Carpathia – Food From The Heart Of Romania with Irina Georgescu

Irina Georgescu is a food writer born and bred in Romania, who has been living in the UK for the last 10 years. Inspired by her mother’s cooking and Romania’s culinary heritage she has written and published a cookery book Carpathia to share its secrets with the world.

While unfamiliar to many of us in the UK, Romania’s food heritage is as a culinary melting pot with influences including the Romans and Ottomans, Turkey, France and Greece as well as Slavic inspiration. This eclectic mix has resulted in Romanian cuisine being a unique, rich combination of some of the very best food in Europe and the world around it.

There is an emphasis on community and tradition and recipes are passed through the generations while food is traditionally gifted when visiting friends and family. Meals start with shots of strong plum brandy and small dishes that are shared among the table, a perfect idea to afford the opportunity to make and taste a number of dishes and really get the measure of the cuisine.

The menu will include Romanian covrigi (or little breads) and Ciorb? de salat? (lettuce broth) topped with omelette and made with a traditional bors, a sour soup and a national dish.  Also included is Ostropel de Oltenia (chicken in garlic tomato sauce with polenta dumplings)  Dovlecci pané (courgette fritters) Fasole b?tut? ( a Romanian butter bean dip) Zacusc? (chargrilled autumn vegetable dip) and to finish Pr?jitura cu caise (an apricot yoghurt cake).

The class is hands on and will include a shot of traditional shot of plum brandy as well as a glass of wine with lunch.