~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Romanian Food



APPETIZERS:

Ajvar or Zacusca
Bean Dip with Caramelized Onion... "Fasole Batuta cu Ceapa Calita"

Brined Dill Pickles (naturally fermented without vinegar)... Romanian Castraveti Murati
Cheese Burek (or Placinta de Branza)...Cheese Filled Phyllo Pie.
Chicken "Head Cheese"... or "Toba de Pui" 
Chicken Tenders(Snitel de pui)....
Chicken Meatballs(Chiftelute)....
Eggplant Dip...Salata de vinete
Homemade Liverwurst... "Pateu de Casa"

Potato Salad(Salata de Boeuf)...
Romanian Sausages...Mititei/Mici (or small ones)
Sausages/Hot dogs....or Carnati/Crenvusti
Stuffed Grape Leaves(Sarmalute in foi de vita)

SALADS:

Pickled Vegetables (Muraturi)
Red Cabbage Salad...Salata de Varza Rosie
Roasted Bell Pepper Salad(Ardei Copti)
Romanian Potato Salad(Salata de Boeuf)...

62 comments:

Kate said...

Are you Romanian? My husband is Romanian born and bred (until 18)and we make this stuff all the time.

Awesome!

Ellie said...

Kate,

Thanks for stopping by...Glad you too like Romanian food....

Check the About Me for more info.
~Ellie

Anonymous said...

Hi, we are Romanian also and even my Mom - who's cozonac was the best at home - is struggling with it here. I am sure we will try your recipe and I am so grateful you have the units of measure converted.
I browsed a bit through your website and I found a lot of other goodies I miss from home.

Did you ever try to make Cremsnit here?
I tried the locsl Napoleon and it is just not the same.

Thank you !
Diana

Ellie said...

Diana, Thanks for stopping by.... I hope you will like the cozonac recipe. I can't say it will be like your mom's, but we found it to be pretty good considering:)

I have never tried making the cremsnit flaky dough. I know the puff pastry is not the same type of dough used in the cremsnit dessert, though some do use it. I should try to find a recipe for that type of dough...

I hope you enjoy your visit here on the blog and that you find a recipe you might like to try...

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I am enjoying your site. I lived and worked for one year in Romania 5 years ago and loved the country. Now I am planning to marry a Romanian. We're working on the fiance visa now. . . we're getting impatient with the slow process of the visa but I'm using the time to work on my Romanian cooking. :-) He claims I can do it almost as good as his mom, but I'm not fooled. :-)I think he's just in love!

I would love to see your sarmale recipe sometime!
doreen

Ellie said...

Doreen, Thanks for stopping by...I am glad you are enjoying the site. I do hope you will find a recipe that you like. I know Romanian cooking takes quite a bit of time in the kitchen. There are LOTS of Romanian blogs that have some incredible recipes...I am sure you will become proficient in Romanian cooking in no time:)...

I don't have the sarmale recipe yet...I truly believe the best sarmale are made with pickled cabbage. So, I haven't posted one yet for that reason. It really is a more labor intensive version....that is, pickling your own sauerkraut and then making the sarmale.

I am debating if I should post a recent version of the sarmale I made... I used some store-bought sauerkraut. My husband liked them...though I missed the flavor of the homemade pickled cabbage. Maybe its just me.

Maybe I'll post it...we'll see:)...

Anonymous said...

Do you know of anything that sounds like ? It was pastry dough with walnuts, oats, and drenched with Karo syrup and baked when my grandma made it - probably not the original ingredients since she was in America and probably had to adapt it.

Thanks - Jay

Ellie said...

Jay, You got me with the oats...I really am not aware of a Romanian dessert that has that combination. Like you say, maybe your grandma adapted it here in the states....and might have changed it up a bit.

Sorry, I could't be of help.

Kati and Nate said...

Ellie,
Your Romanian food section is heaven sent! I lived in Romania for a few years and I have missed the food so much! I've tried telling my wife about things but telling just isn't the same as tasting! I am especially happy to find a good sarmale recipe that explains how to make the varza murata a bit better. I am definitely making these for Paste! Thank again!

-Nate

Ellie said...

Nate, Thanks for stopping by... glad I could be of help. You are right, describing the food is definitely not the same as when you actually taste it. So, I sure hope you enjoy the recipes...
Glad you experienced a bit of the Romanian food...though I am sure the food tasted way much better in Romania:).
Again, Thanks for visiting and have a great day!
~Ellie

Anonymous said...

Hi Ellie, thanks for posting the cozonac recipe! I am going to attempt to make it :) but I am wondering what type(material) and size loaf pans should I use...could you please let me know?
Thanks,
Ana

Ellie said...

Ana, I sure hope you will have success with the cozonac recipe. The pans I use are normal 9x5 (in inches)...though you can use any pan size you have and adjust the amount of dough you place in the pans. I know traditional Romanian pans are longer in length and shorter in width. Hope you enjoy the cozonac. ~Ellie

p.s. please do check my regular cozonac recipe and the revised version for more helpful info.

Dona said...

I am thrilled to find this blog. I am 1st generation Romanian. I left home at 19 and both my parents have passed. I have managed to learn a few recipes from my mom when I was younger but have more I want to learn. But I have no one in the family to teach me. So here I am. I want to try to make cosonac this Easter. Wish me luck!

Ellie said...

Dona, Thank you so much for stopping by...I sure hope you'll like the cozonac.... I am hoping the pictures will help a bit as well as the tips. Just have fun baking...as I am sure it will bring a few good memories:)
Thank you for stopping by....
Wishing you a wonderful Easter!

Fung Fung said...

Hi Ellie, I am so HAPPY to find your blog here! I'm Malaysian but I have a Romanian boyfriend whom I met in college. I cook a lot of Asian food for him because he loves them. However, lately he's been telling me that he misses his Romanian food so I've been looking up Romanian recipes online. I will definitely try some of your recipes, right now I have potato salad and eggplant dip in mind. I'm so thankful I found you!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!

Ellie said...

Fung Fung, Oh, I am so glad I could be of help...even if a little:). I know I don't have too many Romanian dishes posted ...but the potato salad and eggplant dip are a great start:). I am hoping you will like them. They shouldn't be too difficult to make...
Thanks for stopping by...and enjoy your visit here!
Thanks for your lovely comment. I really appreciate it.
Have a great day!

Anonymous said...

Hi, my name is Mike Lazar and I have a question. I have some overgrown zuchhinies along with green tomatoes. Could zucchinies be piccled?

Ellie said...

Mike, You know, I just came back from a visit to see my folks...and my mom served us some pickled vegetables...and it included zucchinis! So, yes, you can pickle zucchini...they were delicious, by the way:)! My mom uses a bit more salt than I do, so that they won't be too soft. Hope you can give it a try...and experiment:)

Jacqui O. Polnik said...

Thank you for the cozonac recipe - I love it but could never pin down a recipe for it. I've made yours today and was much easier than I expected! I am digging into my Romanian roots and trying to learn more recipes to adapt to American life. Your site is a great resource!

Ellie said...

Jacqui, Thank you for your sweet comment! I really appreciate you taking the time to write.
I am thrilled that you tried the cozonac recipe... glad I could be of help. I love cooking Romanian dishes...I've tried to add a few of them here, but I would love to add even more in the future. It's nice to be able to have them as a reference...even for myself:).
Glad you are enjoying the site...

Kelly said...

I'm Romanian, however was never brought up with the food and traditions. Im starting to try and learn more about my culture. Th recipes on here are great, any other advice you could give me?

Ellie said...

Kelly, Well, cooking and baking Romanian recipes is a good start to learn more about the Romanian culture.

Don't have any advice that you might not already be aware of... reading books, getting to know the Romanian community where you live(if there is one), or finding a Romanian church, etc. ...

Really, a trip to Romania would be ideal, as you would experience firsthand the food, the people, the culture.

Hope this helps a bit, ... and thanks for stopping by. Hopefully you can try a recipe or two.... and enjoy.

Kyle R said...

Thanks, so much for all the recipes, I am from Montana, and served a mission in Romania and it's so awesome to find all these recipes here on your blog.

Ellie said...

Kyle, Glad you are enjoying the blog!
It's really neat that you were able go to Romania for a bit.... I'm sure you got to experience some of the food as well as the culture.
Hope some of these recipes will come in handy one day:)... even if just one of them.
Thanks for stopping by... always good to hear from fellow Montanans:).

KateH said...

Thank you for posting this detailed recipe. I have friends in Romania, that when I last visited sent me home with a loaf of cozonac. With Easter approaching I plan on making cozonac for my friends and neighbors. I made it once before and it tasted great but I had difficulty with the braiding. I can't wait to try out your version of the recipe.

Ellie said...

Kate, That's wonderful that you were able to visit Romania... for sure, Romanians love to share homemade goods:).
Love how you ended up making cozonac yourself... that's commendable, as cozonac-making isn't the easiest:). I'm sure with practice you will get the braiding down, too!
Hope the recipe will come out for you as well... and that your friends and neighbors enjoy it! Sweet of you to share:)... and thanks for stopping by.

KateH said...

Thank you for the response Ellie. I was wondering if you have any lamb recipes for Easter? Also a recipe for Pasca...once again the braiding looks intimidating haha. Would I use the same cozonac dough recipe and make a cream cheese filling for the center of the pasca bread?
Kate

Ellie said...

Hi Kate,
I don't yet have a lamb recipe that I've posted... maybe one day:).

As for the Pasca, yes, you could probably use the dough for the cozonac and use a cream cheese/ricotta filling with raisins and lemon peel... or something similar. There are quite a few versions of pasca. Some use a different type of dough....and some use a cozonac dough to make the pasca. But I have to say I haven't tried making pasca yet... would love to hear from you, if you try it:).

I'm hoping you will have a wonderful Easter... and that the dishes you make will be delicious:)!

Unknown said...

are you romanian? i recently got married and my husband is romanian! im glad i found your blog now i cant make him romanina food :)
thanks for sharing!

Ellie said...

Prettibutterfly, Congratulations on your marriage:)! Yes, I am Romanian(see about me page)...
I am hoping you will enjoy trying out some of the recipes... It would be nice to surprise your husband with some Romanian food:)...
Glad you found the blog... welcome!

Anonymous said...

Sarut mina Sotia mea e Frantuzoaica eu Roman si aici din 80 .Ea acum gateste dupa tine romaneste .Ce frumos Multumesc ca egzisti si ajuti George

Ellie said...

George, Nu stiu cum sa iti multumesc pentru cuvintele tale care ma bucurat asa de mult... dorinta mea prin situl acesta este sa ajut pe altii. Si cand am citit ca sotia ta face din mancarile romanesti... atunci am simtit ca nimic ce fac aici nu este in zadar!

Iti multumesc mult pentru ca ai luat nitel din timpul tau sa imi scrii... apreciez mult!

Va doresc la amandoi o zi frumoasa!

Ana Thomas said...

Si uite, draga Ellie, cum ai reusit tu sa aduni o mica comunitate romaneasca pe blogul tau!!
Mi-esti tare draga pentru ca-ti place sa scrii in romaneste, ca pastrezi traditiile noastre culinare minunate!

Din California, ganduri insorite, cu bine!

Ellie said...

Oh, Ana esti o draguta! Ma bucur mult ca te-ai oprit pe la mine sa ma incurajezi:)!

Intradevar sant si eu uimita cand aud de la cititori Romani:)... parca imi da avant sa mai postezi din cand in cand retete romanestsi care am mancat ca copil.

Ma straduiesc sa eu sa tin cat mai mult din cultura romaneasca chiar daca am venit ca copil mic in America. Si am observat ca parca fac mai des mancaruri romanesti la mine acasa:)...

Ma bucur mult cand pot ajuta pe unul sau altul... nu m-am gandit niciodata ca altii vor beneficia de retetele pe care le-am postat. Oricum iti doresc si tie o zi calduroasa( asa cum este mai des la voi in CA:).... numai bine!

IONELA said...

Hi ELLIE,

Uimitor cat esti de buna si de calda,chiar daca traiesti atat de departe de tara,simt ca sufletul ti-a ramas cald si curat ca al tuturor romanilor.Eu,din cealalta parte a lumii,din Melbourne,Australia,am ajuns din intamplare pe blogul tau cautand....retete de cozonac:)):))Felicitari pentru toata munca depusa,blogul tau e unic si foarte folositor multora,toate gandurile mele bune se indreapta catre tine si sotul tau si va doresc din suflet ca toata viata sa o traiti la fel,si indiferent ce va veni in viitor Bunul Dumnezeu sa va apere si sa va calauzeasca pasii numai spre bine!!!!GOD BLESS YOU!!!!

Ellie said...

Buna Ionela, Iti multumesc din sufletul pentru mesajul tau plin de incurajare... chiar mia venit si lacrimi... ca doresc mult sa fiu de folos pentru altii. Vreu ca Dumnezeu sa fie laudat in orice fac!
Ma bucur mult ca ai ajuns pe site... sper sa iti placa macar o reteta sau poate si doua:). Iti doresc tie si intreaga familie binecuvantarii ceresti!
Inca odata iti multumesc mult de tot pentruca ai luat din timpul tau sa imi scri si sa ma imbarbatezi cu cuvintele tale asa de calduroase. Domnul sa te binecuvintee... acolo in Melbourne si unde te vrea mai departe.

ionela said...

MULTUMIM MULT ELLIE!!ESTI O DRAGUTA SI TAREEEE BUNA LA SUFLET,POT SA SIMT ASTA CHIAR DE AICI DE DEPARTE,CONTINUA SA FACI LUCRURILE ASTEA BUNE SI PLACUTE LUI DUMNEZEU,NU VEI REGRETA.TE PUP DULCEEEEE SI DACA VREODATA PLANUIESTI UN CONCEDIU IN AUSTRALIA CU SOTUL TA NU EZITA SA TRECI SI PE LA NOI,SA..... FACEM COOZNACI IMPREUNA-PROBA PRACTICA:)):))PAPAPPAPAPAPAPPAA

Ellie said...

Ionela, Esti o scumpa! Si eu simt sufletul tau cald si drag... chiar pana la mine:)! Sa sti ca mai bucurat mult si iti multumesc mult pentru invitatie... mi-am dorit mult sa vizitez Australia. Cred ca in Melbourne este "foodie capital" :)).... si as avea mult de vazut la farmer's markets si altele. Ma pierd la farmer's market:)...

Oh, ari fi foarte fain sa fim inpreuna in bucatarie... si sa impletim niste cozonaci:). Iti doresc mult har tie si intreaga familie! Te pup cu drag.

ionela said...

Buna Ellie,

Sigur,daca intentionezi sa ajungi pe la noi,mi-ar face mare placere,adresa mea este ionelam_2000@yahoo.com,asa ca nu ezita sa ma contactezi daca va propuneti sa ajungeti,dar pana atunci sanatate si numai bine.pappapap

Ellie said...

Iti multumesc mult, draga Ionela... ce scumpa esti! Sa sti ca o sa iti tin bine emailul tau... Dumnezeu sa te binecuvinteze mai departe si sa fie cu tine si intreaga familie... sa va ocroteze de orice rau. Te pup...

Anonymous said...

hi i was just wondering what u call the dessert bread pic at the top it looks delicious and i would love to try to bake it fofr my class romanian project

Ellie said...

Anon, It's a picture of the Romanian cozonac... Hope that helps and that you have fun baking:).

Anonymous said...

Buna Ellie!te rog imi poti da cateva idei de rete pentru Paste?vreau sa impresionez pe prietenii englezi cu cateva bunatati romanesti!multumesc Lore U.K.

Ellie said...

Buna Lore, O, intrebarea nu este asa de usoara:)... depinde mult de gustul tuturora. Dar pot sa iti dau niste idei... poti sa te uiti si pe lista asta de mancare romaneasca, sau la recipe index pentru alte idei.

Dar o sa incerc sa iti dau niste idei, apoi ei tu ce crezi ca merge pentru tine. Totusi eu te asi indemna sa te uiti si pe recipe index ca sa ai mau multe idei.

Ca apetizer:
salata de boeuf,
sarmalute in foi de vita
salata de vinete
mezeluri
drob, sau piftie, dar nu stiu daca la toti o sa le placa:)
oua umplute
sau si chiar o supa de pui cu galuste

Felul doi, main dish, cred ca cel mai usor este :

Pulpa de miel la cuptor cu rozmarin/sau menta... Lamb rack.
Ham.
Niste osso bucco peste mamaliga
Beef wellington. Nu este romaneste, dar impresioneaza:). Am vazut si o reteta cu curcan inloc de vita

Si apoi niste side dishes:

oven roasted fingerling potatoes
roasted aparagus, cu niste toasted nuts/bread crumbs
duchess potatoes
caramelized green beans
potato pave ( ia timp) dar este excellent!
salata de varza,
brussel sprout salad cu nuci
salata de ardei copti

Pentru dessert:
of course, cozonac:),
dar si altele care este mai usor,
clatite umplute cu mere si cu un sos de caramel
sau clatite umplute cu o crema de patiserrie cu un sos de ciocolata si niste raspberries.
sau chiar niste small tarts filled with lemon curd/cream and berries.
tiramisu

Lore, multe idei nu am. dar retete la recipe index am:) poate gasesti acolo ceva... si multe din retete care le-am spus mai sus se gaseste la recipe index.

Sper sa te ajute cumva...
Mas bucura sa ai o masa plina si bogata... si la toti sa le placa. Dar sa sti ca daca faci cu dragoste, totul va merge bine:).

Iti doresc un paste binecuvantat!

Anonymous said...

Ellie,

Thank you so much for sharing your Romanian recipes! I'm excited to try them all! My husband is Romanian and so I'm always looking for recipes that will remind him of home.

~V

Ellie said...

V, so glad I could be of help:). I'm glad you are wanting to cook something familiar for your husband... very sweet of you!
I know most Romanians have different versions of these dishes, but I sure hope your husband would like at least one:)...
Thanks so much for stopping by... and enjoy your visit here:).

Unknown said...

I stumbled on your blog by 'accident' except I don't believe in coincidences so it wasn't really one :-)

I have enjoyed every moment spent reading the recipes, enjoying the beautiful photographs and inspired by the call to our First Love.

Thank you. You are blessed.

Terri in Africa :-)

Ellie said...

Terri, Thank you so much for your kind and uplifting comment! I appreciate you stopping by and am thankful I could be used of God to be a blessing to you(and my readers)... it is my ultimate goal!

Thanks again you for taking the time to write... all the way from Africa:)! May God richly bless you.

Patchwork Daily Desire said...

Te salut si-ti multumesc din suflet!!! am sa fiu alaturi de tine si am sa gatesc de-acum si dupa retetele tale!! am salvat link-ul si ma voi intorce sa te vizitez....

Ellie said...

Patchwork , O, multumesc pentru vizita:). Sper sa iti placa retetele, si te mai astept pe aici!

O zi placuta iti doresc!

Anonymous said...

It is wonderful to find so many of the recipes I enjoyed while living in Romania. I have a container of sauerkraut fermenting and plan to make Sarmale soon. I was wondering if you have a good recipe for ciorba de Burta? My husband and I really loved it. I have tried a few times but just can't get it sour enough. Thank you for your blog.

Ellie said...

Anon, I am so glad to hear that you enjoy Romanian food:)... I'm sure it can be quite difficult to replicate certain recipes you've tried in Romania. You know, some things just taste better in Romania:)... but we sure try hard to replicate our favorites living here in the states:).

I was pleasantly surprised to hear both you and your husband enjoyed the ciorba de burta... tripe soup is definitely an acquired taste!, and one some Romanians have a difficult time enjoying.

But to answer your question:)... I do not have a recipe for the ciorba... mainly because my husband doesn't enjoy it. So to be honest , even though I grew up with it, and enjoyed it, I never ventured to try it myself. I am sure there are quite a few recipes online that can guide you... the sourness mainly comes from using vinegar, so maybe you can increase it a bit?

Sorry I couldn't be of help, but thanks a bunch for stopping by!

Anonymous said...

Ellie,I am following your Romanian recipes. Thank you for translating them!

Ellie said...

Anon, You are welcome:)! So glad you are enjoying them. Thank you for stopping by and letting me know.

Erin said...

Hi Ellie, I came across your blog as I was searching for croissant recipes, and was pleased to note your extensive Romanian recipe section, and your testimony of the Lord :)
I'm wondering if you have a recipe for Coliva? I've had such a hard time finding one in our US measures, with ingredients that I can find here! I'm stumped by the almost cherry like flavor I've tasted in some made by the older ladies at church, and they can't tell me what it is in English.
Thanks!

Ellie said...

Hi Erin. I'm so glad you stopped by. I have to admit that I do not have a recipe for coliva, as the dish is of Orthodox tradition(made as a ceremonial commemoration of a loved one that has died) and I do not practice this in my Christian faith. I'm sorry I can't be of help with this one... However, I hope you've enjoyed browsing through the site for inspiration:).

Have a wonderful day!

mom23greatkids said...

Hi
Love your Romanian recipes.. Although I've grown up in Canada, my parents are Romanian and I ended up going overseas to Romania for 6 years my Univeriaty studies....what a great way to reconnect with my roots and culture (food being such a rich part of our heritage!). Wondering if you have dabbled with Mucenici (boiled as well as baked/fried)?

Ellie said...

Mom23greatkids, Thank you for stopping by... glad to hear you've experienced Romania(food and culture)! You know, I haven't made mucenici... I didn't grow up with it. I've only had the boiled kind from a family that visited us when I was a kid.
Sorry I can't help you with either of the recipes, but I do know there are some great recipes online... even YouTube with videos nowadays:). All the best...

Antoanela said...

I left Romania as a kid 35 years ago and never had an opportunity to learn how to make cozonac. Thank you so much for the recipe. It turned out great and my old dad and mom were so happy to taste cozonac kind of out of the blue. No one we know makes it and there are no Romanian. R staurants or shops in Winnipeg, so the only way to make it is at home. I really appreciate the western methods and the measurements and attention to detail you've given this recipe. Iit took me a long time to understand what I had to do and to get up teh nerve to do it. I am not a great baker, I will try it with locum next. It''s my favorite, especially when warm. This recipe brought me back home to Romania. Thanks again.

Ellie said...

Antonela, Thank you so much for your kind comment... It just made my day that the cozonac recipe was of such help to you. It simply made my day to hear that you were able to bring memories for your parents, and for you. I am so glad you took the time to let me know and to share your feedback and I sure hope you enjoy the lokum next time:). Wishing you a blessed Christmas to you and your family!

Unknown said...

Love your recipes. Keep it up! You should add some Romanian fish recipes on here too ;) Păstrăv cu mămăliga și mujdei p

Ellie said...

Unknown, Thanks! Yes- fish and garlic sauce and polenta...the best😊!