Saptamana 7 / Week 7

Am ajuns la concluzia ca “rutina” (pe care de multe ori o critic aprig!) este una dintre acele unelte care ma ajuta sa ma simt in siguranta. In concluzie, catre finalul unei zile zbuciumate, in ciuda oboselii, iata-ma in fata blogului pregatit pentru o noua postare!

© ASR Principele Radu al Romaniei
ALR Principesa Mostenitoare & principele Radu

Saptamana trecuta am aratat ca blogul de azi va fi dedicat explicarii locului Principesei Mostenitoare a Romaniei in concertul caselor regale ale Europei. Intru-cat o prezentare completa a tuturor legaturilor de familie ale Principesei Margareta ar fi, daca nu imposibila, atunci cel putin “voluminoasa”, am decis a ma rezuma la actualele case domnitoare din Europa. Voi incepe cu descendenta Principesei Mostenitoare din regina Victoria a Marii Britanii, pentru ca saptamana viitoare sa ma axez pe descendenta din regele Christian IX al Danemarcei. 


Este interesant de mentionat ca Principesa este a 89-a in linia succesiunii la tronul britanic!

La fel ca si in cazul postarii de saptamana trecuta, voi incerca sa evidentiez aceste inrudiri prin intermediul unui tabel genealogic.

In ceea ce priveste cele 2 tabele genealogice incluse in postarea Saptamanii 6, ca sa raspund nedumeririlor fratelui meu J, am incercat sa le pastrez cat mai simple, tocmai pentru a le face cat mai clare. Voi intra mai in detaliu atat saptamana aceasta, cat si saptamana viitoare, pentru a evita, pe cat posibil, confuziile…

Descendentii MS regina Victoria a Marii Britanii, imparateasa Indiei

Doresc sa mentionez ca tabelul meu genealogic contine, pentru claritate si din lipsa de spatiu, doar membrii relevanti in demonstrarea legaturilor de familie dintre casele regale ale Europei si doar acele casatorii care sunt relevante. De asemenea, nu am trecut anii de viata / domnie – acestia pot fi gasiti cu usurinta pe Internet, iar eu recunosc ca nu-i stiu pe de rost… pe toti J

Saptamana trecuta incheiam ultima reteta din capitolul “Radu si cu mine”, iar azi am hotarat sa trec la capitolul “Mama”. Intotdeauna m-a interesat sa stiu mai multe despre regina Ana, mai ales pentru ca in Romania se stia foarte putin despre ea. Curiozitatea mi-a fost satisfacuta de o carte deosebita, pe care o recomand cu caldura: "Un razboi, un exil, o viata", publicata de editura Humanitas.

© ASR Principele Radu al Romaniei
Familia regala a Romaniei

Am ajuns sa admir pe Ana de Bourbon – Parma, mai ales pentru ca este de necontestat rolul extrem de important pe care ea l-a jucat in viata MS Regele, caruia i s-a alaturat la debutul exilului, dar si datorita modului exceptional in care ea a inteles sa-si traiasca viata, in special in timpul razboiului, si mai apoi in lungii ani de exil.

Zabaglione

Insasi Principesa Mostenitoare recunostea in interviul acordat la TVR ca MS Regina nu este o mare adepta a retetelor, preferand sa urmeze instinctul in ceea ce priveste gatitul. In concluzie, este de inteles de ce capitolul acordat ei contine doar o reteta, si ea extrem de simpla si usor de urmat.

Se bat 6 galbenusuri de ou cu 8 linguri de zahar pudra pana compozitia devine omogena. Aceasta crema se pune la baine-marie (vezi Saptamana 2), se maesteca un sfert de ora, dupa care se adauga treptat 100ml de vin Lacrima lui Ovidiu. Voilà!

Crema astfel obtinuta – Zabaglione – se serveste calda. Eu am ales sa o servesc deasupra unei felii de panettone, iar ca si garnitura am folosit o rodie. Se poate servi alaturi de orice prajitura simpla, piscoturi sau de una singura.

Personal sunt un mare amator de vin sec. A fost pentru prima oara cand am gustat Lacrima lui Ovidiu, care e un vin tare tamaios, dar in zabaglione face toti banii!

Reteta detaliata se afla in “Cartea regala de bucate”, Ed. Curtea Veche, Bucuresti 2010, pag. 37.

***

I reached the conclusion that my daily “routine” (which I usually criticize fiercely) is one of those things that help me feel safe. In conclusion here I am, at the end of a very tumultuous day, ready to write a new post for my blog.

Last week I was mentioning that this post will be dedicated to explaining HRH the Crown Princess’ place in the genealogic table of the Royal Houses of Europe. Because a complete presentation of the Princess’ family ties would be, if not impossible, than at least considerably long, I decided to limit myself to the present ruling hoses of the continent. I will begin with the Crown Princess’ descent from queen Victoria of Great Britain, while next week I will focus on her descent from king Christian IX of Denmark.


It is worth mentioning that HRH the Crown Princess of Romania is 89th in the line of succession to the British throne!


Just as last week, I will try to show these family ties with the help of genealogic tables.

As far as the two tables included in Week 6 are concerned, to answer my brother’s questions, I tried to keep them as simple as possible, in order to have clarity. This week and next week I will try to go more in depth and avoid any confusion…

[see The descendents of Queen Victoria of Great Britain genealogic table above]

 I would like to add that my genealogic table contains, for clarity and lack of space, only those members of the family and only those marriages that are relevant in demonstrating the links between the royal houses of Europe. Also, I have not added any of the birth, death or reign years as they can be easily found on the Internet and I have to admit that I do not know them by heart… at least not all of them!

Last week I was finishing the chapter “Radu si cu mine” (Radu & I), while today I decided to move on to the chapter called “Mama”. I was always interested to know more about queen Anne, especially because she was not very well known in Romania. My curiosity was satisfied by a very special book, which I highly recommend: “A War, An Exile, A Life”, published by the Humanitas Publishing House.

I have grown to admire Anne of Bourbon-Parma especially because one cannot deny the important part she has been playing in the King’s life, whom she married at the very beginning of his exile, but also because of the marvelous way she has chosen to live life, especially during the war and the long years of exile.

Zabaglione

The Crown Princess herself admitted in the interview given for the Romanian Television that Her Majesty the Queen isn’t a big fan of recipes – instead she prefers to follow her instinct when it comes to cooking. Therefore one can easily notice why the chapter dedicated to her contains only one recipe that is both simple and easy to follow.

Whisk together 6 egg yolks with 8 spoons of powder sugar. The custard thus obtained needs to be put on a bain-marie (see Week 2), while stirring continually for about a quarter of an hour, after which 100ml of Marsala wine (or sweet Vermouth) are slowly added. Voilà!

The final product – Zabaglione – is served warm.  I chose to serve it on top of a slice of panettone and I used a pomegranate as garnish. It can be served next to any simple cake, lady fingers or even on its own.

The detailed recipe can be found in “Cartea regala de bucate”, Ed. Curtea Veche, Bucuresti, 2010, pag. 37.

Saptamana 6 / Week 6

Vorbeam in postarile precedente despre valoarea simbolica a monarhiilor, iar saptamana trecuta promiteam sa intru putin mai in detaliu cu privire la legaturile de rudenie dintre casele regale ale Europei. Consider ca, si in ceea ce priveste Uniunea Europeana , putem vorbi despre un aspect simbolic al regalitatii. Este bine cunoscuta practica legata de casatoriile regale, practica pe care o consemneaza inclusiv istoria recenta a secolului al XX-lea. Chiar regulile diferitelor case regale europene stipulau faptul ca membrii acestora aveau obligatia de a se casatori cu persoane de rang echivalent, initial pentru pastrarea „puritatii” sangelui, confirmarea de aliante sau extinderea teritoriala, iar mai apoi, inspre secolul al XIX-lea, mai mult datorita prestigiului si numelui. Incalcarea acestor reguli a dus, chiar si in secolul al XX-lea, la excluderea din succesiune. Treptat, aceasta practica a cazut in desuetudine, insa rezultatul acestei traditii este vizibil si azi, iar in opinia mea are o valoare simbolica deosebita. Toate casele regale europene, incluzand aici, bineinteles, cele 7 monarhii care supravietuiesc si sunt membre ale Uniunii Europene, sunt inrudite, astfel ca, o intrunire intre familiile regale europene este, in adevaratul sens la cuvantului, o “intrunire de familie”:

Descendentii reginei Victoria a Marii Britanii



© Majesty Magazine
regina Victoria

Din negurile istoriei, genealogii au reusit sa descopere originile nobile ale regalitatii de pe batranul continent, iar din istoria mai recenta a secolului al XIX-lea se poate usor observa faptul ca tronurile europene sunt ocupate in ziua de azi de urmasii reginei Victoria a Marii Britanii si Irlandei, imparateasa Indiei (cunoscuta ca “bunica Europei”) si a „socrului Europei”, regele Christian al IX-lea al Danemarcei. O mare familie regala europeana, care in opinia mea, are o deosebita valoare simbolica. Avem, pe de-o parte marea familie a statelor europene (majoritatea membre ale Uniunii Europene), si, pe de alta parte, marea familie europeana a regalitatii. Observam deci ca institutia monarhica indeplineste si la acest nivel rolul de simbol, in acest caz simbol al infratirii europene. Acesta mare familie care protejeaza cu darzenie valorile comune, principiile de baza, impartasite, care ii ghideaza fiecare miscare, delectandu-se, in acelasi timp, in fascinanta sa diversitate.

Saptamana viitoare ma voi axa pe a explica locul ASR Principesa Mostenitoare in acest concert al caselor regale ale Europei.

Descendentii regelui Christian al IX-lea al Danemarcei

Inchei capitolul “Radu si cu mine” cu o reteta care m-a imbiat de la inceput, dar m-a si speriat! (probabil de aceea am lasat-o la urma). De fapt, unul dintre aspectele care m-au atras cel mai mult la acest proiect a fost tocmai acela ca voi fi nevoit sa incerc lucruri pe care in mod normal nu le-as fi incercat, fie din comoditate, fie din frica de a da gres. Recunosc ca am destule idei preconcepute, iar una dintre ele era aceea ca sufleul este extrem de dificil de preparat si nu prea eram convins ca merita efortul…

Sufleu de ciocolata alba cu lamaie verde si galbena

Am adaugat coaja rasa de la o lamaie galbena si de la o limeta la un sfert de litru de lapte, impreuna cu 2 linguri pline de zahar si un strop de esenta de vanilie. Am fiert acest amestec la foc mic, dupa care l-am lasat “sa se odihneasca”. Inainte sa se fi racit l-am turnat intr-un bol, peste o tabla de ciocolata alba, rupta in bucati mici. Am amestecat totul pana s-a topit ciocolata.

Separat, am topit 2 linguri de unt, la care am adaugat 5 linguri de faina alba. La foc mic am amestecat bine pana ce faina a capatat o culoare galbuie, cu atentie, avand grija sa nu se arda compozitia. Am incorporat ciocolata alba topita in lapte si am amestecat pana am obtinut o consistenta cremoasa asemanatoare aluatului de clatite frantuzesti. Dupa ce am indepartat acesta crema de pe foc si am lasat-o putin sa se raceasca, am batut galbenusurile de la 4 oua si, separat, albusurile de la 5 oua impreuna cu 2 linguri pline de zahar. Am adaugat la crema de ciocolata alba, lapte si faina, galbenusurile de ou, iar la final spuma de albusuri, amestecand cu grija (vezi Saptamana 2) pana am obtinut o compozitie omogena.

Am uns cu unt topit un vas de sticla, peste care am presarat ciocolata neagra rasa. Deasupra am turnat intreaga compozitie obtinuta, dupa care am introdus vasul la cuptor, la 200 grade Celsius pentru vreo 5 minute. Am scazut temperatura cu 20 de grade si am lasat sufleul in cuptor pentru inca un sfert de ora.

In ciuda rezervelor pe care le-am avut initial, reteta a iesit. Sufleul a crescut si a avut un gust minunat: nu prea dulce, cu o aroma subtila de citrice, intr-un contrast perfect cu ciocolata amaruie, iar consistenta asemanatoare unui nor pufos.

Reteta detaliata se afla in “Cartea regala de bucate”, Ed. Curtea Veche, Bucuresti 2010, pag. 196.

***

In my previous posts I was talking about the symbolic value of monarchies and last week I promised I will describe in more detail the family connections between the royal families of Europe. I believe that we can also talk about a symbolic aspect of royalty as far as the European Union is concerned.  The practice of royal marriages is well known and even constitutes a part of the recent history of the 20^th century. Marrying someone of equivalent rank was stated in the rules of the various royal houses, initially for maintaining the “purity of blood”, confirming alliances or territorial expansion; later on, around the 19^th century, it was done mostly for prestige. The ones who did not obey this rule were excluded from the succession, even in the 20^th century. Gradually this practice started to fall into disregard, but the results of this tradition are clearly visible today, and they have, in my opinion, a special symbolic value. All the European royal houses, including, of course, the 7 surviving ones that are members of the EU, are related, which means that a reunion of the royal families of Europe is actually a family reunion:

[see The descendents of Queen Victoria of Great Britain genealogic table above]

Genealogists were able to uncover from the mists of history the noble roots of royalty on the old continent. From the recent history of the 19^th century one can easily observe that the European thrones are all occupied by descendents of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India (also known as the “Grandmother” of Europe) and of the “Father-in-law of  Europe”, King Christian IX of Denmark.  This great royal family of Europe has in my opinion an outstanding symbolic value. On the one hand we have the big family of the European states (the majority of which are members of the EU) and on the other hand, the great European Royal Family. As we can see, on this level, the monarchical institution represents a symbol of the close bond between the European states. This big European family staunchly protects the basic common principles, which guide its every move, relishing in the same time in its fascinating diversity.

Next week I will explain the place of Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Romania in this symphony of European royal houses.

[see The Descendents of King Christian IX of Denmark genealogic table above]

I’m closing the chapter “Radu si cu mine” with a recipe that tempted me at first, but of which I was also a bit afraid (probably that’s why I left it at the end). Actually the thing that attracted me the most to this project was trying things which I usually wouldn’t try out of laziness or fear of failing. I admit I have a lot of preconceptions, one of them being that soufflés are extremely difficult to prepare and not really worth the effort…

White chocolate soufflé with lemon and lime

I added the zest of one lemon and one lime to a cup of milk together with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a drop of vanilla essence. I simmered this mixture for a while and then let it rest. Before cooling down, I poured the mixture in a bowl and added one bar of white chocolate broken into small pieces. I stirred thoroughly until the chocolate was completely melted.

In a saucepan I melted 2 tablespoons of butter and added 5 tablespoons of white flour. I stirred everything together at low heat until the mixture turned golden, while being careful that it did not burn. Then I added the milk/white chocolate mixture to the saucepan stirring constantly until it got the consistency of French pancake batter. After taking this creamy mixture off the heat and letting it cool for a while, I whisked the yolks of 4 eggs and, separately, the egg whites from 5 eggs together with 2 tablespoons of sugar until they formed stiff peaks. I stirred together the whisked egg yolks and the creamy chocolate mixture, carefully adding the fluffy egg whites at the end (see Week 2).

I coated a tempered glass bowl with melted butter and then dusted it with grated dark chocolate. I then filled the bowl with the mixture and put it in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 5 minutes, after which I turned the temperature down by 20 degrees and  let the soufflé bake for another 15 minutes.  

In spite of my initial fears, the soufflé was perfect! It rose beautifully and had a great flavor: not too sweet, with a subtle tart flavor that contrasted perfectly with the dark chocolate while having the texture of a fluffy cloud.

The detailed recipe can be found in “Cartea regala de bucate”, Ed. Curtea Veche, Bucuresti, 2010, pag. 196.



Saptamana 5 / Week 5

Saptamana aceasta ma aflu in Regatul Unit, in capitala Scotiei. Edinburgh e un oras plin de farmec, in care cel mai mult frapeaza contrastul excelent dintre griul umed al cladirilor si verdele crud al ierbii perfect tunse. Imi tihneste acest oras pentru ca revad niste oameni tare dragi, de care ma leaga o sumedenie de amintiri din cele mai placute.

Castelul Edinburgh, Scotia

 [Pe masura ce “imbatranesc” J, mi-e tot mai grea despartirea de casa si de persoana draga… tot timpul devin euforic la momentul pregatirilor, dar seara de dinaintea plecarii e sinistra si trista tare!]

Minunatia aceasta de oras, in care Principesa Margareta a Romaniei si-a petrecut studentia, va fi, se pare, gazda pentru nunta nepoatei reginei Elisabeta a II-a in acest an. Cu siguranta va fi un moment fericit pentru Casa de Windsor, insa nu se va putea compara cu “evenimentul anului”: nunta principelui William de Wales.

Cum era de asteptat, Casa Regala a Romaniei a confirmat invitatia primita de la Palatul Buckingham pentru data de 29 aprilie 2011. Nu este o surpriza aceasta invitatie! Chiar daca William nu este mostenitorul tronului, ci doar al doilea in succesiunea tronului britanic – ca urmare nunta din aprilie nu este a state affair – era imposibil ca Familia Regala din Romania sa nu fie invitata. Legaturile dintre cele doua familii sunt foarte stranse, fiind cunoscut faptul ca Principesa Margareta a copilarit si are o relatie speciala cu tatal mirelui, Principele de Wales.

Holyrood House, resedinta oficiala a suveranilor britanici in capitala Scotiei



Regele Mihai se inrudeste cu Casa Regala britanica atat din partea tatalui, cat si din partea mamei:  regina Maria a Romaniei (bunica regelui Mihai) si regele George al V-lea al Marii Britanii (bunicul reginei Elisabeta a II-a) erau veri primari si la un moment dat se credea chiar ca se vor casatori. Din partea reginei mama Elena, Regele se inrudeste atat cu Elisabeta a II-a, cat si cu Printul Consort Philip, duce de Edinburgh [ultima persona care a purtat titlul de duce de Edinburgh, inainte de sotul actualei suverane britanice a fost printul Alfred, fiul reginei Victoria si tatal reginei Maria a Romaniei]: mama Reginei Mama, regina Sophie a Greciei era si ea verisoara primara cu regina Maria a Romaniei, iar fratele reginei Elena era tatal printului Philip. Destul de complicate aceste legaturi de familie J…

In postarile mele viitoare voi incerca sa deslusesc aceste legaturi, sa le fac mei usor de inteles si sa arat de ce marile evenimete regale din Europa sunt “evenimente de familie”.

Risotto al Barbaresco

Recunosc ca acesta reteta e un pic mai migaloasa, daca nu chiar dificila! J

Eu am inceput prin a pregati consommé-ul vegetal. Principesa ofera optiunea cea mai gustoasa a consommé-ului facut “in casa”. Acesta varianta dureaza, dar efortul merita: o combinative excelenta de morcovi, telina, sparanghel, dovlecei, praz, patrunjel, marar, tarhon, busuioc si dafin… Trebuie tinut minte ca toate aceste arome superbe vor patrunde bobul de orez, contribuind decisiv la rezultatul final!

Am continuat prin a pregati sosul Barbaresco: am calit o cepa rosie in unt cu vin rosu sec, foaie de dafin, cimbru, nucsoara si cuisoare. Am lasat totul la foc pana compozitia s-a redus, dupa care am scos dafinul si cuisoarele, si am pisat tot  acest amestec.  

A urmat “untul acid”: am fiert vin alb sec cu o lingura de otet, ceapa rosie si tarhon, dupa care am adaugat gradual untul. Am obtinut un amestec cremos, la care am adaugat sare si piper, dupa gust.

Risotto-ul l-am facut in acelasi mod ca si reteta din Saptamana 1, cu diferenta ca, in loc de vin alb am folosit vin rosu, iar ceapa alba a fost inlocuita cu ceapa rosie. Consommé -ul trebuie adaugat polonic cu polonic, iar inainte de ultimul polonic se adauga jumate din sosul Barbaresco.

La final, cand toate lichidele sunt absorbite de boabele de orez, se indeparteaza tigaia de pe foc si se adauga o parte din “untul acid” si branza parmezan. Restul de unt si sos se pastreaza pentru decorare, impreuna cu niste foi de dafin.

A avut o mare trecere aceasta reteta! Este surprinzator cat de bine absoarbe orezul toate aceste arome, dominate, dupa parerea mea, de minunatul vin rosu. J

Reteta detaliata se afla in “Cartea regala de bucate”, Ed. Curtea Veche, Bucuresti 2010, pag. 192-3.

***

I am in the United Kingdom this week, visiting Scotland’s capital. Edinburgh is a charming city, where one is taken aback by the excellent contrast between the wet gray of the buildings and the sparkling green of the perfectly-edged grass. I always enjoy it very much as I get to see some of my best friends, with whom I share some of my most precious memories.

As time goes by, I find it harder and harder to leave home and the special person in my life… As I prepare myself for that moment, I become excited every time, but the night before the actual leave is always very sad and depressing.

This wonderful city will apparently be the venue for the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest granddaughter this year. It will surely be a happy moment for the House of Windsor, but I am sure it will not be comparable to the greatest event of the royal year: prince William of Wales’ wedding to Ms. Catherine Middleton.

As expected, the Royal House of Romania confirmed the invitation received from Buckingham Palace for the 29^th of April 2011. This invitation should not come as a surprise! Even though William is not heir to the throne, as he only comes second in Britain’s line of succession – therefore this April’s wedding is not a state affair – there is no way the Romanian Royal Family would have been overlooked from the guest list. The connections between the two Royal Houses are very strong, given the well-known special relationship between Princess Margarita of Romania and the groom’s father, the Prince of Wales, who have known each other since childhood.

King Michael I is related to the British Royal Family not only from his father’s side, but from his mother’s side as well: Queen Marie of Romania (King Michael’s grandmother) and King George V of the United Kingdom (grandfather of Queen Elisabeth II) were first cousins and at a given time, many believed that the two of them would marry. On Queen Helen’s side, the King is not only related to Elizabeth II, but also to Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh [the last person to wear this title, before the present Prince Consort was Prince Alfred, son of Queen Victoria and father of Queen Marie of Romania]: the mother of Queen Helen, Queen Sophie of Greece was also a first cousin of Romania’s Queen Marie, while Queen Helen’s brother was the father of Prince Philip.

These family connections are a bit complicated… J

In my next posts I will try to elucidate them, make them more comprehendible and show why the major royal events of Europe are very much “family events”.   

Risotto al Barbaresco

I must confess this recipe is a bit more punctilious, if not entirely difficult!

I started with preparing the vegetal consommé. The Princess offers the tastiest option of the home-made consommé. This might take longer than usual, but it’s sure worth it: an excellent combination of carrots, celery, asparagus, courgettes, leek, parsley, dill, tarragon, basil and bay leaf… One needs to remember that all these gorgeous flavors will literally be absorbed by the rice. 

I continued with the Barbaresco sauce: I sautéed a red onion in butter mixed with dry red wine, a bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg and cloves. I let the composition simmer until it was reduced, afterwards I removed the bay leaf and the cloves and I puréed the remaining mixture.

I started preparing the “acid butter”: I boiled white wine with a spoonful of vinegar, some chopped up red onion and tarragon, while gradually adding butter. The result was a creamy composition, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.

I prepared the risotto the same way as for the recipe presented in Week 1, with the slight difference of having used red wine instead of white wine and red onion instead of white onion. The consommé needs to be added ladle by ladle, and, just before the end, half of the Barbaresco sauce will be added.

In the end, when all liquids were absorbed by the rice, I removed the pan from the heat and added part of the “acid butter” and parmesan cheese. I kept the rest of the butter and sauce for decoration, together with some bay leaves.

I received a lot of positive feed-back for this recipe! It’s surprising how well the rice can incorporate all these flavors dominated, in my opinion, by the red wine J

The detailed recipe can be found in “Cartea regala de bucate”, Ed. Curtea Veche, Bucuresti, 2010, pag. 192-3.



Saptamana 4 / Week 4

Anul trecut in iunie am avut placerea sa vizitez Suedia cu ocazia nuntii Principesei Mostenitoare Victoria. A fost o experienta unica ce mi-a facut o impresie deosebita. Stockholmul este un oras frumos, plin de istorie, iar evenimentul a fost pregatit cu grija si bun-gust.

Intamplarea a facut ca in dimineata zilei de 19, inainte de inceperea festivitatilor, sa ma intalnesc cu ASR Principele Radu, la cativa metrii de resedinta monarhului suedez.

Pot sa spun cu toata sinceritatea ca a fost una dintre cele mai placute intamplari din viata mea. Principele este un om de inalta clasa, din toate punctele de vedere. Intreaga sa atitudine emana rafinament, o politete desavarsita, un grad inalt de cultura, dar si un adevarat talent de a comunica cu oamenii si a-i face sa se simta in largul lor.

Vazusem prima data pe Principe cu ocazia vizitei la Universitatea Babes-Bolyai din Cluj-Napoca in 2003. A tinut atunci o cuvantare excelenta cu ocazia lansarii unei carti despre Familia Regala a Romaniei. M-a impresionat mult acea ocazie, in special pentru ca vedeam pentru prima data si pe Majestatile lor Regele & Regina. Revederea a avut acelasi efect asupra mea. (De asemenea, tin sa mentionez ca nu exista poza care sa faca dreptate Principelui!)

ALR Principesa Mostenitoare & principele Radu la nunta Principesei Mostenitoare a Suediei, Stockholm

Am reflectat mult asupra intalnirii de care scriu mai sus, dar mai ales asupra modului in care m-a facut sa ma simt faptul ca intr-un mediu atat de elevat si cu o ocazie atat de solemna si importanta, Romania a fost reprezentata de Principesa Mostenitoare & Principele Radu. Am fost atat de mandru sa-i vad pasind inspre catedrala, in cadrul procesiunii caselor regale europene.

Dupa intoarcerea in tara, am scris un scurt mesaj Principelui Radu:

“Alteţă,

Vă rog să îmi permiteţi să îmi exprim imensa plăcere ce mi-a facut-o întâlnirea cu Alteţa Voastră la Stockholm, în dimineaţa zilei de 19 iunie, cu ocazia nunţii Principesei Victoria a Suediei. A fost o onoare pentru mine să pot să schimb câteva cuvinte cu Alteţa Voastră.
Cu această ocazie, doresc să vă mulţumesc atât Alteţei Voastre, cât şi Alteţei Sale Principesa Moştenitoare, pentru modul elegant şi demn în care reprezentaţi România.
Sunt, din păcate, destul de puţine ocaziile în care putem fi mândri de felul în care ţara noastra este reprezentată, iar data de 19 iunie a fost una dintre acele rare ocazii.
Am fost cu toţii mişcaţi la vederea Alteţelor Voastre în cadrul procesiunii membrilor familiilor regale prezente şi vreau sa vă asigur de totala noastră susţinere.
Singurul meu regret este că nu am avut prezenţa de spirit de a vă ruga să îmi faceţi onoarea de a imortaliza momentul întâlnirii noastre, un moment extrem de special pentru mine, într-o fotografie.
În speranţa că Alteţele Voastre au avut o şedere plăcută în Regatul Suediei, vă transmit, atât Alteţei Voastre, cât şi Alteţei Sale Principesa Moştenitoare, cele mai calde gânduri însoţite de urări de sănătate.

Cu respect,

Cosmin Alexandru Moldovan”

Paste cu scoici

Iubesc fructele de mare! Poate pentru ca fiind asa departe de litoral mi s-au parut intotdeauna mai exotice, un fel de rasfat. Imi aduc aminte cand am gustat pentru prima oara scoici: era la inceputul anilor ’90 cand, impreuna cu toti ai mei, am fost in Turcia, la Marea Egee. Existau la vremea aceea vanzatori ambulanti, pe plaja, care vindeau scoici umplute cu pilaf. Geniale! Un gust deosebit, care in combinatie cu lamaia proaspata au lasat o amprenta puternica asupra preferintelor mele culinare.

Cand am locuit in Statele Unite, m-am bucurat tot timpul ca sunt pe coasta si, ca urmare, aveam acces la fructe de mare proaspete. Georgetown era la o aruncatura de bat, iar Charlestonul putea sa satisfaca si pe cel mai dificil gurmand. Imi aduc cu drag aminte cum, impreuna cu prietenii mei buni si Mama am savurat un pranz delicious, format din toate fructele de mare care existau pe meniu in acest minunat oras.

Reteta din saptamana aceasta e, din nou, simpla, dar de efect. Pentru  mine a insemnat o binevenita rupere de realitate: am tendinta, asa ca Proust, sa ma las dus cu gandul atunci cand simt un miros sau gust!

Am fiert jumate de kilogram de spaghetti dupa instructiunile de pe pachet. Avand in vedere ca la Cluj se gasesc mai greu scoici proaspete J, am apelat la oferta din hypermarket. Pretul este cam “de desfat”, dar eu consider ca merita un mic exces financiar, din cand in cand, cand vine vorba de o masa buna!

Am pus intr-o tigaie mare un pahar de vin alb sec, pe masura, impreuna cu niste apa si ulei de masline. Am fiert acest amestec la care am adaugat o mana de catei de usturoi intregi, iar dupa cateva minute, la indemnul aromelor, am introdus scoicile, la foc mare. Nu trebuie tinute mult. Odata amestecate toate aceste arome, se scot scoicile deoparte, iar zeama se lasa pe foc pana scade putin.

In final se adauga la sosul obtinut pastele strecurate si scoicile, impreuna cu patrunjel verde, proaspat si se amesteca totul. Nimic mai simplu! J

Fiecare imbucatura o sa va duca cu gandul la sunetul si gusturile placute de la mare  - o combinatie excelenta intre paste, fructe de mare, vin alb, ulei de masline, usturoi si patrunjel proaspat… Intr-o zi rece de iarna, efectul e cu atat mai patrunzator!

Reteta detaliata se afla in “Cartea regala de bucate”, Ed. Curtea Veche, Bucuresti 2010, pag. 195

***

Last year, in June, I had the pleasure of visiting Sweden for the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria. It was a unique experience that left a great impression on me. Stockholm is a beautiful city, full of history and the event was organized with great care and good taste.

Chance would have it that on the morning of the 19^th, before the festivities were set to begin, I met HRH Prince Radu, a few yards from the Swedish monarch's residence.

I can honestly say it was one of the most remarkable events of my life.  The Prince is a man of high class in all respects. His whole attitude exudes refinement, an exquisite politeness, a high degree of culture, but also a real talent for communicating with people and making them feel at ease.

I had seen the Prince for first time during his visit at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, in 2003. He gave a great speech at the launch of a book about the Royal Family of Romania. It was a very special occasion, particularly as I saw their Majesties the King & Queen for the first time. The second meeting had the same profound effect on me. (Also, I must mention that there are no photos that do justice to the Prince!)

I spent a lot of time thinking of this meeting, but mostly I reflected on how I felt about Romania being represented by the royal couple on such a grand occasion. I was so proud to see them stepping toward the cathedral in the procession of all the royal houses of Europe.

After returning home, I wrote a short message to HRH Prince Radu:

"Your Royal Highness,

Please allow me to express my great pleasure in having met You on the morning of June 19^th, in Stockholm, during the festivities marking the wedding of HRH the Crown Princess of Sweden. It was a real honor for me to be able to exchange a few words with Your Royal Highness.

I want to take this opportunity to thank You for the dignified way in which Yourself and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess have represented Romania.

There are, unfortunately, few occasions in which we can be proud of how our country is represented, and June 19^th was one of those rare occasions.

We were all moved to see Your Royal Highnesses taking part in the procession of the royal families present and I want to assure You of our full support.

We hope that Your Royal Highnesses had a pleasant stay in Sweden and send You our best wishes.

Sincerely,

Cosmin Alexandru Moldovan"

Pasta with mussels

I love seafood! Maybe because most of my life I lived inland, it has always seemed a more exotic kind of food, almost like a treat. I remember when I first tasted mussels: it was the early 90s when, along with my family, I was in Turkey at the Aegean seaside. There were at that time peddlers on the beach and they were selling pilaf stuffed mussels. Superb! A special taste, which combined with fresh lemon, left a strong mark on my culinary preferences.

When I was living in the U.S., I loved the fact that I was on the coast and, therefore, had access to fresh seafood. Georgetown was at a stone's throw away and Charleston can satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. I still remember fondly how, together with my best friends and my mother, we enjoyed a delicious lunch consisting of all the seafood on the menu in this wonderful city.

This week's recipe, again, is very simple, but delicious. For me it meant a welcome break from reality: I tend, just like Proust, to daydream when I smell or taste something familiar, that brings back memories.

I boiled a pack of spaghetti pasta according to the package instructions. Considering that it is a bit difficult to find fresh mussels in Cluj, I had to turn to what the supermarket had to offer. The price is a little on the “spicy” side, but I think it's worth splurging from time to time, especially when it comes to a good meal!

In a large skillet, I put a glass of dry white wine to match, along with some water and olive oil. I boiled this mixture to which I added a handful of whole garlic cloves and after a few minutes, once the flavors have merged, I introduced the mussels, at high heat. They do not need to be cooked for long. Once all the flavors are blended, remove the mussels & put aside, while continuing to boil the sauce until it is slightly reduced.

Finally, add the pasta and mussels to the sauce, along with fresh parsley, and mix everything. Nothing could be easier!  

Each bite will make you think of the pleasant sounds and tastes of the sea – this dish is an excellent combination of pasta, seafood, white wine, olive oil, garlic and parsley ... On a cold winter’s day, the effect is even more poignant!

The detailed recipe can be found in “Cartea regala de bucate”, Ed. Curtea Veche, Bucuresti 2010, pag. 195.