For this recipe, I use medium-grind cornmeal. Don’t use fine cornmeal, as it might make the mamaliga too mushy. We’re using a 4:1 water-to-cornmeal ratio to achieve a soft consistency.

To make them, a simple yeasted dough, often slightly sweetened, is rolled, filled and folded into a packet before it’s baked on a stone or pan-fried on a skillet or griddle.

500 ml or about 2 cups milk; 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla essence ; 120 gm or about ½ cup sugar; 4 large egg yolks; 30 gm or about ¼ cup cornstarch ...

Instructions. Cook the eggplants over an open flame for 10–15 minutes, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is burnt all over and the flesh is soft.

3. Cover the base with the oil and heat well. Sprinkle the chicken with salt generously, and fry the thighs in one layer for 15 minutes, turning often.

In the spring, immature curd cheese — which isn't available any other time of the year — is integrated into dishes. Lamb, often seen on Easter tables, is also used nose-to-tail in Romanian cooking.

Romanian ciorbă de varză acră (sour cabbage soup) sometimes includes cream or sausage and smoked meats, but this vegan recipe delivers a hearty, flavorful warmth with paprika-spiced vegetables.

In our conversation over the phone, Georgescu reflects on an old saying that succinctly describes the attraction of Romanian cuisine during the start of the 19th century.