Happy...Easter?

Bulgarians use a different calendar than most other countries. Instead, they use the "orthodox" calendar, which basically places the Easter weekend a week later than most of the other countries around the world.

So, as a result, the family get-together for us is happening this weekend. I have to say, I'm looking forward to it, because the food is simply scrumptious. There will be lamb, roasted to perfection, rice and chicken, a special holiday bread called kozunak (a sweet bread that can have fruit and nuts inside of it, and a mouth-watering crust that just melts), and plenty of wine, whiskey, and rakia for those souls brave enough to down the Bulgarian fire-water.

There will also be potato dishes, salads, and festivities. Good Friday last year we didn't make it back through the door of our apartment until nearly 5 a.m., and my mother-in-law only had one question for me when we were on the elevator on the way up: how are you still standing after all that whiskey?

For the record, I'm not a heavy drinker. However, I do enjoy my holiday partaking. I generally drink 2-3 bottles of wine per week, or 2 glasses per evening. I only drink liquor when we go out to restaurants or for holidays. I actually prefer rum (rum and Coke with a splash of lime juice is simply divine!) or Disaronno Amaretto on the rocks, but I've been known to toss back a whiskey with other people when the opportunity presents itself. Or a couple of cold brews.

However, my main enjoyment is wine, especially red. I am not a professional, merely an enthusiast. Not only are the health benefits of red wine multiple (when consumed in moderation and in part with a healthy diet), but I find the flavor simply delicious. I prefer dry reds vs. sweet reds. Chianti, Syrah/Shiraz, Cabernet...these are my typical favorites. However, there are many Bulgarian wines that I'm coming to enjoy, such as Mavrud and Melnik, or even the white wine, Traminer. My dream is to someday afford a nice little bed and breakfast venture on the southern coast of Italy and spend my retirement years enjoying the Italian wine and simple living of the Mediterranean, but we'll have to see if that pans out or not :)

In any case, this weekend I plan on being naughty and breaking my diet code and sampling some larger quantities than I normally do. It's a holiday, after all, and life isn't worth living unless you can enjoy a little cheating from time to time!