Traditional cuisine of my country by Valentina Marinova

COOKING BOOK MARCH 2021

CULTURE4KIDS

Contents TRIBUNE 2 FRANCE 3 to 12 ITALY 13 to 19 PORTUGAL 20 to 24 CYPRUS 25 to 27 BULGARIA 28 to 32 IRELAND 33 to 34

Tribune INFOMAG This Madmagz magazine is the second magazine we are producing as part of the Erasmus + Culture4kids project. Last year, we were interested in the Unesco heritage in each country of the group. This year, we explore the traditional recipes of each country. Enjoy your meal!

Here we are gathered around a new adventure: gastronomy. This project has taken us on a journey through crafts, traditions, heritage and now cuisine! In these times troubled by the Coronavirus pandemic, what a wonderful idea it is to plunge back into the cooking. During the first lockdown a year ago, we all went back to cooking, making bread, soups, good small dishes. We all exchanged our recipes and watched the new gastronomic programmes on television.We are very proud to have all produced this collaborative book which will make children and parents in our educational community want to try out lots of new recipes! Evelyne - France 2

- Approach : Three classes from the school participated: 2 Cm1 (Christelle and Evelyne) and 1 Cm2 (Céline) Beforehand, we explained to the children that they were going to participate in an action of the Erasmus project . Most of them were delighted, because in the first term they had contributed to the Madmagz on Unesco, the Erasmus days or participated the year before. They were really in the dynamics of the project. In each class, we asked the children to search at home for the definition of the word "gastronomy". We obtained several types of answers, which were pooled and copied in the Erasmus booklet. We also asked to discuss with the family and to bring back an idea for a Norman recipe (we live in a region of cattle breeding, producing milk, apples and seafood, which has an impact on our local gastronomy). In each class, we made a list of recipes. These were either starters, main course or dessert. Each child explained what their recipe was, showed pictures, etc. At the end, we pooled all the recipes presented and the children voted for a complete menu: starter + main course + dessert.

- Approche: Trois classes de l’école ont participé : 2 Cm1 (Christelle et Evelyne) et 1 Cm2 (Céline) Au préalable, nous avons expliqué aux enfants qu’il allaient participer à une action du projet Erasmus . La plupart étaient ravis, car au premier trimestre, ils avaient contribué au Madmagz sur l’Unesco,au Erasmus days ou participé l’année précédente. Ils étaient réellement dans la dynamique du projet. Dans chaque classe, nous avons demandé aux enfants de rechercher à la maison la définition du mot « gastronomie » Nous avons obtenu plusieurs types de réponses, qui ont été mises en commun et recopiées dans le cahier Erasmus. nous leur avons aussi demandé de discuter en famille et de rapporter une idée de recette normande ( nous vivons dans une région d’élevage, productrice de lait, de pommes et de fruits de mers, ce qui a un impact sur notre gastronomie locale). Dans chaque classe, nous avons dressé une liste des recettes. Il s’agissait aussi bien d’entrées, de plat principal ou de dessert. Chaque enfant expliquait en quoi consistait sa recette, montrait des photos, etc. A la fin, nous avons mis en commun toutes les recettes présentées, et les enfants ont voté pour un menu complet : entrée +plat+dessert.

“Ouistreham - France : pedagogical approach

Here is the winning menu: Starter ( Apple andouille camembert puff pastry). Main dish ( Creamed turkey escalope ). Dessert ( Normandy Pie). At the same time, we (the teachers) made an appointment with the person in charge of the school canteen; we presented the project to her (she loved it) and asked for the possibility that the children of the 3 classes could come to the canteen and cook the 3 dishes. The Norman menu being proposed to all the children the next day. On Thursday March 26th, a group of children from the 3 classes had to come for one hour to help make the starter, then a second mixed group to make the dish, same thing for the dessert; We had to ask the agreement from the town hall, which accepted. Evelyne took part in a meeting to harmonize the menus, in the town hall, with representatives of the town hall, the canteen, the parents, and the supplier of the school restaurant. Finally, in order to go into the subject in greater depth, we invited a restaurant owner from Ouistreham, who runs a gourmet restaurant, to the school. In order to best prepare for this visit, we asked the children in class to think about questions. We had pooled the questions from the 3 classes, and then synthesized them into a questionnaire. The meeting took place on February 6th. Unfortunetely, as you know, the locked down took place and it was not possible to go further...

Voici le menu gagnant : Entrée ( Feuilleté camembert pomme andouille). Plat principaL( Escalope de dinde à la crème). Dessert (Tarte Normande). En même temps,nous (les enseignantes) avons pris rendez-vous avec la responsable du restaurant scolaire ; Nous lui avons présenté le projet (elle a adoré) et avons demandé la possibilité que les enfants des 3 classes viennent à la cantine, cuisiner les 3 plats. Le menu normand étant proposé à tous le lendemain. Le jeudi 26 mars, un groupe d’enfants des 3 classes devait venir une heure pour aider à la confection de l’entrée, puis un second groupe mixte à la confection du plat, même chose pour le dessert.Nous avons dû demander l’accord à la mairie, qui a accepté. Evelyne a participé à une réunion d’harmonisation des menus, en mairie, avec les représentants de la mairie, de la cantine, des parents d’élèves, et du fournisseur du restaurant scolaire. Enfin, pour bien approfondir le sujet, nous avions invité à l’école une restauratrice de Ouistreham, à la tête d’un restaurant gastronomique. Afin de préparer au mieux cette visite, nous avions demandé aux enfants en classe de réfléchir à des questions. Nous avions mis en commun les questions des 3 classes, puis synthétisé afin d’obtenir un questionnaire. La rencontre a pu avoir lieu le 6 février.mALHEUREUSEMENT, le confnement est arrivé et nous n'avons pas pu aller plus loin.

VISIT TO THE BISCUIT FACTORY JEANNETTE We went to visit the Jeannette biscuit factory in February 2020. The 2 classes of Christelle and Evelyne tell you about this gourmet visit . In 1850, Mr Mollier created the Normandy biscuit factory in Caen. Very quickly, it was recognised for its quality products and won numerous awards, including the silver medal at the 1900 Paris World Fair. In 1925, Mr Mollier joined forces with Mr Jeannette. He came up with the idea of making the little cake that had become so famous in Caen: the Madeleine Jeannette.

The biscuit factory still exists today, after having gone through a lot of turmoil. Participatory financing saved it and enabled it to restart production. Today, the workshop and shop are located in Colombelles, a few kilometres from Ouistreham. We were able to see the manufacture from a footbridge, and through windows. The composition of the madeleines : - butter from Isigny (Normandy) - sugar from Cagny (Normandy) flour from the Boisolives mill (Normandy) - Eggs from Lisieux (Normandy) - salt, glucose syrup and yeast. After the visit, we went through the shop. Yum yum, delicious!!!! Children in the store, listening carefully to the explanations on the different madeleines. We see all kinds of boxes

Les Madeleines

The madeleines have a shell shape you can see the madeleines in the factory store. Then the manufacturing, baking and shipping.

There are lotS of different tastes.

French Starter : Normandy puff pastry with camembert and andouille INGREDIENTS 200g Puff pastry - 12 slices Fine andouille de Vire - 4 Apples - 1 Camembert - 4 tbsp. Calvados soup - 1 Egg yolk - 30g Butter - Pepper

Preparation steps Peel, seed and cut the apples into small cubes. Brown them in a frying pan in butter over a low heat for 10 minutes and then flamb them with the calvados*. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the camembert in four. Roll out the puff pastry into a square and cut it into four. In the centre of each square, place 3 slices of andouille, then 1/4 of the apples and the camembert.

Grind the pepper in a pepper mill. Fold the corners towards the centre, pinch to weld the points together. Brush the beaten egg with a little water. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown. Serve hot with a salad with cider vinegar. *Conssume in moderation, alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. 7

FRENCH MAIN DISH : Turkey escalope with cream INGREDIENTS 4 Turkey escalopes - 2 shallots - 2 cloves Garlic - 20 cl Fresh cream - 3 tbsp. Old-fashioned mustard - Salt Pepper

PREPARATION STEPS You can slice the turkey cutlets with a knife. Peel and chop the garlic and shallots. Heat the butter in a frying pan. Brown the cutlets. Set them aside. In a large bowl, mix the crème fraîche, the old-fashioned mustard, the garlic and the chopped shallots. Add salt and pepper. Heat this sauce in the frying pan. Add the escalopes to the first stock.

FIRING Leave to cook for 10 minutes on a low heat. Serve the meat with its sauce. You can accompany your dish with rice.

FRENCH DESSERT NORMANDY TART INGREDIENTS For the shortbread dough : • 1 egg • 200 g flour • 100 g caster sugar • 100 g butter • 1 pinch of salt

INGREDIENTS For the trim : • 1 kg of apple • 2 eggs • 100 g caster sugar • 100 g almond powder • 100 g thick crème fraîche (real thing!) • 1/2 glass of calvados liqueur • Slivered almonds . Start with the dough 1.In a bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Add salt and sugar. Mix with a wooden spatula until it becomes frothy.

PREPARATION STEPS 2. Crumble the dough between your fingers until you obtain sand. Stir in the butter in small pieces and knead it. The dough should no longer stick to your hands (otherwise add a little flour). 3. Spread it out on the floured worktop and place it (be careful! it breaks) in your mould. Prick it with a fork. 4. Peel and seed the apples. Cut them into fairly thick slices. Arrange them on the pastry, overlapping them slightly. Set aside. 5. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the sugar, then the powdered almond, the crème fraîche and the calvados. 6. Pour over the apples. Sprinkle with slivered almonds. 7. Bake in a hot oven for 25 minutes.

8. Serve warm or cold, possibly flambed with calvados.

Meeting with Mrs. Lavalley, restaurant manager "La Table d'Hôtes" in Ouistreham

ere are the questions, prepared in class by the children

1) Where does gastronomy come from, who invented it? It comes from the Roman Empire, invented at the end of the 4th century. 2) Is French gastronomy the best in the world? Peru is n°1, France n°5. We are the country of "good food". 3) What do you call banal cuisine as opposed to gastronomy? Banal cuisine is the traditional cuisine of everyday life. 4) What does the word "food" mean? iT means dish or food, this word comes from Latin. 5) How to set a table in the right way? The dishes must be very clean, the table always set with a nice tablecloth. The fork appeared at the end of the 16th century in France. 6) What is the traditional French dish? Norman dish ? In France, each region has its own traditional dish. In Normandy, we can mention the "tripe à la mode from Caen". 7) Do other countries have their own gastronomy? Of course, in Peru the ceviche, in Italy the pizza! 8) Where do you buy the food in the restaurant? We buy our food on short circuits, around our place, locally. We buy the vegetables at Christophe and Mélanie's in Hermanville . At the moment, there are cabbages, Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, rutabagas. When it's scallop season, we buy at the port. Poultry and pigeons come from Normandy . Dairy products and cream are bought on the farm. We prefer vegetable cream for the vegans, and we always offer a gluten-free dessert. 9) What are the different types of cooking? You can fry, roast, chutney, simmer, grill, vacuum cook in a sealed food bag with vacuum, cook in the oven at low temperature for a very long time (this makes the meat very soft). 10

13) How do you organise yourself to prepare a meal?

10) What are the rules for the wine?

We have very detailed technical sheets and we buy the products according to the reservations at the restaurant.

You have to study the map of France . Here it is ! 11) What is the most difficult thing to do? Starter, main course, dessert ?

14) What is the secret to preparing the dishes well? The secret is in three words: love, passion, precision !!!

All 3 are difficult to make. The pastry is what requires the most precision: weighing, rigour, conversion, baking time

15) How do you know that the dishes are good and appreciated? When the plate is empty, and also by talking to the customers.

Informations that we never imagined !!! 16) Why did you choose this job? Since when have you been doing it? I always wanted to go to hotel school. I went to school one week a month, and the rest of the time I went to restaurants to learn the trade. I've been doing this for 22 years.

12) What are the different jobs that can be found in a restaurant? You have to differentiate between the kitchen and the service. In the kitchen : - the chef

17) How many years of study do you need to become a cook?

- the 2nd of kitchen - the party leader

You need 1 Certificate of Professional Aptitude + 1 Professional Training Certificate + 1 Professional Baccalaureate + 2 years of Higher Technological Certificate.

- the clerk At your service : - the master the hotel - the head of row - the clerk 11

Merci Madame Lavalley !

Map of french vineyards- how to place glasses and cutlery Down, you can see how pupils were interested. They took notes

ITALIAN STARTER

MONTANARA

Montanara made by the students 5C (Pixton.com) “Montanara”, no doubt, is the queen of “fried food Made in Naples”, because in Naples “street food” is an usual way of having lunch or dinner. It’s a dish with an incredible and unmistakable taste, which dates all the way back to antiquity. Its name, quite unusual for a beach town, comes from the custom of eating bread with tomato sauce, basil and cheese of the farmer from the heights, the “montanari”.

PIZZA OGGI A 8 Also called “pizza ad oggi o ad otto”, is a typical dish of our Neapolitan tradition; once it was the classic fried pizza that one could eat and pay after eight days, as it was a sort of “pizza on credit”. The history of this deliciousness started in Naples during the difficult post-war years, when pizza makers’ wifes, to provide an economic support, set up temporary coal fired kitchens outside their houses (the well- known “bassi”), where they fried pizza dough balls filled only with tomato or ricotta and cicoli in big boilers filled with lard; this way the poor could eat and pay after eight days.

MONTARANA INGREDIENTS 500 g of flour 0 for pizza or 00 10 g of salt 1/2 sachet of Mastro Fornaio PANEANGELI brewer's yeast 1 teaspoon of sugar 300 ml of water 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil To stuff 400 g of peeled tomatoes like San Marzano 1 clove of garlic extra virgin olive oil basil salt grated parmesan cheese

PREPARATION 1st step Once we reach the pasta point,slam it 3 times on the work plan. Create little pasta balls and let them rise for a couple of hours in the working bench by putting them well distanced from each others

2nd step When pasta has come to a rise,take the balls, flash them and fry them in a pan with peanut oil (the oil must be heated at 180/220°C).

3rd step The fried pizza will be ready when the color of the 2 sides turn out well gold. Tomato sauce : in a pan, make garlic suffer with extravirgin oil, add basil leaves and tomato paste.

4th step Remove garlic and have cooked for half an hour, salting,and adding the grated pecorino cheese. To dispose mountains on a plate, pour a spoon of tomato sauce into the center, a plenty of sheep's scratch,

a pair of pecorino, apaste of paste, and a basil leave.

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina made by the students 5B (Pixton.com) Main dish Our journey among the recipes of our Italian tradition stops today in Naples, continuing in the direction of Sorrento peninsula. We are approaching home with a typical recipe of this land: Gnocchi alla Sorrentina! It’s a classic recipe, often the protagonist of our Sunday lunch: it’s easy to prepare and very tasty, it combines the soft flavour of tomato sauce with the intense taste of cheese. But the real protagonists of this recipe are the potato Gnocchi, an ancient shape of pasta, whose origins date back to the sixteenth century (when the importation of potatoes from the Americas began). Infact, the ingredient which brings the ancient versions of gnocchi to the delicious dish worldwide famous, came from the other side of the ocean: the potatoes! Despite the early importation of Potatoes from the new continent, their use into the European cuisine starts from the XVIII Century. During the XVI and XVII centuries, in most parts of Europe the potatoes were considered a vegetable of the devil, and poisonous, and used to feed animals and war prisoners.

Overcome the first suspicions, potatoes have become world-famous, and consumed in vast quantities, thanks to their low price and nutritious properties! Potatoes have revolutionized the Italian gnocchi, and they have partially replaced the amount of flour! Currently, the potato gnocchi are the most popular gnocchi in and outside Italy. Potato gnocchi are softer than others, and more digestible, and so tasty!

The preparation brings together some of the typical flavours of the traditional cuisine from Campania: tomato, mozzarella, basil. They are strictly served in "pignatielli", low and rounded terracotta bowls, which, thanks to their slow heating, keep the heat for a long time even after having been baked in the oven. But be careful, these are not simple tomato Gnocchi: our Gnocchi alla Sorrentina should be “arruscati”, which means covered with a thin layer of crispy crust. And if you too want to taste a delicious Gnocchi alla Sorrentina dish… then follow our recipe and “arricreatevi” (enjoy your dish!). INGREDIENTS FOR THE GNOCCHI Red Potatoes 1 Kg 00 Flour 300 g Eggs medium 1 Fine salt Semolina FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE Tomato puree 600 g Basil 6 leaves Garlic 1 clove Extra virgin olive oil Fine salt FINAL TOUCH Mozzarella cheese 250 g Parmigiano Reggiano 70 g

Prepare the tomato sauce while heating the oven at 200°. Boil gnocchi into 5 qt of boiling water along with 4.5 tbsp of table salt. The gnocchi are ready when they will rise to the surface

ress them with the sauce and pour into pans (one per serving), distributing the diced mozzarella carefully and adding a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

Put your gnocchi in the oven and bake for a few minutes, until you see an inviting golden brown crust at the top. Remove them from the oven and serve still hot and steaming ! Complete the decoration with fresh basil leaves.

ENJOY THIS DELICIOUS DISH FROM THE SORRENTO COAST !

Italian Dessert : Struffoli

truffoli have a very interesting history. Some believe they originate from Greece and are cousins of the famous “loukoumades.” Their name could also bear Greek origins: it may come from the word strongoulos or stroggulos, which means round shaped. Interestingly, struffoli became popular in Southern Italy thanks to… convents. In Naples in particular, nuns would prepare them to offer them as a Christmas gift to all those noble families who, during the year, had distinguished themselves for their sense of charity and piety.

Ingredients: 500 gr flour 150 gr butter 4 eggs 200 gr sugar a little of liquor witch a pinch of salt For Garnish: Honey and colored jams To cook: Seed Oil Procedure: Arrange fountain flour on a floor add eggs, Stir in the eggs and add the butter, sugar, liquor and a little salt. Knead all the ingredients until you get a soft dough and let it rest for a while. Spread the dough obtained and create many long snakes. Cut the serpents into small pieces, trying to make many equal pieces and then give it the shape of small balls. Meanwhile take a saucepan and fill it with plenty of oil, put it on the fire and wait for the oil to reach high temperatures. As soon as the oil is boiling, fry the pieces. When cooked, let the excess oil dry and then place the small struffoli in the dish and cover them with honey and voilà now you'll have a dish to enjoy in company of friends and family and colored jams. 18

Struffoli

Portugal The basis of the Mediterranean gastronomy is the trilogy of bread, wine and olive oil, and is spread throughout the country.

Our first dish to be presented is one of the most common soups on the table of all the Portuguese, the cabbage and carrot soup. Next comes the main course, one that is particularly important on December 25th. Traditionally, on Christmas Eve we eat boiled codfish with boiled potatoes and boiled portuguese cabbage. On the following day, a dish is prepared with the leftovers. Last but not least, for dessert, our students chose to prepare Rabanadas, a typical Christmas sweet. Note: Due to the pandemic, the students prepared the dishes at home, working on the recipes later, in the English class. The task was carried out during the Christmas season, hence the traditional recipes of this time of the year.

The Portuguese diet, although restricted to a relatively small geographical area, shows Atlantic and Mediterranean influences (included in the so-called "Mediterranean diet") as is evident from the amount of fish traditionally consumed. The basis of the Mediterranean gastronomy is the trilogy of bread, wine and olive oil, and is spread throughout the country. To the trilogy we add vegetables, as in various soups, and fresh fruit. Meat and entrails, mainly pork, also make up a set of regional dishes and snacks, where ham and other cold and preserved meats stand out. With the maritime discoveries, the Portuguese cuisine quickly integrated the use of spices, sugar, and other products, such as beans and potatoes, which were adopted as essential products. It should be noted that the wide variety of regional dishes can even be found in restricted areas. Two neighboring cities may present, under the same recipe name, dishes that differ greatly in the way they are prepared, despite sharing the same basic recipe. The generalizations are not always correct: the different regional cuisines vary a lot in the same region.

In the class

work in progress!!

PORTUGAL Starter : Cabbage and carrot soup INGREDIENTS 500 g of carrots 100 g pumpkin 2 onions 2 garlic cloves 1 leek 1 small ox-heart cabbage 1 l of cold water 2 tablespoons of olive oil 4 slices of toasted bread pinch of salt pinch of pepper

METHOD Peel the carrots, the pumpkin, the onions and the garlic and cut them into pieces, as well as the leek and the cabbage.

Pour the water into a pan, and when boiling add the chopped vegetables. Cook on a low heat for 25 minutes. Then, remove from the heat, drain some of the cabbage and the carrot and cut them into smaller pieces; set aside.

Blend the remaining vegetables, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Taste and check the seasoning

Add the cabbage and the carrot that were set aside and serve with the toasted bread.

Recipe prepared by 5ºA

PORTUGAL MAIN DISH Roupa velha (“old clothes”) is a typical recipe of the Christmas season. Its main purpose is to make use of the leftovers from the Christmas dinner, but it can also be prepared (and it is many times) at any time of the year.

INGREDIENTS : • 1 fillet of boiled codfish • 0.5 kg of baked potatoes • 1 boiled portuguese cabbage • 0.5 dl of olive oil • 4 garlic cloves

METHOD Cut the cabbage into very small pieces. Shred the cod. Crush the potatoes.

METHOD In an anti adherent frying pan, pour the olive oil, add the garlic well chopped and cook for a few minutes.

AT LEAST When the garlic turns golden, add the cod, the cabbage and the potatoes. Mix well and serve.

PORTUGAL DESSERT

RABADANAS INGREDIENTS 8 slices of a 3-day-old loaf of bread (2 cm thick) , 3 eggs , 600 ml of whole milk , 3 lemon peels , 100 g of sugar ,1 cinnamon stick , 1 glass of porto wine, Oil for frying, Cinnamon powder (for sprinkling at the end).

FOR THE SYRUP 250 g of sugar,150 ml of water, 1 cinnamon stick, the peels of 1 orange.

METHOD Heat half of the milk with the cinnamon stick, the lemon peels and the sugar and boil for 10 minutes on medium heat. Then, add the remaining milk and the port wine. Remove the cinnamon stick and the lemon peels. Dip the slices of bread in the milk mixture and then in the beaten eggs.

AT LEAST Fry them on both sides in hot oil until golden brown. Drain, sprinkle with cinnamon and reserve. Heat a pan with all the ingredients indicated for the syrup and boil for 3 minutes. Drizzle the toast with this syrup, let it cool and serve.

CYPRUS

Appetizer : Olive Bread INGREDIENTS • 1 yeast • 150 gr feta cheese • 100 gr black olives • 1 table spoon sugar • 300 gr water • 500 gr plain flour • 4 table spoon olive oil • Some oregano

INSTRUCTIONS We put yeast, sugar and water in a bowl and stir with a whipping wire. • We add flour, salt, oregano and knead. • We wait for 30 or 40 minutes so as dough gets puffed.

2nd step When the dough is puffed, we knead again and we make a big pie. • Then we put the olive oil, oregano and feta cheese in small pieces and we make a long roll. • We cut the roll in two equal pieces and make two bagels.

AT LEAST We put them on an oven pan, cover them with a towel and wait for 20 more minutes. • Then bake for 40 minutes in 170 °.

CYPRUS Main Dish: Orzo with tomato INGREDIENTS • 1 cup orzo • 2 ½ cups water • 1 cup olive oil • Two grated tomatoes • 1 tea spoon oregano • salt • pepper

INSTRUCTIONS We put all the ingredients in a casserole except the orzo and the oregano. • As soon as they boil, we add the orzo and stir for 1-2 minutes.

COOKING We remove from fire and cover the casserole with a towel for about 30-40 minutes.

AT LEAST When the fluids are absorbed, we add oregano and serve.

Dessert : Kattimerka

INGREDIENTS Dough: • 2 cups village flour • 2 cups plain flour • 1 tea spoon salt • 2 table spoons vinegar • ½ cup olive oil • 1 cup warm water

INGREDIENTS Stuffing: • 1 cup sugar • 1 sachet vanilla sugar • 1 tea spoon cinnamon • 1 pinch carnation powder Topping: • 2/3 cup olive oil

instructions • We put all the ingredients for the dough in a bowl and knead. • We let the dough rest for a while. • We make small dough balls and then make round pies. • We use a brush to coat the pies with olive oil. • Then we take some stuffing and put it on each pie. • In the end we fold the pies as you can see on the picture and we use a deep pan (like a wok) to bake in high temperature the pies for 2-3 minutes on each side.

INTRODUCTION TO BULGARIAN COOKING The Bulgarian cuisine is one the world's simplest, healthiest and most naturally elegant styles of cooking, akin to the cuisines of Turkey and Lebanon. The seasoning is light and the accent on preserving natural flavours. Among the many features of the modern Bulgarian table likely to appeal to Western tastes are the appetizers or “meze”. These include white beans and preserved vegetables in olive oil, peppers, olives, tomatoes, spicy sausage “pasterma”, hot pastry and deepfried savouries in batter, green onions, cucumber, yoghurt, pickled cucumbers and a white, very salty, fresh cheese like the Greek feta. Herbs — thyme, tarragon, basil, savory, mint, dill — are widely used, both fresh and dried, to flavour salads and in curing or preserving cheese and meat. Flat and leavened bread, white and brown, accompany meze. The sausage, salami, cheese, yoghurt, vegetables and fruit that characterize this very natural table first appear at breakfast, along with yellow cheese and a number of other excellent fermented-mild products that confirm Bulgaria as a worthy home of the supposedly life-enhancing bacillus bulgaricus. Meat, often lamb, is simply prepared, by grilling on charcoal or spit-roasting. Out of minced meat the Bulgarians make spiced meatballs and rissoles which are baked or grilled, and cubed meat (kebap) is cooked in the same way or baked with vegetables.

Chicken and game are relished, and a festive specialty is stuffed white fish with nuts and raisins. Probably the best-known dish outside the country, and one promoted as national, is “gyuvech”, a sealed casserole of up to twelve different vegetables, with or without the addition of meat or fish, and sometimes with a garnish of grapes. A special preparation is “banitsa”, consisting of wafer-thin layers of buttery pastry enclosing a filling of spinach and cheese or ground meat and cheese with herbs. Savoury, it is like a pastry version of lasagna; sweet versions come with nuts and cheese or jam and cheese, or pumpkin. “Moussaka” is another well-known composite dish of baked meat and vegetables and herbs, sometimes topped with a savory custard or yoghurt. For padding they enjoy pilaf (rice) in both sweet and savory forms, with raisins and with poultry stock and onions. The Bulgarians have a passion for stuffed fresh or fermented cabbage leaves, and they also stuff every other kind of vegetable and fruit from quinces to peppers, tomatoes to aubergines. Traditional all-year Bulgarian soups are made with predominantly southern ingredients like spinach, lamb, olives, rice and lemons. The most famous is tarator, made with cucumber and yoghurt, thickened with ground walnuts and served.

1. Adapted from "The Food and Cooking of Eastern Europe“ by Lesley Chamberlain, Penguin Books, London, 1989 2. Information sources from the local Museum

MISSION MASTER CHEF

In December, Sonya and Kaira visited the Museum of Trade in order to research the history of our region’s traditional cuisine.

They examined books from the museum’s collection, and learned new, previously unknown, words. We have prepared and presented an online lesson, where the two girls told their classmates about what they had learned in the museum. Together, we watched a film showing how our grandmas kneaded their bread back in the day.

Mission „Master chef” In order to get to know the traditions and culture of our country better, in the beginning of December the children received a task. They had to research what kind of dishes are prepared for Christmas, and, together with their mothers and grandmothers, prepare their family’s favourite holiday dish.

Scan this QR Code !

We prepared cheese banitsa and sweet biscuit balls in the school’s kitchen.

BULGARIAN STARTER : tARATOR soup Tarator Soup This Bulgarian recipe is intended to serve four persons Ingredients:1 large cucumber, peeled, diced, salted and drained, 7.2 dl yoghurt, 7.2 dl iced water or mineral water, 30 ml olive oil, 85 gr walnuts, crushed, 3 large cloves garlic, crushed with salt .

The soups have a very important role in the Bulgarian cuisine, as in many occasions the appetizers are removed and these become the first course. Most of the soups are based on vegetables, such as beans, but other may include meats. „Tarator” is a Bulgarian soup that is served cold. It resembles of the Greek dish named „Tzatziki”.

Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a blender and serve chilled. 30

Traditional Bulgarian Dish Stuffed Cabbage Leaf Rolls

INGREDIENTS cabbages: 1 pickled, rice: 0.500 kg, onions, sunflower oil, black pepper, red pepper, savory, salt, garlic: 3 cloves, water: 1 liter PREPARATION . Cut the onion and garlic into small pieces. Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add rice and fry another 2-3 minutes as you mix constantly until the rice gets crystal.

PREPARATION Pour 1 litter water and stir. When the water is absorbed by the rice, remove the rice from the stove and add the spices - savory, black pepper, red pepper and salt. Mix and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.from the rice filling and place it 2. Prepare the Gyuvetch vessel. Cover with the outer cabbage leaves of the first cabbage its bottom and sideways. “Undress” the cabbages leaf by leaf as you keep the whole and big enough to stuff leaves and save the inner heart for salad.

AT LEAST Take a leaf in your palm as the leaf is curled up and the stem end is closest to you. Take 2-3 table spoonsin the upper middle part of the leaf as you leave the sides of the leaf;uncovered. Be careful not to overstuff the leaves. If you usaves usually 1-2 table spoons are enough. Wrap the leaf as you start to roll from the stem, fold the of the leaf inward and continue to roll until you have a completely rolled sarma. Continue until all cabbage leaves are stuffed. Put in cold oven and then turn it on to 200 C. Bake for 2 hours.

„Banitsa” is a traditional Bulgarian pastry prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of cheese between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven.

“Banitsa” is served for breakfast with plain yogurt. It can be eaten hot or cold. Another popular version is “banitsa” with spinach. Preparation:Take 12 pastry sheets (phyllo). Grease bottom of a pan with butter or oil. Brush 3 sheets with butter. Place sheets one atop the other. Spread 1/3 of filling. Top with 2 more sheets, each brushed with butter or oil. Spread second third of filling. Repeat one more time. Top last layer of filling with 3 oiled sheets. Bake in a moderate oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cheese Filling Ingredients: 6 eggs, pinch of baking soda, 1/4 kg white cheese, yogurt, butter/olive oil, sheets of phyllo dough Preparation: Beat yogurt adding baking soda, keep beating and add eggs and crumbed (or grated or crushed) cheese. Combine and stir ingredients well. Put down 2 sheets of phyllo dough down in buttered/oiled pan.Pour enough of the mixture to cover phyllo sheets and top with 2 more sheets. Continue to repeat the process: put down 2 sheets and make sure to brush them well with butter/oil then layer with mixture until all of the mixture is done, then cover with atleast 2 sheets. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden.

IRELAND MAIN DISH Homemade Irish Beef Stew (My Dads Secret Recipe) Ingredients for beef stew: 2 x Carrots. ● 2 x Onions. ● 2 x tins of oxtail soup. ● 1 x packet of beef or mince. ● 1 x beef stock cube. ● 2 tbl spoons of bisto gravy granules. ● 1 x cube of oxo. ● Potatoes. ● Add any veg you like.

Directions .First peel your carrots and onions and chop into small pieces. ● Cook your selected meat on a separate frying pan with a drizzle of oil. ● Quarter fill a large sauce pan with cold water and add heat (electric No.7 or gas mark No.7) for approx. 40 mins

2ND STEP Pour 2 x tins of oxtail soup into the sauce pan. ● Add 2 table spoons of bisto gravy granules into the sauce pan. ● Add the oxo cube and beef stock cube to the sauce pan at this stage and stir. ● Add the carrots and onions into the sauce pan.

AT LEAST Peel the required amount of potatoes and put them in to a separate pot and add water. (if the potatoes are large – chop in half) ● Continue to stir the soup at this stage to ensure it is mixing correctly and getting thick. ● When the meat is cooked threw add to sauce pan. ● Turn heat on sauce pace down to simmer.

Typical Irish Dessert

APPLE CRUMBLE Ingredients 4 large cooking apples peeled and cut into medium sized chunks • 200g caster sugar • juice and zest of one large lemon • dash of water • 200g of salted butter cold • 400g of plain flour • 200g caster sugar

iNSTRUCTIONS . Preheat the oven to 190celsius , gas 5 and fahrenheit 175 2. Put 200 g of caster sugar the zest and juice of the lemon all the cooking apples and a dash of water in a saucepan cook until the apples or half cooked or moist and put them into a dish that's ovenproof leave aside 3. Place the cold butter and the flour into a food processor or you can mix with your hands until mix then add in the other 200g of sugar and mix some more 4. Put your bread crumble that you just mix on top of the apples evenly don't pack it down, leave and nice dome shape at the top-you can see this in the photo

CULTURE4KIDS BEYOND THE TEXTBOOKS Ireland- Bulgaria-Cyprus-France-Italy- Portugal