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| 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.
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| Horezu Rooster Bowl and Wooden Spoon |
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| 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.
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| Horezu Plate |
Spiral of life is represented on many plates the cycle of
birth-death-rebirth, infinity.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Horezu Potter |
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| Horezu Pottery |
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| 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.
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| 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".
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| Hurezi Monastery Entry |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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