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ROMANIAN PARTY FOOD
Do you all know I'm Romanian. Well I am, I was born in Romania, but raised in the US, 24 years in California before moving to the south! If there is one thing you must know about Romanians it's that we love our food, A LOT! Oh and we are also really loud, especially the woman.
Back in Romania people used to raise much of their own food, especially if you lived in the country, which is where most of my family lived. Pork was a staple food back then, and still is for many. Even though we all pretty much have lived here for over 20 years, we still eat like we are back home, especially when it comes to party food.
While many of you know that I am really trying hard to eat healthier, local, organic food, I have a major weakness for Romanian food. I just enjoy it too much, so thankfully we don't party all the time, and I stay clear of it most of the time. If you are not a meat eater, you might just FREAK OUT with the amount of meat here, but hey, it is how Romanians typically eat, so I am happy to share it with you today. I hope you enjoy the tour.
Do you all know I'm Romanian. Well I am, I was born in Romania, but raised in the US, 24 years in California before moving to the south! If there is one thing you must know about Romanians it's that we love our food, A LOT! Oh and we are also really loud, especially the woman.
Back in Romania people used to raise much of their own food, especially if you lived in the country, which is where most of my family lived. Pork was a staple food back then, and still is for many. Even though we all pretty much have lived here for over 20 years, we still eat like we are back home, especially when it comes to party food.
While many of you know that I am really trying hard to eat healthier, local, organic food, I have a major weakness for Romanian food. I just enjoy it too much, so thankfully we don't party all the time, and I stay clear of it most of the time. If you are not a meat eater, you might just FREAK OUT with the amount of meat here, but hey, it is how Romanians typically eat, so I am happy to share it with you today. I hope you enjoy the tour.
Without fail if there is a Romanian party going on, you will ALWAYS have the same kinds of food, EVERY SINGLE TIME. You will have appetizers, which consist of all kinds of PORK lovely meat. Salamis, bacon, head cheese, PORK, PORK, PORK. Typically there will be sausages too, usually homemade by the uncles, which I have two of here, so we always have a good supply of this. Then we have the main meal, which is more MEAT, but we vary, sometimes chicken, beef, and usually PORK as well. Cabbage Rolls are a very traditional food, and those are made typically with pork. Then of course we have dessert.
I wanted to take you with me through the buffet line at my aunt and uncles house. We had a party there this weekend, celebrating a birthday and a graduation. It was tons of fun, and i thought you might enjoy this little walk through of what you can eat at a typical Romanian party. Ready??? Lets GO.
This was my FIRST appetizer plate. I kind of had seconds. The appetizers are probably my most favorite part of the meal. I just LOVE them.
These are my uncles getting ready to drink some Romanian plum whiskey, homemade, and pretty much DEADLY if you aren't used to it. My nose hairs literally burn just smelling it. I can't drink that NO way, but it is a tradition, and men regularly take a shot OR two EVERY SINGLE day back in Romanian after a long days work, to get ready for dinner. It's supposed to work up an appetite :)
You see, we eat fruits too, lol. There were green grapes, and peaches in the basket.
ALRIGHT lets get started. This is where the food starts.
BREAD!!
Green onions, and hot chillies, yes please. We totally have onion breath at out parties, and nobody cares.
An assortment of lovely veggies, because this is how we eat our appetizer. MEAT, VEGGIES, BREAD. That is a very typical snack food too. Just grab some salami from the fridge, cut some tomato a cucumber, some feta cheese, some olives, garlic, or onion, and bread. YUMM!!
Did I mention the onion breath??
Tomatoes!
Cheese!!
Eggplant salad - VINETE - or baba ga something, lol.
The tastiest homemade meatballs EVER!!
Chicken liver cooked with onions, moist, delicious, and oh so good.
Bell pepper and onion roasted goodness. - ZAKUSCA -
Turkey!
Rice!
Cabbage Rolls, OMG I love these. I can't wait to share some recipes with you!!
Our veggie for dinner. A cabbage salad, he he.
Chicken! NO thats not ALL fat, :)
Pork, SHNITEL. I dont' know what to call this in English people, HELP??
Chicken!
More chicken!
Pretty flowers.
My dessert plate, OMG, totally had seconds too.
Walnut croissants, with powdered sugar. - CORNULETE-
A delicious coffe mocha cake, with crunchy chocolaty something in the cake. FINGER licking good.
A plum preserve honey cake, with some tasty cream and fluffy whipped cream on top.
Plum jelly rolls.
A lemony dessert.
Oh and the CAKES. If you want to see the close ups make sure to stop by my cake blog.
So there you have it. A tour of our party food. Lucky for you, I don't think you can gain any weight by looking, but I assure you, take one bite, and you can't stop. 4 pounds later, I think I'm full, lol.
OHHHHHH MYYYYY GOODNESS!!! That all looks so amazing...well maybe not the chicken liver, that scares me. LoL But seriously I understand what your saying, I have a big problem with buffets, if there's more left and it's good, chances are I'm getting 2nds ...and possibly 3rds. LoL Can't wait to get some of those recipes you were talking about!
ReplyDeleteOH YUM!!!! I would like an invite to the next Romanian dinner and I will invite you to the next Paki night over here! I'm back home now, remember? AND there is NOTHING more delicious than fresh homemade Paki food made by my dad!!
ReplyDeleteHoly Cow! It all looks soooooo yummy!
ReplyDeleteOh Bella What a tempting feast to my eyes and more when I am on fasting... what a sweet treat.. delicious and so inviting and chickenS... oh I want some ...please invite me dear....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the linky party I am joining you there hope you like to visit again for a pretty pincushion
http://craftaworld.blogspot.com/
Love
Farah
The food looks amazing but there is no way I could stay up that late and party
ReplyDeleteI want to be Romanian too! There's no way I would restrain myself at that buffet. I'm a meataholic. If I were condemned, my last meal request would be a plate of meat fat. There, I said it..
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link up. You really know how to make me hungry. I'm almost curious to try that whiskey. Maybe if I wasn't such a light weight ...
ReplyDeletewww.luxeboulevard.blogspot.com
WOw.. I got full just looking at those pictures!! haha I love learning about your culture Bella! It is so interesting. I was laughing at that drink that burns your nose hairs! haha
ReplyDeleteLove that they take it to work up an appetite! lol
Thanks for sharing all this. :) So neat.
Thanks for hosting Bella! And thanks again for the pizza quesadilla idea! ;)
ReplyDeleteDear Bella all that does look Romanian indeed:)) I miss egg-plant salad the most!
ReplyDeletecome celebrate with me 3 yrs since North Cape
Thanks for hosting, Bella! It was so fun to see all the Romanian food and learn about your traditions!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, what an amazing array of food! Thanks for sharing that fabulous feast with us and for hosting another great link up.
ReplyDeleteSo glad I found your site today.
ReplyDeleteI fly out to Romania on Wednesday this week. Visiting a Dutch family who work with the poor gypsy communities near Romosel in Hunedoara (hope I spelt those right).
I'll be teaching the gypsy ladies sewing class some projects that they can then sell at local markets.
I do hope the food isn't like this all the time, heeheee. My trip is only 2 1/2 weeks but I want to be able to fit in my clothes when I get home!
pretty sure i just gained like 20 lbs from just looking at all that delish food. YUM!
ReplyDeleteYOURS, MINE AND OURS
Thanks for sharing! It is making me homesick. Every time I go visit my parents they just smother us with wonderful Romanian food.I can't wait to see some recipes. I want to learn how to make sarmale and cozonac.
ReplyDeleteOh my GOSH, all that foooood looks so good! And I'm sick, gosh darn it, so I haven't been able to eat much. :0( Thanks a lot!!! ;0) The fresh veggies and the rice dish look so tasty. And the desserts, of course.
ReplyDeleteRomania must be where it's at!
I must have had a bit of dyslexia for a moment, because I read that your uncles took a shot of that plum stuff to get ready for a long day at work and I was thinking, "whaaaaaaaat?" I had to do a re-read. LOL!
I'm going to leave a clickable link here, but only cause you said so. Here ya go!
Cabbage rolls without "mamaliga" (polenta) and sour cream??? All that meat and no garlic sauce???...what kind of romanian party is this???...lol...
ReplyDeleteI haven't had "cornulete" in ages...one of my favorite deserts...along with "cozonac cu rahat" ( turkish delight sweet bread)...the lemon cake...honey cake...and everything else that has butter and sugar in it.
Thanks for posting the pictures !!!!