I don’t usually give a lot of thought to Dracula, except for that one era in the nineties when several movies came out and I read “Interview with a Vampire” in two and a half late-night sittings. For a long time afterwards my brain bore the imprint of fear. Do not leave the windows open in the glittering, eerie night,  a little voice told me. Whatever you do, sleep with garlic in close proximity – preferably around the neck, the voice added. (I would have done so, if it hadn’t been so uncomfortable)

So here we are – a decade and a half later – the week before Halloween, and we’re cooking Romania. All those old feelings have come back, jittering out from my psyche. To quell this nervous energy, I’m happy to report I found a recipe inspired directly by the cuisine of Dracula’s hometown: Transylvania. Perhaps the Count ate it himself.

Dracula was a real man from the 1400’s (with an epic mustache), originally known as Vlad the Impaler because of the extraordinary punishments he doled out to his enemies. “Dracula” comes from the fact that he was a member of the Order of the Dragon, or Dracul (in Romanian Dracula means son of Dracul).

Vlad Tepes (a.k.a Dracula) and Poenari castle, where he lived in the 1400’s.

While he definitely wasn’t a vampire (probably), I’m fairly confident he would have loved this bacon-loaded, cheese sprinkled cauliflower casserole (perhaps without the garlic). With lots of bacon and sour cream, it’s classic Romanian cooking at it’s finest. I like to imagine him eating the casserole at dusk, collar raised against the bitter winter winds that whipped through his castle grounds.

Most authentic recipes call for cheese called cascaval, which I had to look up. Turns out it’s a type, covering many varieties:

In Romania, cașcaval (Romanian pronunciation: [kaʃkaˈval]) is used to refer to a number of types of yellow semi-hard cheeses made out of sheep’s or cow’s-milk. The term is often used by extension as a generic name for all semi-hard yellow cheeses such as the Swiss Emmental cheese, the Dutch Gouda and the British Cheddar, or anything that looks similar to the cașcaval. (Wikipedia)

Based on this definition  I used a blend of Emmental and Cheddar which made for an amazing creamy, half-sharp blend. The sour cream and egg serve as a binder and make this dish a little more finished for potlucks and larger gatherings.

Recipe adapted from Romanian Food Blog

Serves 4-6 as a side

Ingredients

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
6 oz bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed

Bran Castle. Photo by Dobre Cezar.

Slain’s Castle in Scotland, in which Bram Stoker stayed as a guest. Photo by Andrew Leatherbarrow.

Pour over the top of the cauliflower. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes, or until bubbling and the edges begin to brown.

Enjoy the fact that this is highly indulgent… cauliflower. Considering cauliflower is pretty much water and fiber, while bacon and cheese is deluxe glory, this recipe is the best of both worlds.

I’m into it.

Enjoy somewhere dreamy, where no vampires have ever lived.

Biserica Pasul Prislop. Photo by Adrian Libotean.

Thanks Romania!

Transylvanian Cauliflower Casserole with Cheese

Votes: 2 Rating: 4 You: Rate this recipe!

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I’m fairly confident Dracula would have loved this bacon-loaded, cheese sprinkled cauliflower casserole (perhaps without the garlic). With lots of bacon and sour cream, it’s classic Romanian cooking at it’s finest. I like to imagine him eating the casserole at dusk, collar raised against the bitter winter winds that whipped through his castle grounds. Most authentic recipes call for cheese called cascaval, for which I used a blend of Emmental and Cheddar which made for an amazing creamy, half-sharp blend. The sour cream and egg serve as a binder and make this dish a little more finished for potlucks and larger gatherings.

• CourseSides & Salads
• LifestylePotluck Friendly
• Food TypeSasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetables

Servings	Prep Time
4-6 people (as a side)	10 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

Servings Prep Time 4-6 people (as a side) 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Transylvanian Cauliflower Casserole with Cheese Votes: 2 Rating: 4 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe I’m fairly confident Dracula would have loved this bacon-loaded, cheese sprinkled cauliflower casserole (perhaps without the garlic). With lots of bacon and sour cream, it’s classic Romanian cooking at it’s finest. I like to imagine him eating the casserole at dusk, collar raised against the bitter winter winds that whipped through his castle grounds. Most authentic recipes call for cheese called cascaval, for which I used a blend of Emmental and Cheddar which made for an amazing creamy, half-sharp blend. The sour cream and egg serve as a binder and make this dish a little more finished for potlucks and larger gatherings. CourseSides & Salads LifestylePotluck Friendly Food TypeSasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetables Servings Prep Time 4-6 people (as a side) 10 minutes Cook Time 35 minutes Servings Prep Time 4-6 people (as a side) 10 minutes Cook Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 small cauliflower , cut into florets
• 6 oz bacon , diced
• 1 onion , chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic , crushed

For the cheese sauce:

• 1 cup Emmantal cheese (grated)
• 1 cup cheddar (grated)
• 8 oz sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• paprika , to taste
• salt
• pepper

Servings: people (as a side)

Units:MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

1. Steam the cauliflower in florets (this took 6-10 minutes for me). Be careful not to overcook it.
2. Preheat the oven to 375F and begin frying up the bacon. Add the onion and plenty of garlic. Cook until soft and the vampires have dispersed.
3. Place the steamed cauliflower in a small casserole, top with the bacon and onion. In a small bowl, mix together the eggs, sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper, and paprika. Pour over the top of the cauliflower.
4. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes, or until bubbling and the edges begin to brown.