November 14, 2005
Some like it hot
Romanian cooking is tasty but I would not call it spicy. This is a cuisine where they warn about the hotness of a dish that doesn't even make you break a sweat. Or, me, anyhow. Granted, I'm more than your average person when it comes to spiciness. I like it hot. That's why it baffles me that a country that has those nice ardei iute (hot peppers) doesn't do all that much with them. The pickled version is nice but not very exciting. The only dish I've ever encountered that made me go "wow" was what we came to call "hot pepper oil". It's ridiculously simple and we first had it in Oradea, in a small pizzeria on the river. It might not even be Romanian. I'm sure it exists in other countries as well since it so easy to make. But, as with so many things, easy often is best.
Here's how to make your own hot pepper oil:
Chop up hot peppers - take a variety of colors, if you can, since that makes the result look pretty. Don't discard the seeds! Throw in a glass jar, add some salt, fill up with good olive oil. Close and leave in fridge for 4-5 days.
Done.
The longer you leave the mixture to settle, the hotter it becomes. We usually refill the jar with chopped peppers up to 5 times and just top off the oil as necessary. This increases the overall hotness even more.
It's really good and you can use it in a multitude of ways. It's wonderful to have if you cook for a party that includes small children - do your bland cooking, and the adults just add some of the peppers and/or some of the oil. Use it as a dipping oil with fresh bread. Spread on pizza. You can even use the oil for frying. It's very yummy - and very hot.
This one's a keeper in our house.
Posted by claudia at November 14, 2005 05:22 PMI've had it in Italy, at pizzerias. (In NYC, people actually use napkins like blotting paper to sop up the oil. WTH?)
No roasted peppers in Romania? Or you could stuff them with brinza.
Posted by: Carlos at November 14, 2005 06:54 PMEven though I like Balkan food (I like most food) it's true they're not very good with spices. Sure, roast pork and cevapcici are nice, but not very exciting. I think the cuisine would really improve if they started adding more spices to it (though when I've asked, the reply has been that this is good food and thus doesn't need any spices).
Posted by: Oskar L. at November 27, 2005 09:11 PMWell ... not everybody in Romania love spicy food (I mean really spicy ... like hot). This is the main reason you get hot peppers ... on the side! And I guess it's the same everywhere (not to mention those picky american "guests"). There is a dish in southern Romania (somewhere in Teleorman county or close ... southern Romania anyway) that's made from hot peppers! Do you think you can eat something hot?! Taste that thing ... and you'll change your mind about it! You won't want to sweat again ... EVER! :)
Posted by: Victor at November 28, 2005 11:46 AMA question I have for y'all is why do individuals like spicy or "hot" foods?
I ask this as one who doesn't really like spicy food or peppers of any kind and has a low tolerance for "hot" sauce.
Posted by: Francis Burdett at November 29, 2005 11:25 PMA little bit of heat 'brightens' the taste of food. For instance, tonight I made chickpeas, cooked in a little lemon and broth and olive oil. Good, but with a little cayenne pepper, very good.
You get diminishing returns with hotter peppers, but then the endorphins kick in. I actually like food hot enough to sweat. It feels like I'm being physiologically balanced from the food. Refreshing.
And some very hot peppers, like habaneros, are extremely flavorful.
Posted by: Carlos at November 30, 2005 01:44 AMTraditional Romanian food, except for a few very distinct dishes (like "saramura", a spicy salty fish soup), is spiced *only* with bayleaf, lovage, basil, salt and pepper. "Ardei" of the hot green kind are used on the side, and yes, a lot of Romanians eat food along with them. The only other spicy side is the "mujdei" which is a sauce from raw crushed garlic in hot water, and it's usually poured over chicken, steak or fries.
We do have filled peppers in the oven (ardei umplutzi) but they are the standard green ones and not the latin/oriental spicy varieties. We occasionally have sour as a taste in food, for example in "ciorba" or "sarmale", both using marinated sour cabbage.
Almost never sweet or spicy built-into the dishes, though gypsy cooking uses either or both, am not really sure.
Posted by: Eduard at December 6, 2005 03:06 PM