Preserving Transylvania’s Flavors

Adrianna M. Botta constantly searches for ingredients that recapture flavors of her homeland. This is not easy. Botta comes from Transylvania, a tiny eastern European region where cooks are real artisans. They grow their own fruits and vegetables, preserve their harvests for the winter, bake bread in outdoor clay ovens and are accustomed to pure, unprocessed foods.

Botta prowls import shops, searching for products that meet her standards. She buys German and French butter, Russian-style feta cheese and pickles with no preservatives.

She knows who carries sausages most like those at home. She selects the purest cold-pressed olive oil, although it costs much more than other brands. She even goes to specialty shops for paprika, pepper, cornmeal and flour. “It makes a difference in the taste of the food,” she says.

Botta makes her own yogurt, using organic milk, and ferments it in the sun in a bowl lined with sour cream. “This way,” she points out, “you don’t need a starter.”

She strains the yogurt to make yogurt cheese, which she serves topped with sliced bananas and cinnamon. It does indeed taste different from other yogurt, more mellow, creamier. Her coffee tastes different, too, because she brews it with a dash of cinnamon and powdered vanilla.

Botta has done a remarkable job of reproducing authentic Transylvanian food here. “It took me years and years of research,” she says.

Along with her fiance, Karoy, a sculptor, Botta came to California nine years ago. They defected from Romania through Hungary to Austria and spent a year in a refugee camp in Italy before gaining political asylum in the United States.

They live in an airy small house that once belonged to the Charles Chaplin Studios in Hollywood. There, Botta tends an herb garden that includes lovage, a celery-flavored herb much used in Hungarian cuisine.

Hungarians began to settle in the region at the end of the 9th century, she says. Under Turkish suzerainty, Transylvania was an independent principality for about 100 years. Then it was incorporated into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was claimed by newly independent Romania after World War I and is under Romanian control today.

Living under Communist rule was hard. “If you had a cherry tree in your backyard, you had to give a certain amount of the fruit to the government,” Botta says. “If you didn’t have a crop, you had to pay a fine.” Produce thus commandeered was exported to pay off debts. Butter went to Germany for use in cosmetics.

When Botta was 6 years old, her parents were taken away, accused of connections with foreigners. Her father was beaten and imprisoned for a couple of days. There were constant cuts in water and power. Her mother would not allow her to experiment in the kitchen because food was scarce.

Botta therefore cooks from memories, not from experience. “I’m trying to preserve whatever I learned from my mom,” she says. “Most of the women cooked back home, no matter what. It was a necessity.”

It was also hard work. “You bought all the basic foods in season and preserved them,” she says. Her mother canned tomato juice, turned fruit into preserves and put up roasted eggplant for winter salads. “She would take two to three days at a time to do this,” Botta remembers.

Carrots and parsnips were stored in sawdust in a cold place where they would keep for months. Potatoes and apples were buried in sand. “Everything was natural,” she says. “No preservatives were used.”

Transylvanian cuisine reflects a variety of influences: Romanian, Hungarian, German, Slavic and, in the south, Greek and Turkish. “Transylvania is close to the geographical center of Europe,” Botta says. It is a rich place, despite the privations experienced under communism.

The cuisine is rich too. Now that she is living in a warmer climate, Botta cuts down somewhat on butter and sour cream and eats lighter meals, especially in summer.

“Transylvania has a four-season climate,” she says. “In the winter, you ate more fatty foods to give you energy. In the summer, people in the country got up at 4 a.m. and worked in the fields all day long.”

The main meal of the day is lunch, a serious affair of many courses. It might start with an appetizer such as eggplant caviar or a cold cut assortment accompanied by a tiny glass of plum brandy. Next comes soup; on Sunday, it is always chicken soup with farina dumplings.

The next course would be meat, accompanied by plain or garlic mashed potatoes or rice. The meat dish might be wienerschnitzel, fried chicken, grilled pork fillet, boiled beef with fruit sauce or boiled veal with pickle or horseradish sauce. Salad is never eaten before but always with the main dish. Botta might serve marinated beets or a combination of cucumber, tomato and green onion.

Transylvanians drink wine, preferably red, with their meals. For dessert, they have fancy cakes or pastries baked at home. On holidays, there might be a poppy seed or walnut roll or cherry strudel.

Botta has learned to make all this on her own. Her only guide is a thick Hungarian cookbook that belonged to her great-grandmother. “It’s my great inspiration, my great treasure,” she says.

Born in Cluj (in Hungarian, Kolozsvar), the historic capital of Transylvania, Botta spent a great deal of time in the countryside. “I have seen things that are in the process of disappearing,” she says. One of these is a yeast coffeecake made by rolling a strip of dough around a wooden cylinder and baking it slowly near an open fire. The cylinder has to be turned constantly for 20 to 30 minutes. When almost done, the cake is rolled in sugar and chopped walnuts, then baked until the sugar caramelizes and the walnuts are roasted. “It’s fantastic, really good,” Botta says.

She and Karoy plan to return to Transylvania to record this and other culinary treasures. They want to produce a cookbook that will introduce the country’s history and traditions as well as its cuisine. “People don’t know much about Transylvania,” Botta says. “They associate it with vampires, and that’s it.”

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In The Times test kitchen, Botta demonstrated a variety of dishes from this little-known cuisine. For a snack, she cut potato dough into canape-sized rounds, which she sandwiched with Roquefort cheese. Salami, pickles, olives and cheese--ingredients much like those of an Italian antipasto--went on top of sliced country bread for another appetizer. Botta stuffed tomatoes and yellow bell peppers with rice and chicken livers, baked them with a topping of eggs, sour cream and tomato pulp and served them on lovage leaves from her garden.

ROQUEFORT BITES

Botta dresses up these canapes by dipping the edges in parsley or paprika, which is heavily used in Transylvania. “I even put paprika in my milk,” she jokes.

1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (about 2 medium baking potatoes)

1 cup flour plus extra for dusting

1/4 cup salted butter

Nonstick cooking spray

1/3 cup Roquefort cheese

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

Paprika

Chopped parsley

Combine mashed potatoes, flour and salted butter to form dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead as bread dough until smooth, satiny and not sticky, about 5 minutes.

Divide dough in half and roll to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut out circles using 1 3/4-inch biscuit cutter. Spray baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and bake cutouts at 375 degrees until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool.

For filling, blend together Roquefort cheese and unsalted butter until smooth.

To assemble, spread layer of cheese mixture on 1 bite and top with another, sandwich style. Roll half of bite edges in paprika and other half in chopped parsley.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Each bite contains about:

65 calories; 52 mg sodium; 12 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 grams protein; 0.06 gram fiber.

TRANSYLVANIAN NOSH

Botta insists on Russian-style feta for this recipe because it contains more moisture and can be sliced, unlike the more typical dry, crumbly fetas. When using these, she stores them in milk to reduce their saltiness. Botta also prefers French butter, which she finds in European delis.

1 small loaf country white bread

11 paper-thin slices Hungarian salami

1/4 cup butter

4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced lengthwise

1/4 pound Russian-style feta cheese, cut into 2-inch pieces

8 tiny dill pickles or gherkins, cut into halves lengthwise

16 large Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise

1/4 pound Jarlsberg cheese, shredded

Cut bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice in half to get 16 slices.

Cut each salami slice into thirds. Butter bread. Arrange 2 pieces salami on each slice bread. Add 1 egg slice to center of sandwich, then 1 piece feta cheese, 1 half pickle and 2 halves olives. Sprinkle Jarlsberg cheese over toppings. Arrange on platter.

Makes about 16 slices or 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

326 calories; 1159 mg sodium; 159 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 0.26 gram fiber.

BAKED PEPPERS AND TOMATOES

Stuffed vegetables are typical of Transylvania. This would be a summer main dish.

1 white onion, minced

1 yellow onion, minced

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 cup rice

1/2 pound chicken livers, minced

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon minced parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3 yellow sweet peppers

3 tomatoes

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon fine dry bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

Lovage leaves

Saute white and yellow onions in oil until tender. Stir in rice and continue to cook until rice turns light brown. Add chicken livers, 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir until liver looses red color. Stir in water and paprika. Cover and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

While rice is cooking, remove stem ends of peppers and rinse out seeds. Slice tops off tomatoes. Scoop out pulp into bowl and reserve for sauce. Spoon rice filling into peppers and tomatoes.

Spray 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add bread crumbs to dish, tilting to cover bottom and sides of dish. Place stuffed peppers and tomatoes in baking dish.

Lightly beat eggs and stir in sour cream and reserved tomato pulp. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour over peppers and tomatoes in baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees until peppers and tomatoes are tender, about 35 minutes. Place under preheated broiler to brown tops. Serve warm or cold on lovage leaves.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

296 calories; 670 mg sodium; 212 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 0.67 gram fiber.

PICKLED FISH

Transylvanians eat freshwater fish, which is full of bones. Botta eliminates that problem by making this dish with halibut. The marinade can also be used for salads, she says.

1 1/2 pounds halibut or sea bass

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 large red onion

4 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh dill weed

1 bunch fresh dill

Cut fish into 3-inch squares.

Combine paprika, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Sprinkle over both sides of fish. Roll fish in flour to coat, shaking off excess, then dip in beaten egg and bread crumbs to coat.

Fry fish in large skillet in canola oil until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on thickness of fish. Drain on paper towels and let cool to room temperature before adding to marinade.

Cut red onion into paper-thin slices, place in bowl and lightly sprinkle with salt to taste. Combine water, vinegar, dill weed and 2 tablespoons salt. Layer half onions in 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Arrange fish in single layer on onions then top with remaining onions. Pour vinegar mixture over fish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, arrange fresh dill sprigs on serving platter. Remove fish from marinade and arrange on dill along with red onions. Mince little fresh dill and sprinkle over top of fish. Discard marinade.

Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

168 calories; 180 mg sodium; 49 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 0.20 gram fiber.

SAVARINS

Instead of whipped cream, Botta fills these little cakes with light whipped topping to cut down the fat. Regular whipped cream may be used.

Nonstick cooking spray

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs

6 eggs, separated

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 cup water

1/4 cup rum

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1 (8-ounce) carton light whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping

Spray 14 foil-lined muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray then place on baking sheet and set aside.

Combine flour and bread crumbs and set aside.

Beat egg yolks in small mixing bowl until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup sugar, then beat in vanilla powder and lemon peel. Set aside.

Beat egg whites in large mixing bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold half egg whites into beaten yolk mixture. Fold in bread crumb mixture then remaining egg whites just until blended.

Divide batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned and top springs back when touched lightly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.

Combine water and remaining 1 cup sugar in saucepan. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved and syrup thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature then stir in rum.

Remove cakes from muffin cups. Turn cakes upside down and cut thin slice off bottom of each. Hollow out center of each cake, leaving sides intact. Dip each cake into cooled syrup and place on wire rack to drain off excess syrup.

Lightly coat interior of each cake with apricot preserves then fill with whipped topping. Dip slices that were cut from bottom of each cake into syrup and place 1 on each filled cake. Top each cake with small dollop of whipped topping and small spoonful apricot preserves. Arrange on platter, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 14 savarins.

Each savarin contains about:

221 calories; 53 mg sodium; 115 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.13 gram fiber.