Since having my second child last year, I haven’t had much time to myself (read: none), so my gaming habits have… suffered, to say the least. When I do find twenty minutes of quiet, I turn on my Switch and load my newest favorite cozy game: Palia. (Brought to you by the original developers of The Sims franchise).
While playing, I met Reth—the local Palian chef. And one soup he’s constantly mentioning is his famous Lettuce Soup.
Lettuce Soup… where have I heard that before?
That’s when I realized I have a favorite Romanian lettuce soup! It’s called Supă de Salată Verde {Green Lettuce Soup} and, yes, it is what you’re thinking: lettuce in a broth.
But it’s also so much more than that, too… there’s also sour cream! (Go figure.)
Since I thought others (especially fellow Palia players) might be interested in trying a lettuce soup, I’m sharing this recipe from my cookbook!
↓ Recipe below ↓
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Cașcaval Pane (pronounced kahsh-kah-vahl pah-neh) is Romania’s answer to the beloved mozzarella stick, made with—you guessed it—cașcaval cheese… or another semi-hard cheese if more readily available… and it pairs deliciously with my Mujdei De Usturoi garlic sauce!
↓ Recipe below ↓
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I was sitting out in my backyard with my mom when she looked over to our untamed planter box (we have a newborn aka our garden has sort of fallen by the wayside) and pointed out a weed that she said her grandmother, my great-grandmother, used to make a soup out of, and they’d call it Ciorbă de Lobodă (pronounced chore-bah day low-bow-dah). Naturally, I had to look up what this weed was (and taste it, but that’s beside the point…). Turns out, it goes by many names, like Lamb’s Quarters or Wild Spinach. Sure enough, tasting it, it did sort of resemble spinach!
So, instead of ripping it out, I decided to hang onto it, harvest it, and make some summer soup!
↓ Recipe below ↓
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Even though meats (particularly pork) are the more plentiful protein used in Romanian cuisine, there are many different species of fish featured in Romanian recipes thanks to the country’s access to the Danube and the Black Sea. Combining two popular Romanian flavors—dill and horseradish—Pește Alb Cu Sos Marar și Hrean (pronounced pesh-tay all-b coo s-ohs mah-ra-hr she hu-ran ) makes use of the many different white fish available and can be whipped up within 15 minutes!
Update 05.2021 // Hey! This recipe has been featured in the opening scene of the horror-survival video game Resident Evil 8 Village.
↓ Recipe below ↓
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Ciorbă de Porc (pronounced ch-or-bah day pork) utilizes Romania’s most popular protein in this hearty sour soup filled with vegetables, perfect for a cold autumn day when you’re looking for a quick and delicious warm-up. Traditional recipes use borș {borscht} as the souring agent, but since that’s not a very common ingredient to find I’ve replaced it with lemon juice.
Update 05.2021 // Hey! This recipe has been featured in the opening scene of the horror-survival video game Resident Evil 8 Village.
↓ Recipe Below ↓
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