Romania at a glance!

A month ago, I left a cold Pittsburgh, went to a spring-like Romania and came back to an even colder Steel City.  But the time in Romania was worthwhile as it was filled with birthday parties, barbecues, frequent trips to the open market, and home-cooked meals with my grandmother.  Nothing short of perfection!   

It was a whole year ago that I went to see my family in Transylvania and the trip coincided again with my birthday, which is always celebratory and exciting!  If last year, I specifically insisted that my Grandma Vicki included these spectacular Nutella filled Cookies on my birthday dessert menu, this year, her epic Chocolate Cake with Walnut Brittle took center stage.  And Adrian’s cousin Alex called it “the Bomb”!  Stay tuned for this recipe, you will not want to miss it!  

Of course, in my grandma’s kitchen one dessert is never enough, so the Chocolate Cake was nicely accompanied by a Coffee Cream Cake and a Chestnut Cake.  All gorgeous and mouthwatering! 

After an outrageously mild winter, spring came early in Romania.  The moment the sun was out and the temperatures started to climb, Romanians had two things on their mind: picnics and grilling.  As always, the mititei, those small sausage shaped patties, were extremely popular; and so were the pork steaks, chicken drumsticks, fish and these amazing Chicken Burgers, which got me a standing ovation!

As you can see, people love to crowd around the grill, literally, and get lost in a cloud of smoke!  

When spring fever hits, Romanians start vegging out in parks, soaking up the sun and relishing some crunchy pretzels.

I prefer a trip to the open markets that are overflowing with fresh produce the moment spring rolls around.    

And I can never turn down a visit to a traditional restaurant!

Apple crusted pork chops with mashed potatoes and caramelized plums.

Spicy pork shoulder with rice, runny egg and homemade pickles.

Gulyas – Traditional Hungarian Beef Stew.

But more often than not, home-cooked meals are the best and even more gratifying when you introduce your hero, in this case my grandma Vicki, to new recipes such as the juicy Chicken Burgers, this elegant Maple Sweet Potato Cake or this one of a kind Pudding Cake of Honey, Cinnamon and Plums!   

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

My Romanian vacation Part 2 – Out and about

You probably know that Europe is filled with tiny, tight, narrow streets where small cars can barely fit through, and more often than not these streets are also crammed with other vehicles parked on the sidewalk; that these streets are delimited by gorgeous colorful buildings, loaded with detailed architecture, which shows the passage of time and attests the strong, timeless history and influences that define each town, region and country.  Romania is no exception.

 

Adrian and I are originally from Transylvania in Romania.  Both my city, Arad, and Adrian’s, Oradea, are located on the border with Hungary, and for centuries were under the authority of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.  This is well reflected in the architecture, traditions and food.  Walking on the streets of our cities you can smell, see and feel the history that shaped our beautiful towns.  

One of the more recent events in the history of our country was the revolution in December 1989, which marked the end of the communist regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu.  The revolution only lasted for a week but the impact is still visible over twenty years later.  You could still see the bullet holes in the outside structure of many buildings throughout Arad for years after the revolution.  It was only a few years ago that those bullet holes were covered up and that some of the buildings were restored.  Until then, every time you walked on the streets (even on mine) you could feel the revolution alive and those times of turmoil still present. 

But let’s forget about those times long-gone.  When we arrived in Romania in April right before Easter, we were surprised by how cold it was and how grim everything looked.  It felt as though winter was stubbornly refusing to make room for spring.  However, Easter came and went, and then with every day that passed by things started happening; flowers started to bloom, and trees started to show their first green buds.  The nature was finally awake.  In no time, there was a subtle scent of jasmine and chestnut in the air, while all along the river bank it smelled of freshly cut grass.  And the town was back to life!     

And, after the food coma at Easter, it was a blessing in disguise to go out to an open terrace for a refreshing salad, homemade zesty lemonade in a ginormous one person pitcher, 

and a cappuccino. 

 

It was a pleasure to forget for a second about the succulent and rich lamb, lamb haggis, lamb ciorbă, and colorful sweets.  In fact, it seemed as if everyone was out and about, walking off those Easter calories, getting a breath of fresh air, or filling up the restaurants in search for something different.