SUPERSTITIONS and SYRNI HALUSHKY

Is it by coincidence I just found my notes on a couple of the Ukrainian superstitions Mom told me about?

If a picture falls off a wall, bad luck is on the way.

It’s bad luck to wear a scorched garment.

Luckily for us, Bryan and I were both careful today; me with my ironing and . . .

Bryan with hanging some of Nicole’s art. 

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Dinner Menu for 4

Cocktail:  Junior:  rye, benedictine, lime juice, angostura bitters

Main:   Yalovichini Krapleniky  (Beef Rolls)

                Syrni Halushky  (Cheese Dumplings):  There are only 12 dumplings so you will need to double the recipe or serve 3 vegetables:

                                                Lettuce Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing

                                                Company Carrots:  from Peg Bracken’s The I Hate to Cook Book

                                                Green Beans:  cook one pound of beans

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SYRNI HALUSHKY:  serves 3 to 4

based on a recipe in Catherine Atkinson’s From Borshch to Blinis

1 cup flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 ½ tsp baking powder

2 tbsp soft butter

1/3 cup feta

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped cilantro or dill (optional)

¼ cup cold water

1.       Mix together flour, salt, pepper, baking powder, chopped parsley, and chopped cilantro in a food processor. 

2.      Mix in the butter.

3.      Mix in the water.  Process just until it forms a dough.

4.      Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.  (Start by quartering the dough.)

5.      Squeeze each piece until dough is smooth and not crumbly.  Shape into a ball.

6.      In a Dutch oven, bring 9 cups of water to a boil with 1 ½ teaspoons salt.

7.   

   Drop in the dumplings, cover the pot, and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes. (Atkinson said 20 minutes but that was definitely too much.  I would test at 10 minutes.)

8.      Lift out with a slotted spoon.

9.      Stir gently with butter or combine with a prepared meat dish that has a creamy sauce.