HALLOWEEN, a Ukrainian Superstition, and LINGUINE with MUSSELS

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LINGUINE with MUSSELS

          From:  Fabulous Italian by JOHNA bLINN

32 mussels for 4 servings

½ cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

¼ tsp dried crushed red pepper

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided

½ cup dry white wine

1 pound linguine

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated parmesan

·        Finely chop the garlic cloves and set aside.

·        Chop the parsley.  Put one tbsp. in a dish and set it on the table so you’ll remember to use it as garnish.

·        Grate the cheese and set on the table.

·        Put pepper grinder on the table.

·        Heat oil in skillet.  Sauté garlic and crushed red pepper for one minute.  Let cool.

·        Scrub mussels.  If any are open, tap them.  If they don’t close in the next few minutes, discard them.

·        Bring 8 cups of water to a boil.

·        Put in the mussels, cover and cook for 1 minute.

·        Dip out the mussels that are open.  If any aren’t open, give them another minute or two.  Discard any that don’t open.

·        Remove mussels from their shells.  Discard shells. 

·         Bring large pot of water to a boil to cook the linguine.  Add 2 tsp salt to the water.

·        Cook linguine 11 minutes and drain.

·        Meanwhile, put remaining tbsp. of parsley in the skillet.  Also add the wine and ½ tsp salt.

·        3 minutes before linguine is ready, bring wine to a boil in the skillet.  Add the mussels to reheat.  Lower the heat and cover.

·        Plate the linguine.  Spoon the mussel sauce onto it.  Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan.

·        Serve with a salad.  Pass the pepper grinder.  Enjoy!

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A Ukrainian Superstition . . .

as recalled by Mary (Leschyshyn) Stadnyk

If a pregnant woman asks you for something, you are supposed to give it to her or mice will eat your best clothes.

    So one time I went to a young woman’s place.  Her name was Anna Voznee.  There were other young women making fancy boxes for a Box Social.  I really brought few decorations to give Anna.  I had some Christmas decorations such as silver streamers.  One of the other women asked me to give them to her and I wasn’t going to part with them.  But Anna said, “You should give to her as she is in family.”  But I didn’t.  I came home and told Mother about it. 

     Mother said, Just say: ‘My clothes are in that lady’s trunk.’  Say that a few times and it will be alright.   

Halloween in Kyiv: 2017

SISTERS "scatter our seriousness" . . . and Spinach Crepes

My mother's sister, Florence, is 90 today!

Florence was Nellie's junior bridesmaid 

and during summer holidays would go to Saskatchewan where Nellie and Matt lived after they married.  The first house they built in Sheho is still standing and was painted pink and white.  Marilyn says,  "The color still remains after all these years!"  

Florence holding Marilyn, Baba, Nellie, Matt, Matt's sister Tillie

Pat, Florence, Marilyn

Marilyn had a long chat with Aunty Florence on her 89th birthday.

"Florence had fond memories of helping Nellie when she worked in the Grandview hospital in the kitchen under a trained chef. Nellie learned many French recipes; cream puffs, quiches, custards.  Aunty talked about helping Nellie prepare for the visiting sisters from Chicago and how she folded napkins and colored displays with Uncle Sam icons.   This was in 1941, 42."

Marilyn also wrote about her mom, Nellie:

"Mom also incorporated techniques into her repertoire of recipes.  Like using a bain marie for her lemon filling for pies etc.   I only began to wonder when watching Laura Calder’s show "French Cooking at Home”  The techniques Laura demonstrated were what Mom would do.   Aunty Florence said Nellie learned this while working in Grandview under this chef.  When the Felician sisters couldn't get more funding for the hospital, they moved to Langenburg, Saskatchewan. According to your Mom and Aunty Florence, they wanted Nellie to move with them."

Nellie's sister, Mary (Mom), remarked once,  “Nellie did well with what education she had.” 

                                                 Florence, Nellie, Mary

                                                 SISTERS "season our lives".

                                                           (by Marian Olsen)

                                                    Florence at 90 with Nellie's daughter, Pat

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A French dish, of course, for this post!

SPINACH CREPES

from JOY of COOKING

1 lb spinach

1 ½ tbsp butter

1 tbsp finely chopped onion

1 tbsp flour

½ cup hot cream, milk, or stock

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

PREPARE Spinach filling:

• Wash spinach and chop finely.
• Heat butter in large skillet.   
• Add finely chopped onion and cook one minute.
• Add spinach.  Cover and cook over high heat until steam appears.
• reduce heat to low and cook until tender (5 minutes).
• Stir in flour.
• Stir in hot cream, milk, or stock.
• Stir in salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.
• Set aside.

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Prepare Crépes

¾ cup flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

⅔ cup milk

⅓ cup water

½ tsp grated lemon rind

• mix together flour, salt, and baking powder.  Set aside.
• beat eggs in large bowl.  Stir in milk, water, and lemon rind.
• Stir in flour mixture.  
• Make crépes.  

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Spread crépes with creamed spinach.  Roll up.  Place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with grated cheese.   

Preheat oven to 375 or 400.

Heat crépes for 15 minutes.  

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I made these in August, 1988 and Bryan remarked, “I couldn’t imagine that spinach could taste so good!”

  I marked them as Excellent!

Some of my newest friends . . . and CHEESE SOUP

You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.

–Paul Sweeney

Dragons, Liveships, wonderful characters, huge problems . . . FANTASTIC!

                                 Books 1 and 2 of an apocalyptic world

                       I loved Rosie's candid letters and emails.

                                  I found this stage script in our cruise ship's library!

             Great bedtime reading!  Thanks again, Nicole, for this fun book!

Romance and Disaster:  More than 1000 people died when a submarine torpedoed the Lusitania

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EATING with a LITERARY CHARACTER

Pan Zagloba, a character in Sienkiewicz’s WITH FIRE AND SWORD, declares, “There is nothing like a good, thick polevka to fuel the brain and good hot beer to carry it there.”

Zagloba "satisfied his first pangs of hunger with two large bowls of 'polevka' soup, a platter of sausage, and a huge tankard of hot buttered beer. . ." (page 760)

According to EAT SMART IN POLAND, polewka is “cheese soup or gruel made of hot milk, water and fresh curds”.  A recipe is provided on page 47, for those who demand authenticity.  

If you just want a guaranteed DELICIOUS cheese soup, here's one of my favourites: 

CHEDDAR CHEESE SOUP

          From:  THE FOUR SEASONS COOKBOOK by Charlotte Adams, c1971

3 tbsp minced onion

3 tbsp grated carrot

3 tbsp butter (can be reduced to 1 tbsp)

4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

½ tsp dry mustard

½ tsp paprika

¼ cup milk

2 tbsp cornstarch

¼ pound sharp cheddar grated

¼ tsp pepper

Salt to taste

2 tbsp chopped parsley

*Sauté the onion and carrot in butter over low heat for 10 minutes.

*Add the stock, mustard, pepper, and paprika.  Simmer for 15 minutes.

*Combine the milk and cornstarch.

*Stir into the soup and cook for 5 minutes.

*Add cheese and stir until melted.

*Taste for salt.

*Serve with parsley garnish. 

This is a FAMILY FAVORITE!

UKRAINIAN PIONEER WEDDING October 14, 1931 . . . and Sauerkraut Varenyky

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Marilyn remarked:  I remember Uncle Wes saying that the norm was fall weddings as the harvest was done, there was plenty of garden stuff and the pig was fatten ready to be slaughtered! He didn’t mention anything about Horilka : горілка! 

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MARY STADNYK’S SAUERKRAUT VARENIKI (Pyrohi)

For more instructions on how to make pyrohi, go to:
 Vareniki:   http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2012/06/perogiesvarenikipyrohi.html

Have an Amazing Anniversary, NICOLE and JAMES!

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. . . and  the most amazing UKRAINIAN PORK RIBS

PORK RIBS with Tangy BEETS

            From Bohdan Zahny’s THE BEST OF UKRAINIAN CUISINE

2 lbs pork ribs

1 tbsp diced salt pork

2 tbsp butter

2 onions

2 tbsp flour

1 lb beets

½ cup vinegar

½ cup water (or vegetable stock if you have it)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

·        Cut pork ribs apart.

·        Chop onions finely.

·        Cut beets into matchsticks.  (Julienne.)

·        Start oven preheating to 350.

·        Fry ribs on both sides in salt pork and butter.  (Takes 5 minutes.)  Remove ribs from pan.

·        Add onion.  Fry for 5 minutes.

·        Stir in flour.

·        Add beets.

·        Stir in vinegar, water, salt, and pepper.

·        Put ribs on top of beets.

·        Cover and cook in oven for 50 minutes.

UNBELIEVABLY YUMMY!

Serve with perogies and a Ukrainian cabbage salad (cole slaw). 

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Wishing you much happiness in your new state!

  

"And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen"

CHURCH was very important to Mom.   

                 
 Mom also loved to share

stories, food, and recipes. 

“Mother, you taught me . . .”