About Mamaliga
Mamaliga was born in fall of 2000 as a little band was formed in the North-west suburbs of Chicago. At the time only a violin (Elizabeth Lindau) and an acoustic guitar (Gabi Bucataru), Mamaliga was an eclectic acoustic duet with its own sort of personality. We played at mainly bagel-shops, coffee houses, and even pulled of an Old Town School of Folk Music open mic in Chicago!
Hi, I am Gabriel (Gabi) Bucataru. Since then Mamaliga mysteriously morphed into one of my old passions: cooking. In fact my family name “Bucataru” it means “cook” in Romanian. I might be getting in touch with my destiny, and finally I might be more convinced of what I want to be when I grow up.
I was born in, in a town called Timisoara, in the western region of Romania. Grew up there for 28 years until I met the women of my life, Stephanie, adopted two kids (at the time in 1997, Dani was 9, and Ellie was 3). Lived there for another 3 years until we moved in the Northwest-Suburbs of Chicago where Stephanie is from. After living in a small apartment in Romania and with not a stable job (I used to be a wine salesman on a bike and made USD 3.50/month – it was a joke so I quit the first month).
It was much easier to raise our kids here given the fact that Stephanie’s parents were here, and that here extended family was way larger than mine (I only have my Dad back in Timisoara. So, I started working in computer programming at Stephanie’s Dad, thing that proved excellent for a fresh immigrant like me that just landed in the USA in February 2000. That’s where I got the geek bug.
But I also had another bug: Guitars. I played in a band called “De Acum Incolo“ in Romania, we made an album and played a couple concerts. I somehow ended up with a Gibson Les Paul (1993), and realizing that I need and amp to play it (DOH!), I built one. That’s how Gabriel Sound Garage was born, a small high end guitar amplifier company that I still own, and operate as a one-man-show from a corner of our basement.
In 2006 we took a 10 day trip with Stephanie’s parents and our kids (Dani and Ellie) to Italy (where Stephanie’s Mom is originally from) partly because there is a strong Italian culture connection running in their family, and I always wanted to visit, and partly because Dani, our son was going to take off for the Air Force that fall. She was born in Turin from American parents and later moved to the US. We flew into Zurich (Switzerland), rented a car and drove through Northern Italy, Merano, then into Venice, then Cinque Terre on the West coast, from there spent 7 beautiful days in Casa Cares, a vacation house in a picture-perfect Tuscan region.
That’s where something short-circuited in my brain and caused an appreciation and interest for authentic cultural food and cooking. It took a good old time after numerous reminders from my wife that good food is not necessarily complicated – to came to the conclusion that indeed a simple pasta and tomato sauce can be so intricate and full of character if done with real passion! It is something I am still battling.
The next year (2007) a big turn happened. We were signed up as foster parents, (since Dani was off to the Air Force and there was a vacant room in the house), but didn’t have much hopes to actually have any children assigned to us. In February 2007, we received a call from the organization we were with asking us if we would want to take two African American sisters in foster care – Marsha (Corrie) was 10 days and her sister Kea was 17 months old at the time. We said “YES!” and our life changed forever.
Graduating from size 1 diapers all the way up to size 3 (and potty training for Kea), we became full time parents once again with two bubbly energetic girls running around CONSTANTLY and a teenager (Ellie) that always asks us questions about life we can’t find answers for.
In this new roller coaster ride we got in and enjoying it immensely, I decided that the limited time I have I should set apart for this Mamaliga blog that will be dedicated to my journey in the culinary arts, failures and success all in the same pot. Hope you will enjoy my ranting and find something useful!
Cheers!
Gabriel Bucataru
mamaliga.com
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August 22nd, 2010 13:59
Incredibil….de vreo cateva zile vreau sa inceptun blog despre bucataria romaneasca si nu numai…si astazi din curiozitate dau sa vad cum arata cele mai apreciate bloguri de gatit…gandindu-ma ca voi da poate si peste ceva romanesc…da nu m-am asteptat sa fie un roman din US…Vreau sa te felicit pt blog este foarte reusit si retetele tale le voi incerca si eu!
Numai bine!
October 20th, 2010 12:31
Buna! Ce faci?
Hi There!
Just found your site researching some food stories and i see you are in Chicago!
I live here but was in Romania (Bistrita!) for one month and enjoyed my friend’s mamaliga (polenta) and zakuska! Yum! Glad you are happy and cooking in Chicago.
Lisa
October 20th, 2010 12:42
Hi Lisa! Thanks for writing! Bistrita? How cool is that! What town? Mamliga is very easy to make – you have to try it out! In fact, just recently I found a small store in Niles that carries Romanian imported feta cheese! the real thing!!
June 27th, 2011 03:50
hi Gabriel,
I have enjoyed reading thru you archives on cured meats section. Excellent work!
Quick question….does any one ever cure anything with goat in it? Or a mix with goat? If possible let me know your comments. Wish you were in Western NC so you could have naturally raised pork from us year round for probably what you pay for grocery stuff in the windy city. Cheers, Pride
August 22nd, 2011 15:40
my grandfather came here from somewhere in Romania called Blue Lake in 1917. He never said a single word about it and all I know is the food grandma cooked for him and some peculiar customs he had, which I have since learned are more Jewish than Romanian (we are Catholic). Whenever your children get tired of your stories about romania, email me. I have no stories.
August 28th, 2011 03:53
ciao Gabriel,
I really loved to read your story….great food, great people, great life!
Im an Italian living in ireland with my husband and three very energetic kids. Im a chef and your recipies especially the italian ones are very very good .Lucky kids, having someone who prepares all this lovely and healty food for them. Nourish minds and nourish bodies with love and passion , that is great , well done!
P.s. your wife sounds very wise!:)
lucia
September 13th, 2011 11:56
Buna Gabi,
Abia ti-am descoperit blogul si imi place foarte mult. La fel ca si povestea voastra de viata. Ma duc acum sa caut printre retete.
O zi buna sa ai.
September 14th, 2011 09:36
Brandusa! multumesc mult de compliment!! Sper sa gasesti ceva interesant intre retete
cu drag,
Gabi.
October 22nd, 2011 01:14
Intr-adevar, Gabi, ai un blog minunat! Farmecul sau este ca e mai mult decat un blog de gatit – vorbeste si despre voi, despre povestea voastra. Si am rasfoit putin retetele si par delicioase. Abia astept sa le incerc.
November 6th, 2011 10:36
Buna Gabi,
Si eu ti-am descoperit blogul acum 10 minute, trebuie sa recunosc faptul ca numele mi-a atras atentia. Cautam choux a la creme, de fapt vreau sa gasesc reteta de eclere (si crema de ness + glazura de ness) si am continuat prin a iti citi povestea vietii, care e impresionanta, trebuie sa spun.
Voi continua sa citesc retetele tale si iti urez mult succes in continuare.
Miana
November 16th, 2011 12:58
Multumesc, Miana! Presupun ca reteta de eclere trebuie sa fie similara. Diferenta este doar forma. Insa s-ar putea sa gresesc. Daca gasesc ceva, iti voi da de veste. Pe curand!
November 16th, 2011 13:16
Casiana! Multumesc mult! Ma bucur sa te cunosc astfel. Sper sa gasesti ceva delicios de gatit printre retetele mele.
December 24th, 2011 11:23
Gabi:
I found your web site quite by accident. I’m a second generation Romanian-American, my grandparents having emigrated to the United States in the early 1900′s from Sighisoara and Voila. Unfortunately, the only traditions that remain from Romania are the food traditions. My maternal grandmother (Voila) taught me how to make mamaliga, and I make it for our family on all holidays, and frequently on non-holidays as an accompaniment to many meals. It’s such a versatile side dish. The way my grandmother made it (and the way I make it) is to make corn meal mush, cool it, slice it thinly (~1/4 inch), and layer it in a casserole with sour cream, cheddar cheese and brick cheese. Bake it in the oven at 375 degrees until the top begins to toast and turn brown and the casserole is bubbly. Interestingly, none of my family cares for my feta cheese (brindza) version, although I know it’s more traditional.
Now that I found your web site, I’ll have to investigate it and try some of your recipes.
Craciun Ferecit!
December 27th, 2011 11:34
Hi John and thanks a LOT for the comment! YES YES!!! In fact that’s on the menu today! I add one of my mushroom-tomato sauces in between one of the layers of the layered polenta. And of course Telemea (Romanian version of Telemea). I was able to find imported Telemea from ROMANIA believe it or not here in Chicago in one store. So I can go pretty darn close to what I remember from Romania. Another thing I do is I barbecue those 1/4″ (or thicker) slices of cooled polenta. FANTASTIC crust and side dish. It is so versatile indeed. No wonder you can find it on 5 start restaurants menus all over the world!!
Craciun Fericit!! Thanks!