'Little fleas' (Puricei)

(pentru versiunea in limba romana, rulati pagina...)

Cheese, stuffed cabbage leaves,  fried eggs, stew, fish with brine, liver, tochitura, plums ... What would they be without that yellow broth, yellow as  sun and so trivial called : mamaliga ?
I was talking with my friends about polenta/mamaliga as about something that needs to be like an existential philosophy on the Romanian's table. In fact, it was not a dialogue but a monologue where I heard speaking only myself. In Transylvania, polenta was the exponent only of certain kinds of food, bread deposed it forever. While I'm living in this area for since I know, my soul and my tongue make from polenta the 'sine qua non ' marks of my daily meals. I do not care about malicious remarks about my tastes as long as I do not get a better alternative or a healthier one. 
The rest is history. 
Those two principles of my life also guided my taste-in kitchen and fulfilling my way: "Less is more" and "Belly rules mind" (with an  absolutely and necessary addition from my own: .. "up to a point".)
Little fleas is a simple dish, being a blessed meal of a busy day ,  a salvation also and it's  always there.
Cold polenta/mamaliga grinded with a fork is sprinkled with salt and then fried in hot lard or oil until golden. It is a dish by itself, served with cheese and sour cream / Kaymac or, it can be as a garnish  for other kinds of food.
As nothing is fixed and conservative in my kitchen, I added a bit of mystery of the Orient to this so trivial polenta/mamaliga, cutting it instead of grinding and using  curry and cayenne sprinkled onto the top of  the yellow-golden before to  giving to it the heat of fire. 
The result ...? Something so  "elegant" in taste, flavor and finesse!

Romanian version:

Branza,sarmalute,oua prajite, ostropel, peste cu saramura, ochiuri,ficatei, tochitura, prune ...oare ce-ar fi fara acea fiertura galbena ca soarele cu nume atit de banal ?
Vorbeam cu prietenii mei despre mamaliga ca despre ceva ce trebuie sa fie ca o filozofie a existentialitatii pe masa romanului. De fapt, nu era un dialog ci un monolog in care ma auzeam vorbind. In Ardeal, mamaliga este exponent doar al unor feluri de mincare, painea detronind-o net. Desi locuiesc in zona asta de cind ma stiu, sufletul si limba mea fac din mamaliga acel 'sine qua non' al meselor mele zilnice. Nu-mi pasa de remarcile malitioase referitoare la gusturile mele atita timp cit nu-mi este oferita o alternativa mai buna sau mai sanatoasa. Restul e istorie. 

Cele doua principii de viata ale mele mi-au ghidat si-n bucatarie gustul, si mi-au implinit calea : "Mai putin inseamna mai mult" si  "Stomacul face regulile, nu mintea." cu adaugirea absolut necesara din partea mea..."pina la un punct".

Puricei e un fel de mincare simplu, fiind o binecuvintare a zilelor aglomerate dar si o salvare mereu la indemina.
Mamaliga rece se sfarima/marunteste cu furculita, este presarata cu sare si prajita in untura sau ulei pina se rumeneste.Se minca ca fel de mincare in sine, cu adaus de brinza si smintina/caimac sau ca garnitura linga alte feluri de mincare.
Cum nimic nu e fix si conservator in bucataria mea, am adaugat putin din misterul Orientului acestei mamaligi atit de banale, taind-o si nu sfarimind-o si folosind curry-ul si boiaua iute presarata peste galbenul de aur inainte de-a-i da caldura focului.
Rezultatul...? Ceva atit de 'elegant' ca gust, savoare si finete !

Enjoy !