Madhouse Family Reviews: Cookery book review : Carpathia

Tuesday 18 February 2020

Cookery book review : Carpathia - Irina Georgescu

As I mentioned recently, I'm planning on getting seriously back into cooking, something that I've let slide since Madhouse Daddy died, going for quick and simple "kid options" rather than trying out new recipes. But no more ! I want to get back into globe-cooking, trying out weird and wonderful dishes from around the world. With perfect timing, I recently received a copy of Carpathia : Food From The Heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu, who is a born and bred Romanian food writer. Just flicking through the pages, I was frequently drooling at the lovely colour photos and reading the interesting descriptions of the dishes, which give great insight into life in this cultural melting pot.

Romania is situated in the heart of Europe, with its character and dishes shaped by the Greek, Turkish and Slavic influences from the south and east, as well as Austrian, Hungarian and Saxon from the north and west. The author says that her cooking is inspired by the recipes of her mother and grandmother and this sense of hearty, family-friendly cuisine is what really comes through. Many of the recipes use nothing that you won't already find in your kitchen cupboards and in the introduction, the author explains that the recipes can be adapted to suit what you have to hand - pork and chicken are the most frequently used meats, for example, but they can be replaced by anything from beef, veal and mutton to duck, goose, wild boar, deer and even bear meat.

As in many of my favourite and most frequently-used cookery books, there are numerous dishes that are so simple, you can't work out why you've never thought of them before. Cheesy polenta with soured cream and runny fried egg (a full Romanian breakfast but I'd eat this as a quick lunch or supper any day of the week !), Bulz (oven baked polenta balls, served with yogurt and roasted tomatoes), Scovergi (yogurt and cheese flatbread, known as 'Romanian popcorn', which was the perfect snack in front of the two hours of television diffused every day) … the kids were as enthusiastic as me, when I described the recipes to them ! The dish in the picture, called Cascaval pané, is breaded Alpine cheese (or you can just use plain cheddar) that can be served simply with a fried egg or a sliced tomato - another quick lunch or evening meal option that sounds delicious, not to mention incredibly simple. Perfect when I get home from work and I'm feeling too tired to cook up a big meal. Also ideal if I need a quick veggie option that can be cooked alongside a family meal containing meat.

If you're looking for a bigger feast, there are some lovely-sounding family dishes on offer too. We've noted down a quick list of the first recipes to try and the kids were very enthusiastic. Potato moussaka, gammon-stuffed apples (I sometimes put fruit - mainly apples or apricots - into stews, but I'd never thought of stuffing apples with a savoury filling as a main meal option - definitely one to try), smoked ham hock and butter bean casserole, chicken in garlic tomato sauce with polenta dumplings, ... There are also some desserts to try, as well as soups and stews and a few drinks. Definitely everything you need to put on the ultimate Romanian feast.

If you want to get a quick insight into the author's Romanian recipes, you might like to check out her website at www.irinageorgescu.com.