This morning I dropping off my partner to work as usual, only to find something was different when I got back home. On the kitchen table was a plate of steaming hot pasta. The word 'Zakooska' was thrown at me from Baba who was folding up the bedsheets in the living room. This word means breakfast. Baba had taken it upon herself to prepare me a traditional Bulgarian breakfast this morning. She came into the kitchen to explain that see had seen that I hadn't any cornflakes left and we were totally out of home baked banitsas, which is what I normally eat for breakfast.
Well how can I refuse this specially cooked breakfast lying on my place on the kitchen table. The thought of pasta 7:30 in the morning didn't really appeal at this point. It wasn't normal in my previous UK life to have such things this early the morning. I did occur that this was probably the most healthy eating option of all breakfasts, it did made sense to eat food like this first thing on a regular basis to give a steady energy level to lunchtime. Right now though I wasn't looking forward to eating it, but didn't want to upset Baba who had gone to so much trouble.
As I sat down, then Baba fetched and put by the plate of pasta some sirene (white goats cheese) and some sugar. She urged me to put some on the pasta dish before I start eating it. Adding sirene to the pasta wasnt' a problem, I didn't need much persuasion with this. The sugar addition was a different story, I just couldn't bring myself to add it to the dish. Pasta to me should be a savoury dish. The addition sugar to the sour taste of sirene would just confuse my taste buds which hadn't even had a chance to wake up yet.
So pasta and serene was my zakooska at this moment. The first few mouthfuls felt quite alien as the slimy pasta slipped and slide down into the empty depths of my stomach. I've had warmed up curry for breakfast before now in my student days, but that was a long time ago, this is different. By the time the pasta had been half eaten, my taste buds got a second wind. This food was great! Pasta and sirene, without sugar, I now couldn't get enough of it. The combination of bland tasting pasta and sirene which just brings many meals alive worked wonders with this dish. It reminded me of a simple boiled potato and sirene dish we sometimes have here.
Baba never makes food for one, its not economical to do that, she had made enough for three days. This will see us through to the weekend she said. It looks like pastas for breakfast is here to stay and with winter upon us what better way to start the day. Another revelation in the simplest of foods discovered today.
Well how can I refuse this specially cooked breakfast lying on my place on the kitchen table. The thought of pasta 7:30 in the morning didn't really appeal at this point. It wasn't normal in my previous UK life to have such things this early the morning. I did occur that this was probably the most healthy eating option of all breakfasts, it did made sense to eat food like this first thing on a regular basis to give a steady energy level to lunchtime. Right now though I wasn't looking forward to eating it, but didn't want to upset Baba who had gone to so much trouble.As I sat down, then Baba fetched and put by the plate of pasta some sirene (white goats cheese) and some sugar. She urged me to put some on the pasta dish before I start eating it. Adding sirene to the pasta wasnt' a problem, I didn't need much persuasion with this. The sugar addition was a different story, I just couldn't bring myself to add it to the dish. Pasta to me should be a savoury dish. The addition sugar to the sour taste of sirene would just confuse my taste buds which hadn't even had a chance to wake up yet.
So pasta and serene was my zakooska at this moment. The first few mouthfuls felt quite alien as the slimy pasta slipped and slide down into the empty depths of my stomach. I've had warmed up curry for breakfast before now in my student days, but that was a long time ago, this is different. By the time the pasta had been half eaten, my taste buds got a second wind. This food was great! Pasta and sirene, without sugar, I now couldn't get enough of it. The combination of bland tasting pasta and sirene which just brings many meals alive worked wonders with this dish. It reminded me of a simple boiled potato and sirene dish we sometimes have here.
Baba never makes food for one, its not economical to do that, she had made enough for three days. This will see us through to the weekend she said. It looks like pastas for breakfast is here to stay and with winter upon us what better way to start the day. Another revelation in the simplest of foods discovered today.
if you liked pasta for breakfast, go and buy some yuwka at the grocery or supermarket and let Baba show you, how to prepare it. I recommend cooking it with milk (water will do too) and adding a teaspoon of butter, trapezna tshubritza and if you like some sirene to your portion. This is one of my favourite bulgarian warm breakfast dishes and has been for the last 26 years (I grew up with that taste and got it sometimes sweet as a child, but prefer the savory taste too)- unfortunately one can´t buy yuwka in Germany at all and I really miss that stuff and let relatives bring some 200g each time they go to Bulgaria - one or twice a year.
ReplyDeleteHi Elisa, Baba knows the dish well and has promised to make it this weekend if I do the shopping for the ingredients for her.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you Elisa, hope things are going well in Germany for you.
This picture (and post) reminded me on my late grandma (also called Baba - we call grandams baba or baka in Croatia) and the food she used to prepare for me when I was a little child - she's was always afraid that I'm not eating enough (which was never true :-))).
ReplyDeleteThis is so interesting to learn about. This is what I love about the blogosphere. Have a great weekend :)
ReplyDeleteHAHA! This brings me back to my first breakfast pasta experience at my Baba's house in Sofia. I came to the breakfast table that was usually filled with various breads, butter and honey and found something totally bizarre. I had the exact reaction you did. SUGAR??? CHEESE??? (Way overcooked) PASTA??? Urgh... I just added the cheese and asked for some pepper. Sirene, pasta and copious amounts of black pepper does make a good breakfast in my opinion. My husband tried it my way and liked it too. I don't think I will ever try it with sugar!
ReplyDelete<3 Samantha