With Presentation of the Book Grandma's Kitchen /and Her Cursed Grandchild/ by Prof. Peter Stoyanovich Ended the University Week of the Book

The edition of the book Grandma's Kitchen /and Her Cursed Grandchild/ by Prof. Peter Stoyanovich is almost 900 pages and combines recipes, tales, personal stories and advices from the already published three books: It Is How Your Grandmother Would Cook, It Is How Your Grandfather Would Cook and It Is How Your Aunt Would Cook" and the fourth, unpublished book is with the working title It Is How Your Calico Would Cook.

"I wrote this book in a desire to show real, delicious, time-tested family recipes. In the beginning the book contained only our home recipes but then I inserted home recipes by my friends always mentioning who the author is and from whom I know about this nettle soup, for example. And so the recipes became about 1 500. If there was a subtitle for this book, it would be The Eating As I Understand It, said Prof. D.Sc./Hist./ Peter Stoyanovich, sharing that he was the "cursed grandchild" that grew up with two grandmothers, their meals and the fights over its quirks.

"We want to work but we also want to have fun and what more entertainment than meeting the author of Grandma's Kitchen /and Her Cursed Grandchild/, than knowing how to make good food. Today we opened a nursery in one of the dormitories for the kids to enjoy, then a sports festival for the youngsters to enjoy, and now we're at the book presentation. There should be a diversity and as a real university we pay attention to culture and literature as well", said Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector of UNWE, greeting the author of the book.

Prof. Pencho Penchev, Professor of Economics and Doctor of Historical Sciences, who for the second time presents a book by Prof. D.Sc./Hist./ Petar Stoyanovich at the UNWE - a year ago the book Ferdinandeum and now - Grandma's Kitchen, admitted that he personally has no relation to food but will be glad to get acquainted with the new book of Prof. D.Sc. /Hist./ Peter Stoyanovich.

Prof. D.Sc. /Hist./ Petar Stoyanovich. Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov and Prof. D.Sc. Pencho Penchev

“At first glance it is a cookbook”, explained Prof. Petar Stoyanovich. "It can help an average housewife to have a decent family life without getting beaten up every Friday." On the other hand, there are quite a few personal stories in the book. "If there's a political-historical commentary, it's not wanted, I'm just rambling", said Mr. Stoyanovich.

In his statement prof. Stoyanovich pointed out several things:

"First, it is not what you cook but how you cook, how you prepare things, how you approach them. Secondly, everything doesn't have to be terribly perfect, terribly beautiful. The packaging doesn't need to have the same weight as the meaning of the content. And third, you can meet a king with the simplest of things, too. Imagine a crust of freshly baked bread, dipped in a good quality olive oil with salt and merudi and two sips of wine. That says everything about this world."

"Look, my girl, this book when you get it you will surely be able to get through your first marriage at least."

"Bulgarians are often double-minded. When he smells the scent of mint, he does not know whether he wants to drink mojito or eat beans".

"We think there is Bulgarian food?!  How will there be Bulgarian, please. In an area of 100 thousand sq. km. how can there be anything of its own except natural features. We are part of the Mediterranean cuisine, the Southern cuisine, the Ottoman cuisine... Of course there are regional differences, as there are in other places."

"For us, as a nation, our minds always come later. But it has to be said that we are one of the more sympathetic and smiling parts of the world and it is reflected in our cuisine. We are really a bit careless, so the quality of our products is not at the right level but at the same time we are greedy enough and we love to please ourselves. So we're in a good environment, we never get to completely neglect things. We cook one-to-one, a bit by eye, but even if we get it wrong, it turns out to be a creative impulse."

"At least once a day there should be some meaningful togetherness in the family."

"It's not a waste of time when a person makes his own cheese, yellow cheese, sausage and not to go like in a fast-paced movie and take from the shelves this, this, this..."

"If a man has only one spice in life and in cooking, damn him. And as for the spice of life, it is orderly, planned hope. If you're just full of hope, you look like an excited idiot but with ordered hope it's something else."

In conclusion, Prof. Stoyanovich noted that it was the first invitation to present this book for which he expressed his thankfulness to the UNWE. "And now for the first time I realize how wonderful it is to talk about things that no one can challenge or correct you", added the author.

The discussion included cooking, philosophical and historical topics.