After the MasterChef Romania 2025 final, Sorin Bontea talked about what the winter holidays look like in his family. The celebrity chef revealed who does the Christmas cooking and what traditional dishes are on their table, stressing that despite his culinary experience, he prefers simple things and a homely atmosphere.
Sorin Bontea says that, in most years, he chose to spend Christmas at home, with his loved ones. “What do I do for Christmas? I’m staying at home! Almost most years I stayed at home for Christmas. We went for a walk on New Year’s Eve. But for Christmas I kind of stay at home, basically. I like to spend Christmas with my family, with my wife, the children are coming…“, said the MasterChef juror for Libertatea.
In the kitchen, roles are clearly divided. His wife is in charge of the sarmales, which Bontea says without hesitation are the best. “My wife makes the best sausages! I help her. I make the piftia, she makes the sarmales. I also help her chop the meat. But what does packed mean, she does. At the pole… she too! Or we’ll eat with bread, because I don’t really eat polenta”he explained.
The chef says that the cozonac is not missing from the table either, and this time he is in charge. “And I make the cake. We both make the soup. She takes care of more, I just give it flavor, like that. We make it with cabbage juice! I like soup, I grew up with it, I have nothing to do! I’m a soup eater, as they sayit is”.
Sarmalele, the stars of the festive table
Asked if there is a special dish for Christmas or New Year’s Eve, Sorin Bontea said that sarmales are the favorites of the whole family. “The charms! And I’m not kidding. In our family, sarmales are made twice, maximum three times a year. That’s it! That’s all the cabbage is with us, that’s all it matters. I put cabbage at home, in a barrel. They put pickles on me… This is what we eat, nothing special“, he explained.
On New Year’s Eve, things remain as simple and traditional as possible. “And on New Year’s Eve, beef salad. Like everyone! That’s what food is. This is how we left on New Year’s Eve, with a plate of beef salad with us. That in the old days it was like that, that’s how you went. Sometimes we spend New Year’s Eve at home, sometimes not, it depends. That means you don’t have to stay at home“, concluded Sorin Bontea.
For the MasterChef judge, the holidays are not about fancy menus, but about family time and simply cooked food, “like everyone“.
