Romanian soul cake ("coliva") - recipe with step-by-step photos

"Coliva" is a soul cake from boiled husked wheat mixed with crushed walnuts. It is used in various death-related events (when somebody dies, when somebody is commemorated in church, etc).

Ingredients for a small cake:

• 700 milliliters of water
• 250 grams of husked wheat
• 100 grams of ground walnuts
• 35 grams of sugar
• rum
• salt

For decoration

• 50 grams of ground walnuts
• 4-6 smashed biscuits
• 6-8 halves of walnuts kernel
• candies 

Wash the wheat 5 times in clean water, each time changing the water, until the water after wasthing remains clean.

Add 700 ml of water, the sugar and the salt over the husked wheat and boil it until the wheat is tender and there is still some water left in the pot. Let it rest in the fridge until the next day.

Add the crushed walnuts and the rum (according to your taste) and mix.
On a plate, add a detachable circle and add the composition. Let it stabilize in the fridge for a few hours.

Pour the ground walnuts and the smashed biscuits above the cake.

For decoration you can add candies, walnuts or chocolate.

Boema cake - recipe with step-by-step photos

Ingredients for the chocolate layer:

• 200 grams of wheat flour
• 150 milliliters of sunflower oil
• 130 milliliters of milk
• 120 grams of sugar
• 50 grams of cocoa powder
• 3 eggs
• half of a teaspoon with baking powder

Ingredients for the chocolate filling:

• 150 grams of dark chocolate
• 150 grams of fresh cream
• 1 spoon with sugar

Ingredients for the syrup:

• 150 grams of sugar
• 250 milliliters of water

Ingredients for the glaze:

• 100 grams of dark chocolate
• 100 grams of fresh cream
• 20 grams of butter
• 1 spoon with sugar

For the decoration:

• 150 grams of fresh cream
• 1 spoon with sugar
• cherry syrup or chocolate syrup
• grated chocolate

Prepare the chocolate layer:

Beat the eggs with the sugar for a few minutes until fluffy and creamy.

Add the milk and the sunflower oil over the eggs and mix.

In another bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder and the cocoa powder and pass it through a strainer over the eggs composition. Mix well.

Put the composition in an oven pan and let it in the oven at 180 Celsius degrees for 17-18 minutes.
 

Prepare the syrup:

Caramelize the sugar with 2 spoons with water.

When ready, add the remaining water and keep it on slow fire until the sugar dissolves.  Let it cool.

Prepare the chocolate filling:

Mix the chocolate with the fresh cream and the sugar and let them melt at slow fire.
Let it cool, then put the filling in the fridge for two hours.

Prepare the cream for the decoration:
Mix the fresh cream with the sugar and keep it in the fridge until you use it.

Prepare the glaze, just before using it:

Mix the chocolate with the fresh cream, the sugar and the butter and let it melt over a slow fire.

Assembling the cake:

Cut the chocolate layer in small rectangular pieces and pour the syrup over them.
Put it in the fridge for 2 hours so that the layer absorbs the syrup.

Add the glaze over the cubes and put it back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Add the chocolate filling over the glaze and on top the cream. You can decorate with grated chocolate, chocolate syrup, etc.

The original recipe can be found here

Risotto alla carbonara - recipe with step-by-step photos

Ingredients:

• 700 milliliters of soup (from boiling chicken or vegetables)
• 250 grams of risotto rice ("rizo Arborio")
• 150 grams of bacon
• 150 grams of fresh cream
• 100 milliliters of white wine
• 100 grams of cheese (Grana Padano)
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 spoons with olive oil
• pepper
• salt

Beat the egg yolks with the cheese.

Add the fresh cream and mix.

Put some vegetables in 1 liter of water and let them boil (carrot, onion, parsley, celery, etc). When ready put the pot aside.

 

In another pot boil some water and put on top the pot with the egg/fresh cream, mixing continuously ("bain marie").

Fry the bacon in the olive oil. Take out the bacon without the liquid fat.

In that fat left in the pot from the bacon add the rice and let it fry for a few moments at medium fire.

Add the wine and mix until the wine evaporates.

Add 500 milliliters of soup and let it boil until the rice absorbs the broth.

Mix the egg mixture with the remaining soup and add it over the rice.  Let it simmer for a few minutes.

Add the fried bacon, salt and pepper according to taste, and let it simmer for another few minutes and the risotto is ready.

Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here

Manti (turkish dumplings) - recipe with step-by-step photos

Ingredients for the dough:

• 250 grams of flour
• 110 milliliters of water
• 4 spoons with olive oil
• 1 egg
• a bit of salt

Ingredients for the filling:

• 250 grams of chicken meat (could be lamb or veal)
• 1 onion
• salt
• pepper

Ingredients for the white sauce:

• 400 grams of yoghurt
• 3 garlic cloves
• salt
• pepper

Ingredients for the red sauce:

• 12 spoons with bell pepper sauce
• 3 spoons with olive oil
• 2 mushrooms
• a bit of chili
• salt 
• pepper

First prepare the filling:

Cut the chicken meat in small bits, then mix it with the chopped onion, salt and pepper.

Prepare the dough:

Mix the flour with the water, the salt and the egg.

Add the olive oil and mix until well incorporated.

Let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough in 3-4 equal parts.

Spread each part on the table and cut it in small squares:

In the middle of each square add a teaspoon with meat mixture.

Fold two of the opposite corners and then to the same with the other two, so that the meal is well sealed inside the dough.

Put the dumplings on a sheet of baking paper and keep them in the oven at 180 Celsius degrees for 20-25 minutes or until  a bit golden.

Let them cool!

Separately boil some water and when it starts boiling, add the dumplings (as many as fit into the pot and then repeat the process with the remaining ones). Let them boil for about 10 minutes .

When ready, take the dumplings out and strain them well.

Prepare the white sauce:

Mix the yogurt with the crushed garlic, the pepper and the salt.

Prepare the red sauce:

In a frying pan add the olive oil and let it heat. Add the bell pepper sauce, the salt, the pepper and the chili, as well as the fresh mushrooms cut in small pieces, and let everything simmer for a few minutes.

Spread the dumplings in a pan and cover them with the white sauce, then the red sauce and now they're ready to be served.

 

Enjoy!

 The original recipe can be found here