Bulgarian Sunday Lunch In The Slow Lane

Snails are free food, but the appeal certainly isn't a favourite with most people and that’s not just vegetarians either. The thought of the slow, slimy, slippery creatures as a meal just puts many if not most people off. Snails are land lubbers where whelks are seafaring with a more popular following as a snack, but essentially they are the same in both physical looks, texture although having a more distinctive taste. So why the big ‘Yuk!’ to garden snails on the dinner plate?

It was snails on the menu this weekend for Galia and I as we stopped just outside Yambol after a night of rain together snails that large and abundant. Free food, but not restricted to Bulgaria, in the UK garden snails are edible albeit more polluted. We knew the snails we were picking up were healthy and succulent on the fresh green spring growth that had dinner written all over it for these lucky snails and the snails in turn had dinner written all over them for us. Oh the food chain is wonderful thing isn't it?

We must have picked about 30 to 40 snails and took them the farmhouse where we put them in a bucket with an iron grill off the barbecue system and weighted it down with a Skalitsa healing stone we had picked up last year whilst being healed, so any ill snails would be cured, but they couldn't escape. They could poke their heads though the grate but their shell houses couldn't be dragged through with them. To eat snails you need their digestive system to be clear and that means starving them for two days. It was Friday so they would be ready to cook on Sunday; this was our plan for Sunday lunch.

Each morning and evening I washed them out with water and put them back in the bucket. Sunday morning after their last wash they were put into some boiling water then winkled out with a skewer. Then the snail meat was fried in butter and home grown green garlic with a little rakia and turned out in a couple of ramekin bowls. Each bowl of snails was covered with breadcrumbs and grilled until brown.

Outside, Galia had set the table outside in the sunshine that had come out after the rain we had had for two days. This had some cold Sofia beer called ‘Ariana,’ waiting on the table to greet us along with the snail dishes that were ready to serve. We spend the next 20 minutes enjoying out free feed in beautiful surroundings being washed down with cold beer. Yambol snails and Sofia beer - A great combination!

I recommend snails for Sunday lunch to anyone, it is a superb no cost chemical-free food with little if no fat and no animal rights campaigners in sight! Notice I haven't mentioned the French - Oops I just did!

My own step-by-step snail recipe is being prepared in next post.

A New Idea For Catching Bulgarian Rats

Bulgarian rats are like all other rats around the world, a pest and unwanted guests in many homes. There are many alternative to getting rid of them, too man to mention in fact, but yesterday another method was learnt as we still has to contend with the elusive rat in the garage that continues to eat our hard earned potato stocks.

We were watching football with family guests with many beers to accompany when the subject of rats came about. I think it was the mention of Wayne Rooney that got the subject going. Rooney apart, catching rats was being discussed. Poison, caged contraptions, cats, dogs, and baited lures in other places to draw them away just didn’t work or were not practical in our situation and the rat has had the upper hand over the last six weeks and this continues right now.

The idea of getting a bucket, filling two thirds of it with water and placing some sunflower seeds that would float on the top seemed a strange ploy to take when I first heard this being discussed. Added to this a little path was placed leading up to the rim of the bucket where once at the top the sunflower seeds could be seen but not the water. This began to make good sense to me at this point. The rat would see the sunflower seeds and of course it is too low to eat, as it is a third of they distance down in the bucket. The rat would have to jump in thinking that the bucket was full of sunflower seeds and pass through the top layer of sunflowers seeds into the looming water beneath which was deep enough to drown it with the vertical walls of the bucket.

A master plan had been born and we all looked forward to drowned rats as we set the system up slightly drunk after the feast of Sunday football and beer.

Monday morning and it wasn’t an early visit to the garage to check for drowned rats. When we did it was as it was the night before, but then no more potatoes have been nibbled either, no ratty visitors last night other than the half ratted trappers. Time is the essence, not only for catching that rat but for getting rid of hangovers!

Rooney Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Bulgarian Fish and Chips

Another evening out last night with a friend of Galia. She is just as keen on fashion Galia is as all three of us walk into Yambol town at around 7:00 in the evening.

It is not often we see the town this time of the day as I was surprised that is was swarming with people of all generations. Most of the background noise was coming from the rented out little electric children's cars with their hard black plastic types rumbling along in and out of the crowds. It was a free for all traffic jam but no one was bothered with the inconvenience of having to avoid erratic steering of children as young as three driving unaided. It was very entertaining sitting there watching them for half and hour.

Why was I sitting watching them for half an hour? Galia and her friend were in a clothes shop looking for dresses, skirts and anything that tickled their fancy. I knew they wouldn't buy anything, they rarely do, they just love feeling and touching the clothing they can't afford.

So half an hour literally I waiting watching the Yambol folk walk, talk and enjoy the summer evening atmosphere. I remember before most families go for a walk in the town or park before their evening meal. That's exactly what we were doing but most clothes shops were still open after 7:00.

During this time I saw many unique Bulgarian happenings, in fact too many happenings they come and go so quick. One I particularly remember was a balloon seller. His wares are tied tot a fold up chair, as I looked closer he carried around with him a big chunky rock which is placed on the chair. It must weight around 5-10 Kg and placed there purely and simply to stop the chair toppling over with the balloons tied on the backrest being blown in the wind

The girls finally finished and it was now after 7:30, as we made a walk around town, this time just looking in the windows at goods but never stopping talking.

We finally stopped at a restaurant, we’d been to this once before and had fish and chips Bulgarian style. The same was about to happen with an added guest. This is also a stopping place for cats and dogs who get food thrown at them towards the end of most customer's meals. This is normal with restaurants in Yambol.

So, the talking continued but this time over food and beer, we didn't leave until gone 10:00. the place was just livening up with the night life coming into play, but we were too old for that tonight as we made out way back home.

The stars can be clearly seen in the black sky in Yambol and just a reminder of how unpolluted this region is.

A lovely evening and it made a change from sitting facing a computer all evening, in fact I think that's why Galia decided on this evening's plan, she says I work too hard and need a break.





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