Let’s eat read and be merry with Patricia Furstenberg as she presents ‘As Good As Gold’: an exciting book of poetry celebrating the simple things from a dog’s perspective. Patricia is a prolific writer of children’s fiction, and I wanted to find out more about the author. I have invited Patricia to talk about her culture and heritage through food.
Whenever I write a children’s book, part of me travels back in time to my native Romania and the magic of childhood. For the lucky ones, childhood means endless joy and discoveries, unconditional love and food – food indulgences, ahem
Romania is a magic land with rich traditions, its culture and history influenced by the significant nations surrounding it. Throughout the centuries Romania had to deal with the Turks, the Prussians, the Russian, while gladly accepting the French culture (Bucharest, the capital city, as nicknamed The Little Paris at the beginning of the 20th century). All this happened while still retaining a strong hold onto our Latin roots. Because the Romanian language is deeply rooted in Latin, therefore is very close to Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French.
Here’s a look at my favourite childhood dishes.
Chicken Schnitzel with mashed potatoes – a proof of our Prussian influence. You have to visit places such as the medieval town of Sighisoara to understand what this dish is and where it comes from.
Pancakes, prepared in Romania like the French crêpes, are best enjoyed in one of the many coffee shops adorning Bucharest’s quaint streets of Lipscani area. Once you are full you have to pop in the amazing bookshop of Carturesti.
Plum dumplings (Gombots), a Hungarian influence from Arad and Sibiu, the towns of my countless childhood holidays.
I simply have to mention the Turkish coffee, the type of coffee I grew up with. It was a rite of passage being allowed to watch the coffee pot simmering on the stove. Drink this while chatting with a friend on the smooth, sandy beaches of the Black Sea.
Sometimes, when you want to return to a place dear to your heart and travelling is not an option, choose a culinary tradition, indulge your taste buds and revitalise those neural synapses formed long ago.
As engaging as a tail wag
Celebrating the simple things in life as seen through the eyes of our old time favourite furry friends, “As Good as Gold” is a volume of poetry revealing the talent and humour we always knew our dogs possessed.
Dogs are full of questions, yet they are famed sellers of innocence especially when it comes to explaining their mishaps and often foolish effervescence through ponderings such as “Why IS a Cat Not Like a Dog”, “As Brown as Chocolate”, “Silver Stars and Puppy Tail” or, best yet, “Dog or Book?”
A book with an enormous heart for readers of all ages, it includes 35 poems and haiku accompanied by expressive portraits of our canine friends.
About Patricia Furstenberg
Patricia Furstenberg came to writing through reading. She always carries a notebook and a pen, although at times she jots down her ideas on the back of till slips or types them on her phone.
Patricia enjoys writing for children because she can take abstract, grown-up concepts and package them in humorous, child-friendly ideas while adding sensitivity and lots of love. What fuels her is an exhilarating need to write and… coffee: “How many cups have had this morning?” “None.” “Plus?” “Five cups.”
Between her books you can find the beloved Joyful Trouble, The Cheetah and the Dog, Puppy, 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles.
She is a Huffington Post contributor and pens the Sunday Column for MyPuppyclub.net as well as dabbing in freelancing. After completing her Medical Degree in Romania she moved to South Africa where she now lives with her husband, children and their dogs.
Contact Patricia at:
http://Author.to/PatFurstenberg
Author Website: http://alluringcreations.co.za/wp/
Huffington Post SA http://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/author/patricia-furstenberg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatFurstenberg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaFurstenbergAuthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciafurstenberg
Book available at:
Amazon UK OR https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BZ5WTLK
Amazon US OR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BZ5WTLK
Amazon Canada OR https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07BZ5WTLK
Goodreads OR https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39783075-as-good-as-gold
Lovely to learn more about Patricia and her Romanian culture. I have one Romanian friend here in Ireland who is a terrific cook.
Reading this made me want to visit Romania. Sounds like a rich country!
It is an amazing place 🙂 You have the mountains covered in snow and the warm, sandy beaches; the country side and the castles, the architecture and the wine, the concert halls and the friendly people 🙂
It is definitely on my ‘to visit’ list with Patricia as the cultural guide.
Fascinating blog. I’ve never been to Romania, but we’ve met quite a few Romanians in Italy. Many have come away for economic reasons. What a mix of cultures there has been in Patricia’s country. That is bound to provide lots of material for stories. Thanks for another great read.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Angela! 🙂
Romania is a wonderful place and I consider myself lucky that I grew up there. Leaving places and people behind is never easy.
There is a verse from “Rondel de l’adieu” by Edmond Haraucourt that my French teacher once mentioned, many years ago,and it sums it all up – leaving your country behind (for any reason you can think of). Amazing how some things stick 🙂
“Partir, c’est mourir un peu,
C’est mourir à ce qu’on aime:
On laisse un peu de soi-même
En toute heure et dans tout lieu”
meaning
Song of Farewell
“To part is to die a little
To die through what we love
One leaves a little of one’s self
In every hour and in every place”
xxx
A perfect poem!
Thanks for calling by to visit the blog. Patricia is a Romanian who lives in South Africa, so I am sure she has lots more stories to tell. I can’t believe how many children’s books she had written, she is a talented writer.
Thank you, Jessie. You always know how to make a writer proud of themselves 🙂
Statistics say that there are over one million South Africans living in UK 🙂
As they say over here, “lekker” (=wonderful,,yummy, cool)
I worked with a South African lady for many years – great fun!
What a small world we live in, Jessie! xx
I placed a link to this guest post on the #AsGoodASGold blog tour page: http://alluringcreations.co.za/wp/as-good-as-gold-book-blog-tour/
Thank you for being part of my first blog tour, Jessie!It means a lot to me! xxx
Always a pleasure to work with you. Delighted to start the blog tour journey with you. The insight into Romanian culture is so exciting. The book looks great. I love the accolades received from Linda – well done!
Thank you, Jessie! Love, love working with you 🙂 The Guest Post came out so much better than I imagined it, you did a fantastic job, as always.
4 am this morning I was dancing in my kitchen upon reading Linda’s review of As Good AS Gold!
Thank you, Jessie, I am thrilled to be visiting your fantastic blog during the blog tour for As Good AS Gold. It is always such a treat chatting to you about books and food over a cup of coffee 🙂 Thank you for your outstanding support!