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Author: Diana Oana

All posts by Diana Oana

As an award winning food blogger, I started my culinary journey in 2010, driven by a fervent commitment to crafting flavorful, tasty meals that defy the stereotype of bland health cuisine. I love to cook anything from appetizers to main courses and desserts from a wide range of cuisines as well as traditional Romanian dishes.

Sweet Cottage Cheese Dumplings: Romanian Papanași Fierți

Papanași is one of the most delicious and popular Romanian desserts, but not everyone knows that there are actually two types: fried and boiled. The fried papanași version is the...

Diana Oana

January 31, 2025

1 Comment

Quick & Easy Nutella Croissants

It’s Sunday morning, and you’re the first one awake. As you sip your coffee, you start dreaming about whipping up a five-star breakfast—just like those heavenly mornings on your last...

Diana Oana

January 16, 2025

1 Comment

Papanași: Romanian Fried Donuts

Papanași are traditional, deep-fried cheese-filled donuts usually served with jam and sour cream. They are super delicious and they are probably the most popular Romanian dessert. You can find them...

Diana Oana

December 18, 2024

1 Comment

Curried Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

This is a delicious and incredibly flavorful vegan dish. A comforting dahl or stew made with sweet potatoes, red lentils, coconut milk, and spinach, it’s the ultimate comfort food! The...

Diana Oana

December 18, 2024

1 Comment

Golden Pistachio Mascarpone Cream Cake

This pistachio mascarpone cake is a luscious treat that combines the rich, nutty flavor of roasted pistachios with the creamy sweetness of mascarpone cheese. The soft, moist sponge is delicately...

Diana Oana

December 17, 2024

1 Comment

Romanian Eggplant Salad (w/ Mayonnaise)

This eggplant salad, locally known as salata de vinete, is arguably one of the best Romanian dishes and certainly one of the most popular appetizers. If you haven’t tried this...

Diana Oana

December 13, 2024

1 Comment

Baked Salmon Meatballs

What do you do with a stray salmon fillet you find in the fridge? I stumbled upon one recently, and with a few carefully chosen ingredients, shaped it into balls,...

Diana Oana

December 5, 2024

1 Comment

Pistachio Tiramisu

Dessert

This twist on the classic Tiramisu recipe stays true to its roots while introducing a vibrant pistachio flair. The secret lies in the pistachio paste blended into the creamy mascarpone...

Diana Oana

December 2, 2024

1 Comment

White Chocolate & Pistachio Babka Rolls

These babka rolls are soft, buttery, and filled with a luscious blend of pistachio cream, white chocolate chunks, and roasted pistachios. Twisted into beautiful swirls and brushed with a light...

Diana Oana

November 11, 2024

1 Comment

Chocolate Pavlova

Dessert

This chocolate pavlova is a decadent, cloud-like dessert with a crisp, chocolatey meringue shell and a soft, marshmallowy center. Infused with dark cocoa and finely grated chocolate, it’s topped with...

Diana Oana

November 8, 2024

2 Comments

Ischler Cookies

Ischler cookies date back to the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and have remained a popular treat in many Central and Eastern European countries that were once part of it....

Diana Oana

October 22, 2024

1 Comment

Salmon in Creamy Tuscan Garlic Sauce

Tuscan sauce is creamy, aromatic with a wonderful garlic flavor and goes perfectly with salmon. And, as well as delicious, it takes just 30 minutes to prepare, and while it’s...

Diana Oana

October 10, 2024

1 Comment

Apricot Galette with Frangipane Cream

Dessert

If you have a handful of fresh and well-ripened apricots and want to make an easy and delicious dessert this is the perfect recipe for you. Galette is a French...

Diana Oana

October 9, 2024

1 Comment

Chicken Schnitzels

The original Wiener schnitzels are made with veal, but chicken has overtaken veal and pork as Europe’s favorite meat and chicken schnitzels are just as popular—if not more so—than the...

Diana Oana

October 8, 2024

2 Comments

Italian Almond Pistachio Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

A little bit everything pistachio at the moment! I love pistachios, though I’ve only recently started to use them in my recipes, so indulge me, please. This Italian almond pistachio...

Diana Oana

October 8, 2024

3 Comments

Pear Almond Cake

What to do with the big, juicy pears from my parents’ garden? I wanted an easy yet show-stopping dessert, so I combined them with vanilla, almonds, and cardamom seeds. Oh...

Diana Oana

September 17, 2024

Comment

Baked Pumpkin Risotto

Originating from Italy, risotto is a staple Italian rice-based dish, enhanced with high-fat butter and Parmigiano Reggiano (or Grana Padano) – two ingredients specific to this dish, without which we...

Diana Oana

September 17, 2024

Comment

Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup w/ Crispy Bacon

Save this recipe for the ultimate comfort food: a creamy cauliflower and potato soup, enriched with sweet cream and topped with crispy bacon. Made with sautéed onions, garlic, tender potatoes,...

Diana Oana

September 17, 2024

Comment

Cinnamon Apple Bread (Loaf Cake)

Apples are undoubtedly the stars of the fall season, but more importantly the star of my kitchen. Fruits come and go from my fruit bowl, depending on the season. But...

Diana Oana

July 26, 2024

1 Comment

Plum Galette

Dessert

Plums have to be the best autumn fruit. Their intense color, sweet taste, and overall flavor make them the most versatile autumn fruit. I’ve used them in many desserts, from...

Diana Oana

July 26, 2024

Comment

Cheddar Chive Scones

With a long, always-open list of recipe ideas that I’m excited to try, I’ll never get to tick them all off because I’m always adding more and more to the...

Diana Oana

July 25, 2024

1 Comment

Tomato Carrot Soup w/ Pesto Mozzarella Sandwich

This is divine, especially if using your flavorful organic veggies: perfectly ripe and strongly flavored. Roasting the tomatoes enhances their incredible flavor and helps the flavors of all the other...

Diana Oana

July 25, 2024

1 Comment

Plum & Grape Hencleș (Transylvanian Cake)

Dessert

Hencleș is a traditional Transylvanian dessert with Saxon origins. The Transylvanian Saxons were a large ethnic German group that settled in Transylvania, a region of Romania, during the Middle Ages....

Diana Oana

July 17, 2024

Comment

Avocado Hummus with Spinach

The green spinach and well-ripened avocado give this delicious hummus an intense green color. And since this hummus includes mashed avocado, why not call it guacahummus?🥑 For any hummus and...

Diana Oana

July 16, 2024

2 Comments

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