In spite of being one of the tastiests appetizers which match perfect with a glass of ice-cold beer, pork cracklings are not a type of food poets
dedicate poems to.
Most of the women I know think that eating pork
skin no matter how prepared, is disgusting. But I love to eat most of the
things declinded by 'sophisticated people' - I prepare myself and order in
restaurants where offered such things like crispy
chicken cracklings (you can not imagine how crunchy they are), trippa
alla fiorentina, pacha, the
typical Bulgarian Shkembe chorba, pig
trotter's soup...But let's go back to the pork cracklings. They are crunchy and dry on top and melting
soft inside. And something
also important - they do not need much time to be prepared. My husband loves them and today I make them for him - he has a nameday. Today is Saint Dimitrius day - one of the most important Orthodox saints who is celebrated every year on October 26. Happy nameday, Dimiter! Wish you all the best!
It is Indian Summer outside, there is no doubt.
The weather got unexpectedly warm after two weeks of freezing morning temperatures and biting winds, swirling tree leaves in the air. Sunshine came out of the grey clouds some days ago, but people did not have much trust in this change and put on their warm jackets again. But, the sun was even warmer on the next day. And so, mistrustful at first, but more and more relaxed over time, people started taking off the layers of blouses they had under the jackets and the time of T-shirts was back again. And the time of long talks in the gardens and yards, parks and restaurants over a glass of beer or two.
Which reminds me, that I have a recipe to share.
Crispy chicken cracklings - something delicious, cheap and easy to make.
Here is the recipe which celebrates the Indian Summer:
It is not too cold outside. But it was a strange day. I had so many things to say, but I did not. Sometimes it is too late to say a word. But anyway, I was a kind of sad and wanted to prepare something to warm me up from the inside, a healthy, filling meal. Celebration of life, joy of the little things. Soup prepared with simple ingredients, but with love and affection. Tasty and satisfying. It turned out absolutely delicious. Here is the recipe:
If you sit in a restaurant in Bulgaria and ask for something typical for the country, Kavarma will be most probably one of the dishes offered. It is a rustic stew for meat lovers which pairs soft pork and leek.
I don't have much time to prepare all the winter dishes I like- spring has nearly come, so I have to hurry. Nearly twenty days until the end of March, nearly twenty dishes to savour.
One of them deffinitely Zuppa Toscana. Zuppa Toscana is a winter soup. Based on rich and nutritious ingredients like bacon, sausage, potatoes and heavy cream it is best enjoyed when the weather outside is cold.
This is a rich and tasty salad, one of our favorites for winter. It is created for the cold months when all the fresh tomatoes have bland and undeveloped taste, but you miss the sweetness of good ripe tomatoes. The oniony taste of leek is by far slighter than the one of onion and garlic, despite they all belong to same family of vegetables and the velvety texture of the chopped canned tomatoes adds softness to the dish. The salad brings summer colors to the table - bright green and white of the leek meets red vibrant color of good quality canned tomatoes.
My mother-in-law prepares it when she wants to please her hubby. So do I.
A little health info: With its high fiber content and low calories amount leek is a good part of a healthy diet plan. Eating fresh leek reduces the risk of cancer, stroke, heart disease and many other health problems. It supports the healthy digestion.
Canned tomatoes are more beneficial than the fresh ones because they contain more lycopene - carotenoid responsible for the red color of tomatoes which helps to decrease the risk of hearth disease.
But the taste of the salad does not need additional reasons to enjoy this simple salad - it is a spicy salad for those who like the heat even into cold dishes.
