The Food of Romania

On February 1, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes, Romania20 Comments

No matter where we visit, one of the important things for us is to taste the traditional foods of the region. Visiting Romania was no exception and we asked all of the locals that we met what foods we should eat while we were there. We were able to try the greatest variety of food while we were in Brasov, but we understand that these were typical meals that could be found throughout the country. What we heard over and over again was that we needed to try the polenta with a spicy pepper as well as the cabbage rolls, so we definitely wanted to give that a try.

Stuffed Cabbage and Grape Leaves with Polenta

Pork dominated most menus, but there plenty of other choices as well. We did find that most meals did not utilize a lot of spices, although they were almost all hearty in nature. There are definitely influences from countries throughout the region, so it should be no surprise that we found treats like Baklava on various menus in addition to those unique to Romania. One of the more interesting meals that we ate was a pork loin filled with goat cheese and spinach with a black currant sauce.

Our photos will not do the food true justice, but we did enjoy trying some of the various dishes from Romania. At some point, when we have a chance, we will likely try to recreate some of these on our own, but we will likely tweak them a little to include a few more spices.

The Food of Prague

On January 25, 2017January 25, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic, Recipes4 Comments

Prague is a popular tourist destination and, as such, it has wonderful selection of restaurants to choose from when dining out. It many ways, the food is similar to the rest of central Europe, but as always, there are slight variations. One of the common themes that we were served was a dumpling that was very similar to bread pudding. They are thick and dense and wonderful for soaking up the different gravies, but will definitely leave you feeling like you could use to do a few extra exercises.

The other commonality is the various selections of wild game that were available, which was obviously due to the time of year. The United States talks a lot about fresh ingredients and serving what is most available for the season, but rarely do you actually find as many restaurants all carrying seasonal menus with traditional favorites. There was rabbit, deer, duck, goose, perch, as well as the typical pork and beef dishes. When prepared properly, these dishes taste wonderful and don’t have harsh flavors, which can sometimes happen when serving wild game.

We were in Prague over the holidays, so we did find some set menus on Christmas Day, but there were still wonderful choices to select from. In fact, the only disappointing meal that we ate while we were in Prague was at a medieval restaurant that was part of our tour the one day. The restaurant was very touristy and the food, which was served to large tour groups, was obviously mass prepared. That is to be expected when having a meal as part of a large group such as this, but it is possible to create meals that are flavorful and tender, even under these circumstances, so it was a shame.

Overall, the food of Prague was truly wonderful and enhanced what was already an amazing experience. We would certainly recommend going to one of the many restaurants that are in the Mala strana, which is just a section of the old town area. It is highly recommended that you make reservations during the weekends or busy tourist times, which seems to be just about all of the time. There are few places open between 15:00 and 18:00, typical of much of Europe, so plan your day accordingly.

Pork Roast with Dumplings and Sauerkraut

Delicious Goose Dinner

On November 16, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, Recipes4 Comments

We were told the other day that it is goose season here in Germany at the moment. We decided to go ahead and have the goose dinner at our local restaurant and we couldn’t have been more pleased. The goose was succulent and moist and was accompanied by red cabbage with apple and potato dumplings. Needless to say, pictures don’t provide justice to how good this meal truly was. We have cooked goose and duck at home ourselves and it can be a tricky meal to make due to the fattiness of the skin, but this goose was cooked to perfection. We have had some wonderful German meals since our arrival, but perhaps this might have been the best for a traditional German dinner.