Who is the “queen” of the beef salads in Romania. The extraordinary story of the Romanian who combines art with cooking

Stories can have a good taste! It is said by a booty that combines the passion for gastronomy with that for art. Due to his talent, Mariana Grigoruță has become known nationally and internationally.

Mariana Grigoruță is passionate about artistic gastronomy Photo Maria Grigoruță

Who could imagine that the Romanian folk fairy tales or the faces of the old rulers can be so delicious? You just have to cook a colac with the face of Cuza or a Boeuf salad with Nica stealing the stern of the Mărioara cough, made by a Botoşăneanca from Hlipiceni commune. It is called Mariana Grigoruță, is 55 years old and has almost always been passionate about art and gastronomy. A series of events that have happened over the past few years have made Mariana combine the two passions in a unique and almost unique way. The unique style of cooking, “drawing” with culinary ingredients and even composing poems inspired by the goodies of Cuhniei have brought him recognition at national level, a title of “Queen of Boeuf salads” and the presence with a star preparation on the poster of a Romanian film arrived at the International Film Festival in this summer.

Child molds, a lot of love and creativity with the cart

In short, Mariana Grigoruță makes artistic food, ie culinary preparations consecrated in Romanians, such as colacs, Easter, beef salad and many more, placed and modeled in such a way that they seem real paintings. For example, sauce and onion cakes can represent scenes from childhood memories, and beef salads from known Romanian fairy tales.

Ples with Photo Photo Mariana Grigoruță

We are not talking about collacs that carry the image of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Stefan cel Mare or Mihai Viteazul. Obviously, everything made with different ingredients, from slices of peppers, egg pieces, red, chocolate and everything that can color or beautify a culinary or pastry-confectionery preparation. The results are impressive, especially because no corner of the plateau or tray remains without ornaments or details. It all started 12 years ago, from the natural molds of a 6 -year -old child.

A bouef salad decorated by Mariana Photo Mariana Grigoruță

In order to determine his son to taste at least what he has on the plate, Mariana Grigoruță has put her entire inventive arsenal. This was awakened, out of love for the child, that they make figurines from muffins or egg and the banal dishes turned into story scenes. The result was guaranteed: the boy became great and strong.

Colac in work photo Mariana Grigoruță

“I have a boy who is now in the 12th grade, is 18 years old, and he was more mournful. And then I was trying to do something to please. I started carving all kinds of figurines, from gray, from whatever he could attract.”says Mariana. Slowly, Botoşăneanca began to give free rein to the imagination and every meal in the family, with friends or celebration began to become a gastronomic-artistic festival. He made beef salads with scenes from stories, cakes and thematic steaks, cakes with voivodes, cakes and Easter with lovers, icons and more. Initially the family, then known, noticed his talent and were impressed by the show on the plate. The fame went from day to day. He woke up with people who asked them to make such culinary preparations with artistic tough for different personal events.

The two money bag made on a photo salad photo Mariana Grigoruță

“I was also passionate about the plastic and gastronomy arts. And I couldn't decide, so I said: let's do something unique and combine them. And I started to do all kinds of culinary preparations, leaving my imagination to work. Then I started working and colacs with the rulers. to come to pray to me.add Botoşăneanca.

From the “Queen of Boeuf Salate” to the Locarno Film Festival

From man to man, but especially with the help of social networks, Mariana Grigoruță has become more and more known at national level. He came to participate with his famous beef salads on TV shows on central stations, including famous shows. At one of these, managing to print with the help of ingredients the image of the filmmaker on a beef salad, received the title of “Queen of the Boeuf salads in Romania”. An artistic bouef salad of Mariana Grigoruță also reached the poster of the movie “Dracula”, made by the well -known Romanian director Radu Jude.

The poster of Radu Jude's film with the famous Boeuf Photo imdb.com salad

The film was presented at the International Film Festival in Locarno, from August this year. The poster depicts Marian's bouef salad with Vlad Țepeș's face above, made of olives, peppers and many other ingredients. Radu Jude noted Mariana Grigoruță on a TV show and asked her to make her beef salad with the face of the great voivode. Said and done. And Mariana Grigoruță appeared even in the technical box of the film credited with the realization of the gastronomic-artistic work.

Fulfilling a dream

In fact, Mariana Grigoruță wanted with all her heart to become a plastic artist. Originally from Hlipiceni, a commune from Botosani county, at the end of the eighth grade, Mariana, encouraged by the drawing teacher, went to take an exam at the “Octav Băncilă” High School of Art. With incredible competition, although he had no previous artistic experiences, Mariana was about to enter.

Mariana Grigoruță with one of her collacs Photo Mariana Grigoruță

“I gave the art high school in the eighth grade, guided by the lady, who was also a drawing teacher. She was called Cristina, and now I keep in touch with her. And it was a great competition. On 13 places there were over 30 candidates. There at Octav Băncilă High School.says Mariana. For a while he put his passion for drawing. He worked in the field of construction, but after he began to accuse health problems he gave up and dedicated again to his adolescence passion. But he made some art combine with gastronomy.

A culinary creation of Marian Grigoruță Photo Mariana Grigoruță

“I always liked them. Now I have found a way to combine them”says Botoşăneanca. Mariana also writes poems, each artistic preparation that she does is accompanied by a short poem. “In the garden under a fence/you are unveiled/among the leaves numb/stand to the tip beaten by the wind/six pumpkins/- the brothers, the weather came/In the garden is cold/The leaves have been./In the pantry we will enter/until we turn/the poetry dedicated to pumpkin pies.

Delicious preparations collected from the village and from ancestors

All the recipes, says Mariana, are taught by the mother, grandmother, aunts and other housewives from her native hlipiceni, a traditional fireplace with a special talent.

Mariana Grigoruță makes many traditional photo preparations Mariana Grigoruță

“It has to look good, but it has to have a tailor -made taste. There are recipes collected from my mother, grandmother, aunt. As they say, especially in the kitchen, you have to steal something from there. I can't say I like more art or the kitchen, I love both. The student I wrote at the satirical newspaper and when a colleague was making a crazy caricature plus some satirical lyrics.add Botoşăneanca. As for the artistic talent, Botoșăneanca confesses that he inherits him from an uncle who was a painter.