‘THE FIRST

“seasonings
~ together.

THE FRUGAL GOURMET

immigrants
from .Romania. came _ here

~. between: 1870 and 1895.

‘1: know you will. enjoy the

‘Romanian recipes in this column

— and so will your children.
ROMANIAN SAUSAGES
(Makes 12 sausages)

These are great cooked. on the
Gutdoor grill.

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled

Y% cup water 3°.
1 pound ground chuck’

a) pound coarsely ground pork

1 teaspoon baking soda

IY teaspoons salt: |

icteaspoon freshly, ground black

pepper

Y% teaspoon dried thyme, whole

¥2 teaspoon dried basil

¥2 cup beef steck, fresh or canned

, Crush: the garlic. well in the

water, using a fork.
Stir the meat,

and -garlic puree

.Add > the beef - stock and. mix
well,
For each sausage take 4 cup of

“the meat mixture and roll between

the palms of your hands into a

Sausage shape about 4 inches long.

Place sausages ‘side by side in a

«container and cover,

Refrigerate . overnight .so
“sflavors can blend.
‘These are excellent on the grill.

the

> They may also be broiled or bak-.

edi in the oven.
" Broil. .the sausages
“minutes per: side until
“through and browned.
MASHED BEANS ROMANIAN -
(Serves 5-6)
"Here the Romanian cook. does

‘about 3
cooked

Inquisitive
Cook —

GARDINER WILSON

baking soda,°

some creative things with a dish of,

mashed beans,

¥2 pound dried Northere beans,
rinsed and drained

1 medium yellow onion,
and coursely chopped

1 medium parsnip, peeled
coarsely chopped (12 cups)
3 cloves garlic, pecled and crushed
§¥: teaspoons salt, or more to
taste

GARNISH

Y% pound bacon, cut into small
dice

1 medium yellow onion, peeled
and chopped

Salt and freshly ground
pepper lo taste

Place the beans in a 6-quart pot
and cover them with .2 inches of
water above them.

Set the pot on the stove and
bring te a boil. Cook for about 2
minutes, then turn off the heat.

Skim. off any foam, cover and
let stand for | to 2 hours.

Add enough water to cover the
beans about | inch above them.
Add the onion, parsnip, garlic and
salt. Cover and bring to a simmer.

Cook, covered, for 1 hour. or
until the beans are tender. Do not
let the water boi] away complete-
ly. Add more if needed.”

When the beans are fully cook-

und

black

ed, pour off some of the broth if

too soupy and reserve it.

, Place’ the beans in a_ blender
with the vegetables and enough of
the broth to puree. Beans should
be the consistency of pudding.

Add more of the broth as need-
ed to puree, but do not make it
too soupy. The beans will thicken
a little as they cool.

Set aside, covered, in a warming
oven.

For the garnish, place the bacon
in a frying pan with the chopped
onion and fry until the bacon is
crisp and the onion is soft. Drain
off excess grease.

Add the bacon and onion to the
beans and serve. Add salt and
pepper if needed,

‘CIORBA OF VEAL
(Serves 8-10) .

This is a sour soup — a filling
dish and very Romanian.

1% pounds veal shank, sawed into
t-inch pieces

2 quarts water

2° teaspoons: salt. and freshly
ground black pepper to taste

Y pound (1 stick) butter
3 medium yellow onions, peeled
and chopped
12 cups diced carrots (“-inch
dice)

THE WORD tabbouleh
conveys a sense of rhythm
and mystery. In fact, it’s
the name of an exotic salad
of Middle Eastern origin,
combining bulgur wheat
(seasoned with fresh mint,
olive oil, cinnamon, and
lemon), currants, tomatoes,
parsley and walnuts.

But where are the greens? And
what is bulgur? Sometimes it’s a
puzzle trying to get a handle on
salads of a different ilk.

_ A‘recipe for tabbouleh is an ex--
ample of the repertoire of cereal

. grains that can be used to make

novel'and nutritious salads.

In contrast to our more familiar
mixtures of greens, these rely on
simple staples, such as white rice

or brown, bulgur wheat, cracked

peeled

fomanian kitchens

NEWS photo Paul fAcGrath .

ROMANIAN SAUSAGES taste great cooked on the outdoor geill,

'

cup diced potatoes (2-inch dice)
1 cup chopped celery
2. shallots, peeled and finely
chopped
Ya cup chopped parsley

1% cups sauerkraut juice (canned
is fine)
Additional salt and pepper to taste

_ if necessary

Juice of 2 lemon

Y2 cup chopped fresh dill.
GARNISH

Y, pint sour cream

‘In a 6- to 8-quart ‘stovetop
covered casserole or soup pot,
place the veal shank,. water and
salt and pepper. Cover and sim-

wheat or barley.

Bulgur (also spelled bulghur, or
burghul) is from either soft or
hard wheat.

It’s soaked in water, and cook-
ed in steam before the kernels are
dried.

The bran is then partially
removed and the grains crushed to
angular fragments.

‘The finest crushing is designed
for salads, the coarser grains are
more suited to pilafs, and cooked
Middle Eastern dishes.

hard and glassy appearance and
an appealing nutty flavor.’

It also provides a rich, golden
background highlighting the
green, red and black of parsley,
tomatoes and currants.

For salads, bulgur needs soft-
ening rather than cooking.

One cup (250 mL) of bulgur, in

two cups (S00 mL) water, yields

mer for 2 hours,

Remove the. shank’ pieces and
allow them to cool for a moment.

Debone the shank pieces. and
chop the meat coarsely and return
it to the pot.

Heat a large frying pan and add
the. butter, onion, carrots,
potatoes, celery, shallots and
parsley. Saute until the onions are
clear. and tender.

Add the’ vegetables to the soup
pot. along: with the sauerkraut
juice. Simmer for 25 more
minutes or so, and taste for salt
and pepper.

Add the lemon juice and dill.

Tabbouleh: try this grain salad for a change

three cups (750 mL) of finished
grain.

Let is stand, well covered i in hot
water or chicken broth for 30
minutes until it’s tender, but still
slightly firm.

For cooked dishes, bulgur is
usually steamed or simmered so
the grains are softet.” |.

‘Allow to stand and cool before
adding the other ingredients.

Make sure any extra water has
beén well drained. And pat grains

acy with paper towels.
Partial processing gives bulgur a. ©.

‘é\n any cereal salad, soggy grain
won't absorb an oil dressing well.
Bulgur is often confused with
cracked wheat, in stores as well as

by consumers.

Cracked wheat, however, is
wheat berries that are cleaned,
have some of the rough outer
husks removed and are crushed to
rough pieces.

it’s considerably cheaper than”

Simmer for a few more minutes
and place in a soup tureen,
Garnish with the sour ‘cream
and serve,
WALNUT CRESCENTS
(Makes about 100 cookies)
DOUGH
1 $-ounce package cream. cheese,
room temperature .
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter or
margarine, room temperature
I egg
T tablespoon sugar
6 cups all-purpose flour
Ya teaspoon salt
Y2- cup plus 3 tablespoons ‘cold
water

* FILLING

4 tablespoons (2 stick) butter or
margarine
Y%: pound walnuts, ground
2 cup sugar:
VY: cup milk |
1 teaspoon vanilla
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
TO MAKE THE DOUGH
Place the cream cheese and but-

‘ter.in a bowl with the egg, sugar,

flour, salt and water. Mix well.
Roll the dough into a log 10 in-
ches long,
Wrap in’ plastic wrap ‘and
refrigerate the dough for at least 1

* hour.

Working with V4 of the dough

,at-a-time, place it on a floured

countertop, turning it over to coat

~ well so it does not stick.

Roll the dough out very thin.
Using a’ fluted .pastry cutter (a

. pizza. cutter works too), cut the”

dough. into strips 2 inches wide.

‘Then’ cut the: dough across again

to make 2-inch squares: -

Place 4 teaspoon filling on
each square, using the back of a
teaspoon to spread it. . 7

Roll. up the ‘square. diagonally
from one corner to the opposite

_corner or from: one side to. the

‘opposite side.
Either, form into a. crescent’
shape or leave it straight, and
place
ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for. {5 or, 20 minutes in a
preheated 350°F oven until. the
cookies are light brown.

‘Sprinkle with confectioners’
sugar immediately. Let cool. ©

Store in a covered container. -”
TO MAKE THE FILLING:

In a saucepan place the butter,
ground nuts, sugar and milk and.
cook until thick, stirring to pre-
vent sticking.

Add the vanilla.

Cool slightly. before using ‘on
the dough. ‘

buigur because bringing i it to.
market involves less preparation.

As it is not pre-cooked, cook-
ing time is considerably longer.

Cracked wheat will take up to
one hour to simmer, though the
cooking time can be shortened by
soaking it overnight.

A salad based on cereal grains
needs time for the pungent flavors
of the dressing to penetrate the
grain.

Therefore, make it “ahead of:
time — preferably a day in ad-

“vance, or, at the latest, in the

morning of the day it’s s.2eded.

Some ingredients, such as.
chopped tomatoes, or fresh herbs
with fleeting flavors, are best ad-
ded just before serving.

_ Store cereal salads covered and
refrigerated. For the fullest fla-_ ;
vors; however, they should be
served near room temperature.

the . filled dough : on. an