine

Stuffed peppers

Ingredients:

• 10-15 bigger paprikas/peppers
• 1-1.5dl. oil
• 2 onions
• 150g. rice
• 700g. mixed ground meat
• salt and pepper
• ground hot paprika
• tomato
  
• lukewarm water

Stuffed peppers, Punjena paprika (Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro), Polneti piperki (Macedonia), Pulnena paprika/Pulneni chushki (Bulgaria) or Ardei umpluti (Romania) is a famous Balkan dish consisting of paprikas/peppers filled with mixture of meat and rice. There are many variations of stuffed peppers across Balkan countries but here we present you the basic recipe that can you modify by taste:

Slice the tops off the peppers. Pull out the seeds and the cores. Dip them in warm water and leave to get soft.

Heat oil, add finely chopped onion, cook it slowly until sloghtly brown. Pick over rice, wash and cook in salted water, rise, drain and add to soft onion, then stirr in meat. Cook slowly together, add salt, pepper and ground paprika. Cool a little.

Place the pepper shells in a baking dish that will hold them snugly together. Spoon the filling into the peppers. Replace the tops with peace of tomato. Pour 3 tablespoons of water around the peppers and bake for about 30 minutes in the oven preheated to 175°C until filling is puffed and the peppers are soft. Serve warm or cold.

Stuffed peppers

Risotto with kidneys

Ingredients:

• 1 beef or 2 veal or pork kidneys
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups meat broth or water
• 3 tbsp lard
• 3 onions
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• ½ tspn paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• a little sugar
• grated parmesan, to taste
• chopped parsley, for garnish

To prepare this recipe, first remove the outer membranes from the kidneys, split in half lengthwise, remove the interior fatty tissues and slice thinly. Set to boil starting with cold water. After it comes to a boil, drain and wash the kidneys with tepid water.
Finely chop the onion, fry in 2 tablespoons of lard until softened, add tomato sauce, paprika, one cup meat broth or water, salt, pepper, sugar and the kidneys. Simmer until the kidneys are done.

In the meantime, fry the rice in one tablespoon of lard, add a cup meat broth. Place the rice in a greased Bundt pan, cover and set into the oven to bake.
When the rice is done, turn onto a plate, spread some grated parmesan on top and place the kidneys and sauce in the middle hole.

Garnish with chopped parsley on top and serve hot.
This recipe (with modifications) is popular not only in Romania but also in many other Balkan countries.

Source: Freerecipes.8m.com

Risotto with kidneys

Borsch with beans

Ingredients:

• 100g. dried haricot beans
• 1/2 carrot, grated
• 1/2 stick celery, chopped
• 1/2 parsnip, grated
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1.8l. water
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• Pepper and salt
• Fresh parsley, celery, and lovage leaves, chopped finely
• 1 spoon borsch powder (or lemon juice)

First, the dried beans must be soaked overnight in plenty of water before you even think of starting to deal with them. Although so tiny-looking, these beans can be incredibly tough and they need cooking for at least 1.5 hours.

The beans having been soaked, you boil them in plenty of water for about ¾ hour, and then you drain them thoroughly, cover them with 1.8 litres water and boil them again for another ½-hour or more until they soften. When they are ready, add the chopped vegetable (apart from the onion) and the fresh herbs.

While these are cooking, fry the onion: in a separate pan, heat up 1 spoonful of oil, add the chopped onion and cook until softened (5-7 minutes). Then add the tomato paste and 1 spoon of soup liquid and mix them with the onion.

When the vegetables are cooked, add 1 levelled spoon borsch powder, salt, pepper, and the onion mixture. Stir well, cook for another 3 minutes and serve. Garnish with the fresh parsley.

Borsch and bean soup is suitable for vegetarians.

Source: Theotherdelia.co.uk

Borsch with beans

Carp with olives

Ingredients:

• 1 carp of about 1.5kg.
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 bunch of parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• a few rosemary leaves
• 2 carrots
• 2 tomatoes
• 2dl. olive oil
• 100g. olives

Fish is infallibre part of Romanian food and therefore we are present you many fish recipes here. Today on the menu is the following recipe:

Clean carp, wash, wipe, drip with lemon juice, then salt and cut gashes in several pieces. Chop finely garlic and parsley, crush thyme and rosemary, add pepper and salt, mix, add 2-3 tablespoon of oil. Put part of this mixture into gashes and the rest inside the fish. Put the prepared carp into a fireproof dish or caserole greased with oil.

Clean carrots, grate finely, wash tomatoes, peel and cut, remove stones frome olives and halve them. Heat about 1/2 dl. oil, add carrot, cook a little, add tomatoes and olive, add some salt, cook slowly intil all slightly tender. Place cooked vegetables and olives over the fish and bake in the ovenpreset at 175°C until quitetender. While baking baste with juice and add water if needed. With carp serve boiled potatoes poured over with some oil and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Carp with olives

Romanian cabbage soup with bacon

Ingredients:

• 8 sliced bacon
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 green peppers, hulled and chopped
• 1 cabbage, cut into slices
• salt and pepper
• several sprigs of dill and savory, chopped
• 1-1/2l. water
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 heavy cream (sweet or sour)
• 1tbsp. vinegar

You will need a large soup pot for this Romanian recipe. Chop up one slice of bacon, and fry it in a heavy stewpan until the fat runs. Fry the onions in the fat until they are golden. Add the peppers and fry them, too. Remove the stewpan from the heat. Layer the cabbage and the rest of the bacon into the soup pot. Season between the layers with salt, pepper, and the herbs.

Pour the water over it all and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer the soup for 40 to 50 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the soup from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks with the cream and the vinegar in a little bowl. Stir in a ladleful of the hot soup. Whisk well and pour the mixture back into the soup to thicken and enrich it.

Serve in deep bowls accompanied with fresh bread. This soup is a meal in itself, and wants only a piece of cheese and fresh fruit to make it complete.

This recipe is published in cookbook: The old world kitchen: The rich tradition of European peasant cooking

Romanian cabbage soup with bacon

Fritters with yeast

Ingredients:

• 25g. yeast
• 300g. flour
• 1dl. milk
• 30g. sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 40g. butter or margarine
• 1 tbsp. rum
• a pinch of salt
• 2dl. oil for frying
• powdered sugar for dusting
• apricot jam or fruit syrup

Crumble yeast, mix with a teaspoon of sugar and a tablespoon of milk and leave in a warm place to rise. Sift flour, heat a little, pour in luke-warm milk, add sugar, egg yolks, melted butter or margarine and the creamed yeast. Mix well and work into a smooth dough with mixing spoon until it does not stick any more to the walls of the dish. Dust with flour and leave in a warm place to rise (it is ready for frying when it has doubled in bulk). Heat oil well, mix the dough lightly. Dip a tablespoon into heated oil, take up spoonfuls of dough and drop into hot oil. Do not put to many at the time so that they can rise and fry evenly. When brown, dry on absorbent paper, arrange on serving plate and dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Apricot jam or some fruit syrup can be served with fritters.

Fritters with yeast

Vinaigrette salad

Ingredients:

• 1 small beet
• 3-4 big potatoes
• 1 carrot
• a handful of green peas or dry beans
• 1 pickle
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 1 onion
• 3 tablespoons oil
• vinegar to taste
• salt

Boil separately the beet, potatoes, carrot and peas or beans. Let cool. Thinly slice the potatoes, carrot and beet and then mix with the peas or beans, chopped onion, and rounds of hard boiled eggs and pickle. Add salt, oil and vinegar. Mix well and let stand at least an hour to mix the flavors. Arrange in salad bowl.

Source: Hnvn.com

Vinaigrette salad

Cheese Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 package frozen puff pastry
• 200-300g. soft unsalted cheese
• 2 egg yolks
• 50g. sugar
• salt
• 1 egg for brushing over

Thaw out puff pastry, roll out with a pin and cut into bigger squares. Beat egg yolks and sugar untillfoamy, add cheese passed through sieve or crushed well, salt. Mix all well. Place some filling over each square of puff pastry, joining the ends of the pastry together. Beat the egg well and brush the cakes in and bake in the oven preheated to 250°C until nicely brown. Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes of baking. When done, the cakes can be sprinkled with powder sugar.

Cheese Cakes

Couregettes with cheese

Ingredients:

• 1kg. young couregettes
• butter for greasing
• breadcrumbs for sprinkling the baking pan
• 150g. kachkaval or cheese
• 50g. butter
• 1 bunch of parsley
• salt and pepper
• 2dl. sour cream

Wash couregettes, cook about 15 minutes in slightly salted water to get soft, but not overcooked. Cool and cut lenghtways. Grease the baking pan or a fireproof dish with butter or oil, sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Arrange the couregettes. Grate cheese, mix it with chopped parsley and fill with it the couregette halves, add saltr and pepper, cover with thin slices of butter or margarine and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 180-200°C and bake about 30 minutes, until the chhese melts and gets slightlybrown. With couregettes stuffed this way serve sour cream mixed with some sugar to taste, as well as the freshly baked pogatcha.

Couregettes with cheese

Dolmas in spinach leaves

Ingredients:

• 1kg. spinach
• 350g. ground pork
• 250g. ground beef
• 50g. rice
• 1 smaller onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper

Clean spinach, wash, drain, remove thick leaf ribs, blanch shortly, then drain. Mix meat, add half-cooked rice, finely chopped onion and garlic, egg, salt and pepper. Mix all well. Fill spinach leaves with this stuffing, roll them up and press both ends thightly, so that the stuffing does not come out in cooking. Heat lard in a bigger pan or enamelled djuvetch, add one half of chopped onion cook shortly until slightly soft, arrange dolmas over, cover with the rest of chopped onion, pour in tomato juice, cover and stew in the oven preheated to 175-200°C. While stewing, shake the pan several times and add some more warm water and put back into the oven. Serve sour cream with the dolmas. Romanian dolmas in grapevine leaves are prepared in the same way.

Related articles:

• Turkish dolmas in grapevine

Dolmas in spinach leaves

Carp with red wine

Ingredients:

• 1 carp of 1/1,5kg.
• 40g. butter
• 1 onion
• 3 paprikas
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt
• 2-3dl. red wine

Heat butter or oil, add finely chopped onion cook it a little to soften, add cored paprikas cut into strips, cook, on until tender. Clean fish, wash well, wipe, sprinkle with lemon juice, rub with salt and parsley inside and outside. Grease a fireproof dish, put in fish, cover with stewed onion and paprikas. Bake in the oven preheated to 175°C. While baking, baste with juice to which wine is gradualy added. Bake until nicely brown. Serve in the same dish. As an accomplishment serve mashed or boiled potatoes.

Carp with red wine