About us

The TOURISM & FOOD website was born out of a passion for cooking, but... I believe... it also comes down to genes (if I may say so!), for I come from a line of famous cooks on my mother’s side.

The recipes on this website are part of a collection belonging to my maternal grandfather, DIONISIE RACHITEANU, who, together with his older brother and mentor, GHEORGHE RACHITEANU, became known as the famous RACHITEANU brothers, two virtuosos of the culinary arts during and after the interwar period.

Among the places where my grandfather, DIONISIE RACHITEANU, performed quite exceptionally, I cannot help but mention 

• The Royal House of Romania, 
• The American Legation in Bucharest, where, from November 1st, 1935 to December 1st, 1936, he served as the personal chef of Mr.  LELAND HARRISON – the U.S Minister in Bucharest, who showed his appreciation for his work in a letter of recommendation signed by Mr. FREDERICK P. HIBBARD – the American Affairs Responsible in Bucharest at the time. (see photo). Here is the translation of the original text of the document: 

‘CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that young DIONISIE RACHITEANU was employed in the service of Mr. LELAND HARRISON, the U.S Minister in Bucharest, in the capacity of cook and confectioner, from November 1st, 1935 to December 1st, 1936.

During this time, he proved to be well-skilled in the culinary arts, hard-working and honest.

He left his employment due to Minister HARRISON’s departure on vacation to the United States.

                                                                                                 Signed

                                                                                          Frederick P. Hibbard

                                                                                          Affairs Responsible’   

 

 

 

                         

• The Romanian Royal Legation in Istanbul, where he served as the personal chef of the Romanian Minister in Istanbul (see photo). The translation of the original text of the document goes as follows: 

‘The Romanian Legation in Turkey                                               Istanbul, June 24th, 1938

 

       This is to certify that DIONISIE RACHITEANU, professional chef, who was in my service for a year and a half, performed his duties conscientiously and skilfully.

   

   He is leaving Turkey today due to personal reasons. *

                                                                                                      Signed:

                                                                                                      ILLEGIBLE

                                                                                                 Minister of Romania’

 

 

 

• The reason why he left Turkey was the death of his first child, a little boy named Cornel, at the age of three months’                                                        

• Various celebrated restaurants in Bucharest at the time: the Gambrinus Restaurant, the Pescarul Restaurant, the Carul cu Bere Restaurant etc., wherever his services were needed in the early years of communism.

I feel compelled to mention the homage that the famous PASTOREL TEODOREANU (the pen name of Alexandru Osvald Teodoreanu, born  July 30th, 1894 in Dorohoi - deceased March 17th, 1964) – Romanian lawyer and writer, well known epigrammatist, epicure and wine lover, distinguished member of IaÈ™i and Bucharest bohemia – pays to my grandfather in his famous work – GASTRONOMICE – 1973 – on page 180.

Quote (in translation from Romanian): ‘.......... I was caught in these involuntary musings in front of the window of the GAMBRINUS restaurant.... where an enchanting exhibition of cold foods had people flocking by. 

The exquisitely skilful display featured things beyond imagination: fish and all sorts of meat in amber aspic, pyramids made of carp fish eggs forming a masterful piece of architecture artfully decorated with olives and green salad leaves, jelly, cakes and much, much more!

Nor were the fairytale-like embellishments left out, as a giant mushroom made of the leftover fat from a goose prepared à la Greque sheltered a convocation of bearded dwarfs made of I don’t know what, which led one to think of Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm and Petre Ispirescu.

I nudged the door open. 

As I stepped in, my eyes were drawn to an equally cornucopian buffet.

Upon entering the kitchen in order to meet the ingenious contriver of this ingenious edible architecture face to face, I ran into an old acquaintance: DIONISIE RACHITEANU, the youngest brother and disciple of GHEORGHE RACHITEANU, both old famous master chefs of the Capital (Bucharest)”. 

 

Just imagine a poor child (DIONISIE RACHITEANU), who left his native village (Bata commune, Arad county) at the age of 14, barefoot, yet full of hope, become successful and gain a positive reputation in the tough, troubled world of interwar Bucharest.

 

The arguments above prove that everything is possible in life! 

All it takes is will!

 

Adrian Buzoianu