Western PA Ethnic Cooking - Bulgarian - Part 8

Link page for parts 1-7 German, Scotch-Irish, Russian, Hungarian, African-American, Ukranian and Macedonian.

http://internationalfoodblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/western-pa-ethnic-cooking-links-to.html#.Ua-MJUC1GSo

  

  

  

  

  

  

PART 8 - Bulgarian

·         The Bulgarians emigrated to Western Pennsylvania from 1905 through World War II. 
·         Usually they were young male mill workers who stayed in boarding houses
·         Came to make enough money for relatives at home

·         1912-1923 – the most came because of the height of the Balkan War
·         Areas where they came from:
o   Sofia (west Bulgaria)
o   & central area of Bulgaria (known for its roses)
·         Macedonian and Bulgarians linked and settled in same areas
·         Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic
·         Bulgarian-Macedonian Beneficial Association began in 1935
·         Emphasis on learning and preserving tradision
·         Opened multiple bakeries:  One of them being West Homestead Baking Company
·         Known for Rye among other breads

Foods: 

·         Homemade yoghurt

·         Yoghurt cookies (korabeeki)

·         Cold cucumber Soup (tarator)

·         White Bean Soup (fasul or bop)

·         Strudels

o   Apple

o   Banitza dough (flaky strudel) with fillings

§  Cottage cheese

§  Spinach

§  Leek & cheese

  

Modern links for homemade Belgian yoghurt

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/bulgarian-yogurt-starter.html

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000176.html with a homemade yoghurt note pdf

http://creatingnirvanatoday.blogspot.com/2011/01/making-yogurt-at-home.html - more than you will ever want to know about yoghurt

  

Links for yoghurt cookies

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1825,152176-225192,00.html

http://www.myfudo.com/appetizers-recipes-organic-homemade-yogurt/

http://recipes-from-friends.com/dessert/cookie/yogurt.htm

  

Links for cold cucumber soup

http://girlsguidetobutter.com/2010/08/old-world-tuesday-the-bulgarian-cold-cucumber-soup/

http://homecookinginmontana.blogspot.com/2010/10/taratorbulgarian-cold-cucumber-soup.html

http://www.yummly.com/recipes/cold-cucumber-soup-with-yogurt

  

Links for white bean soup (bob chorba)

http://bulgarianchef.com/bob/

http://www.formerchef.com/2011/02/01/soup-swap-party-white-bean-soup-with-greens-and-homemade-italian-sausage/

http://www.bulgarianjourney.com/cooking-recipes-from-bulgaria.html 

(scroll down page; other good stuff here)

 

Strudels

Apple

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/mar/17/how-cook-perfect-apple-strudel

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-apple-strudel/

http://www.joepastry.com/2012/making-apple-strudel/

Banitza

http://www.bulgarianjourney.com/cooking-recipes-from-bulgaria.html 

(scroll down page; other good stuff here)

Cheese  http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/appetizersbeverages/r/cheesebanitza.htm

http://www.europeancuisines.com/Bulgarian-Banitsa-Cheese-Savory-Or-Sweet-Strudel