Radio România Internațional

Category: The Cooking Show

  • Lamb steak for Easter

    Lamb steak for Easter

    Lamb is a must on the Easter table, so here is one of the many recipes you can use if interested in cooking such a dish.
    For this recipe you will need:
    – 4 lamb steaks (about 200-250g each)
    – 4 cloves garlic, minced
    – 2 tablespoons olive oil
    – 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    – 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
    – 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
    – Salt and black pepper, to taste

    And now let’s cook:
    1. In a small bowl, mix together the minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, chopped rosemary, and chopped thyme to make the marinade.
    2. Place the lamb steaks in a shallow dish or a resealable plastic bag.
    3. Pour the marinade over the lamb steaks, making sure they are evenly coated. Massage the marinade into the meat.
    4. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to develop.
    5. When ready to cook, remove the lamb steaks from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
    6. Preheat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
    7. Season the lamb steaks generously with salt and black pepper on both sides.
    8. Place the lamb steaks on the preheated grill and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or longer according to your preference, flipping them only once.
    9. Once cooked to your liking, remove the lamb steaks from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
    10. Serve the lamb steaks hot, garnished with fresh herbs if desired. Enjoy your traditional Romanian-style lamb steak for Easter!

  • Easter cake Romanian style

    Easter cake Romanian style

    It’s Easter for Christian orthodox and Greek Catholic believers in Romania, so today we bring you the recipe of a staple this time of the year: the famous and delicious cozonac, our traditional Easter pound cake.
    Let’s start with the ingredients.

    For the dough you will need:
    – 1 kg (about 7 cups) all-purpose flour
    – 200 g (about 1 cup) granulated sugar
    – 250 ml (1 cup) warm milk
    – 100 g (about 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
    – 3 large eggs
    – 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
    – Zest of 1 lemon
    – Zest of 1 orange
    – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    – A pinch of salt

    For the filling make sure you have:
    – 200 g (about 1 cup) chopped walnuts
    – 150 g (about 3/4 cup) granulated sugar
    – 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
    – 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    – Zest of 1 lemon
    – Zest of 1 orange
    – 100 ml (about 1/3 cup) milk

    For brushing:
    – 1 egg yolk
    – 1 tablespoon milk

    And now, here is how you should prepare it:

    1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, and salt.
    3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yeast mixture, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until a dough forms.
    4. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
    5. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
    6. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, lemon zest, orange zest, and milk. Mix until well combined.
    7. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide it into two equal parts.
    8. Roll out each half of the dough into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
    9. Spread the filling evenly over each rectangle of dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edges.
    10. Starting from one long side, roll up each rectangle tightly into a log.
    11. Place the rolled logs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, seam side down, and shape them into a ring or braid.
    12. Cover the shaped cozonaci with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes.
    13. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
    14. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and milk. Brush the tops of the kozonacs with the egg wash.
    15. Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
    16. Allow the cakes to cool slightly before slicing and serving.

    Enjoy your delicious Romanian cozonac!

  • Chicken dishes in rural cuisine

    Chicken dishes in rural cuisine

    Chicken
    with vegetables is a staple dish in rural areas. It is also a dish offered at
    outdoor peasant festivities, for which we have a host of varieties. In a
    cookbook published more than sixty years ago, I came across such a recipe, in
    turn taken over from an older book, written in the ancient language.


    The
    home-grown chicken, naturally fed, had to be severed in several pieces. In a
    lard-greased pot, a layer of finely-chopped onion was laid, which also
    contained a couple of peeled tomatoes. As soon as the onion became tender, it
    was quenched in thick tomato sauce or tomato juice. Added to that were the
    pieces of severed chicken, as well as a couple of thin bell pepper slices, dill
    and parsley leaves, finely-chopped. Salt to the taste was also added, as well
    as a hot pepper, to spice up the dish. Everything was simmered in water, on the
    cooker or on glowing embers, if the chicken-and-vegetables dish was cooked
    outdoors.


    Ragout
    is a variety of the chicken and vegetables, prepared with garlic. For that, we
    need a chicken, several drumsticks or the lower part of the drumsticks, two
    onions and several garlic cloves. We also need a couple of tomatoes or tomato
    juice, oil, a little bit of white wine and one bay leaf. Pepper, thyme, one
    parsley bunch and salt are also needed for the preparation of the ragout.


    Sever
    the chicken in appreciably large pieces. Wash and drain them, then use a pan or
    a tin kettle to parch them in oil. Slightly sauté the onion in oil,
    Julienne-cut, then add the tomatoes, cut into cubes, or the tomato juice. Also,
    add one thyme sprig, one bay leaf and several pepper grains. Put the sautéed
    onion and tomato mix in a pot. Also add the other ingredients, as well as the
    parched chicken. Add water or a glass of wine, if the case. Allow everything to
    simmer, until the sauce thickens. The ragout usually goes with a serving of
    polenta and pickles.


    Another
    variety of the peasant, chicken-based dish is a manorial one, where the chicken
    is combined with cauliflower. To cook that, we need a chicken, a glass of cream
    and lemon rind. Ingredients also include several tablespoons of flour, one
    bunch of parsley and one head of cauliflower.


    Remember
    that this is a manorial dish, so we need to sever the chicken in pieces and
    parch them in butter. Add a little bit of soup and allow it to simmer. A couple
    of tablespoons of flour are also parched in butter, to make the roux. Dilute
    the roux with a little bit of soup poured over the chicken pieces. Separate the
    cauliflower into florets, then put them to the boil for about half an hour,
    together with the chicken pieces. When boiling is about to end, sprinkle the
    grated lemon rind and add salt to the taste. As soon as the dish has been
    placed in saucers, pour a little bit of cream on top, then add minced parsley
    leaves.


    Enjoy!
    Poftă bună!



  • Lamb dishes

    Lamb dishes

    At this time of the year Romanian Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, the week beginning with the Christian feasts of Easter and culminating with Easter Sunday. On this occasion households are filled with the smell of painted eggs, freshly baked pound cake and most of all lamb-based dishes.



    Alongside lamb dishes and pound cake, the “Pasca”, a sweet cheese Easter cake is a ubiquitous dessert at the Easter table, once Eastern Lent is broken and eating cheese and eggs is once again allowed by the faithful. For most Romanians it is the smell and taste of Easter.



    There are various traditional recipes for cooking lamb, whether with tarragon and lemon in the Caransebes region, with rosemary and tomato sauce in Bihor, seasoned with thyme in Cluj, baked with cheese gravy like in Mehedinti county, or wrapped in pastry as in Cisnadie. Other Romanian householders choose to cook sour lamb soup with vegetables, spring onion lamb stew or minced lamb pie and entrails.



    For our lamb recipe today, we picked, however, a dish from Eastern Romania: lamb in yogurt sauce. Aside from lamb, you will need half a kilo of full-fat yogurt, one tablespoon of flour, 80 g of butter, one bunch of fresh cut dill, salt and pepper. Wash the lamb chops or fillets and portion them. Brown them in butter until they gain a deep golden brown crust. Add hot water or meat stock and let it simmer over low heat until the meat is nearly cooked. Meanwhile, expand the flour in yogurt and stir briskly, adding some of the melted fat from the pot and an extra two tablespoons of stock as an option. Add the dill, season with salt and pepper and pour the resulting mix over the lamb chops. Leave it to boil until the sauce reduces to the desired thickness. Serve with homemade bread, lettuce, radishes, spring onion or spring garlic. Enjoy! Poftă bună!


  • Traditional Easter dishes

    Traditional Easter dishes

    In todays edition of the Cooking Show we bring you recipes for lamb soup, a dish usually served at Easter, and lamb stew with spring onion and garlic.



    For the lamb soup, you will need one lamb head, the thighbones, its neck and tail. In addition, you will need 2 medium-sized carrots, one parsnip, one cup of rice, one bunch of spring onion, pepper and salt to taste, one egg yolk, one cup of sour cream and two bunches of fresh lovage.



    Boil the lamb parts in a pot with 6 liters of water and skim off any foam that rises to the top. Add the finely chopped vegetables and leave to boil over a low heat for approximately an hour. Add the rice and leave to boil for an additional quarter an hour. A very popular souring agent, widely used in Romanian cuisine, is fermented wheat bran. In the end add the liquid obtained by fermenting wheat bran and leave to boil for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and salt to taste. Mix well the egg yolk with the sour cream as you would a dressing and serve hot with freshly chopped lovage leaves.



    The so-called “stufat”, a delicate spring lamb stew, is very popular in the period right after Easter in Romania and all over the Balkans. You can make it with either leg of lamb or lamb ribs, about a kilos worth. It doesnt take much to make the recipe. All you need on top of that is five tomatoes, about 15 sprigs of spring onion and another 15 of green spring garlic. Cut the onion and garlic into segments about an inch long.



    In a pan heat some oil, and cook the meat on all sides at low heat, turning it periodically. Set the meat aside, then, in the same oil, sweat the pieces of onion and garlic. Also, cut the tomatoes into little cubes. Now take a covered deep oven dish and mix inside the lamb, onions and garlic, as well as the tomatoes. In some versions, a bit of flour is added to the mixture to thicken the sauce. Top with a bit of water, then set in the oven at medium heat for about half an hour. Take out the vessel and throw in a glass of wine, as well as salt and pepper to taste, then leave to cook in the oven for about another quarter of an hour. It is a recipe as simple as it is delicious.



    Poftă bună! Enjoy!


  • Lent dishes

    Lent dishes


    Christians in Romania are still observing Lent, a 7-week period during which people traditionally eat only plant-based dishes, with the exception of certain days when fish is also allowed. Popular products at this time are pickled cabbage, prunes, rice, potatoes and leafy greens such as garden patience, spinach, nettles and leeks. They can all be used to make some delicious meals.



    One very common fasting dish is soup made with pickled cabbage. To make this soup you need the following ingredients: some 2 kg of pickled cabbage, two onions, 2 big carrots and tomato paste. This dish is very easy to prepare, but it takes quite a long time to cook, a few hours, even, because the veins of the cabbage leaves need to cook well. So, the first thing you need to do is rinse the pickled cabbage leaves in cold water, slice them, not too finely, and put in a pan to boil on a low heat for 2 to 3 hours. After that, slice the onions and the carrots and add to the pan. Optionally, you can also add some finely chopped parsley root, and then pour in the tomato juice and one or two spoonfuls of tomato paste. Leave the soup to cook for another hour and then serve when it has cooled down a bit.



    Rice is another Lent staple. It can be used as a filling for vegetarian sarmale, a popular Romanian dish in which pickled cabbage leaves or pickled vine leaves are filled with minced meat. Rice is also very commonly used during Lent in combination with other vegetables to make pilaf, a local version of risotto. To make pilaf, you need two cups of rice, two or three onions, a carrot, one or two fresh tomatoes or a tin of cubed tomatoes, some mushrooms, parsley and oil. Put some oil in a pan and add the sliced onion. When the onion turns golden, add the chopped mushrooms, the sliced carrot and a splash of water if necessary. Rinse the rice and add to the pan together with the cubed tomatoes and cook for about half an hour. When the dish is cooked, add salt to taste and the chopped parsley.


    Poftă bună! Enjoy!




  • Lamb dishes

    Lamb dishes

    At this time of the year Romanian Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, the week beginning with the Christian feasts of Easter and culminating with Easter Sunday. On this occasion households are filled with the smell of painted eggs, freshly baked pound cake and most of all lamb-based dishes.



    Alongside lamb dishes and pound cake, the “Pasca”, a sweet cheese Easter cake is a ubiquitous dessert at the Easter table, once Eastern Lent is broken and eating cheese and eggs is once again allowed by the faithful. For most Romanians it is the smell and taste of Easter.



    There are various traditional recipes for cooking lamb, whether with tarragon and lemon in the Caransebes region, with rosemary and tomato sauce in Bihor, seasoned with thyme in Cluj, baked with cheese gravy like in Mehedinti county, or wrapped in pastry as in Cisnadie. Other Romanian householders choose to cook sour lamb soup with vegetables, spring onion lamb stew or minced lamb pie and entrails.



    For our lamb recipe today, we picked, however, a dish from Eastern Romania: lamb in yogurt sauce. Aside from lamb, you will need half a kilo of full-fat yogurt, one tablespoon of flour, 80 g of butter, one bunch of fresh cut dill, salt and pepper. Wash the lamb chops or fillets and portion them. Brown them in butter until they gain a deep golden brown crust. Add hot water or meat stock and let it simmer over low heat until the meat is nearly cooked. Meanwhile, expand the flour in yogurt and stir briskly, adding some of the melted fat from the pot and an extra two tablespoons of stock as an option. Add the dill, season with salt and pepper and pour the resulting mix over the lamb chops. Leave it to boil until the sauce reduces to the desired thickness. Serve with homemade bread, lettuce, radishes, spring onion or spring garlic. Enjoy! Poftă bună!


  • Lent dishes

    Lent dishes


    Christians in Romania are still observing Lent, a 7-week period during which people traditionally eat only plant-based dishes, with the exception of certain days when fish is also allowed. Popular products at this time are pickled cabbage, prunes, rice, potatoes and leafy greens such as garden patience, spinach, nettles and leeks. They can all be used to make some delicious meals.



    One very common fasting dish is soup made with pickled cabbage. To make this soup you need the following ingredients: some 2 kg of pickled cabbage, two onions, 2 big carrots and tomato paste. This dish is very easy to prepare, but it takes quite a long time to cook, a few hours, even, because the veins of the cabbage leaves need to cook well. So, the first thing you need to do is rinse the pickled cabbage leaves in cold water, slice them, not too finely, and put in a pan to boil on a low heat for 2 to 3 hours. After that, slice the onions and the carrots and add to the pan. Optionally, you can also add some finely chopped parsley root, and then pour in the tomato juice and one or two spoonfuls of tomato paste. Leave the soup to cook for another hour and then serve when it has cooled down a bit.



    Rice is another Lent staple. It can be used as a filling for vegetarian sarmale, a popular Romanian dish in which pickled cabbage leaves or pickled vine leaves are filled with minced meat. Rice is also very commonly used during Lent in combination with other vegetables to make pilaf, a local version of risotto. To make pilaf, you need two cups of rice, two or three onions, a carrot, one or two fresh tomatoes or a tin of cubed tomatoes, some mushrooms, parsley and oil. Put some oil in a pan and add the sliced onion. When the onion turns golden, add the chopped mushrooms, the sliced carrot and a splash of water if necessary. Rinse the rice and add to the pan together with the cubed tomatoes and cook for about half an hour. When the dish is cooked, add salt to taste and the chopped parsley.


    Poftă bună! Enjoy!




  • Aubergine dishes

    Aubergine dishes

    Alongside tomatoes and peppers,
    aubergines are some of the favourite vegetables in Romania during the hot
    summer months, but they are also used to make preserved spreads for the winter.
    Whether grilled on an open fire or on the hob, aubergines are easily prepared and
    can be eaten as a spread or used as filling for other vegetables. Sliced and lightly
    fried or stuffed and then cooked in the oven and served with various sauces, aubergines
    are very versatile vegetables to be eaten both as appetizer and as a main dish.




    Aubergines were introduced to these
    parts following the Ottoman expansion to Europe. The Turkish way of preparing
    aubergines also spread, and the Turkish names of these dishes are still in use
    today, such as moussaka, which can be made using minced meat.




    A vegetable version of moussaka only
    contains aubergines, potatoes, mushrooms, peppers, onions and sour cream. Here’s
    the recipe: You need 6 medium-sized potatoes, 2 medium-sized aubergines, half a
    kilo of mushrooms, 2 onions and a bell pepper. Dice the potatoes and brown them
    gently in oil then place them in an oven dish. Cut the aubergines into rounds
    and fry them in a little oil until they get brown, then arrange them in a layer
    on top of the potatoes. Finely cut the mushrooms, onions and the pepper and again
    cook them in oil, then add on top of the aubergines. Warm the sour cream to
    make it more liquid, then add on top, followed by a pinch of salt and some
    finely chopped fresh dill. Put the dish in the oven and cook for some 45
    minutes. You can also add some hard cheese towards the end. If you prefer a
    lighter alternative, replace the sour cream with tomato juice, which goes well
    with chopped fresh parsley instead of dill.




    Another popular aubergine dish that
    comes from Turkey is imam bayıldı, or stuffed aubergines, as it is known in
    Romania. The Turkish name literally translates as the imam fainted, which tells
    you how delicious this dish is. Here’s the recipe: You need 2 large aubergines,
    2-3 onions, half a kilo of tomatoes, a head of garlic, 2-3 bell peppers, 2
    carrots, a head of celeriac, a hot chili pepper, a bunch of fresh parsley and
    some olive oil. Cut the stems from the top of the aubergines and cut them lengthwise
    in half. Blanch them in hot water for a minute or two, remove, sprinkle with
    salt and allow to drain for half an hour. Meanwhile, slice the onions, carrots,
    celeriac, peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Fry the onion, then add the rest of the
    vegetables save the garlic, which is added towards the end. Place the aubergines
    halves in an oven tray, cut side up. Press with a spoon to make a hollow and spoon
    the vegetable mixture inside, then sprinkle the finely sliced chili and some
    chopped parsley on top. Put the tray in the oven and cook at medium heat for
    half an hour, then transfer to a plate and add some more fresh parsley.




    Enjoy!

  • Aubergine dishes

    Aubergine dishes

    Alongside tomatoes and peppers,
    aubergines are some of the favourite vegetables in Romania during the hot
    summer months, but they are also used to make preserved spreads for the winter.
    Whether grilled on an open fire or on the hob, aubergines are easily prepared and
    can be eaten as a spread or used as filling for other vegetables. Sliced and lightly
    fried or stuffed and then cooked in the oven and served with various sauces, aubergines
    are very versatile vegetables to be eaten both as appetizer and as a main dish.




    Aubergines were introduced to these
    parts following the Ottoman expansion to Europe. The Turkish way of preparing
    aubergines also spread, and the Turkish names of these dishes are still in use
    today, such as moussaka, which can be made using minced meat.




    A vegetable version of moussaka only
    contains aubergines, potatoes, mushrooms, peppers, onions and sour cream. Here’s
    the recipe: You need 6 medium-sized potatoes, 2 medium-sized aubergines, half a
    kilo of mushrooms, 2 onions and a bell pepper. Dice the potatoes and brown them
    gently in oil then place them in an oven dish. Cut the aubergines into rounds
    and fry them in a little oil until they get brown, then arrange them in a layer
    on top of the potatoes. Finely cut the mushrooms, onions and the pepper and again
    cook them in oil, then add on top of the aubergines. Warm the sour cream to
    make it more liquid, then add on top, followed by a pinch of salt and some
    finely chopped fresh dill. Put the dish in the oven and cook for some 45
    minutes. You can also add some hard cheese towards the end. If you prefer a
    lighter alternative, replace the sour cream with tomato juice, which goes well
    with chopped fresh parsley instead of dill.




    Another popular aubergine dish that
    comes from Turkey is imam bayıldı, or stuffed aubergines, as it is known in
    Romania. The Turkish name literally translates as the imam fainted, which tells
    you how delicious this dish is. Here’s the recipe: You need 2 large aubergines,
    2-3 onions, half a kilo of tomatoes, a head of garlic, 2-3 bell peppers, 2
    carrots, a head of celeriac, a hot chili pepper, a bunch of fresh parsley and
    some olive oil. Cut the stems from the top of the aubergines and cut them lengthwise
    in half. Blanch them in hot water for a minute or two, remove, sprinkle with
    salt and allow to drain for half an hour. Meanwhile, slice the onions, carrots,
    celeriac, peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Fry the onion, then add the rest of the
    vegetables save the garlic, which is added towards the end. Place the aubergines
    halves in an oven tray, cut side up. Press with a spoon to make a hollow and spoon
    the vegetable mixture inside, then sprinkle the finely sliced chili and some
    chopped parsley on top. Put the tray in the oven and cook at medium heat for
    half an hour, then transfer to a plate and add some more fresh parsley.




    Enjoy!

  • Transylvanian cabbage-based dishes

    Transylvanian cabbage-based dishes

    Pork and cabbage are two very important ingredients in the Romanian cuisine. No wonder the cabbage rolls and the Cluj baked sour cabbageare always on top of the Romanians preferences. A traditional meal in all the Balkan countries, though claimed by each country, cabbage rolls are original from Turkey where they were called sarmak. In Turkey, the original recipe consisted of minced beef mixed with rice and raisins all wrapped in vine leaves, but in other countries the vine leaves have been replaced with cabbage or sauerkraut, and the meat was replaced by pork, chicken, or even fish.




    The traditional Romanian recipe for cabbage rolls uses sauerkraut wraps and pork. For that you need one or two heads of sauerkraut of medium size. Place cabbage leaves in cold water to take out excess salt. You need 1.5 kg of pork, mixed with one cup of rice and two finely chopped onions; cut off the thick veins of the cabbage leaves to wrap them more easily around the meat. Then we place them in the pot together with some dry thyme, a bit of tomato juice, cover them in water and boil them at low heat for a couple of hours. Add some bacon as for the smoky flavour. Serve hot with cream on top, some polenta and, why not, a glass of red wine.




    A famous recipe from Transylvania is the renown Cluj baked sour cabbage. Take two average size heads of sauerkraut, 1-1/2 kilogram of pork with some fat on it, a handful of rice, two or three onions, salt and pepper. Chop finely the onion, then put the pork through the mincing machine. Melt some lard and sauté in it the onion with the pork. Finely slice the cabbage, then sauté it separately in lard as well. Boil the rice in salted water, then mix it in with the minced meat with onion. Take a large stovetop pot, at least 3 or 4 liters capacity, then start layering the contents. Put in alternative layers of meat and cabbage, with a bit of sauerkraut in between the layers. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then put the pot in the oven at medium heat for about a quarter of an hour. This can be served with a glass of semidry wine at room temperature. Enjoy!


  • Blueberries

    Blueberries

    It’s harvesting time in Romania for
    blueberries, dark blue fruits of a small shrub with a height of 30 … 50 cm,
    which we can be found in shady areas, in forests. Compared to cultivated
    blueberries, the wild ones are slightly smaller, with an average diameter of
    half a cm, which makes them difficult to harvest. The inhabitants of the
    Carpathians use a so-called comb, in fact a wooden or metal box similar to a
    scythe, provided with a comb that holds the blueberries inside, without
    destroying the bush. Blueberries contain, among other things, tannin and
    vitamin C, being recommended for those with diabetes, but also for those with
    intestinal problems due to their antibacterial properties.


    Blueberries
    can be eaten fresh, but also turned into jam, juice or ‘afinata’ an alcoholic
    sweet beverage prepared especially in Bucovina and Transylvania and appreciated
    by tourists visiting these provinces. To prepare this beverage we need 2 kg of
    blueberries, one kg of sugar and a big jug in which to put blueberries and
    sugar. The jug is left to sit for a few days, after which it has to be stirred
    so that the sugar mixes and dissolves in the juice left by the blueberries. The
    operation must be repeated every two … three days, but the jug must not be
    closed because a process of fruit fermentation takes place inside. After about
    two weeks, refined food alcohol is poured over the blueberries, which are now
    covered with juice, and the jug must be closed tightly this time and stored in
    a cool, dark place. ‘Afinata’ is recommended for those with stomach or
    intestinal disorders, but should be consumed in moderation. A similar drink can
    be obtained by replacing blueberries with strawberries, in fact wild strawberries,
    also found in mountainous areas, but on sunny surfaces, at the edge of the
    forest.


    After
    consuming the drink, the fruit left in the jug can be used for muffins. To bake
    muffins we need a quarter of a
    kilo of flour, two eggs, 100 grams of butter and a glass of milk or 400 grams
    of cream, 50 grams of sugar, the equivalent of 8 tablespoons, 5 grams of baking
    powder, a pinch of baking soda, vanilla essence. Break the eggs and mix them
    with the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda
    and vanilla essence and mix to obtain a dough slightly thicker than that for
    pancakes. Add the blueberries, mix gently and then put a muffin tin and leave
    for 20 minutes in the oven over medium heat, ie at 180 degrees Celsius.


    Blueberries
    can also be used to make juice and syrup. For blueberry syrup, we need one kg
    of blueberries and two kg of sugar. Wash the blueberries, mash them and mix the
    juice with sugar, in a bowl. Keep it on low heat until the sugar melts. When it
    starts to boil, leave the syrup to cook for another half an hour and add a
    little bit of lemon juice. Then pour the syrup into bottles and cover them
    well. Let them cool slowly. Mix the syrup with plain or mineral water.


    Blueberries
    are also perfect to make jam. the preparation method being similar to those of
    other fruits. The jam can be used as a pancake filling or on top of other
    cakes, such as the traditional ‘papanasi’. Enjoy!

  • Apricot-based preserves

    Apricot-based preserves

    It’s the
    time of apricots in Romania, so today we offer a couple of suggestions on
    how to prepare apricot jams, preserves or cakes. First, it’s the apricot jam. You need three kilograms of apricots and one kilo of sugar. Wash the apricots, then remove the pits. Using a saucepan, mix the sugar into the fruit until the
    apricots release the juice. Boil on low heat for about half an hour. Stir continuously,
    lest you get burnt-on sugar-and-fruit mix on the bottom of the saucepan. If the
    case, mash the fruits, then mix them, so that the composition may become
    homogeneous. You may want to test if the mix is ready to be poured into jars,
    and for that, take a little bit of the composition, using a wooden spoon, and
    pour it on a saucer. If you get little wrinkles and the mix flows very slowly, it
    is time for you to remove the saucepan from the cooker. Pour the jam in jars.
    Close the jars with a lid, very tight. Wrap the jars in a blanket, and allow
    them to cool gradually. You may want your jars to have a long shelf-life, so soon as they’ve cooled, the jars need to be put in a
    tray. Then place the tray in the cold oven.

    For a quarter of an hour, use the
    low heat to warm the jars in the oven. Remove the jars, then allow them to cool gradually. Wrap the jars in a blanket. The jars are usually stored in a pantry.
    The jam may be served as such or used for the preparation of cakes. If you want
    to prepare the apricot comfiture, first allow the composition to boil for about
    half an hour. Then remove the apricots, using a skimmer. Allow the juice to
    boil for another half an hour, stirring every so often. Pour the apricots back.
    Allow the mix to boil for a couple of minutes more. Pour the comfiture in a jar,
    doing the same as you did when you prepared the jam.


    Apricots
    can also be used if you want to cook a cake with a fluffy base layer. It is easy to cook, and for that, you need a quarter of a kilo of flour, 100 grams
    of sugar, a glass of milk, 50 grams of butter. You also need two eggs, baking
    powder and the apricots, of course. Remove the pits. Then in a pot, pour the
    flour, the sugar, the butter and the baking powder. Break the eggs, then whisk them into the composition. Add a little bit of milk or sour cream. Whisk the composition long
    enough until the dough you get becomes creamy. Lay a sheet of baking paper in a
    tray, then pour the dough. Put the apricots on top of the dough. Oven-bake the
    composition for about half an hour, on low heat. Sprinkle a little bit of sugar
    powder on top of the cake. Allow the cake to cool, then portion it.

    Enjoy!

    (Translation by Eugen Nasta)



  • Zucchini Recipes

    Zucchini Recipes

    Because here in
    Romania many are observing the St. Peter and Paul fasting, we thought that
    introducing to you a couple of zucchini dishes would be a good idea. Be they
    small or big, zucchinis are used for a wide variety of main or side dishes here
    in Romania. Small zucchinis are preferred in fried zucchini recipes whereas the
    bigger ones are usually stuffed with various fillings, such as minced meat or finely
    chopped vegetables.






    To prepare a
    soup you need about one kilo of zucchinis, three or four, two parsley roots, a
    cup of rice, two carrots and a little bit of oil. Carrot and parsley roots are
    grated and boiled with a bit of salt for about 10 minutes. Add the rice and let
    it boil for another 15 minutes upon which throw in the zucchinis, peeled and
    cut into small pieces. Keep boiling the mixture for another quarter of an hour
    after which sour it with borscht juice and pour in a little bit of oil. In Romania
    we use borscht to sour dishes, but you can also use lemon juice or vinegar.






    Turn
    off the fire and sprinkle the dish with finely-chopped parsley leaves.


    Stuffed zucchinis with rice is a main course
    here in Romania and to cook it you need about 6-8 zucchinis, a cup of rice, a
    tomato, an onion and a bunch of parsley. After you have washed and cleaned the
    zucchinis, scoop them out with a teaspoon.


    And now the filling. Finely chop the onion
    and briefly sauté it in oil. The cubed tomato is placed upon the sautéed onion
    but you can also use tomato juice. Next pour in the rice, add a little bit of
    water and leave the pot to simmer for a couple of minutes. Add next some finely
    chopped parsley leaves, black pepper and a little bit of salt. Stuff the
    zucchinis with this mixture and place them preferably on a baking tray in which
    you have poured a little bit of water first. Bake the dish for about half an
    hour and serve them shortly after they have been taken out of the oven
    preferably with some sour cream or yogurt on top.



  • Fried polenta dishes

    Fried polenta dishes

    Made by boiling cornmeal in water with a pinch of salt, polenta has been a traditional replacement for bread on Romanians tables. If it was not eaten up at one meal, the leftovers would be used the next day, as part of a new dish.



    Thin slices of polenta can be dipped in beaten egg, on both sides, and then dredged in grazed cheese. Then, it is fried in a pan with a little butter, until golden. This can be served with sautéed vegetables on the side. You will need two carrots, a small celery root, 200 grams of peas and 200 grams of green beans, and an onion, if you like them. Slice the carrots and celery, cut the onion into thin wedges, then mix with the peas and beans. Fry in a little butter, and add some water or sour cream.



    Another dish that uses sliced polenta includes sausages or pork rind. You will need a pan where to fry the sausages and pork rind. Use the same pork fat to fry slices of polenta, about a finger thick, turning them on both sides. Serve the fried polenta and the sausages on the same plate.



    Another option involves polenta wrapped in bacon and grilled. This time around, you need to dice the polenta and wrap the pieces into bacon slices. We use a skewer, placing a polenta dice next to a piece of onion or a clove of garlic. Grill the skewered mix and eat hot, with a glass of dry or medium red or white wine.



    Grilling is also involved in the cooking of another famed Romanian dish based on polenta, called “bulz. You will need polenta, sharp cheese and sliced sausages or small pieces of ham. After you made the polenta, leave it to cool for a little. Then spread it into a thick layer, cover with a layer of cheese and the slices of sausages or pieces of ham, which you have already fried in a pan. Next, roll the mix into medium-sized balls, keeping the polenta on the outside and the cheese and sausages on the inside. Wrap these balls in tin foil and put them directly on the hot coals to bake. Back in the day, when there was no tin foil to use, the mix was wrapped in clay and also baked on hot coals. This variety is called shepherds bulz.


    (translated by: A. Popescu)