Romanians' salad



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Folosind un limbaj arhaic combinat cu finetea si erudismul invataturilor academice, fostul realizator de emisiuni TV cinsteste traditia poporului roman ridicind-o la rang de arta. El a fost acela care m-a invatat ca... a minca nu tine doar de a baga in gura, a mesteca si-a inghiti.
Maestrul Radu Anton Roman descrie, in stilul lui caracteristic, unic si inconfundabil, ceea ce, o banala salata poate fi.

"Sosul etern, o proportie si o compozitie practic nemodificabile: 1 l-ra untdelemn, 1 l-ra de otet, 2 l-ri apa, sare, piper. E o constanta autoritara a tuturor salatelor romanesti: de varza, rosii, ciuperci, salata verde, fasole, etc.
Boleroul pe care-l vom interpreta acum, incepe cu o ceapa sparta pe coltul mesei("Frumos pling ochii miresei"). Acest sunet primordial, cintat in Re major de bucium, se afla descris cu o duiosie deliroasa si in literatura noastra idilica, ca o prima valoare gastronomica neaosa. Suprema ? Absoluta ? E urmata de o picatura de otet si una de untdelemn, la care s-a asociat blidul adecvat, ca un sunet de corn, sociabil.
Daca e blid si e ceapa taiata pestisori, se adauga, din simpatie, trompetele:o rosie, doua, impartite in felii subtiri. E bine sa fie tari, coapte( c-asa-s bune rosiile-n salata:niciodata verzi, niciodata moi).
Susura blind si-un praf de piper ca un sunet dulce de piculina.
Unde sunt ceapa, rosii, otet, ulei, piper, sare,merg si doi castraveti tineri, rotunzi ca niste violoncele, desi in carne, taiati in felii fine, cu trei catei de usturoi, pisati ca niste timpane grave.
Acum, dirijorul invita in concert si-un piano forte: doi ardei grasi, si unul iute, fortissimo, taiati in felioare transparente precum si o legatura de marar, tocata, suava ca o harpa. In sfirsit, intra in scena si o bucata potrivita de telemea uscata, gaurita ca o orga care se rade ploaie peste toate.
Simfonismul a atins apogeul, timpanele sparg timpanele, coardele se-ncordeaza, suflatorii nu mai au suflu, pianul nu cinta piano, dirijorul si-a pierdut pina si autocontrolul si a lesinat de placere si excese.



Romanii maninca salata asa:
1. Rup un miez mare de piine, il inmoaie in sosul de la friptura si il indeasa in gura.
2. Infig in furculita 5-11 felii de cartof prajit, le infunda intre masele si pe acelea, ca mai era loc.
3. Taie un hartan de friptura mai grasa, ca este si-o imping cu pofta si cu mina in hambarul gurii.
4. Abia acum vine rindul salatii- din dintii furculitei nu trebuie sa lipseasca rosie, ceapa, ardei gras si iute, castravete, o pata de usturoi si-o farima de brinza. Daca ceva lipseste se mai ia o data.
5. La zeama otetita se ajunge cu un dumicat de piine, inmuiat devreme in castron si aruncat peste ce mai era in moara falcilor.
6. Chestia nu poate fi inghitita asa ca, mioriticul ia ulcica cu vinat, suge vreo opt ghiogilturi, strimbindu-se de durere pe masura ce nodul gros i se scurge pe git. Rasufla usurat si suspina multumit, urind induiosat tuturor: " Da Doamne, cind ne-o fi mai rau sa ne fie ca acum."

Aceasta succesiune e un ritual si nu poate fi modificata decit cu riscul alienarii unui popor sensibil si modest, dar sigur de valorile si calitatile lui."


Romanians' salad

Using an archaic language combined with the finesse of the scholar academic teaching, the former producer of culinary traditions documentaries(and not only) honors the tradition of the Romanian people raising it to an art level. He was that one who taught me that ... TO EAT is not just to put in your mouth, to chew and to swallow. 
Master Radu Anton Roman describes in his characteristic, unique and unmistakable style, as an ordinary salad can be.

The eternal sauce, a proportion and composition virtually unchanged : 1 tbs oil, 1 tbs vinegar, 2 tbs water, salt and pepper. It's an authoritarian constant of all Romanian salads: by cabbage, tomatoes, mushrooms, lettuce, beans, so on.
The Bolero, which we'll interpret now, starts with an onion crushed on the corner of the table ("Beautiful crying the bride eyes"). This primordial sound, played in Re major by bucium*, is also described with a tenderness idyllic delirium in our literature as a first basically gastronomic value.
Supreme? Absolute? It is followed by a drop of vinegar and one of oil, which was associated with the appropriate blid**, like a sociable horn sound .
If it's blid and thin sliced onion, it's adding to it, just from sympathy, the trumpets: one tomatoe, maybe two, divided into thin slices. It's good to be firm and ripe (never green, never soft).
It follows a pinch of powder pepper , as a gentle murmur of a sweet piccolino sound .
Where are onions, tomatoes, vinegar, oil, pepper, salt, go 2 young cucumbers too , round like cellos, cut into thin slices, with three cloves of garlic, crushed like some serious tambourines .
Now, the conductor invites a piano forte in concert : two bell peppers, and a chilli, fortissimo,  transparent sliced ​​ and a chopped bouquet of dill, sweet as a harp. Finally, enter on the stage a piece of dry cottage cheese, as a hollowed organ and grated like a rain over all.
The symphony peaked, eardrums burst eardrums,  strings strain, 'blowers' no longer blow, the piano is not singing in piano style, the conductor lost up self-control and fainted with pleasure and excess.
Romanians eat salad like this:
1. They break a large kernel of bread, dip it in steak sauce and tamp it in their mouth.
2. Stick in a fork 5-11 fried potato slices , clogging them  among molars(there was place!).
3. Cut a hartan*** of fatter steak and push it with lust and hand inthe barn of mouth.
4. Only now comes the salad- from the fork teeth should not miss the tomatoe, onion, peppers, cucumber, a spot of garlic and a bit of cheese. If anything is missing, it's taken one more time.
5. To  the vinegar juice, it's reaching with a bite of bread, earlier soaked in bowl and thrown over what was in the mill of jaws.
6. The thing can't be swallowed, so that, the Mioritic man takes the cup with brandy, sucks about eight ghiogilturi **** crooking in pain as the thick node is running down on neck. Relieved and happy sighs, deeply touched he is wishing to all: "Yes Lord, when we are worse to be as now."


This sequence is a ritual and can't be changed,  only with the risk of the alienation of a sensitive and modest people, but reliable of its values ​​and qualities.

Legend:
bucium = horn
** blid = a traditionally plate
*** hartan = a big slice of...
**** ghiogilturi = an old regionalism meaning ...sips




Enjoy !


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