Зелена Земя/ Green Earth

Yes, another organic shop has opened in Sofia, but here is the kicker... the people involved have ethical principals and a mission statement about the kind of shop they want to operate, which for me holds more weight than other shops that have jumped on the commercialist bandwagon to offer products that people will pay a lot of money for.  Zelena Zemia, while a commercial venture will not bend on their convictions against exploitation and violence towards animals, promoting a healthy lifestyle, concern for the planet and environment, human rights and Fair Trade products.

Biodynamic Farming Lecture

This event was not my first exposure to the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, the father of biodynamic agricultural practices... I first became aware of biodynamics at The Culinary Institute of America.  It was one of our last classes in Gastronomy. We were learning about food production methods and the coverage of biodynamics was a mere dot on a map. The only things that I took away from the description was that they bury horns in cow manure and use a special calendar. Being that I am interested in farming and agriculture, I was determined to find out more. Through my involvement with Slow Food on Campus CIA, I managed to arrange a lecture and a visit to the Pfeiffer Center in Chestnut Ridge, NY.

Walnut Butter: A Comparison

When Angel and I inherited a village house in Gyueshevo from his father, we gained more than accommodations, we gained a yard filled with various fruit and nut trees. While we have such trees at our home 20km away in Kyustendil, these trees are different because their ours to do as we please. In 2009, when we were taking over the property, which had been abandoned for many, many years. All of the trees were sick and in need of basic trimming and care. Today the trees are still sick, but the walnut after some professional trimming has sprung back to life. We though it would never produce quality nuts, but nature has a way of sorting itself out!

Our walnut tree July & September 2010

Philippolis, Plovdiv

On Monday, I found out about Agra 2012, the annual agricultural expo in Plovdiv.  The fact that Angel and I are about to embark on a journey in sustainable farming, it would be very beneficial for us to find out about resources available in Bulgaria. For anyone doing internet research about companies in Bulgaria, you end up rather disappointed.

  

We were planning on spending a day in Plovdiv, so I thought we could visit a restaurant, which I could review.  It was incredibly difficult to find anything reliable about good places to eat in Plovdiv.  I even wrote on the EGL's Facebook page asking for advice or recommendation, which lead to nowhere.  So, I turned to Бакхус (Bacchus), Bulgaria's gourmet food and wine magazine that also hands out awards annually to chefs and restaurants in Bulgaria. There I found 14 restaurant options.  I scrolled through them and found a place with a lovely garden Restaurant-Garden Philippopolis, which I hoped would be open, since the weather was supposed to be pleasant and warm-ish.

SkaraBar

What I have found at SkaraBar is something completely different from any other establishments I have visited in Sofia or Bulgaria for that matter. To begin the place has a hip vibe that you would expect to find in a more cosmopolitan city, but the real gem for me is that the food and the concept is simple and well executed, grilled meat and seasonal salads made with the good ingredients and technique. The idea is something that more Bulgarian establishments should strive to achieve; take the ubiquitous grilled meats and make them something worthy of a proper restaurant, not just some after thought or quick grub in a shack between a tourist destination and a city.

Sushi Express

After a long day of strolling and exploring the streets of Sofia... the idea of what to have for dinner was upon us... walking home through from Петте Кьошета (Five Corners) toward our apartment, we passed a new addition, well, new for me.  My husband and I usually avoid sushi in Sofia and Bulgaria in general because the quality, price and availability of fresh fish is limited and sketchy to say the least.  Since I am pregnant, I am limited to cooked fish and vegetarian options, so I figured why not give them a try?

Annette - Rocking the Casbah

I have been to Annette on numerous occasions, but most of those visits were a few years ago.  To be honest Annette wasn't my first choice for lunch, but due to some unlucky circumstances, it was a very pleasing alternative.