posted August 18, 2015 10:56 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Enneline:
But not only Filipino Food filled my stomach when growing up: Swabian cuisine was a huge part of my childhood: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_cuisine

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Yum...

I love Bavaria, it's my favorite part of the world that I've visited so far.

posted August 18, 2015 11:25 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by LeeLoo2014:
but the best music from Calabria is mafia music, Ndrangheta music superb! despite what most people may think, Mafia originated from Calabria, not Sicilia (the two regions being quite close though)
the clip has some tough scenes, but it is revelatory for the atmosphere in the area
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrX6RE2fQ3M

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Oh Lee! I forgot to say...I love this video because of the sunglasses!

My parents went to Italy for the first time for both of them, when I was about 10. My mother was never really into fashion but she spent a small fortune on a pair of sunglasses while she was there

She looked good in them!

posted August 18, 2015 09:32 PM            

@ Enneline, the Filipino- Romanian Swabian food eater: with all my schooltime Geography, tracing and coloring in maps, I couldn't remember where Swabia is in Germany so I had to look it up. I'm guessing if their specialty is the noodles, they must be egg noodles. Am I right?

@ Faith, the "strange halfbreed" Irish-Italian: Ciao! And just so you know, Chruscki is not something you want to make alone, but I'm still looking for the recipe. I'll post it for you. Also, I really love those cheese wraps!!!

@ LeeLoo, the Turkish-Greek Italian: Ciao back atcha, and you have me wanting to watch Moonstruck again. Love the Italian folk songs.

posted August 20, 2015 05:18 AM            

Yes, Swabia is the state "Baden-Württemberg" and parts of the state "Bayern = Bavaria".

The Swabian cuisine differs a lot from the rest of the German cuisine:
- Yes, the thick, home-made egg noodles called "Spätzle" is the main speciality of that region and the main side dish- not potatoes
- potatoes are mostly used for potato salad. This salad is not made with mayonnaise like in most parts of Germany but with broth and vinegar and oil.

Also, potato salad is eaten as a salad only. In most parts of Germany potato salad is the main side dish but not in Swabia. It's always there and just a salad

- potatoes are rarely cooked, steamed or smashed Swabians makes salad from potatoes or dumplings or they are fried.

- dumplings are not made of potatoes only but also from "old" bread and meat:

posted August 22, 2015 03:48 AM            

This is the typical Swabian Sunday roast (served along with vegetables & salad).

posted August 22, 2015 03:53 AM            

I love "Leberknödel". Dumplings made of liver. (Yes, liver ) They are either served in a soup or with Sauerkraut.

posted August 23, 2015 03:46 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Faith:
I think you're right about the warmth!

No, I speak no Italian whatsoever. Except sorella, I just looked it up, sis. But you do speak Italian?

My maternal grandmother's family is from Reggio Calabria way down in the tippy toe of the boot. Not sure where my maternal grandfather's family is from, but they're also Italian. Everyone came over to America in the late 1800's.

The Italian Easter pie is not a calzone, the filling is solid and much different and the crust is more like pie crust. I'll have to send some along on your camping trip for when the lizards-&-ant dip gets tedious.

I would love to see your other cigarette recipe!

Lucky you, wish I got to travel to Turkey. Beautiful country and nice people.

---

I have learned Italian and I am part of the Italian community here. Maybe there is such a group where you are too, it could be interesting for you to connect with them, at least for some recipes

The Turkish cigarettes remind me of a Romanian recipe. It is made with urda, which is a sweet cheese, but not fresh cheese, something different:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urd%C4%83

It's delicious by itself, but this pie has urda and dill as filling, they combine perfectly (it's a salted pie, an appetizer)

It's a spring appetizer, it also has green onion leaves, but one can make it any time. It's easy to make, you just use simple pastry sheets. Or you can use the pie dough of your choice or a recipe for cheese and greens pie

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

AstroMandala

posted August 23, 2015 03:57 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Enneline:
As mentioned, dumplings are not made of potatoes only in Swabia. Old bread and liver are popular ingredients as well.

I love "Leberknödel". Dumplings made of liver. (Yes, liver ) They are either served in a soup or with Sauerkraut.

---

I think I would love this, I love liver. My grandparents from my father's side had a restaurant that was confiscated by the Communists. My father taught me to eat everything from an animal, especially on grill: liver, kidneys, brain (not on grill though), sweetbread (I hope this is the right word)

The yellow one is mamaliga, traditional Romanian polenta

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

AstroMandala

posted August 23, 2015 05:11 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Faith:
Oh I thought Ciao was goodbye.

Thanks for the lesson on my homeland, Lee! Yeah it's funny the first time I Googled my great-grandfather's name, all these mafia links came up, no joke. It's just a coincidence, my family wasn't even in Italy or New York at the time of the crimes. But these people might be cousins. You know what they say, every family has its black sheep.

How did you learn so much about Italy?

My mother was an only child, and after she died, we lost all contact with our Italian relatives...all the aunts and uncles had died, and the family was so huge that the cousins weren't close, either.

Meanwhile my Irish clan is also huge, but alive, and still congregating...plus my name is quintessentially Irish, so I feel more Irish and am more likely to listen to something like this...

The music of My People...

...which sounds best when taken with a glass of "liquid bread":

Anyhoo, the love stories between the Irish and Italians is always captivating to me, since they are temperamental opposites...the Irish being like Saturn, while Italians are more like Lilith. And what strange half-breeds they make!

---

I ADORE Irish people and their music! Cheers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxBKgOyMzSc

Ciao is both hi and goodbye, like the French "salut". I've had the chance to visit Italy several times, the most beautiful country in the world of course all of them are, but don't miss a chance to visit Italy
http://jovinacooksitalian.com/2013/01/25/the-cuisine-of-italy-calabria/

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

AstroMandala

posted August 24, 2015 09:53 AM            

Thanks for touristy pictures of Calabria, and the recipes! The food is reminiscent of my childhood...only slightly different. Rather than pasta with sardines we had pasta and clams. Rather than one salami-based meat dish, we had another with gelatin (that looked pretty gross and I wouldn't eat it. LOL)

All this food looks delicious (!!!) even though I hardly ever eat meat. I've always wanted to try brains though. Maybe it would help mine, seems to help yours, Lee.

Lee...are you Romanian? I love Romania, I was researching it pretty extensively this winter.

No need to answer if you want to keep your location a mystery...I've never seen you mention it before and I don't want to "out" you. Like I outed Soltze

Hello to PlutoSurvivor, Enneline and Randall.

posted August 24, 2015 11:27 AM            

I am Romanian, hey, I thought you knew, I mentioned it several times I am of mixed descent, Romanian + Italian + Turkish + Greek. Romanian grand father was part of a huge piece of Romania, Basarabia, confiscated by the Russians after Yalta, now Moldavia. But my family has been in Bucharest since grandparents. I always felt as an international person though, and lived in other European countries for a while, now back home after a sad moment in my family and hoping to change residence soon. I am more of a wanderer through the world.
But there are lots of things to be told about Romania, good and painful, my childhood was like a Russian movie; for example, food was a serious issue; we had ratios for cooking oil, sugar etc, shops were empty, people were fighting over food on long standing lines, a war zone during the last years before Ceausescu fell. They always go down in the end, if they starve people, now waiting for the North Korean creep to go, people over there are eating grass and tree bark soup.

I'll be back with something nice, such as another recipe from the incredible Romanian cuisine

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

AstroMandala

posted August 24, 2015 05:33 PM            

but then I heard of Romania but i was not aware that people were starving there, i tought that they had a monster president.
Often I think that we here about cruelties in the world but often i try to imagine the suffer from an individual if i hear about another massacre somewhere. No news channel is able to provide that

posted August 24, 2015 11:11 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by LeeLoo2014:
I am Romanian, hey, I thought you knew, I mentioned it several times

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Ooops I am always missing information, it seems.

True you did mention Romania but I had no idea you were there. You also mentioned other countries so...I didn't know. Surely I would have remembered, as I was studying Romania and thinking how lucky LL is to have so many Romanians here.

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeeLoo2014:
But my family has been in Bucharest since grandparents. I always felt as an international person though, and lived in other European countries for a while, now back home after a sad moment in my family and hoping to change residence soon.

---

Very sorry for the sad moment in your family. Hope it's...well...not death. But if so, I hope there is comfort, peace, and strength there for everyone.

And wow...

Bucharest. I want to go there sooooo bad....

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeeLoo2014:
I am more of a wanderer through the world.
But there are lots of things to be told about Romania, good and painful...

---

I would love to hear your stories.

And I wish I was there... I probably wouldn't fit in whatsoever, and I hate being the awkward American...but I don't care, I still wish we were meeting in person...it's impossible, but I am in a Pisces moon rendezvous in my mind...

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeeLoo2014:
I'll be back with something nice, such as another recipe from the incredible Romanian cuisine

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Thanks!

posted August 24, 2015 11:14 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Enneline:
one of my favorite food was Swabian "sweet & baked rice) served with apple sauce

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You have no idea how much I need to eat this right now.

posted August 26, 2015 06:56 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Enneline:
Oh, LeeLoo i can't express myself how sorry i felt for you. Being afraid to starve as a child or even do so must be one of the worst experience a child can endure since every child deserves to grow up free from existantial fears..
I grew up in Germany and did experience plates full of food knowing that there were people out there starving. I never thought it would happen in Europe, not far from me....I only heard "not enough food cards" stories from the older generations. During WWII until the 1950s, quite some people in Germany had to starve or at least were not able to afford "full" plates. Meat was served once a week. if at all and most meals did consist of cheap stuff like potatoes, cabbage and bread. They had no herbs nor spices. I often met "traumatized" elderly persons in my childhood who couldn't stand the thought of wasted food. Every bone would be kept and frozen- the next soup needs it.

but then I heard of Romania but i was not aware that people were starving there, i tought that they had a monster president.
Often I think that we here about cruelties in the world but often i try to imagine the suffer from an individual if i hear about another massacre somewhere. No news channel is able to provide that

---

awww thank you sweets! I can't say I was starving in the way people starve in Africa, it was mostly malnutrition starving, the way you describe, having only a few products to eat. But I was an imaginative child, and everything was wondrous to me, when I was in trouble, I imagined being a heroine in a fairy tale being submitted to all kinds of trials to prove her courage hahahahaha

I remember the food lines though, they were omnipresent during the last years, and my parents had many children and brought them to the line (families came together because you got to buy one product per head) and I remember what I perceived as the look on some people's faces because we were more of us. That's an odd memory to have. It almost seems like a dream, like these things can't actually happen. It's like an absurd theatre play, no wonder Eugene Ionesco is Romanian hahahaha. It's unbelievable what people can do to each other, I am talking about the regime here.

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

AstroMandala

posted August 26, 2015 07:01 AM            

Faith, you can come any time! and I mean it!

How about Christmas? that would be a good moment to taste the awesome Romanian Christmas specialties!! I mean you and your family, of course. You have to come with your husband and children and dog and bird and everything you have!

Enneline, I don't have to tell you I am waiting for you any time

And Randall! you will be my special guest.

All LL are welcome to visit me!
And don't even dare be in Bucharest and not tell me!

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

AstroMandala

posted August 26, 2015 07:08 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Enneline:
one of my favorite food was Swabian "sweet & baked rice) served with apple sauce

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ahhh this looks yummy and like something I used to eat too, as a kid, rice pudding with raisins....but usually with sour cherry jam made by my mother or grandmother...or the rose petals jam, if there was any left

------------------
I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

AstroMandala

posted August 26, 2015 01:54 PM            

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posted August 27, 2015 09:46 AM            

So sorry ~

Are you okay?

Yes, I guess...we all have to go someday. But it's always too soon.

Thank you for the invitation What I wouldn't give to be in Bucharest around Christmas At best, though, I think you will post some pictures for us....

But anyway I'm already there with you in spirit.

*hug*

*No I didn't let go yet where are you going?*

posted September 05, 2015 07:59 AM            

New childhood recipe: another oriental-inspired delight, I still make it, with the two quince trees in my parents' garden. if you boil it more, it turns into a quince sauce which can be used on smoked meat, or any meat roast, such as turkey or pork.
http://surprising-romania.blogspot.ro/2010/09/quince-dish.html

I will soon make this, my quinces now

------------------
I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

AstroMandala