In My Kitchen: Romanian Meat Pie

Dear Reader,

One of my recent goals has been to lean more intentionally on my cookbook collection when planning weekly meals. It’s easy to default to familiar family favorites or to quickly look up a new recipe online, but I have a massive cookbook library, and I want to make better use of it.

Lately, I’ve been cooking and baking my way through Carpathia: Food From the Heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu. Romania is one country I’ve never visited, but it’s high on my bucket list. Until then, I’m enjoying the chance to learn more about its cuisine from my own kitchen.

One meal I made the other night was plăcintă cu carne, a savory meat and mushroom pie. The yeasted dough is filled with sautéed onions, mushrooms, and ground beef, then flavored with paprika, parsley, and crushed tomatoes. The aroma and flavor were incredible, and I will definitely be making it again. I can even imagine a cold slice making a great snack, just as Irina says her family enjoys it.

Carpathia: Food From the Heart of Romania is an excellent addition to your collection if you’d like to explore Romanian cuisine in depth. The book covers a wide range of recipes, from appetizers to breads and desserts. It is part of a broader body of work by Irina Georgescu focused on Romanian and Eastern European food culture. Her baking-focused title, Tava: Eastern European Baking and Desserts From Romania & Beyond, explores traditional sweets and pastries, while her newest book, Danube: Recipes and Stories from Eastern Europe, delves into the foods and stories of the countries along the Danube River. I have and recommend all three. The recipes are well written, the photography is gorgeous, and the history and personal stories add rich context to every dish.

If you’d like a more in-depth flip-through of Carpathia: Food From the Heart of Romania, Irina gave me permission some time ago to share her recipe for Pască, a buttery braided brioche filled with a luscious cheesecake filling, in a dedicated video where I also review and flip through the book.

Below you’ll find a printable recipe for the meat and mushroom pie. I think it will be a welcome addition to your ground beef recipe rotation.

And be sure to check out my new e-book on Hungarian baking if you haven’t picked up a copy yet. Twenty-three copies have sold in less than a week, and I’m so grateful to everyone who has already supported it. You’ll find the link to purchase your own copy at the bottom of the email.

Until next time, happy baking!

Kristin

In case you missed last Saturday’s email, my e-book on Hungarian home baking is finally here! Below is a preview of the recipes included in the book, along with a link to purchase it below.