Bogdan Maresi

As a Romanian living abroad for almost ten years now, missing my homeland is something that may often arise; for those moments, I love whipping up a recipe that reminds me of home. In the past years, I have been on a journey of teaching myself more and more Romanian recipes, so that I can build a great repertoire. When I first saw Tava on my last visit to Romania, drawn first by the beautiful cover and then by the flurry of recipes inside, I knew it would be the perfect book for my objective. What I didn’t know is how much this book would teach me about my country! Inside are recipes for goods I grew up with, but now accompanied by bite-sized insights or histories that give a whole new meaning to a certain recipe. I definitely recommend this to all the Romanians in the diaspora looking to build a different kind of bridge to their home. As for anyone else interested in Romanian cuisine, pick this book up immediately. Our cuisine is grossly underestimated, but Irina Georgescu has made it her mission to show to the world what it has been sleeping on.