Saturday, May 24, 2014

Memories from Childhood….Hurezu Rooster


Hurezi Monastery Garden
As I am admiring the pottery bowls ready to serve a Romanian Eggplant Stew, memories flood my heart…enamels of ochre, spring green and rich raw umbers swirl in traditional ancient patterns, waves, snakes, spirals and my very dear rooster.
Horezu Rooster Bowl and Wooden Spoon

Symbolism in Horezu Pottery
Rooster is the bird that heralds sunrise, the beginning of a new day, maybe a new life and a new beginning.
As a symbol of light and its victory over darkness, it is said that on the night of St. Andrew, the rooster’s song called angels to come and chase the ghosts.
Horezu Plate
Spiral of life is represented on many plates the cycle of birth-death-rebirth, infinity.
Spiral of Life and Waves Pattern
 First Sunday in June, a celebration of plates and platters, bowls and pitchers erupts in Horezu village, Ramnicul Valcea area of Romania.
Potters from the area as well as neighboring counties come to show and sell their wares at village festivals.

Hurezu Pottery
Traditional pottery fired twice, the second time with the glorious enamels adorning each piece emerges from the hands of skilled potters for centuries.

Horezu Potter

Horezu Pottery

Horezu Pottery Patterns
Roaming through the region known as “Oltenia From Under The Mountain”in Romania, the traveler is greeted by "The most beautiful and exquisite specimen of Romanian architecture" Hurezi Monastery built in 1693 by Constantin Brancoveanu and included in the UNESCO treasures in 1995.

Hurezi Monastery Valcea Romania
Among other monasteries that adorn the Romanian land, Hurezi Monastery is considered, along with its surrounding buildings, the most representative architecture complex, defining "Brancovenesc Style".
Hurezi Monastery Entry

Hurezi Monastery Interior
It is located in the northern part of Valcea county, on the national road DN 67 Ramnicu Valcea - Targu Jiu, at the foothills, surrounded by woods, in a place full of charm and solitude, silence that is disturbed only at night by the song of owl-like pray birds “Huhurezi” who probably gave the name of the locality and the monastery.
Hurezi Monastery Fresco
The stew is steaming ready to be cuddled by my Rooster Hurezu bowls…Bon Appétit.. Pofta Buna!

Eggplant and Olives Stew

Ingredients:

Olive oil, Kalamata olives, eggplant, salt, pepper, bay leaf, tomato paste, basil pasta red sauce, sweet onions, red pepper, vegetable stock.

Method:

Sauté onions and red pepper finely chopped in olive oil for few minutes, add few cloves of minced garlic,  the cubed eggplant and sauté for few more minutes until tender and aromatic.

Salt and pepper to taste, add some vegetable stock, tomato paste, few spoons of tomato basil pasta sauce and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Finally add the bay leaf and 5 -6 Kalamata olives, continue to simmer for 7-8 minutes, or until liquid is reduced.

Serve hot or room temperature with fresh chopped herbs, parsley, dill and basil.
                                          My Travel Artist

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