"PRINCESS" TOAST or BRUSCHETTA "PRINCIPESSA" FOR KIDS AND GROWN UPS (B. Y. O.)

If you've ever spent your summer holiday in Bulgarian seaside, you inevitably have had the opportunity to hear about, smell and even try this delicious snack prepared typically on char grill.  It is a fast meal for children that parents have it ready before the barbeque party gets seriously busy with chatting, drinks and food.

It is a recycled food at its best and finest - about a handful of leftover mince for the kebapche skinless sausage for the barbecue later, old stale bread, herbs and spices, egg and that's about it!  As mamma use to say "with a handful of leftover mince and loaf of old bread we can feed an army"...

It is meant to be a children's snack to keep them happy and full while the grown ups are enjoying slowly their drink, mezze, yarn and slow cooking of the fresh summer meal on char barbie.  The truth is that every one loves them and there is always enough for young and old.

It was one of the first things I prepared for my mother-in-law long time ago, when we invited her to our new place.  However, she wouldn't wait for the meal to be ready.  She wanted to eat right then!  I made "Princess" toasts within minutes and slapped them on the barbecue...  But the trouble was far from over.  Being an Italiana, she wouldn't eat nothing that she is not familiar with or at least doesn't sound Italian.  So I was sweating a rain of sweat and worries over the hot barbecue plate and scratching my brain what to tell her.  I brought her on a plate the piping hot "Princess" toasts and told her: "Here you are, mum, this is bruschetta "Principessa".  It is Italian", I reassured her.  "Really?  Never heard of it!", she cut me and I had to think very fast on my feet.  "Oh yeah, it is from South of La Bulgara, far from Venezia."  She ate it, kissed her fingers and said "Brava!" and added "never been to La Bulgara, but we were very poor then to travel" and that's how the bruschetta "Principessa" was born.

Call it whatever you choose, but don't miss the chance to try it next time you get the barbeque going.  They are really delicious and clever meal for settling hungry little tummies or enjoy them with a glass of wine in a good company of dear friends.

SOPHIA'S "PRINCESS" TOAST
INGREDIENTS:
Stale bread slices
1/2 kilo veal and pork mince (or meat of your choice)
1 egg
Green onions finely sliced
Continental parsley finely chopped
Salt
Savory (optional but highly recommended)
Ground white pepper
Cracked pink peppercorns

METHOD:
Mix the ingredients and let them stand to marinate for an hour or two if possible .  Spread a thin layer (about 5mm) on the bread slices pressing the mince mixture.  Place the slices mince down on well preheated barbeque grill grate and let it cook on low heat for about a minute or two till charred lines are formed and the meat doesn't appear raw.  Turn on the other side of the bread and slightly toast the bread till crisp and crusty.  Serve with yogurt drink if offered to children or with a nice glass of red wine if for grown ups.

Thank you for visiting!
Ciao,
Sophia

© 2014 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved

LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY...

"You know sweetheart", said my husband walking through the door, "I am one very lucky man"!

"I know", I was too busy in the kitchen to get in deep conversation - "You've got me!"

"No, no", he insisted it wasn't me.  "I found a bunch of four-leaf clover, and five-leaf too!"  And he gave me a bouquet of four and five leafed clovers!

Well, that's what I call a special bouquet from the heart!  I think we are both lucky...

Be lucky and stay happy!

Ciao,
Sophia

© 2014 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved

RICE PUDDING or WHO GETS THE CROWN

Rice pudding...

Or we might as well call it The Apple Of Discord in my family.  You see, everybody – could that be my Grandmother, could that be Mamma or even mum’s sister, Aunty Olga – they all thought they were holding the crown of the rice pudding.

Grandma would make it when she knew Dad is visiting her, for she thought she spoilt her boy with his favourite dish.  My Dad was always gladly accepting an offer for a rice pudding after lunch at Grandma’s, but the moment he sees her back he will whisper “your mum cooks it better”.

Mamma wasn’t officially in the race for rice pudding title, but off the record she was quietly puffing up with importance when Dad says something like that.

On the other side of the family tree was perched Aunty Olga.  She was right there between the branches of “cook as my mother taught me” and “anything you can do, I can do better”.  But to tell you the truth she was right – she could do anything better.  And she knew it!  She was so devoted to please and offer the best for her family (to put the best shirt on our back or to plate the best meal on our table), that she would not blink a wink when her youngest grandson starts jumping in his cot at 11pm with screams “I want rice pudding!”...

I tried them all – Grandma’s rice pudding, Mamma’s, Aunty’s, even the one my Great-Aunt from Greece made for us when we went to visit her...  And I made lots too.  Mamma always was drumming on my head to be careful and put the rice in the last 15 minute or it will get mushy.  I was not allowed to put in the sugar unless it is all cooked, or it’ll stop the cooking of the rice.  There were special and strict rules of engagement.

As time passed and I got older and many meals went down my throat and I whisked many more meals, I started to build some sense of the harmony of each ingredient.  They were having a special place in the music notebook of gastronomy.  If I could really learn to read this music, I would know how to make my own melody...

So I thought to myself, Mamma says rice cooks slow when mixed with sugar in the milk.  And I wanted thicker milk without adding cream, eggs or starch.  I was scratching my head how to get the milk condensed while preserving the shape and texture of the rice?  Add the sugar first!  That is what I did.  I added the sugar with the milk and vanilla paste, and gently scented with discrete citrus zest of a few lemon and orange peels.  Rice was happily cooking for more than an hour in the milk mixture and its texture was still intact and very much al dente.

This is my new song of rice pudding that I’ve written from the old music notebooks of the women in my family.  It is polyphonic harmony of ageless kitchen wisdom, love and passion to be the best.

And you know what, I love Grandma, Mamma, Aunty and all dear women I held by their skirts, but today I think I get the crown of the Rice Pudding Queen!

My friends Ilva of Lucullian Delights and Simi of Turmeric n' Spice also joined me on my journey back to the rice pudding of our childhood.
Come to my (kingdom) kitchen and try it.  You’ll love it!

SOPHIA'S RICE PUDDING
INGREDIENTS:

2 litres of milk

1 measure cup of Arborio rice

6-8 table spoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla paste

4 peels of orange

4 peels of lemon
(makes 8 servings)

METHOD:

Combine in deep heavy-bottomed pot milk, sugar, vanilla paste and citrus peels.  Leave it on stove and bring to the boil.  When it starts to boil, add the rice and immediately turn the heat down to the lowest.  Watch the pot for the first 10 minutes so the milk doesn’t boil over and stir occasionally making sure the milk doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pot.  Ensure you are cooking the pudding on the lowest possible heat of the stove.  Check frequently, but stir gently and cook for over one hour or until you reach the desired thickness.  When ready and thick to your taste, discard the citrus peels.  Pour the rice pudding in serving dishes and refrigerate.

Serve with dust of ground cinnamon.

Thank you for visiting!

Ciao,

Sophia

© 2014 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved

TOOTH FAIRY POSITION VACANT, APPLY WITHIN

I was cleaning our first aid draws where I found a little box with my eldest daughter's first milky teeth.

Oh, memories started flowing and I was trembling with giggle just thinking about the day she lost her first tooth.  What a joy and horror it was!

And then came the trouble who we hire for the Tooth Fairy role.  You see, my daughter was glued to me and wouldn’t fall asleep from excitement or concern she might miss the Tooth Fairy if she winks a wink.  So I employed her Dad to be the Tooth Fairy – he goes to bed last and gets up every morning early at 3 am; kids are sound asleep and he walks very quietly.  So he fitted the opening perfectly.  I gave him instructions “Check she is asleep, put the money under the pillow and take the tooth”.

However, I missed to prepare the money or specify the amount.  After few glasses of nice Penfold Merlot, he decided it’s time to transform into a Tooth Fairy before submerging in his fluffy bed.  He went to his wallet, looked for some change, couldn’t find coins and just grabbed whatever was there.

Next morning my daughter’s excited screams and jumps woke me up as she was waving a 50-dollars note in front of my face.  “Mamma, look what the Tooth Fairy left – YELLOW dollars!  Imagine what colour I’ll get for the next tooth...”

Oh dear!  My, oh my...  The Tooth Fairy must’ve been too tipsy!  I had to fire “her” on spot or otherwise next tooth event had to be marked with GREEN dollars...

When the next tooth came off, I volunteered as the Tooth Fairy.  My daughter found a letter from her with strict instructions how to clean her pearly whites.

Ever since, we have on our “casual employment” list two fairies – The Tipsy Tooth Fairy and The Tightwad Letter-Writing Tooth Fairy.

Until my next post!

Ciao,

Sophia
... and don't forget to brush your teeth!

© 2014 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved

FREE RANGE ON 5TH AVENUE AND HAVE YOU ATE THE RAINBOW?

What a special week it was!

We received 9 chickens as a “thankyou” from a friend and we found ourselves with quite inquisitive, nosy and messy “girls” picking and digging in our backyard, leaving free range eggs all over the place.  After leaving them few days to explore and rearrange the landscaping, it was time to put things back in order.

We spent few days putting together the chock coop, but what a beauty this is!  It looks like apartment on 5^th Avenue!  Well, that’s what we are trying to convince the young hens, because initially they were not so sure they want to go in there.

And then came the end of the week with little preparations for our youngest daughter's birthday.  Amadea is big girl now – ready to go to preschool!

We love the cakes from Dolce Mia Pasticceria and the owner Daniela made us happy again.

Rainbow cake!  What a joy!  Daniela is a clever pastry chef  - she delicately flavoured every single layer according to the colour.  The red layer tastes like strawberry, the orange - orange, the yellow - lemon, green - peppermint, blue was vanilla and purple - blueberry.  Every bite was a burst of aroma and it feels really like you are eating the rainbow.

We had presents for the birthday girl – lots of new and pretty clothes for her first day at preschool.  However, with all the preparations and commotions around the chook's coop, Amadea got confused thinking the chook coop is actually the present for her birthday and new place to play with her sister.  It took us awhile to convince them at dusk that it is time to go in the house and let the chickens sleep.

Now it is time to get some rest and get ready for a very busy week ahead - school holiday is over and Amadea starts preschool.  Ah, time flies and my girls are growing fast!

How was your weekend?

Until my next post!

Ciao,

Sophia

© 2014 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved

THE NAME OF THE ROSE (PART TWO). ROSE WATER LEMONADE and BASIC INSTINCT

Today I framed the skies in a mirror and made them bed for my rose water lemonade.

I chiselled pieces frozen roses, chipped off bits from the ice blocks and watched them slide on the mirror with sensual and uncanny reminiscence of the movie Basic Instinct...

Morning breeze scattered the rose petals and the citrusy peels were snaking in and out of the lemonade jug.

Refreshment was bursting out of everything and I had to capture it.

For quenching your thirst and senses here is my little recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1 litre of plain spring water

1 litre of San Pellegrino sparkling water

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of Bulgarian rose water

Handful of edible rose buds

Lemon peel

Orange peel

METHOD:

Mix the plain spring water with the sugar and the citrus peels.  Let it infuse overnight.  Before serving add the sparkling water and the rose water.  Decorate with few swirls from the citrus peels and a bud or two of roses.

I promise you, this rose water lemonade will make your day bright, fragrant and sparkling!

Until my next post!

Ciao,

Sophia

© 2014 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved

THE NAME OF THE ROSE (PART ONE). AGE OF INNOCENCE and LOVE, LUST AND VORACITY

Most of my posts are sprung from the nostalgia in my taste buds, my tickled nostrils or old dreams that have flown away but still linger in the sky of my mind.

I feed my senses with fragrances of my early days where the things were weightlessly happy and blithe.  It was each morning that we splash our faces with rose water and we never realized how precious thing that was.  It is the Bulgarian Rosa Damascena.  It is the Rolls Royce of the roses.  It is the Champagne of all Damascena roses ever produced all over the world.  That undeniable uniqueness is that makes any drop of Bulgarian rose water or rose oil just stands out and literally fills a big room with its magical perfume.

I miss having the generous amounts and access to Bulgarian rose water and as it is now the time when in Bulgaria is celebrated the harvest of the Rosa Damscena in the Valley of Roses with the worldwide famous Festival of the Rose, I decided to have my own feast of senses.

Here I dedicate my impression of what rose is – beauty, purity, love or lust, indulgence and luxury...  I hope you enjoy my artistic interpretation of the timeless splendour of the rose with these series of posts-fusion of high-end sweets and Bulgarian rose water.

My special thanks to the very talented and young pastry chef Daniela Forzosi from Pasticceria Dolce Mia, who was enthusiastic to take on this visual and culinary challenge.

Until my next post!

Ciao,

Sophia

© 2014 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved