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Irina Georgescu

@irinageorgescu.bsky.social
2.1K followers 149 following 211 posts

James Beard Award winning food writer and cookbook author. Culinary Tours in Transylvania. Website: irinageorgescu.com

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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Today at 6pm UK time, free Italian cookie class. I've teamed up with Domenica Marchetti to bring you news from Italy: regional cookies. I'll be baking one of her recipes while Domenica talks about the sweet regions of Italy. Free to join. Link here open.substack.com/live-stream/...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Culinary Tour in the Danube Delta. I'm organising one next year, in June. It's eight days, starting in Bucharest and going all the way to Crisan village and back. On the way, we'll explore northern Dobrogea and the charming Danube Delta. Eat, drink, visit, eat, repeat. Bookings opening soon, DM me.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
I'm thrilled to share my @washingtonpost.com article about Romania's beloved murături (pickles and fermented ingredients) and our love for sour flavors in soups and stews. It includes a recipe for Mâncare de castraveți acri—gherkin stew with pork and potatoes. Free link below wapo.st/4np62cQ
wapo.st
How sour ingredients unlock a world of flavor in home cooking
Sour foods add a fresh, tangy edge that makes every bite memorable.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Honoured. 🤗
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Judging at the Great Taste Awards in Dorset, so I took a walk after work in Shaftesbury. Gold Hill!
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Transylvanian caraway potato bread. I’m trying to let people know about this cookery class I’m teaching at Divertimenti in London on June 11th: Transylvanian Cuisine and Paprika Masterclass. This is one of the many dishes you’ll make and taste. See here www.divertimenti.co.uk/products/tra...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
I'll be hosting a Paprika Masterclass & Flavours of Transylvania cookery class at Divertimenti in London on June 11th. It's my first class here, so it feels particularly important. Here is what to expect on the evening (a feast!) www.divertimenti.co.uk/blogs/the-co...
divertimenti.co.uk
Guest Chef Takeover: Transylvania Flavours with Irina Georgescu
I invite you into the kitchen on Thursday 11th June to share a journey that’s deeply personal to me — a taste of Transylvania shaped by family, memory, and years of cooking and writing about this rema...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
What do we eat at Easter in Romania? One delicious answer is Drob. Although it is traditionally made with lamb offal, I have a family recipe with mushrooms that my mum used to make for me when I didn’t like the lamb version. Discover its story here: irinageorgescu.com/easter-mushr...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Gifts for Easter In Romania, Easter is a little like Christmas. We exchange gifts, which can also include books. If you are like us, here are three about Romania's culinary story: Carpathia, Tava and Danube. Available worldwide, whether online or in bookshops, in English and other languages.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
I wrote this recipe for BBC Good Food Magazine, and it’s one I’m especially fond of. In Romania, we love cooking with fermented vegetables, and these sauerkraut cabbage leaves are a perfect example of that tradition. Free recipe: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sarm...
bbcgoodfood.com
Sarmale (Romanian cabbage rolls)
Try one of Romania’s most beloved comfort foods, often eaten at celebrations. Leaves of sauerkraut are stuffed with smoky pork and rice, then slowly braised
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Last Tuesday, I joined a panel at University College London as part of the Eating the Balkans series by UCL SSEES, where I spoke about Romanian cuisine. Read the article below and discover one of my favourite Romanian musaca recipes. irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/culinary-i...
irinageorgescu.substack.com
Culinary Infidelities
On Food and Identity Across The Balkans
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Reposted by Irina Georgescu
UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies @uclssees.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
🔊 This event is now sold out in person, but you can still join us online to learn more about how food vocabulary in the #Balkans encodes millennia of indigenous evolution, alongside contact, borrowing, and contested belonging. 🗓️ 3 February at 5pm ➡️ www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanit...
Event poster for 'Eating the Balkans: Language, Cuisine, and Cultural Meaning in the Balkans' with an image of Balkan food.
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Reposted by Irina Georgescu
UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies @uclssees.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
🔊 Due to high demand, this event will now be livestreamed online Join us for an exploration of how food vocabulary in the #Balkans encodes millennia of indigenous evolution, alongside contact, borrowing, and contested belonging. 🗓️ 3 February at 5pm ➡️ www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanit...
Event poster for 'Eating the Balkans: Language, Cuisine, and Cultural Meaning in the Balkans' with an image of Balkan food.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
It's my pleasure to share two recipes with you for your New Year's Eve celebration. I've also included a brief story about pineapples in Romania, if you're intrigued by the subject. Free to access, so please share it. Wishing you a happy New Year. Link here substack.com/@irinageorge...
substack.com
A NYE Pineapple Dessert from Romania
Tort Diplomat de Ananas
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Is this prune stew with rice a contender for Romania’s National Dish? To celebrate Romania’s National Day, I’m sharing a dish that blends the sweetness of dried fruits and caramelised sugar, reflecting Byzantine heritage. But what is Romanian cuisine? Find the answer and recipe in comments.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Romanian cuisine unveiled: three essential cookery books. Cookery books as a gateway to Romania’s regional flavours. Three books, along with their translations in German, Dutch, Hungarian and Romanian, reveal how people cook at home, their daily dishes and their feasting customs. Time to order them.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
A recipe for pumpkin pie from Romania, ready to be shared by you with friends and family. irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/pumpkin-ma...
irinageorgescu.substack.com
Pumpkin Magic
More than just a pretty decoration
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Reposted by Irina Georgescu
Jamie Schler @lifesafeast.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
I’ve spent weeks researching and writing this and it’s finally up - I share some truly odd, curious, often….horrifying (and utterly fascinating) food-related professions that thrived in 19th century Paris. Enjoy! jamieschler.substack.com/p/the-strang...
jamieschler.substack.com
The Strange and Curious Forgotten Occupations of Paris
A little French food history that might surprise you.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
A hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy of jams, confitures and jellies in Romania. I am, of course, paraphrasing the famous book title, which is perfect for our intergalactic journey of preserving what’s in season: petals, fruit and flowers. Recipes here: irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/a-hitchhik...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
Sunday Baking: Covrigi cu Șuncă, ham-filled bread loops. This recipe highlights the variety of loop breads found in Romania and is featured in the 'Danube' cookbook.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Thank you, Andrew.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
A beautiful morning here in Wales. Some of these roses will be turned into jelly soon. I’ll share the recipe with you in a new post.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
This Sunday, I’m sharing a captivating story about Curban, a feast and private ritual in the Christian Balkans, which I hope you'll find intriguing. It features a recipe for a comforting and healing lamb soup from Bulgaria. Link in the first comment.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
Lovely idea x
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
Toast spread with curd cheese blended with honey and lemon zest, topped with fresh apricots and thyme. If you can’t find curd cheese (or twarog), use crème fraîche or farmer’s cheese. Also, instead of the sourdough toast, you can use toasted bagels, brioche or croissants.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
Cornmeal, wild strawberries & sour cream? Read about this speciality from Moldavia, Eastern Romania here irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/cornmeal-a... where I explain this culinary tradition and provide a recipe for cornmeal cheesecake, called Alivancă, and strawberry compote called chisăliță (kisel).
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Strawberry inspiration ahead of a post I’m writing about a culinary tradition in Moldavia (follow me to make sure you see it). This one in the photo is only half-traditional: strawberries, sour cream, ground pepper and fig balsamic vinegar.
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Reposted by Irina Georgescu
𝑈𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑛 𝐺𝑖𝑟𝑙 @urbangirl.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Sunset reflections! ©️ Birgit/birgits_imagery_world
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
I wrote a long email about this rich land between the Danube River and the Black Sea. Most of the photographs are from my visits there, where I explored local recipes and discovered the stories of different communities. I hope you'll love the tour. irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/between-th...
irinageorgescu.substack.com
Between the Danube River and the Black Sea: Dobrogea
Discover a little-known part of Romania
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Deal with the heat like a Romanian: eat brine-fermented gherkins with ice. Eating fermented foods helps maintain the right level of salt and iron in our bodies (which we tend to lose very quickly in hot weather through sweat) and keeps us cool for longer.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Last of the spring flavours: dandelions. Two recipes: one for Dandelion Flower Fritters and the other for a Romany Potato Salad with Dandelions. I hope you'll find the story interesting. irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/last-of-th...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
For those who don't want to roast an entire leg or shoulder of lamb for Easter, try this simple recipe from my new book, Danube: pastrami lamb chops served with creamy polenta. The spice blend for the pastrami includes fenugreek, paprika, cumin, thyme, garlic and ground pepper. Happy Easter.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
New recipe for Easter: plăcintă cu brânză - a wonderful sweet curd cheese pie made with rum-soaked golden raisins. This is a beloved pie in Romania, and I’m sharing a ‘cheat’ method here to prepare it quickly using already rolled store-bought puff pastry. substack.com/@irinageorge...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
No other dish in Eastern Europe rivals Romanian Pască. This rich brioche is filled with a blend of curd cheese, sugar, eggs and sultanas. In my family, we celebrate the arrival of Easter with a slice of Pască at midnight. Recipe here: irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/romanian-p...
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Nicola Miller @nicmiller.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
It's Passover and here's a beautiful piece of writing by @1dish4theroad.bsky.social www.1dish4theroad.com/2022/04/bitt...
1dish4theroad.com
Bitter Herbs - 1Dish4TheRoad
"Bitter herbs, why do we eat them?.." In this piece, I'm reflecting on the horseradish of my childhood, and why they meant everything to me.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
A Spring Tradition in Romania: nettles with polenta. I would be thrilled if you could make this tradition a part of your life too. See how: irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/a-spring-t...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
I recorded a video about Danube, only to discover it is no longer needed. So I’ll share the first part here, and I hope you enjoy it.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
Garden pea and broad bean stew with cheesy polenta wedges. Easy and light, it can serve as a vegetarian lunch or a side dish for fish or chicken...or both. Garden peas and dill make a combination that will change your mind about this herb. Recipe here: irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/a-dish-tha...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
Spring is the right season to embrace the bounty of green and wild foraged plants, which are rich in vitamins and nutrients as they begin to sprout. It’s the perfect time for spinach, red orach, nettles, wild garlic and dock leaves. Find the recipe here irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/the-green-....
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
Baclava de Tulcea comes from the Turkish and Tatar communities in Tulcea, a city on the Danube in eastern Romania. The filo triangles are shaped individually, filled with chopped walnuts, and then soaked in lemon-flavoured syrup after baking. You will find its story and recipe in my book, Danube.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
In today's YOU Magazine from The Mail on Sunday, I have six recipes from my new book, ‘Danube’ including a Fried Pepper Salad, complete with a video on the Daily Mail website. The real joy of my writing journey is knowing that you’ve cooked dishes from my part of Europe and loved them.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Celebrating Pancake Day with these fabulous Hungarian crêpes, known as Hortobágyi Palacsinta. The crêpes are filled with a beef ragù, I then strained some of the sauce and thickened it with sour cream mixed with flour. It is served with more sour cream on top, parsley, and chilli oil.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Come cook with me! I'm delighted to announce this online cookery class. Check the link to see what we are going to make. I also have a few discount codes for you: • 15% off with no usage limit: IRINA15 • 50% off, but only for the first 20 uses: PASTRY50 www.eventbrite.com/e/pastry-dum...
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Thank you very much for this lovely post, Nicola.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Pilaf cu pui is a chicken and rice dish with potatoes. For The Independent, I served it with grated courgettes mixed with garlic, two traditional Romanian flavours. If you like the recipe (link below), please also buy the book. You'll find similar recipes that are equally approachable and delicious.
independent.co.uk
Comfort in a pot: Irina Georgescu’s Romanian chicken pilaf recipe
Irina Georgescu’s chicken pilaf combines tender thighs, creamy rice and a hint of garlic courgette for a dish that’s as satisfying as it is simple – a true taste of home cooking from the Danube
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Glorious!
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Thank you, Paul Dring, for choosing Danube as the Book of the Week in the Waitrose Weekend newspaper (out now). I've really enjoyed our conversation, and I hope you'll try some recipes from it. www.weekend-online.com/issue732/ (page 34) x
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Lovely story. Maramureş is a magical region, less busy than the Saxon part of Transylvania in the southeast.
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
This is very special: author Domenica Marchetti @domenicacooks.bsky.social and I chatted about my new book, Danube, and my reasons for writing about this cuisine. The interview includes free recipes and a stunning illustration by the talented Daniella Bracco. My heartfelt thanks to you both!
open.substack.com
February Newsletter: A Culinary Cruise Along the Danube with Irina Georgescu
In a Q & A, the author of the new cookbook DANUBE talks about the cuisines of Eastern Europe's riverlands and shares her recipe for Mǎmǎligǎ la Cuptor ~ baked polenta with sour cream, cheese, and eggs
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Irina Georgescu @irinageorgescu.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
I’m thrilled to see two recipes from my new book, Danube, featured in today’s The Guardian: a fish papricaș from Budapest and a leek and olive stew from Oltenia. They are in excellent company, so do pick up the newspaper today and enjoy all these dishes.
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