Just three favourite foods to share...?
Not an easy task, it really isn't. But that's the challenge, so let's stick to the rules guidelines. When you visit your parents some of your favourite dishes cannot be missed from the table. It always happens and the offer is wider than just three, right? The trick is also to remember to take photos of these dishes and when you do, they may look at you strangely or tease you a little.
Aunt and her blog. 馃槀 That's how my nieces tease me. Oh, and my mom asked why I took pictures of her making noodles... Because there are none like yours, Mom! That is the truth!
When I was a child we used to eat a lot of noodles with many different sauces or toppings. We barely tried spaghetti for example, however, noodles with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, plum jam, ground walnuts or ground poppy seeds were frequent meals on the table. I suppose we used to eat less meat - probably as it was expensive or difficult to buy at some stages of my childhood.
The preparation of these noodles is simple, but you have to have a bit of experience. We need to knead the flour with an egg (one or two, depending on the amount of flour), a pinch of salt and a little water, enough to make it easy to knead - so that it does not remain dry, but also that it does not stick to your hands while kneading. Knead the dough and let it rest for a while, then roll it out with a rolling pin and on a wooden cutting board, cut it into strips first and then crosswise, into small noodles. Always dust them with a little flour so they don't stick.
When the dough is cut, we have to put the uncooked noodles in boiling water and cook them for a few minutes, until they become soft. Then we strain them through a strainer and the noodles are ready to be mixed with other ingredients of your choice.
Fish Stew is a typical dish made in the past by poor fishermen which, over time, became a favourite among the urban or more affluent world of this area. The fish is supposed to have been caught in the Danube; most often it is carp, but catfish or pike can be added too. This one that my dad prepared yesterday was from carp.
The ingredients are chopped fish (but not in very small pieces), chopped onion, a bit of salt, ground red paprika, and water. Nothing else. The preparation is very important though.
To be an authentic fish stew, it must be cooked in a cauldron, over an open fire. Some people even pick a special type of wood to set the fire. The estimated time to be cooked is around 40-45 minutes.
Here you see already the red colour of the stew, it was half done at that moment. There is also one ingredient that gives a special, hot flavour to this dish. Red hot pepper. My parents grow it in their garden so there is always fresh hot pepper when they need it. 馃敟馃敟馃敟
After the hot flavours, we can finish this post with some sweet bites that always find their space in my tummy. The day we arrived the kitchen smelled of freshly baked biscuits. My mom knows how much we like these heart-shaped ones. They are our favourite biscuits... so difficult to stop eating just one... or two... or the whole plate 馃槀
My mother also makes the other types of biscuits you see in the middle of this plate, it is like a sweet bread with tiny pieces of walnuts and chocolate. This photo was taken before I and my son devoured this plate, there was nothing left! 馃榿
I hope you learned something new from this post about the three traditional dishes (among many others) prepared in the home of my family. Have you ever tried this kind of fish stew?
What are your three favourite dishes?
