I’ve mentioned it, but it is time to share more about my first Bulgarian cooking lesson. I actually started working on this lesson about six months ago, after seeing an ad for it on Tripadvisor and contacting the hostess with some questions. I got back in touch with her a few weeks ago, and discovered she was heading out of town on extended business.
However, it turns out she is Orthodox and since I was coming on a pilgrimage, she offered to do a solo class for me before she left. She also made a number of introductions and suggestions to me in regards my pilgrimage.
Mariela is a neat lady, and no that name is not a traditional Bulgarian name. One of her grandfathers was Bulgarian, who among other things left her with some very good recipes. Her other grandfather was named Batista, and was overthrown by Fidel Castro. She’s lived at different times in Cuba (still has family there), in Bulgaria, and in a few other places along the way. Today, she also has a television show here in Sofia (we were stopped more than once by fans) where she cooks with the people she’s interviewing.
We actually met in front of the Presidential Palace/Residence, where we walked through a vehicle entrance so she could show me a church inside the area. We then toured the Roman ruins of ancient Serdika and got me to start downloading some software that displays what the area used to look like 2000 years ago. More on that in another post soon.
Our next stop was the old Central Market (these days a Kaufland grocery store) to get a few things, then on to the Women’s Market for a few more and introductions to some of the vendors. Once we were done shopping, we caught the Metro (subway) to her home and began cooking. And cooking, and cooking, and yet more cooking. She told me about the food, showed me how she did some of the prep work, and shared about some previous classes as she has had everyone from celebrities on to just regular people take them over the years.
Then, I was made to sit and the feast began. We started with an appetizer that used one of her Bulgarian grandfather’s recipes. I know I said it once before, but that is not catsup on there, but a Bulgarian condiment made from paprika peppers (and I think is much, much tastier than catsup/ketchup). That’s some nice Bulgarian cheese in between for nibbling.
The next step was a cucumber and yogurt soup. Bulgarian yogurt can be from cow milk, sheep milk, or goat milk. So far, it’s all been good. Know there is a goat’s milk yogurt I can get at home that I may use for this.
Then we moved on to stuffed paprika peppers and cabbage rolls stuffed with a rice and meat mixture
And finished with a cheese pie (banitsa) that we made.
In addition to the link above, you can also catch Mariela on Facebook. We had a great time, and I highly recommend her to you.
By the way, the meal was so good the local mob boss wanted a share. 🙂 Just so you know, he’s elderly, quite deaf, and very sweet. Hard to blame him for wanting to take part.
If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.