SALAD DAYS IN SOFIA
Back in the Sixties there was an English entrepreneur who made and lost a fortune with his affordable washing machine at a time when such an item was considered a luxury in many British homes. His problem was in servicing the machines, and it was this that led to his downfall. He eventually ended up at the Old Bailey accused of fraud and at this stage Fleet Street started to look into his other business ventures – including the development of a holiday resort on the Black Sea in Bulgaria.
I was asked by the Daily Mail to go to Sofia (I was living in Belgrade at the time) and look into the Bulgarian connection. My contacts in Sofia (both from the Bulgarian Ministry of Information -- or Misinformation) flew with me to coastal resort of Varna where they proudly showed me around the concrete shell of what was supposed to be a hotel complex and yachting marina. It was, according to my Bulgarian government contacts "very close to completion" -- and to hear them tell it, the world’s yachties would soon be setting a course for this new ‘Black Sea sailing paradise.’ I was far less optimistic, but said nothing.
Back in Sofia that evening, we headed for the Writers Club, usually a good place to eat in any Communist capital in those days. However, it was late and the kitchen was about to close. So we shared a Shopska salad and several bottles of full-bodied Bulgarian red wine.
After a few drinks one of my contacts asked why the British press was so interested in the Black Sea venture and I told them about the ongoing court case in London. There was a deadly silence, followed by a colourful outburst of Bulgarian vernacular, and then they were on their feet and dashing out of the Writers Club – leaving me to pay a fairly hefty bill.
I never saw them again, so I did not find out the reason for their anger, my only conclusion being that they had some personal interest in the venture. As it turned out, the Old Bailey fraud case was dismissed that week and the paper dropped the Black Sea story. The concrete shell of the yachting marina and resort remained as a Varna eyesore for several years.
My expense account for the Sofia saga included (in true Fleet Street style) an item for “Dinner at the Sofia Writers Club with two local contacts. One salad and 12 bottles of wine.” The expense account was queried -- not the amount of wine consumed, but the fact that we had shared one salad. Fleet Street had its good days.
SHOPSKA SALAD
4 red chilli peppers, washed, with seeds and ribs removed
1 medium cucumber, skinned, sliced and with seeds removed
500 g tomatoes, chopped
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
150 g goat cheese, crumbly variety
chopped parsley, fresh dill, salt and black pepper
Arrange vegetables in overlapping circles, sprinkle with olive oil, vinegar, parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Crumble the cheese on top.
Another spicier version uses only the red chilli peppers, tomatoes and cheese, which are mixed in together.
Serves 4
I was asked by the Daily Mail to go to Sofia (I was living in Belgrade at the time) and look into the Bulgarian connection. My contacts in Sofia (both from the Bulgarian Ministry of Information -- or Misinformation) flew with me to coastal resort of Varna where they proudly showed me around the concrete shell of what was supposed to be a hotel complex and yachting marina. It was, according to my Bulgarian government contacts "very close to completion" -- and to hear them tell it, the world’s yachties would soon be setting a course for this new ‘Black Sea sailing paradise.’ I was far less optimistic, but said nothing.
Back in Sofia that evening, we headed for the Writers Club, usually a good place to eat in any Communist capital in those days. However, it was late and the kitchen was about to close. So we shared a Shopska salad and several bottles of full-bodied Bulgarian red wine.
After a few drinks one of my contacts asked why the British press was so interested in the Black Sea venture and I told them about the ongoing court case in London. There was a deadly silence, followed by a colourful outburst of Bulgarian vernacular, and then they were on their feet and dashing out of the Writers Club – leaving me to pay a fairly hefty bill.
I never saw them again, so I did not find out the reason for their anger, my only conclusion being that they had some personal interest in the venture. As it turned out, the Old Bailey fraud case was dismissed that week and the paper dropped the Black Sea story. The concrete shell of the yachting marina and resort remained as a Varna eyesore for several years.
My expense account for the Sofia saga included (in true Fleet Street style) an item for “Dinner at the Sofia Writers Club with two local contacts. One salad and 12 bottles of wine.” The expense account was queried -- not the amount of wine consumed, but the fact that we had shared one salad. Fleet Street had its good days.
SHOPSKA SALAD
4 red chilli peppers, washed, with seeds and ribs removed
1 medium cucumber, skinned, sliced and with seeds removed
500 g tomatoes, chopped
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
150 g goat cheese, crumbly variety
chopped parsley, fresh dill, salt and black pepper
Arrange vegetables in overlapping circles, sprinkle with olive oil, vinegar, parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Crumble the cheese on top.
Another spicier version uses only the red chilli peppers, tomatoes and cheese, which are mixed in together.
Serves 4
posted by antwerpalan | 13:26
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