The food I eat (Bulgarian food)

This book, the New Basics Cookbook, is great. It has techniques and recipes for a wide variety of foods. For example, it will give you all the different techniques of cooking an egg or corn, for example. If you want a recipe for, say, brussells sprouts, it will have two or three ways to cook it. I bought it when I was a bachelor about 25 years ago, and it's a great reference.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Basics-Cookbook-Sheila-Lukins/dp/0894803417

 

Awesome, thank you.

 

Thracians. Beer. 5th BCE. Smart folks.

 

If you're familiar with Lebanon, can you give me insights on why they're mostly Christian (60-70% Christian)? Their women don't wear hijabs or even headscarfs and they're positioned in the heart of the Arab world.

 

Those attractive chicks that you showed us must eat a lot of it because they look so healthy. HEALTHY

 

I think you wanted to quote Bulgarica .

 

Nah, he meant vine leaf and rice was healthy chic. And I couldn't agree more.

 

Actually it's more like 40% Christian and that is no surprise given that the Maronite church (2d or 3d oldest Christian denomination) has always existed. Here in the Twin Cities we have several Maronite churches and their parishioners mostly identify themselves ethnically as Lebanese-Americans. There are other Eastern Orthodox churches and Armenian churches as well as people escaped from turmoil in Syria and Turkey.

 

Another Lebanese treat is hummus made up of chick peas. I think that's what you guys were referencing.

 

I call them Golumpki. My grandmother made them all the time. So good.

 

I'm not good on following directions, but when venturing somewhere completely new, I follow the recipe once and determine what's wrong with it. I recently made Manhattan clam chowder for the 1st time, using a recipe from a very highly rated cookbook. It was bland and had way too many potatoes. I took notes. Next time, a bit more saffron, a bit less crushed red pepper, far less potatoes, way more clams, more tomatoes and some spices not included in the original. I'll try second time next week, and modify what I come up with.

I recommend an herb book to get a feeling for what herbs to best, where.... I'm currently growing eight different herbs. Having them fresh is fantastic.

 

I want to add a source of excellent cooking.

Two actually.

 

Here. Now I'm gonna finally shut some mouths.

Enjoy this Lukanka. No analogue. Bulgarian invention, only made in Bulgaria.





And File Elena, originally invented around the Elena Balkan (around Elena and Veliko Tarnovo).

 

Grab some more Lukanka:



Goes great with beer, whiskey, water, airyan, even Coca-Cola, if you believe me. All Bulgarian pizzas have lukankas. And it's great. No real Bulgarian pizza lacks lukanka. You can't find that anywhere in the world. I didn't see that in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia or Austria. And I've been to all these places.

 

Manhattan clam chowder does not include potatoes. That's for Yankee or New England chowder. Maybe the recipe crossed up the two and that's why your dish did not come out right. When doing Manhattan, it's best not to use fresh tomatoes. Instead, try this:





Dried tomatoes are imbued with flavoring from herbs and olive oil. Put a generous portion through a blender and pour into your soup mix. Add diced Spanish olives - or put them into the blender with the tomatoes. This adds much flavor and an oiliness that adds much to the soup.

My recipe for Yankee chowder adds minty flavor by including grated parsnips. Try it in yours, it's quite good.

 

I have an electric smoker, I cook all kinds of things, here is a similar one.

 

Truth, stop with all that stuff. Grab Lukanka. Once you go Lukanka you never go back.

 

From America's test kitchen

Stuffed grape leaves, known in Greece as dolmathes, should boast seasoned, tender leaves wrapped around a flavorful rice filling, but too often, store-bought versions are drowning in oil and suffer from mushy leaves and overcooked rice. We wanted the grape leaves to be tender and stuffed with flavorful, chewy rice. These grape leaves make a great appetizer or light lunch, and they can be made ahead.

 

Sarmi (Sarmichki) you meant.

 

OP

It looks revolting!

 

In America, you revolt food. In Bulgaria, food revolts you.

 

Yes. I even learned to do mine, but it's less good than at the restaurant.

@BULGARICA That's look like "saucisson" french dry sausage.

 

If it was available, I certainly would. We have delectable Italian sopressata and other forms of dried salami readily available. It makes for a great dish when coupled with hummus, hard crackers, olives, cheese such as feta, salad greens, and Italian salad dressing.

Really good stuff.

 

Lukanka is for Gods. Cannot be compared with inferior Italo salamis.

 

Hummus is insanely nice. I love that shиt.