For the love of cooking
Cabbage roll soup is a win-win – all of the flavour of traditional cabbage rolls without the effort of rolling! The rice meatballs are a fun addition – they have a nice firm bite that turns plain cabbage soup into something you’ll really want to eat. As a Romanian I’ve […]
This slow cooked pork and beans with smoked ham hock is like Heinz baked beans for grown ups. Subtly sweet beans paired with smoked pork make for a perfect comfort food classic. It’s winter so I’ve really been leaning into some of my favourite winter recipes like Romanian sour meatball […]
This classic Romanian soup features hearty porcupine meatballs simmered in a flavourful broth with diced veggies and potatoes then finished with sour cream and fresh herbs like lovage, parsley and dill. Serve with hot pickled peppers and crusty bread for a perfect cold weather meal. Winter has officially arrived in […]
The cold weather has finally arrived in Amsterdam so it’s time for hearty stick-to-your-ribs food. In truth we eat this type of bean stew every few months, even in the summer. But it’s especially comforting once there’s a chill in the air. This stew is a classic Romanian dish that I […]
This Romanian style slow roasted caramelized cabbage is the caramelized onion of the cabbage world. It’s sweet, spicy, smokey, tangy, and full of complex flavours. Through the magic of slow roasting, plain cabbage is transformed into a decadent comfort food that can be served over cornmeal porridge, in a bun, […]
This is called everybody’s favourite white bean soup because it’s really flavourful and versatile enough to keep a crowd happy or just yourself. The concept for this soup is that it can be eaten as is or topped with different things to make it interesting for a dinner crowd or […]
This curried cod stew is a great weeknight meal. Last Tuesday I got in from work and didn’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen but also wanted something really flavourful and satisfying. I had a few cod loins in the fridge that I was intending on […]
I want to start by saying that this Romanian green pea stew e.i. mancare de mazare was wholly improvised and I’m quite proud not only of the result – a comforting and healthy homeland staple reminiscent of my childhood – but also because of what it represents – the spirit […]
Hi and welcome. I'm Cristina and I started this blog to share my love of being in the kitchen. I was born in Romania, grew up in Toronto, lived in the US for 3 years, and now live in Amsterdam. I also love to travel and learn about culinary practices in different places. My cooking is a reflection of all the international influences in my background. I see food as the ultimate way to connect beyond our differences.