Ciorbă de Perișoare (Romanian Meatball Soup)

This is a soup that I enjoyed several times during my recent trip to Bucharest, Romania.  As with most soups, it is best made a day before.

Meatballs:
1 lb. (500 gr) ground meat (I use half beef half pork)
2 slices of bread
1 finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons uncooked rice
2 tablespoons water
salt and pepper to taste

Soup:
1 small onion, minced
1 bunch lovage (or celery leaves, or parsley)
small celery root, chopped
2 medium carrot, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups stock (beef or chicken)
olive oil

Heat some olive oil in a big pot.  Saute the lovage (or celery leaves), celery root, onion, and pepper until onion is translucent.  Add the stock, cover, and heat on medium-low until vegetables are tender.  In the meanwhile, soak the bread in milk, drain and put in a bowl.  Add the ground meat, onion, rice and salt and pepper.  Using wet hands, form small meatballs.  Once the vegetables are tender, drop the meatballs into the soup.  Continue cooking on low heat for about 20-30 minutes.  Now add the vinegar.  Enjoy!

Tarator (Bulgarian Cold Cucumber Soup)

This is a really simple soup to make for a warm day.  It is best made the day before so that the flavors have a chance to mix.  Serve either chilled or with ice cubes.  You can also add crushed walnuts for some crunch.

Ingredients for 4
2 cucumbers, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 cups of yogurt
1/4 cup chopped dill
3 cloves of garlic, well minced
olive oil
some water
salt and pepper

Start by peeling and cubing the cucumber.  Place in a bowl, add the yogurt, dill, garlic, olive oil and mix well.  Add water until you get a nice smooth consistency, this depends on how thick you want it to be.  Salt and pepper to taste and place in refrigerator for a few hours until the flavors are blended together.

Risotto al gorgonzola e olio verde

This is a fantastic juxtaposition of flavors.  It requires a little work but it totally worth it.  First you make a pretty standard risotto, then you stir in some gorgonzola cheese and serve it drizzled with a green oil you make from rocket (arugula), garlic and olive oil.

Ingredients:
320 g (1/2 lb.) risotto rice
1 shallot
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 handful of rocket
vegetable broth
1 clove of garlic
150g (1/4 lb.) gorgonzola cheese dolce
olive oil
salt and pepper

To make the olio verde, use a immersion blender.  Put the rocket in a tall plastic cup and add the clove of garlic and olive oil.  Blend until you have a green paste.  Set aside.

To make the risotto, heat olive oil in a pan and add the shallot and cook until transparent.  Add the rice and saute and few minutes.  Then add the wine white.  In a seperate pot, add about 1 liter of broiling broth (Can be made from buillon cube).  Add a ladle of broth to the rice, stirring all the while, until the broth is soaked up, keep adding ladle for ladle until the rice is cooked (risotto should have a little bite to it).  Once the rice is done, stir in the cheese and mix until fully incorporated.

Serve in deep plates with the olio verde drizzled on top. Buon Apetito!