Ode for a 'sarma' ( 1 )

(I need to do this post about 'sarma' in 2 parts. In one of them I will talk about that one who was the Godfather of the Romanian epigram and you will understand why I say this and, in the other part of this post I'll just put  the recipe as it is.)

 Pastorel Teodoreanu

...was a Romanian lawyer and writer with a pen as a knife, known as an epigramist, gourmet and wine lover, bohemian member of Iasi and Bucharest reports.

He remained in Romanian literature by his epigrams and culinary chronicles. 

His passion for gourmet and wine, based on outstanding taste qualities made from him an able one to identify with an "amazing precision " not only the variety of wine, vineyard and year of manufacture, but other details too, such as the geographical spread of the place where the vineyard was, how much pure wine was, the rainfall of that year, so on ...

He is the author of more than 200 culinary chronicles published in the country and abroad.His chronicles written in prose and sometimes in vers are filled by literary flavor and a well done humor, sprinkled with descriptions of the recipes . In the end, all are true and wonderful culinary  poems what delight the senses and the taste buds.

He used to say : "A food recipe is like a score:must be performed. Beethoven's Menuet  is the same for all eyes. But one is on the violin of the Master George Enescu and another one is on the anchor of the fiddler from Mill widow. "

He also wrote the famous epigram Ode for a 'sarma'....

Mircea Ionescu Quintus (an another Romanian famous epigramist) gave an epigramistic reply to  Pastorel Teodoreanu:

"Let us bow a cup 

Just for Pastorel.

It is not a Cotnari-backup

Much more sparkling, much more well ."

                               ODE  FOR A SARMA

                                           by Pastorel Teodoreanu

How could I define 'sarmaua' ? 

Just a winged dream of a cabbage

as it lasted in the metamorphosis long sleep 

from a pickling barrel baggage ...

Potpourri of pork and beef, symphony of chop, 

hymn of praise for food, raised into the mouth's top.

Stylish woman's body washed in sauce and cream  

healthy wrapped in a cabbage leaf,

well veils of a Turkish dancer dream.

Skillful diplomat with a complete league 

just between a  red wine barrel and a pot of mamalig *

Principled opponent and a strong enemy

for all what means a diet 

or a regime alimentary . 

A bouquet of spices, 

a perfumed......frivolous one

with a tempted scent of 

a well smoked bacon done.

Main(ly) owner that it keeps in her perfect space  

tolerated pearls 

of a spicy pepper 

and those puffed rice grains. 

A prosaic and an innate one ! 

How to catch her in prozody?

Since this world exists, 

No pigs read a poetry.

That's a bringer of a thirst, 

if you drink the wine with goblet!

That's the way I could define 'sarmaua' 

As...a  gorgeous pamphlet.

legend: 

*mamalig= polenta

 Sarmaua (the stuffed cabbage) prepared in the way of Pastorel ...

" necessary to asks for a red wine. A three-four years well born wine, well kept and balanced. Undoubtedly, the wines of Burgundy are ideal. But, ideals are inaccessible so, we can thank a Nicoreşti, Big Hill, Calugareasca Valley  or Corcova . Then  the song comes:

"Un deux, un deux

A la santé des amoureux!
Bouvons un coup, bouvons-en deux!”