Christmas menu

Disir

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Sep 30, 2011
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So, my son told me that he wanted a Polish/Lithuanian Christmas dinner. My inner WOP died a little. I said, "Let me ask my Lithuanian/Polish grandmother-oh, wait.......I don't have one." So, when we moved, he left behind his Polish/Lithuanian paternal grandmother and all of the Polish restaurants and grocery stores and Pirogi festivals. In fact, the only place to find pirogi is in Walmart and it's not very good. More importantly, his grandmother never made pirogi. She did make some type of braised sauerkraut that didn't taste like sauerkraut at all. She also made a poppy seed roll and kolachi. The reality is that 9 out of 10 times I or someone else went to Calumet Bakery and picked up a poppy seed roll any time we wanted it. Everything else she made was about as US as it gets ham, baked beans, potato salad with eggs and potato salad without eggs. I don't remember her making anything Lithuanian. Ever.

I think he just misses those peeps. But, I love my son and this will be the last Christmas that he is with me for sure before going out into the great big world.
The 12 Dishes of Polish Christmas

Not doing all that. I don't think. I am looking for a braised sauerkraut recipe. I remember there being brown sugar in it and the sauerkraut was rinsed a couple of times before even cooking it. Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? I also ordered several books and cooking stuff like a cutter thing to make pirogi as well as a fine grater for Kugelis. This is an adventure.

What are you guys making? Do you incorporate any recipes handed down?
 
So, my son told me that he wanted a Polish/Lithuanian Christmas dinner. My inner WOP died a little. I said, "Let me ask my Lithuanian/Polish grandmother-oh, wait.......I don't have one." So, when we moved, he left behind his Polish/Lithuanian paternal grandmother and all of the Polish restaurants and grocery stores and Pirogi festivals. In fact, the only place to find pirogi is in Walmart and it's not very good. More importantly, his grandmother never made pirogi. She did make some type of braised sauerkraut that didn't taste like sauerkraut at all. She also made a poppy seed roll and kolachi. The reality is that 9 out of 10 times I or someone else went to Calumet Bakery and picked up a poppy seed roll any time we wanted it. Everything else she made was about as US as it gets ham, baked beans, potato salad with eggs and potato salad without eggs. I don't remember her making anything Lithuanian. Ever.

I think he just misses those peeps. But, I love my son and this will be the last Christmas that he is with me for sure before going out into the great big world.
The 12 Dishes of Polish Christmas

Not doing all that. I don't think. I am looking for a braised sauerkraut recipe. I remember there being brown sugar in it and the sauerkraut was rinsed a couple of times before even cooking it. Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? I also ordered several books and cooking stuff like a cutter thing to make pirogi as well as a fine grater for Kugelis. This is an adventure.

What are you guys making? Do you incorporate any recipes handed down?
I had a coworker whose grandma was Polish, and she brought this wonderful noodle kugel thing to our potlucks a few times. I LOVED it. Comforting noodles covered in a slightly sweet cream sauce. It is a lot better than it sounds.

Good luck with the sauerkraut recipe. I had a vegetarian roommate once who made the most outstanding cabbage dish with sourcream and brown sugar--even I liked it and I hate cabbage.
 
So, my son told me that he wanted a Polish/Lithuanian Christmas dinner. My inner WOP died a little. I said, "Let me ask my Lithuanian/Polish grandmother-oh, wait.......I don't have one." So, when we moved, he left behind his Polish/Lithuanian paternal grandmother and all of the Polish restaurants and grocery stores and Pirogi festivals. In fact, the only place to find pirogi is in Walmart and it's not very good. More importantly, his grandmother never made pirogi. She did make some type of braised sauerkraut that didn't taste like sauerkraut at all. She also made a poppy seed roll and kolachi. The reality is that 9 out of 10 times I or someone else went to Calumet Bakery and picked up a poppy seed roll any time we wanted it. Everything else she made was about as US as it gets ham, baked beans, potato salad with eggs and potato salad without eggs. I don't remember her making anything Lithuanian. Ever.

I think he just misses those peeps. But, I love my son and this will be the last Christmas that he is with me for sure before going out into the great big world.
The 12 Dishes of Polish Christmas

Not doing all that. I don't think. I am looking for a braised sauerkraut recipe. I remember there being brown sugar in it and the sauerkraut was rinsed a couple of times before even cooking it. Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? I also ordered several books and cooking stuff like a cutter thing to make pirogi as well as a fine grater for Kugelis. This is an adventure.

What are you guys making? Do you incorporate any recipes handed down?
I had a coworker whose grandma was Polish, and she brought this wonderful noodle kugel thing to our potlucks a few times. I LOVED it. Comforting noodles covered in a slightly sweet cream sauce. It is a lot better than it sounds.

Good luck with the sauerkraut recipe. I had a vegetarian roommate once who made the most outstanding cabbage dish with sourcream and brown sugar--even I liked it and I hate cabbage.


I love kugels.

Yeah........sauerkraut........
 
Yikes...….if you're going to do the '12 dishes of Christmas' I'd suggest doing as much prep work the day or two or three before or that's all you'll be doing is cooking.


Doing a search for the braised kraut (Kapusta)...says it's more for New Years.....but here's an option

Kapusta (Braised Sauerkraut) for New Year's Day

Ingredients
  • 2 slices center cut bacon, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 of medium onion)
  • 1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can sauerkraut, drained and liquid reserved
  • 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded (about 8 cups)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon for a few minutes. Add onions and saute for another 5 minutes or so until bacon is crisp and onions are translucent.
  2. Add flour and pepper and mix well (the mixture will be dry.) Add liquid from canned sauerkraut and mix to form a roux (about 1 minute.)
  3. Add sauerkraut and cabbage. Mix well until roux is incorporated throughout mixture.
  4. Add bay leaves, reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook for at least an hour, until all the cabbage is wilted. Stir occasionally during the cooking process.
  5. Remove bay leaves and salt to taste before serving. Serve with pork, over potatoes or on its own.


I'm not Polish, but ex was and I don't ever remember his mom making anything other than American type food for any of the holidays. Did have a family friend that was Polish and had my mom make some cabbage rolls for him once, but other than that, I don't have a clue. Sorry.



Here the Christmas food tradition is pretty much anything that is not turkey, . Usual choices are ham or rib roast and once we had a goose..
 

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