Food, Wine and Travel are three of my favorite activities.

Coffee too, but this is more of ritual ( a must have in the morning and a luxury, if I find time in the afternoon).

When traveling and as much as I enjoy walking the streets of a certain city, admiring its architecture, visiting museums, art galleries, palaces, cathedrals and other sights, I also enjoy tasting the food and the wine from the region while talking to the local citizens. Only then, I consider my experience as complete.

To my mind, one of the great things about traveling so open-minded and being introduced to a different culture and cuisine is the opportunity of implementing the new ( for me) into my own one and create a fusion of flavors.

Some might like it, some not, but the only one way to know for sure is to try it.

The recipe, I am about to share with you do not have a name. You will find out why 😉 , it is super easy to prepare and is very beloved by everyone who tried it and can be amended depending on your taste and preferences.

It took me about 1 hours to cook it, mainly because of the potatoes in the oven. For the sauce, you will need less then 10 minutes.

All you will need for 1 portion is:

• 2x medio size potatoes
• 2 small mushrooms
• 100 g sliced bacon
• 50 g yellow cheese ( I used aged Gouda )
• rosemary, salvia
• 3 garlic cloves ( whole one, to keep the flavor, 2 went with the potatoes in the oven and 1, I used for the sauce with the mushrooms)
• cooking cream
• salt, butter, olive oil
• black pepper, red pepper
• The raw walnuts are optional. I added them in the oven, almost in the end along with the rosemary and salvia

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Maybe it will be interesting to find out, that we, Bulgarians, love potatoes too. Mostly smashed or in the oven ( as a side dish to fish or meat) or main vegetarian course. Fried is not really in our menus, but it does exist too.

If cooked in the oven, we would usually use butter, salt, garlic and dry oregano. The rosemary and the salvia, I did adopt from Italy. I loved it and I am using it ever since. If for some reason, you can’t find a fresh rosemary and/ or salvia, you could go for the dry oregano. It will be taste too 🙂 .

For the recipe: I added butter, salt, olive oil and a little bit of water to the potatoes, baked it for about 30 min by 180 – 200 C in the oven, before adding the fresh herbs , garlic for another 10 minutes. The minutes vary – depending on the oven, ingredients and your taste of course. I like to taste from time to time to avoid having them raw or overcooked and also when turning off the oven, I like to keep it in for a little while to rest.

For the sauce: Melt the butter. I like to add the spices – salt, red pepper and black pepper at this moment, followed by the garlic and a little olive oil until the garlic turns into that crispy color, we all know. Then I added the bacon, followed by the mushrooms. Don’t lose a sight of it and stir it, as it can burn really fast. Add the cream and keep stirring until its thickening. Hm, maybe taste a little, just to be sure that you like it and leave it resting for a little bit.

Then it will be up to you- would you add from the sauce on the bottom of the plate and then the potatoes or other way round, followed by the cheese. I started with the sauce, then potatoes, then the sauce and the cheese. Love it and I hope you will too.

Needless to say that I was accompanied by beautiful Merlo all the way from the beginning to the end of the dinner 😉 .

Bon Appetit and if you prepare it, please leave a comment of how the experience was ❤ .