Irina Georgescu
banner
irinageorgescu.bsky.social
Irina Georgescu
@irinageorgescu.bsky.social
James Beard Award winning food writer and cookbook author. Culinary Tours in Transylvania. Website: irinageorgescu.com
Pinned
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.
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.
November 19, 2025 at 5:34 PM
A recipe for pumpkin pie from Romania, ready to be shared by you with friends and family. irinageorgescu.substack.com/p/pumpkin-ma...
Pumpkin Magic
More than just a pretty decoration
irinageorgescu.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Reposted by Irina Georgescu
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...
The Strange and Curious Forgotten Occupations of Paris
A little French food history that might surprise you.
jamieschler.substack.com
September 2, 2025 at 5:01 PM
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...
June 21, 2025 at 5:20 PM
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.
June 15, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Thank you, Andrew.
June 11, 2025 at 2:44 PM
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.
June 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM
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.
June 8, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Lovely idea x
I share the recipe for my favorite summer jelly roll (gâteau roulé) and my thoughts on how we can take a lesson from the history of Parisian café culture. On @contrariannews.org

open.substack.com/pub/contrari...
Summer Jelly Roll (le gâteau roulé)
Let’s draw inspiration from Parisian café culture.
open.substack.com
June 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM
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.
June 1, 2025 at 11:19 AM
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).
May 18, 2025 at 10:26 AM
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.
May 16, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Reposted by Irina Georgescu
Sunset reflections!

©️ Birgit/birgits_imagery_world
May 15, 2025 at 5:54 PM
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...
Between the Danube River and the Black Sea: Dobrogea
Discover a little-known part of Romania
irinageorgescu.substack.com
May 7, 2025 at 8:48 AM
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.
May 1, 2025 at 8:54 AM
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...
April 24, 2025 at 7:43 PM
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.
April 18, 2025 at 9:52 AM
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...
April 16, 2025 at 12:20 PM
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...
April 13, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Reposted by Irina Georgescu
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...
April 10, 2025 at 5:53 PM
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.
April 9, 2025 at 11:13 AM
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...
April 8, 2025 at 6:26 PM
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-....
March 30, 2025 at 10:46 AM
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.
March 16, 2025 at 6:54 PM