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Good Things Come in Small Packages
Bulgarian Trip Ideas
Custom travel or Group tours, ask the Bulgarian travel specialist!
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It’s Easy to be Green
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Potato Gratin Dauphinois
Photo courtesy of Joana Petrova Ingredients for 6 servings
1 kg potatoes, peeled and sliced into 3 mm thick slices
300 ml whole milk
300 ml cream with 30-35% fat
3 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1-2 bay leaves
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a knob of soft butter for greasing the panMethod of preparation
In a saucepan, combine fresh milk and cream. Add the whole garlic cloves, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium to high heat. When it boils, remove the saucepan from the heat and cover with a lid. Set aside to infuse the flavors while you prepare the potatoes.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3mm thick slices. It is best to use a V-shaped grater or a mandolin type grater. I have been using the OXO one for years and I am very happy with it.
When the potatoes are ready, strain the milk ingredients from the spices and return them to the pot. Add the nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add the potatoes. Place the pot on medium to high heat and let the liquid with the potatoes boil. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring the potatoes from time to time with a silicone spatula from the bottom up to prevent them from sticking. The mixture should not boil vigorously, so if necessary, reduce the heat.
During this time, preheat the oven to 160ºC with the top and bottom heat option. Prepare a baking dish measuring 25x15x5 cm, the bottom and walls of which are greased with soft butter.
When the potatoes have boiled for 2-3 minutes, remove them with a slotted spoon and arrange them directly in the baking dish, aiming to cover them in a tiled pattern and evenly throughout the dish. Pour over the milk mixture in which they were boiled. The level of the liquid should be about 5-6 mm above the level of the potatoes. Place them on the middle level in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with a wooden skewer, which when inserted into the potatoes to the bottom should feel soft, and when the skewer is removed there should be no resistance.
Remove them from the oven and leave at least half of them to cool and firm up in the remaining liquid. They can be prepared earlier in the day or the day before and warmed in the oven before serving.
Send feedbackWine suggestion
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Crackers with cheese and herbs
Photo courtesy of Joana Petrova Ingredients for for about 50 crackers
80 g wholemeal spelt flour
100 g white flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
180 g butter, softened
160 g coarsely grated semi-hard or hard yellow cheese such as cheddar, gouda, asiago, gruyere, parmesan
1 egg
¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (the amount will depend on the saltiness of the cheese and personal taste)
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
20 g sesame seeds + 10 g nigella seeds for rollingPreparation
In a bowl, mix the wholemeal and white flours, and the baking powder.
Beat the butter with a mixer until fluffy and light. Add the grated cheeses and beat again. Add the egg and beat until incorporated into the mixture. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and the herbs. Finally, add the flour mixture and knead everything until it comes together into a dough. Shape the dough into a wick about 4 cm thick.
Place a piece of cling film on the counter and scatter the seeds on it. Place the wick on them and roll it out, shaping it at the same time. Wrap it with cling film and chill in the freezer for 30-40 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight. It can be prepared in advance by storing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC with the top and bottom heat option. Cut the cooled wick, whether from the freezer or the refrigerator, into crackers 3-4 mm thick. If the wick has been stored in the freezer for a long time and it is difficult to cut crackers from it, then leave it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes or at room temperature until it relaxes slightly, but it should not be soft.
Arrange the cut crackers on a baking sheet on baking paper and bake immediately on the middle level in the preheated oven for 14 minutes or until golden brown. After removing from the oven, leave them in the tray for 5-6 minutes and then move them to a wire rack until they cool completely. Store in a box at room temperature.
Wine suggestion
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Slow-cooked beef ribs in wine and porridge with yellow cheese
Photo courtesy of Joana Petrova Ingredients for 4 servings.
For the ribs:
1.5 kg beef ribs
flour for rolling
2-3 tablespoons oil or light olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, preferably light, with fruity flavors
2 teaspoons fish sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepperFor the porridge:
200 g cornmeal
1,200 ml water
1 ½ teaspoon ground sea salt
50 g butter
60 g grated semi-hard yellow cheese such as mature Gouda, Cheddar, or Gruyere
freshly ground black pepperTo serve:
chopped fresh parsley
grated lemon zestPreparing the ribs:
Pat the ribs with kitchen paper and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roll in flour, shaking off excess.
In a large saucepan, preferably cast iron, heat 2 tablespoons of the fat over high heat. Fry the ribs in batches on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Remove to the side. If necessary, add more fat to the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir frequently. Add the garlic and herbs. Stir for about 30 seconds until they release their flavors.
Add the tomato puree to the vegetables and stir briefly. Pour the wine into the pan and return the ribs to it. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 25 minutes until the wine is reduced by half. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180ºC with the top and bottom heat options.
Add 1 liter of water, enough to almost cover the ribs. Add the fish sauce, season everything with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cook the ribs in the oven for 3 hours.
The preparation of porridge (cornmeal) is done in a large saucepan, preferably with a double bottom. The water is salted and when it boils, the corn semolina is poured into it. The stove is reduced to medium to low and the kachamak is cooked for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. The result should be a thick mixture, but creamy enough. When it is ready, add the butter, cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Wine suggestion
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Bulgarian Cheese Dip
Photo courtesy of Joana Petrova Ingredients For 4-6 servings
- 200g Bulgarian cow’s white cheese, crumbled
- 60g cream cheese, ricotta or cottage cheese
- 100g Bulgarian yoghurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp each chopped fresh parsley, dill and mint
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Ingredients for decoration
- olive oil
- coarsely chopped walnuts
- flaked red pepper
- saffron
- fresh parsley, dill, mint leaves
Directions
All the ingredients for the dip are mixed in a food processor and ground until a paste is obtained. Be careful with the salt, because the cheese can be quite salty!
Once ready, transfer it to a jar or box with a lid and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Before serving, you can sprinkle it with olive oil and make a combination with walnuts, red pepper, saffron and fresh green spices.
It is suitable for serving with fresh or roasted vegetables, with crackers, breadsticks or toasted bread.Wine suggestion
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Farewell to January
Saying goodbye to January
Was it the perfect bottle for long, dark January evenings? Absolutely. Sparkling golden in color, it has a phenomenal multi-layered aromatic palette with herbal notes. The body is juicy and voluminous, with good structure and finesse. Delightful wine!
The very best
Every day is a surprise what home cooking brings us. You serve the dishes yourself and hcoese which wine is right for your taste. There is no wrong choice, if anyone you like is round the house. It’s a moment. With your own bar around the kitchen, everything is a little easier.
It’s all a bit of a last-minute January combination, but it’s wonderful. It’s so perfect, spend a little more time with it.
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It’s time for wine!
Drink a glass different wine!
Book a Wine Table at home or on location
Check out the options and reserve your desired date. Learn how to taste wine and enjoy an intriguing, balanced and unadulterated wine series and their great stories.
Personal message: Take a break and pamper yourself with a good wine
We believe that exceptional wines shouldn’t come at an exorbitant price. Our value recommendations feature a curated selection of fine wines that offer outstanding quality, complexity, and character without the premium price tag.
Our winemakers pay great attention to detail in the meticulous presentation of their wines and like to surprise sommelier with contrasting colours and aromas. These wines tell the history and tradition of the land that saw them born, carry in their flavor a seal that shows that they have been cultivated and raised with an environmentally friendly practice.
There is also wild fermented wine
With wild fermented wines, not everything is as it seems. Natural wine is born from the spontaneous fermentation of the fruit and the care of expert hands. Sourced from Bratanov and Kosev wineries , these wines showcase exceptional value for your money. It may sound simple, but this approach demonstrates winemakers technical skill and knowledge of flavours. In our online store you can find a selection of the best wines for your palate to celebrate your summer vacation.
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Bulgarian stars: Gergana and Elitsa
Both ladies go to the Michelin star restaurant De Gieser Wildeman
Culinary enjoyment where you feel at home. Special dishes, guided by the seasons, combined with a nice bottle of wine on the table. This time it is also with two Bulgarian stars: Gergana and Syrah Elitsa. Both ladies go to the Michelin star restaurant De Gieser Wildeman.
Master chef René Tichelaar is known for his subtly nuanced cuisine based on fresh local vegetables. Guests can enjoy these delicacies in a warm and informal setting, combined with a wine list put together by wine Master Danny Dwarswaard.
Join me on a quick tour of the restaurant and take a look at the wine cellar, which – in case there was any doubt – only underlines that the greatness of things lies in the small details.
We invite you to view our selection, and if you have any suggestions for wines you would like to have in stock, please let us know.
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