Romania - Suchevitsa monastery

Romania - Suchevitsa monastery

Come and see for yourself.

A Legendary History

The very name "Romania" reminds us that ancient Rome exercised a decisive influence on this country and on the monuments of that era.


There are feudal fortresses, Byzantine decorated monasteries and adorned village houses to be admired, while "Dracula's" castle is only one among many other fascinating castles and palaces.

Living Cultural Traditions

You can see folk festivals in Transylvania that are genuine expressions of local culture, not merely staged for visitors. When you buy local woodcarvings or pottery you buy things made to give pleasure while in use, not just valueless souvenirs.

One of the many extraordinary aspects of this country is its vibrant rural culture. For decades the outside world heard little about it. Not that Romania's heritage is simply one of folk art! Bucharest used to be called the "Little Paris", and with good reason, too!

Today first class opera and concert halls, permanent art exibitions, like that of the sculpturer Brancusi, fine museums and galleries are all specific for Romania's new sophisticated artistic sensitivity.

Modern Facilities and Affordable Prices

Better still this is all backed up by the comfort of a widening range of hotels and restaurants, good domestic transportation by air, train and bus, and surprisingly low prices. Going to the opera is quite affordable, let alone local dishes and wines. Romania is fun to visit. Come and see for yourself.

beauty- romania- maria's collections

appetizers

Chicken liver pate/
Pateu din ficat de pasare

1 goose liver or 2-3 chicken livers, 2 onions or to taste, 5 oz/150 g butter, pickled peppers and cucumbers, 1 hard boiled egg

Cut the onions in quarters. Place into a small saucepan with one tablespoon of butter, the liver and a few tablespoons of water. Cover and let boil until all liquid evaporates. Let cool and then grind the liver and onions. Mix this paste with the rest of the butter until creamy. Add salt, then place on a plate, smoothing the top. Garnish with the pickled peppers and cucumbers and slices of the egg.

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Chicken, jellied/
Piftie de pasare

3 lbs/1,5 kg poultry, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery root, 1 parsnip, 2 bay leaves, 3-4 juniper berries, gelatine as needed, juice from one lemon, salt

Poultry jellies are prepared the same way as pork ones with the exception that you add only as much water as to cover the poultry pieces because they take less to boil. If, after boiling, the liquid is not stickly and gluey, add some gelatine. Divide the meat and place in a few deep plates. Garnish with some thin lemon slices. Strain the liquid and add on top of the meat. Place the plates in a cool place to gel. This recipe can be made with hen, rooster or goose. The tastiest one, though, is that made from turkey meat.

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Cottage cheese with dill/
Urda cu marar

1/2 lb/250 g cottage cheese, 2 oz/50 g butter, 1 tablespoon minced dill, salt

Mix the cheese with the butter and salt until it becomes a paste. Add the minced dill and mix well. Use this to fill sandwiches. You can also serve with green onions.

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Dried beans with mayo/
Fasole boabe cu maioneza

14 oz/400 g dried beans, 1 big onion, salt, pepper, mayo, beets (pickled peppers, cucumbers)

Choose large beans for this recipe. Presoak the night before. The following day, drain and boil. After the first boil, change the water. This time start with warm water. Repeat this three times. The last time add salt. When ready, let cool in the water, then drain completely. Place in a bowl, add a little pepper, a finely chopped onion, salt. Mix with mayo and set in the serving bowl. Garnish with pickled beets, peppers or cucumbers.

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Herring or mackarel pancakes/
Chiftelute din heringi sau scrumbii sarate

2 herrings, 1 egg, 2 crustless slices of white bread, 1 onion, 1 tablespoon parsley and dill, 2 tablespoon oil, bread crumbs

Wash the fish well, slit lengthwise and keep them in tepid water for 5-6 hours. Take out of the water, remove all skin and bones. Then grind together with the raw onion and the bread soaked in milk or water and squeezed of excess liquid. Mix this with the egg, parsley and dill and make pancakes. Cover in bread crumbs and fry in hot oil. Serve hot.

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Herring paste with apples/
Pasta de heringi cu mere

1 big herring, 2 tablespoon butter, 1 big apple, 1 hard boiled egg, lettuce

Slit the fish lengthwise and keep in warm water for 5-6 hours. Then wash, skin and debone the fish. Remove the head and tail but keep them. Chop or grind the fish very fine. Sieve the hard boiled yolk and then mix with butter. Add the ground fish and make a paste. Then add the grated apple and mix some more. Place the paste on a long serving plate and shape it like a fish. Put the head and tail where they belong. Sprinkle the finely chopped egg white on top. Decorate with lettuce leaves placed around the fish paste. You can also use this paste for sandwiches.

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Herring paste with walnuts/
Pasta de heringi cu nuci

1 herring, 12 ground walnuts, 2 crustless slices of white bread soaked in water with a little vinegar, 1/2 grated onion, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 3 tablespoon oil

Wash the fish, skin and debone it. Then grind or chop very fine. Place the fish paste in a bowl and mix with the soaked and squeezed bread, gradully adding the oil. After the oil is used up, add the onion, vinegar, walnuts and mix well. Place the mixture on a long serving plate, shaping like a fish. Put the head and tail where they belong. Keep cold until serving.

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Liver pate with mushrooms/
Pateu de ficat cu ciuperci

1 lb/500 g veal liver, 1 lb/500 g mushrooms, 2 onions, 10 oz/300 g butter, salt, pepper, 1 hard boiled egg, olives (pickled peppers), parsley

Clean, wash and cut the mushrooms in big pieces. On the bottom of a pot, place 2 teaspoons of butter, the quartered onions, the mushrooms, the liver cut in big pieces and two tablespoons of water. Cover and boil over slow heat, shaking the pot from time to time. When there is no liquid left, take off the heat, cool, then grind everything. Place the butter in a bowl and add the ground mixture. Mix until creamy, add salt, pepper and place on a serving plate, smoothing the top. Garnish with slices of egg. On the yolk, place an olive or piece of pickled pepper and a parsley leaf.

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Mosaic bread/
Piine mozaic

5 oz/150 g butter, 5 oz/150 g canned sardines, 5 oz/150 g lean ham, 4 oz/100 g Swiss cheese, 10 olives, 1/2 pickled pepper, 1 small French baguette, 1/2 cup milk

Grind the sardines, 1/3 of the ham and an egg-sized piece of crustless bread, soaked in milk and squeezed dry. Mix everything with the butter until creamy and homogeneous. Cut the rest of the ham, Swiss cheese, olives and pickled pepper in small cubes and mix with the prepared paste. Regrigerate. During this time, cut the heels of the baguette and take the soft bread inside out, leaving about half an inch of bread below the crust. Then fill with the refrigerated paste. Refrigerate. Cut with a very sharp knife in thin slices about half an inch thick. It is better prepared one day in advance. -

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Mushrooms filled with brains/
Ciuperci umplute cu creier

12 stuffing mushrooms, 1/2 veal brain, 2 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon minced parsley, 1 egg, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

Wash and salt the mushrooms. Chop the stems not too fine and fry in 1 1/2 tablespoon of butter until soft. Boil the brain in salted water, remove the membranes, crush with a fork and mix well with the egg. Add the fried mushrooms, parsley, pepper, a little salt to the paste obtained and mix well. Fill the stuffing mushrooms with this mixture. Spread some breadcrumbs and then melted butter on each of them and then place in a buttered dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

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Mushrooms on French toast/
Ciuperci pe friganele

2 lbs/1 kg mushrooms, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon minced dill, 2 tablespoon butter, salt. For French toast: 1 small French baguette, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Wash and chop the mushrooms. Melt some butter in a pan and then fry them with the dill and salt. When ready, take off the heat and add a beaten egg. Mix well. Prepare the French toast and place a thick layer of mushrooms on top of them, smoothing with a knife. Then bake the pancakes for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

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Mushrooms, jellied, with mayo/
Ciuperci cu gelatina si maioneza

2 lbs/1 kg mushrooms, 1 onion, 1 teaspoon butter, gelatine, salt, mayo

Wash and julienne the mushrooms. Place in a pot with a whole onion, one teaspoon of butter and salt. Cover with water and let boil until the mushrooms are soft. Remove the onion and strain. Leave the mushrooms aside and strain again through cheesecloth. Add gelatine to this liquid (one tablespoon of gelatine for each cup). Heat until the gelatine is melted. Place the mushrooms on the bottom of a deep plate (or several smaller molds). Pour the gelatine liquid on top. Strain when pouring. Regrigerate so that it gels. Serve with mayo.

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Peppers filled with cheese/
Ardei grasi umpluti cu brinza

Same quantities as for Tomatoes stuffed with cheese

Wash, dry and core the peppers. Remove all seeds. Then proceed as for Tomatoes stuffed with cheese.

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Pork, jellied/
Piftie de porc

3 lbs/1,5 kg pork feet and/or head, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 parsnip, 1 parsley root, 1 celery root, 2 bay leaves, 3-4 juniper berries, 3-4 garlic cloves, salt

Wash and clean the feet and/or head. If hairy, singe. Split the feet in two lengthwise and break the head with the mallet. Place in a large pot and cover with water so that there are 3-4 inches of water above the pork pieces. Boil over slow to medium heat. Remove the foam as it forms. Then add salt, vegetables, bay leaves and juniper berries. Cover the pot almost completely. Boil until the meat falls off the bones. Remove the bones and place the meat on the bottom of one or several deep plates. Chop the garlic, add some salt and mix with the meat broth. Strain and then pour on top of the meat in plates. Refrigerate so that it gels. To obtain a nice, clear jelly you have to boil slowly, with the pot almost covered. The tastiest pork jelly is made out of pork feet and ears. You can use beef feet or a mixture of pork and beef feet. Back to Chicken, jellied

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Stuffed eggs/
Oua umplute

6 eggs, 2 oz/60 g butter, 1 teaspoon finely minced parsley, salt, pepper, lettuce

Hard boil the eggs, shell and cut them in two lengthwise after they are cool. Carefully remove the yolks and place them in a bowl. Mix them with the butter. Add parsley, salt and pepper and then use the paste to fill the egg whites. Spread some chopped parsley on top. Arrange the stuffed eggs on a bed of lettuce on a plate.

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Stuffed eggs with cheese/
Oua umplute cu brinza

6 eggs, 1 raw yolk, 2 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoon grated sheep cheese, 1 teaspoon minced dill, salt, dill

Hard boil the eggs and let cool. Shell and cut them in two lengthwise. Remove the yolks and place in a bowl. Mix with butter, adding a raw yolk, the cheese and salt. Fill the whites with this paste. Spread some chopped dill on top. Arrange the stuffed eggs on a platter and decorate with dill sprigs around the eggs.

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Stuffed eggs with fish paste/
Oua umplute cu pasta de peste

6 eggs, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 tablespoon oil, fish paste to taste, 6 olives, lettuce

Hard boil the eggs and let cool. Shell and cut them in two lengthwise. Remove the yolks and place in a bowl. Mix with the oil poured drop by drop. Add the fish paste and mix. Then add the mustard. Fill the whites and arrange on a plate. On each egg half place half an olive cut to make a flower. Decorate the plate with some lettuce leaves.

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Stuffed eggs with mayo/
Oua umplute cu maioneza

6 eggs, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon sour cream, salt, pepper, mayo, pickled peppers (olives), lettuce

Hard boil the eggs, shell and let cool. Cut in half crosswise, remove the yolks and place them in a bowl. Mix the yolks with the butter and sour cream. Add salt and pepper. Fill each egg half and arrange filled side down on a plate on which you previously put mayo. On top of each egg, place a piece of pickled pepper or olive, cut to make a flower. Decorate around the eggs with chopped lettuce.

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Stuffed eggs with mustard/
Oua umplute cu mustar

6 eggs, 2 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon minced dill, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, 6 olives

Hard boil the eggs, shell and let cool. Cut in two lengthwise. Remove the yolks and mix them with the oil poured drop by drop. Add the salt, sugar, mustard and the chopped dill. Fill each white half with this paste and garnish each with half an olive.

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Stuffed eggs with sour cream sauce I/
Oua umplute cu sos de smintina I

12 slices French baguette, a little lard, 6 eggs, 2 tablespoon sour cream, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 small onion, salt, pepper. For sauce: 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup chicken stock, 2 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon minced dill, 2 tablespoon milk, salt

Hard boil the eggs, let cool, shell and cut in two lengthwise. Remove the yolks, put them in a bowl, crush them and mix with the onion which was previously sauted in a tablespoon of butter. Let cool, add the sour cream, salt and pepper. Fill the egg halves with this paste. Fry each baguette slice in lard, then remove the soft bread, leaving the crusts intact. Replace the bread taken out with the stuffed egg half. Place on a platter and pour the hot sauce on top. Sauce: Fry the flour with the butter for a short time, add the stock and let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the yolks, mixing with a spoon, then add the milk, dill and salt.

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Stuffed eggs with sour cream sauce II/
Oua umplute cu sos de smintina II

6 eggs, 1 raw yolk, 1 crustless slice of white bread soaked in milk, 1 teaspoon butter, 1 finely chopped and sauted in butter onion, finely minced parsley and dill, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs, lettuce. For sauce: 1 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon flour.

Hard boil the eggs, let cool, shell and then cut in two lengthwise. Remove the yolks. Place the yolks in a bowl and mix with the butter, raw yolk, bread, parsley and dill. At the end, add the onion, salt and pepper. Fill the egg halves with this mixture so as to resemble one whole egg. Toss with breadcrumbs and fry in butter. After they are ready, place in a pan and pour the sour cream well mixed with the flour on top. Let boil at slow heat. Serve warm, on a plate decorated with lettuce.

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Tomatoes stuffed with cheese/
Rosii umplute cu brinza

1 lb/500 g tomatoes, 4 oz/100 g butter, 1 tablespoon minced dill, a few big tomatoes, salt. Back to Peppers filled with cheese

Drain the cheese well and mix with the butter and salt. Choose firm and round tomatoes, cut a slice on top and remove the inside with all the seeds. Fill with the cheese mixture, then spread a little dill on top. Refrigerate. Back to Peppers filled with cheese.

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Tomatoes stuffed with eggplant/
Rosii umplute cu vinete

1 big eggplant, 2 onions, 3 tablespoon oil, tomatoes, salt, pepper, parsley

Bake the eggplant, let it drain well, and chop with a wooden or glass chopper. Set in a bowl and mix with the oil poured little by little. Add finely chopped onion, salt and pepper. Choose small and firm tomatoes and remove the inside with all the seeds. Fill with the eggplant mixture, then place all stuffed tomatoes on a platter and decorate them with a sprig of parsley for each tomato. You can also use stuffing peppers instead of tomatoes.

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Tomatoes stuffed with vegetables/
Rosii umplute cu zarzavat

3 boiled potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 parsnip, 1 celery root, 2-3 tablespoon peas (optional), 1 chopped onion, mayo, tomatoes, salt, lettuce

Boil all the vegetables except the onion, tomatoes and lettuce. Let cool then cube everything and mix with the chopped onion and salt. Mix the vegetables with mayo and then stuff the tomatoes from which the insides have been removed, with the mixture. Refrigerate. When serving, place them on a bed of chopped lettuce.

Romanian salad

Beef salad/
Salata de boeuf

4-5 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 parsley root, 1 parsnip (optional), 1 large celery root, a handful of green peas, 2 pickles, 1/2 lb/250 g poultry breast or beef sirloin, salt. For mayo: 1 hard boiled yolk, 3 raw yolks, 1/2 lb/250 g oil, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice

You get the best beef salad by boiling the vegetables with the meat (soup). Cube the potatoes and all other vegetables. The same goes for the meat and pickles. Place all in a bowl, add the peas, salt and let rest until you prepare the mayo. Sieve a hard boiled egg. Place it in a bowl. Add a little oil, mix with a spoon, add a raw yolk and add oil, a little at a time, stirring continuously in the same direction. When it starts to thicken, add another raw yolk and again oil a little at a time. Do this until all yolks and all oil is used up. Then add mustard, a little at a time and stirring continuously and the lemon juice, again stirring continuously. Add 3/4 of the mayo to the meat and vegetable mixture and mix well. Add salt if needed. Arrange on a serving platter. Smooth with a knife and then cover with the rest of the mayo. Garnish with a few olives, hard boiled egg white, or egg slices, pickled red peppers, parsley, etc. Try to shape flowers, other designs.

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Brains salad/
Salata de creier

1 beef or veal brain, juice from 1/2 lemon, 4 oz/100 g oil, salt, pepper, a few olives, parsley

Keep the brain in cold water for an hour. Remove the membrane and set to boil in warm salt water. Boil for 15-20 minutes. Let cool and then mix with oil, adding it a little at a time. Use a wooden spoon. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, and then garnish with pitted olives and some parsley sprigs.

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Cabbage salad/
Salata de varza alba

1 medium cabbage, 2 tablespoons oil, 2-3 tablespoons vinegar, salt

Julienne the washed cabbage. Rub it with salt until soft. Squeeze excess liquid. Mix with oil, vinegar and salt (if needed). Serve with roasts.

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Cauliflower salad/
Salata de conopida

1 medium cauliflower, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt

Wash the cauliflower, divide in flowerets and boil in salt water. Drain and place in salad bowl. Pour a dressing made of oil, vinegar and salt on top.

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Celery and apple salad/
Salata de telina cu mere

2-3 celery roots, 2-3 apples, 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar to taste, salt

Julienne the peeled and washed celery and mix with the peeled and thinly sliced apples. Add oil, vinegar and salt.

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Dried beans salad/
Salata de fasole boabe

1/2 lb/250 dried beans, 2 tablespoons oil, 2-3 tablespoons vinegar, 1 big onion, salt, pepper

Boil and cool the beans. Drain and then mix with chopped onion. Add oil, salt, vinegar and some pepper.

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Eggplant and bellpepper salad/
Salata de vinete cu gogosari

2 big eggplants, 4 onions, 3 tablespoons oil, 1 lb/500 g tomatoes, 4 peppers, 4 bellpeppers

Prepare as for fried eggplant salad.

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Eggplant salad/
Salata de vinete

2 big eggplants, 1 onion (to taste), 3-4 tablespoons oil, a pinch of pepper (optional), salt, green pepper, tomatoes

Roast the eggplants, peel while still hot and then leave on a slanted cutting board to drain. Chop with a wooden or glass chopper, place in a bowl and then mix, using a wooden spoon, with a little oil at a time, until it whitens and becomes foamy. Add finely chopped onions (to taste), pepper and salt. Place in a a salad bowl or on a plate and garnish with tomato slices and rounds of green pepper.

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Fried eggplant salad/
Salata de vinete prajite

2 big eggplants, 5-6 onions, 5 tablespoons oil, 28 oz/750 g tomatoes, 5 roasted peppers (peeled and sliced), salt

Roast the eggplants, peel while still hot and then leave on a slanted cutting board to drain. During this time, boil the tomatoes and strain, roast the peppers, peel them and cut into very thin strips. Finely chop the onions and then fry in hot oil until soft. Add the chopped eggplants, pepper strips, tomato paste and salt. Continue frying, stirring continuously, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Arrange on a plate and serve cold.Back to Eggplant and bellpepper salad

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Fried peppers salad/
Salata de ardei prajiti

12 peppers, 5 onions, 1 lb/500 g tomatoes, 3 tablespoons oil, salt

Wash the peppers, take the cores out and cut into very narrow strips. Chop the onions and fry in hot oil until soft. Add the peppers and tomato paste made from 1 lb/500 g tomatoes. Adjust the salt and let fry at slow heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve cold.

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Green beans salad/
Salata de fasole verde

28 oz/750 g green beans, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt, 2 minced garlic cloves (to taste), parsley

Clean, wash and boil the beans. Drain, place in salad bowl and mix with oil, vinegar, salt and garlic to which 2-3 from the beans boiling liquid has been added. Garnish with a few sprigs of parsley.

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Health salad/
Salata Sanatatea

2 cucumbers, 2 big apples, 2 medium carrots, 2 tomatoes, one heart of a big lettuce, juice from 1/2 lemon, 2 tablespoons oil, salt

Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers and apples. Wash, clean and grate the carrots. Wash and tear the lettuce into small pieces. Mix all these with salt, lemon juice and oil. Place in the salad bowl and decorate with tomato slices.

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Leek salad/
Salata de praz

3-4 leeks, salt, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar

Wash the leeks and cut into thin rounds. Salt and add oil and vinegar.

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Potato salad I/
Salata de cartofi I

1 lb/500 g potatoes, 2 onions, 1 pickle, 1 hard boiled egg, 2-3 tablespoons oil, vinegar to taste, salt

Wash, boil, peel and let cool the potatoes. Then slice very thinly and mix with salt, thinly sliced onions, pickle rounds, oil and vinegar. Place in salad bowl and garnish with rounds of hard boiled egg. You can also add some tomato slices.

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Potato salad II/
Salata de cartofi II

14 oz/400 g potatoes, 2 onions, 1 herring, 2 oz/50 g olives, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, salt (if needed)

Wash, boil, peel and let cool the potatoes. Then slice and mix with the boned, desalted and thinly sliced herring, with the olives, chopped onions, oil and vinegar.

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Radish salad/
Salata de ridichi de luna

3-4 bunches of radishes, 1 hard boiled egg, 2-3 tablespoons sour cream, salt

Wash and thinly slice the radishes. Sieve the yolk and mix with sour cream; pour onto the radishes. Add thinly sliced egg white, salt and mix well.

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Red cabbage salad/
Salata de varza rosie

1 medium red cabbage, 2 tablespoons oil, 2-3 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, salt

Wash and julienne the cabbage. Mix with salt and rub with your hands until soft. Add oil, vinegar and sugar. Mix well. Another way: scald the chopped cabbage with boiling water and then let sit for 10-15 minutes. Drain and mix the cabbage with the oil, vinegar salt and sugar. Serve with roasts.

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Roasted peppers salad I/
Salata de ardei copti I

12 nice peppers, 2-3 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, salt, a few tomatoes Back to Roasted peppers salad II

Roast the peppers, turning on all sides. Place in a pan, cover with a clean cloth and then a lid and let sit for 20 minutes. Peel, arrange in salad bowl, add salt, oil and vinegar and garnish with tomato slices. Back to Salad of roasted bellpeppers

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Roasted peppers salad II/
Salata de ardei copti II

Same quantities as for roasted peppers salad I

After the peppers are roasted and have sat covered, peel and remove core and all seeds. Cut into 1 inch thick strips, place in salad bowl, add oil, vinegar an salt. Decorate with seedless tomato slices.

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Salad of roasted bellpeppers/
Salata de gogosari copti

6 big bellpeppers, 2-3 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, salt

Prepare exactly as the roasted pepper salad I

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Salt herring and onion salad/
Salata de scrumbii sarate cu ceapa

2 medium herrings, 3 big onions, 4 oz/100 g olives, 2-3 tablespoons oil, 2-3 tablespoons vinegar

Split the herrings lengthwise on their belly, remove roe and keep in tepid water for 5-6 hours. Then wash in cold water, skin them starting from the head to the tail, remove the backbone with all big bones, cut in pieces about two fingers thick and then arrange them side by side on a long platter, so that to resemble the whole fish. Peel the onions, keep them in cold water and then slice very thinly. Arrange the onion slices around the fish and on top of them the pitted olives. Pour the oil and vinegar dressing.

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Spring salad/
Salata primavara

5-6 small Boston lettuce, 2 bunches radishes, 1 bunch carrots, 4 big potatoes, 3 hard boiled eggs, 2 bunches green onions, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, salt

Wash the lettuce, cut it in pieces, arrange in a salad bowl, add carrots, radishes and the boiled potatoes, everything sliced very thinly. Then add the sliced onions and sliced hard boiled eggs. Mix the sour cream with the lemon juice, sugar and salt. 5 minutes before serving, mix the vegetables with this dressing. You can also prepare this salad with mayo instead of sour cream. In this case, add just two sliced hard boiled eggs and prepare a mayo from the other two eggs.

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Taramasalata of salt herring roe/
Salata de icre din scrumbii sarate

Roe from one herring, 1 teaspoon grated onion, juice from 1/2 lemon, one crustless slice of moistened bread, 1/2 cup oil, 2 tablespoons club soda

Crush the roe with a fork in a small bowl. Remove the membranes and mix with the moistened and then squeezed bread. Mix in the same direction, adding the oil drop by drop. After all the oil is used up, add the grated onions, lemon juice, mix, adding the club soda last. Garnish with pitted olives cut to resemble flowers.

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Vinaigrette I/
Vinegreta I

1 small beet, 3-4 big potatoes, 1 carrot, a handful of green peas or dry beans, 1 pickle, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 onion, 3 tablespoons oil, vinegar to taste, salt

Boil separately the beet, potatoes, carrot and peas or beans. Let cool. Thinly slice the potatoes, carrot and beet and then mix with the peas or beans, chopped onion, and rounds of hard boiled eggs and pickle. Add salt, oil and vinegar. Mix well and let stand at least an hour to mix the flavors. Arrange in salad bowl. Back to Vinaigrette II


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Vinaigrette II/
Vinegreta II

1 small beet, 3-4 big potatoes, 1 carrot, a handful of green peas or dry beans, 1 pickle, 1 onion, 1 herring, 4 oz/100 g olives, 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar to taste, salt if needed

Prepare as vinaigrette I. Keep the herring in warm water for 5-6 hours, with the belly split open. Remove all bones, cut into finger thick strips and add to the salad. Arrange everything in the salad bowl and garnish with olives.


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Vitamin salad/
Salata Vitamina

1 carrot, 1 medium celery root, 2 small cucumbers, 1 big apple, 3 nice tomatoes, 5-6 ripe plums (or 2-3 tablespoons of pitted sour cherries), 1/2 cup sour cream, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1 teaspoon confectioner's sugar, salt

Clean the carrot and celery root, julienne, place in a salad bowl, add thinly sliced cucumbers and apple, peeled, seeded and sliced tomatoes, sliced plums or pitted sour cherries. Mix everything with the sour cream to which you added lemon juice, sugar and salt, just before serving.

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Zuchini salad I/
Salata de dovlecei I

3 zuchini, 1 onion (to taste), 3 tablespoons oil, vinegar (to taste), salt, pepper, tomatoes, dill

Wash and clean the zuchini, cut into pieces and set to boil in salt water. After they get soften, let drain and cool. Then squeeze dry and chop with a wooden chopper. Then place in a bowl and beat with oil just like the eggplant salad. Add finely chopped onion, pepper, salt and a little vinegar. Arrange on a plate and garnish with tomato slices and some chopped dill.

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Zuchini salad II/
Salata de dovlecei II

3-4 zuchini, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 minced garlic cloves (to taste), salt, some parsley and dill

Clean and wash the zuchini, then cut in medium sized pieces. Boil in salt water. When ready, drain, place in the salad bowl, pour oil, vinegar, garlic and 2-3 tablespoons from the boiling liquid. Garnish with some chopped parsley and dill.

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Fish sour soup s

Fish sour soup with sauerkraut liquid/
Ciorba de peste cu zeama de varza

1 lb/500 g fish, 0.5 qt/0,5 l water, sauerkraut juice, 1 carrot, 1 parsley root, 1 onion, lovage, salt

Set to boil the vegetables. When they are almost done, add the sauerkraut juice. Adjust for taste, mixing in some more water or some more sauerkraut juice. After it comes to a boil, remove foam, add the fish cut in pieces and let boil, slowly, for 25-30 minutes. Add lovage.

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Fisherman's soup/
Ciorba pescareasca

1.5 qts/1,5 l water, 0.5 qt/0,5 l borsh, 1 lb/500 g various fish, 5-6 pieces of carp, 1 carrot, 1 parsley root, 1 big onion, salt, pepper

Finely chop the vegetables and boil. When ready, strain and remove the vegetables. Add the various types of fish, chopped in small pieces; strain the fish pieces liquid into another pot. Strain the fish, removing all bones at the same time. Set the pot to boil and add the carp pieces, salt and pepper. After 15-20 minutes, when the fish is done, add the separately boiled borsh and the greens, letting it all boil for a few more minutes. It may be served warm or cold.

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Soup (sour) with carp/
Bors de crap

Head and tail of a carp, 2 qts/2 l water, 0.5 qt/0,5 l borsh, 1 small carrot, 1 small parsley root, 1 big onion, 1 tablespoon rice, chopped parsley and dill

Set to boil the finely chopped vegetables, adding the rice too. When the vegetables are almost done, add the fish (usually the middle parts are kept for frying or other fish recipes), the separately boiled borsh and the salt. Let boil, at low temperature, until the fish is done (15-20 minutes). Add the greens. It may be served hot or cold.

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Soup (sour) with fish balls/
Bors cu perisoare de peste

2 qts/2 l water, 0.5 qt/0,5 l borsh or sauerkraut juice, 1 lb/500 g carp or pike, 1 carrot, 1 parsley root, 2 onions, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon oil, crustless slice of white bread, 1 tablespoon chopped mixed parsley and dill, salt, pepper

Set to boil thinly sliced onion, carrot and parsley root, together with the head and tail from the fish. Skin the rest of the fish, debone and grind together with an onion slightly fried in oil and the slice of bread that was moistened in milk or water and then squeezed. Mix with an egg, some chopped greens, salt and pepper and make fishballs. After the fish head and tail and the vegetables are done, strain the liquid and remove the vegetables. Also remove the meat off the head and tail, sieve and add to the liquid. Set to boil, adding the fishballs made from the ground fish mixture, borsh or sauerkraut juice. When it is almost done, add the chopped greens.

Culture of Romania

Culture of Romania


The culture of Romania is rich and varied. Like Romanians themselves, it is fundamentally defined as the meeting point of three regions: Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans, but cannot be fully included in any of them. The Romanian identity formed on a substratum of mixed Roman and quite possibly Dacian elements (although the latter is controversial), with many other influences. During late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the major influences came from the Slavic peoples who migrated and settled in nearby Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine and eventually Poland and Russia; from medieval Greeks and the Byzantine Empire; from a long domination by the Ottoman Empire; from the Hungarians; and from the Germans living in Transylvania. Modern Romanian culture emerged and developed over roughly the last 250 years under a strong influence from Western culture, particularly French and German culture.

Sea Resorts

Mamaia is the major Romanian resort on the Black Sea, and a great choice for families, as it provides various possibilities of entertainment and facilities for summer and beach sports. It is well-known for having the finest sand and the smoothest beach along the entire Romanian Sea coast.

In the evening, the multitude of restaurants, discos and night-clubs might be a pleasant temptation. Mamaia hosts the house of Radio Holidays, broadcasting in several languages.
Eforie-Nord is protected by off-shore dams that prevent sea waves and currents to reach the sea-walls. The sapropelic mud of the nearby Techirghiol lake prove to help those willing to treat their rheumatic and dermatological ailments.
Costinesti is the summer capital of youth, since it opens on the 1st of May and attracts a great deal of young people, who create there a particularly pleasant, lively and informal atmosphere.
Neptun and Olimp, situated near a beautiful thick wood and in the vicinity of two sweet water lakes, are probably the best locations on the Romanian Black Sea coast. They used to be privileged oases of leisure for the 'upper classes' of Ceausescu's government. Actually, Ceausescu's former summer residence is still there. Facilities in Neptun and Olimp are excellent, with numerous sports grounds, taverns, restaurants, cabarets and clubs. South of Neptun, other resorts like Jupiter, Cap Aurora, Venus and Saturn are the ideal destinations for budget holidays.
Mangalia, only 8 km north of the border to Bulgaria, is as old as Constanta, as it was also founded in the 6th century B.C. under the name of Callatis. It is situated at the same latitude as the famous Mediterranean resorts of Nice, Monaco or San Remo. The natural cure factors for which Mangalia is known are the water of the Black Sea, which is chloridated, sulphated, sodic and hypotonic, as well as the sulphurous, bicarbonated, calcic, mesothermal mineral waters of its springs. A 282-room cure hotel i.e. Mangalia Hotel, stays open all year round.
Among touristic attractions, there are a Turkish Mosque, the Archaeological Museum, and the ruins of the ancient fortress of Callatis.
Several km to the south, in the summer, one can meet a Bohemian community, i.e. Romanian artists, actors, singers, dancers who come for a holiday in a secluded place, the peaceful village of Vama Veche, a traditional destination for those enjoying quiet beaches, sea swimming and naturism.

About the Romanian Black Sea Coast

Have you ever been to the Romanian seaside? If not, the following notes may encourage you to do so. If yes, they may be a good reason for you to come back. Anyway, as you may know, Romania will "host" the last total solar eclipse of this century on 11th August 1999 and the Romanian Black Sea coast is among the best locations to observe this uncommon astronomic phenomenon.
But Dobrudja and its access to the Black Sea may arouse visitors' interest and make them enjoy their stay there any other time of the year due to its unique mixture of natural sights and historic attractions. For in the area a pleasant surprise is to discover traditional villages and rural civilization not far from modern seaports, vineyards, orchards, ancient monuments and remnants along with a whole network of modern holiday resorts situated along the Romanian shore of the Black Sea. Warmed up by the sun all summer long, that is from May until September, the sea which has been called for centuries Pontus Euxinus or the Hospitable Sea is still there, awaiting for visitors to come and have a good time.
The main urban settlement of the area is Constanta, a seaport to the Black Sea and one of the most important cities of Romania, situated in the south-east of the country. Constanta, with its charter flights during the summer, is also accessible by road, by railway or by water. It is a lively city where one will find it worthwhile to spend a few days and learn about a glorious ancient past, or simply about day-to-day life in a Romanian trade and tourism destination.
Some 10 main resorts of the Romanian Black Sea shore are stringing southwards along the coast, while Mamaia lies a few thousand metres north to Constanta. Romanian Sea resorts rank among the very few beaches in Europe which can offer all day long sunlight. Romanian beaches are sloping gently under the waters of the sea, thus allowing sea-bathing and walking on the sea. The sand beaches are generally natural ones, 400-500 m wide at Mangalia and Techirghiol, and 50-200 m wide on the rest of the littoral. But beaches are not the only assets of the Black Sea coast. By storing it, the Black Sea influences the thermal aspect of local seasons along the coast, resulting in comparatively longer summers and mild autumns. The healing mud used in treatments is of a high therapeutic value. Last but not least, this entire complex of water, sand, air and sun is a beneficial one, with significant results in thalassotherapy and psamotherapy, which most often would work miracles for those come to restore their health. But medical therapy is not the only reason one may find to visit Romanian seaside resorts: they also provide a wide range of possibilities for leisure tourism, including tennis and miniature golf, bowling, riding horses or scooters. Leisure facilities of the Romanian resorts are mainly attractive for family tourism though Neptun and Olimp for instance are much appreciated for their lively nightlife in clubs, bars, taverns and discos. Between these two "extremes", youngsters will always prefer Costinesti, a youth "planet" with its own games, shows, contests and ways of entertainment

Iaşi Places of interest

Iaşi is an outstanding educational centre, and preserves some beautiful pieces of architecture, such as the Trei Ierarhi Church and the neo-Gothic Palace of Culture (the site of four museums - of History, of Technology, of Ethnography, and of Art). Many buildings in the old city centre were demolished during the Communist regime, with a few Soviet-style blocks of flats built in their stead.

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Churches
Iaşi is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Church Metropolitan bishopric of Moldavia, and of a Roman Catholic bishopric. The city houses more than 40 churches. The oldest one is Saint Nicholas, dating from the reign of Stephen the Great (1457-1504); perhaps the finest, however, are the 17th century older metropolitan church, Saint Spiridion and Trei Ierarhi, the last a curious example of Byzantine art, erected in 1635-1639 by Vasile Lupu, and adorned with countless gilded carvings on its outer walls and twin towers. Other beautiful churches, some surrounded by big walls, are: Galata (1581), Golia, St. Sava, Barnovschi, Bărboi (17th century), Cetăţuia (the end of the 17th century) and Frumoasa (18th century).

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Education, science
Iaşi is home to the oldest Romanian university (University of Iaşi), opened by (and nowadays named after) Domnitor Alexandru Ioan Cuza in 1860. The city is host to five universities, and is widely regarded as the cultural "heart" of the Old Kingdom (that is Moldavia, Wallachia, and Dobruja - the three regions comprising Romania until 1918).


Evening at the UniversityA society of physicians and natural historians has existed in Iaşi since the early part of the 19th century, and a number of periodicals are published. One of the oldest medical universities in Romania, founded in 1879, is in Iaşi. It is now known as the "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Besides the university, founded by Prince Alexander John Cuza in 1860, with faculties of literature, philosophy, law, science and medicine, there are schools of art and music; the university library, where the chief records of Romanian history are preserved; a chamber of commerce and several banks. The city is the headquarters of the 10th army corps. It has an active trade in metals, medical drugs (antibiotics), wine, preserved meat, textiles and clothing

Iaşi ------Romani: Yashi

Iaşi (pronunciation in Romanian: /jaʃʲ/, historically referred to as Jassy; Hebrew: יאשי, Hungarian: Jászvásár, Romani: Yashi) is the capital city of Iaşi County in north-eastern Romania, in the informal region of Moldavia.


Scholars have different theories on the origin of the name "Iaşi". Some argue that the name originates with the Sarmatian tribe Iazyges, one mentioned by Ovid as "Ipse vides onerata ferox ut ducata Iasyx/ Per media Istri plaustra bubulcus aquas" and "Jazyges et Colchi Metereaque turba Getaque/ Danubii mediis vix prohibentur aquis".

A nowadays lost inscription on a Roman milestone [1] found near Osijek, Croatia by Matija Petar Katancic [2] in the 18th century, mentions the existence of a Jassiorum municipium[3].

Another explanation is that the name originated from the Alanic tribe of Jassi. The Hungarian name of the city (Jászvásár) literally means "Jassic Market"; the antiquated Romanian name, Târgul Ieşilor (and the once-favoured Iaşii), may indicate the same meaning.

The city is first mentioned in a 1408 document by Moldavian Prince (Voivode) Alexandru cel Bun. However, as buildings older than 1408 existed and still exist (for example the Armenian Church built in 1385), it is believed that the city existed long before its first mentioning.

Around 1564, Prince Alexandru Lăpuşneanu moved the Moldavian capital from Suceava to Iaşi. Between 1561 and 1563, a school and a Lutheran church were founded by the Greek adventurer Prince, Ioan Iacob Heraclid. In 1640, Vasile Lupu established the first school in which the mother-tongue replaced Greek, and set up a printing press in the Byzantine Trei Ierarhi Church (Church of the Three Hierarchs; built 1635–39). In 1643, the first volume ever printed in Moldavia was issued in Iaşi.


Hotel Traian (1884), designed by Gustave EiffelThe city was burned down by the Tatars in 1513, by the Ottomans in 1538, by the Imperial Russian troops in 1686. In 1734, it was hit by the plague.

Through the Peace of Iaşi, the sixth Russo-Turkish War was brought to a close in 1792. A Greek revolutionary maneuver and occupation under Alexander Ypsilanti and the Filiki Eteria (1821, at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence) led to the storming of the city by the Turks in 1822. In 1844 there was a severe conflagration.

Between 1565 and 1859, the city was the capital of Moldavia; then, between 1859 and 1862, both Iaşi and Bucharest were de-facto capitals of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (the Danubian Principalities). In 1862, when the union of the two principalities was recognized under the name of Romania, the national capital was established in Bucharest. For the loss caused to the city in 1861 by the removal of the seat of government to Bucharest the constituent assembly voted 148,150 lei to be paid in ten annual instalments, but no payment was ever made.

Iaşi's primitive houses of timber and plaster were mostly swept away after 1860, when brick or stone came into general use, and better streets were cut through the network of narrow, unsanitary lanes.


Nicolae Tonitza - Sf. Spiridon Square (1906)During World War I, Iaşi was the capital of a severely reduced Romania for two years, following the Central Powers' occupation of Bucharest on December 6, 1916. The capital was returned to Bucharest after the defeat of Imperial Germany and its allies in November 1918.

In May 1944, Iaşi became the scene of ferocious fighting between Romanian-Nazi German forces and the advancing Soviet Red Army. The elite German Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland won an impressive defensive victory at the Battle of Târgul Frumos, a location near Iaşi. The battle was the object of several NATO studies during the Cold War. By July, Iaşi had been taken by Soviet forces.

Romania Overview

Romania Overview


Romania's modern history is as haunting as its old Dracula legend: The brutal reign of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu ended in 1989, but the country is still plagued by a past of poverty and political uncertainty. Its capital, Bucharest, is only just beginning to break from the post-communist nightmare of polluting traffic, massive potholes, roaming dogs and panhandling children. And yet Romania remains appealing to visitors, offering an entirely different culture from what you'll find elsewhere in Europe. It has some of the most stunning mountain scenery on the continent, and many parts of the countryside seem untouched by modern history. For adventurous travelers, the eerie castles, charming medieval villages and painted monasteries hidden away in deep forests more than make up for the often drab cities and the irritating bureaucracy that lingers from the country's communist past.

Jewish Heritage

Jewish Heritage

Romania is home to more than 800 Synagogues and several cemeteries. Most Synagogues are still used by the small local Jewish communities scattered throughout the country. Jewish Heritage sites of particular interest are located in the following cities: Bucharest, Arad, Bacau, Baia Mare, Botosani, Brasov, Campulung Moldovenesc, Cluj-Napoca, Constanta, Dorohoi, Galati, Iasi, Oradea, Piatra Neamt, Roman, Satu Mare, Sighetu Marmatiei, Timisoara, Targu Mures and Targu Neamt.

One of the most prominent names in contemporary Jewish history is Elie Wiesel, who was born in Sighetu Marmatiei, Maramures. His childhood home has been restored, and it is open to visitors. Nearby is the community's 19th Century Synagogue.

Bucharest's synagogues include the Choral Temple, built in 1857, still serving Bucharest's small Jewish community (it is noted for its magnificent Moorish turrets, choir loft and organ) and the Great Synagogue, dating from 1850, which now houses the Jewish History Museum with its remarkable centerpiece sculpture of a mourning woman (open Wednesday and Sunday).

Iasi, headquarters of Hacham Bashim in the 17th Century and one of the great European centers of Jewish learning during the 19th Century, has one remaining Synagogue, the Great Synagogue, built in 1671. It is no longer in use, but serves as a museum, open by appointment. Satu Mare's Great Synagogue, built in 1920, is still in use.

In Oradea, three imposing Synagogues remain from when this city was an important center of Romanian Jewish life.

In Satu Mare — the birthplace of Satmar Hasidim — the community of just 80 Jewish families keeps up its magnificent Synagogue, whose interior walls are completely covered with frescoes depicting biblical scenes.

For a list of Jewish Community Centers in Romania please contact the nearest embassy or consulate of Romania

Betting on the Future: Romania Wagers on its Students

The majority of young Romanian students in the field of Social Sciences, and especially those who are studying in Departments such as those of Political Science, Government, European Studies or International Relations, are preparing for a career in Diplomacy or Politics, while an insignificant number of students are enthusiastic about finding a job in the Public Administration. The immediate results may not have an important impact, but on long term, the “trend” might lead to a crisis of specialists.

And what is even worse, this adds to the well-known phenomenon of “brain drain”, a phenomenon first noticed during the 1960s when a mass and permanent emigration of highly skilled people (researchers, scientists, and even graduates) took place and proved detrimental for the economic growth and development of their countries of origin. A similar situation is the current emigration from South East Europe and Romania is not an exception, as statistics show; according to a 2000 survey, 66 percent of Romania’s students have been likely to emigrate (Tascu, Noftsinger, Bowers 2002).

It would be a very hard job to try to put in balance the good aspects of choosing to study in well developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom or France and the pro aspects that would convince you to stay home for a university degree. Anyway, the state has been forced not only to start thinking about ways of keeping the best students home, but, also, to develop an efficient plan that would motivate the international students to return after graduating and, in consequence, to use their talents, their professionalism and their ambitions on the benefice of their own country.

In this direction, an ambitious project, The “Romanian Government” Special Scholarship, has been developed by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that offers elite Romanian youngsters the possibility to perfect within prestigious universities in Western Europe and North America, attending Bachelor, master and Ph.D. classes with universities chosen by themselves, benefiting of financial support from the state and to build a public manager career in Romania afterwards. The programme has the goal of sustaining the modernization of public administration, by creating a professional and efficient corps of public servants, the one of public managers, by investing in the training of Romanian youngsters and by offering them management positions in the public administration upon return in the country, after graduation.

What is more, the “Romanian Government” Special Scholarship programme offers a viable alternative to the “brain drain”, by investing in the development of the intellectual capital and by creating opportunities for the Romanian youngsters to build a career in the country, in motivating circumstances that would stimulate the competitiveness and professionalism. The programme is in full compliance with the engagements assumed by the Romanian Government, through the updated Strategy of public administration reform acceleration, regarding the operability of the corps of public servants with a special statute, named public managers. The integration into the European Union requires the alignment of Romania to the European standards regarding the public administration, by offering a modern, transparent, efficient and responsible public service.

When I first heard about this scholarship in my last high school year, I was really excited given the fact that I really wanted to experience another educational system, and why not admit, powerfully influenced by the general wish of the young Romanians to leave Romania and maybe not to return for a while. It motivated me to apply for admission at some universities from the United Kingdom and France, but, in part due to the lack of scholarship contests, I did not manage to win the Special Scholarship on the first try. I was accepted by several British universities, but I still did not have the funding opportunity, so I decided to follow the courses of the University of Bucharest. A year after the first scholarship contest, I still had the faith that the contest could give me “a real chance”, just as their motto says, and I subscribed for the second time, with the university acceptance in my pocket, and I won a “Romanian Government” Special Scholarship for 3 years of Politics studies in London, beginning with September 2006. Meanwhile, by meeting all the winners of the scholarship and, also, by taking part in a special pre-departure orientation seminary this summer, I understood the main goals of the programme and how important is it for Romania that we respect our contracts, our promises to accelerate the reform and adapt as soon as possible to the E.U. integration exigencies.

Again, I must admit another wrong and juvenile thought I had, the thought that I would find a job opportunity in U.K. and I would not have to come back to Romania, as the Governmental programme would not achieve its goals. I really believed that the other scholars would only use the funding for study and would try as much as possible not to return. But, as I mentioned before, we had the opportunity to meet each other, to debate continuously, to share our ideas, to work as a real team of public managers and most important to realize that one might find it impossible to change what is wrong, but putting all of our forces together might prove that “impossible is nothing”. What is also important is the fact that the Public Administration can only become a constructive and progressive department of the state as long as more and more young people are beginning to understand its role and as well as the opportunity that it is able to give us. I trust that the “Romanian Government” Special Scholarship project will have a significant positive influence over the management in Public Administration, just like other projects that have yet to come.

There is nothing as inspiring as the feeling you get when you know that you are not the only one who wants to make a difference, that the hope for better days is daily carried on by people with a “different view”.

Support for the governing Alliance for Justice and Truth (DA) increased

Support for the governing Alliance for Justice and Truth (DA) increased this month in Romania, according to a poll by CURS. 45 per cent of respondents would vote for the coalition of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Party (PD) in the next legislative election, up two points since July.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is second with 22 per cent, followed by the Party of Great Romania (PRM) with 13 per cent, the New Generation Party (PNG) with six per cent, and the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (UDMR) with five per cent. Support is lower for the Conservative Party (PC), the National Initiative Party (PIN), and the Democratic National Peasant Party (PNTCD).

The alliance won the November 2004 parliamentary election, securing 132 seats in the 332-member Chamber of Deputies. DA candidate Traian Basescu won the presidential run-off in December 2004 with 51.23 per cent of the vote, defeating PSD contender Adrian Nastase. Basescu later appointed fellow alliance member Calin Popescu Tariceanu as prime minister.

On Sept. 26, the European Union (EU) announced that Romania and Bulgaria would become members of the continental group in 2007, but urged both countries to closely monitor issues such as food safety, EU subsidies and justice. Romania was also asked to create an anti-corruption agency.

Basescu discussed the situation, saying, "The process of accession is ahead of us and any illusion that accession equals prosperity is a serious error. Prosperity does not come free, it is a result of hard work and efforts."