When ANASTASIA came to Saskatoon for CHRISTMAS . . . and super Ukrainian VARENIKI

1985:

In September, Granny bought Care Bears for the girls and put them away, but, suddenly, Rainbow Brite dolls were more the thing.  Then, “Megan and Sundance” and the “Princess of Power” were added to the girls’ Christmas wish lists.  Back went the Care Bears.  On Christmas morning, it was worth it!

Then, “Oh, Auntie Stasia!”

 Anastasia had made a doll’s cradle for each of the girls . . .  complete with a mattress, pillow, and patchwork quilt; all wrapped separately.

The girls' joy thrilled Anastasia.  “My heart is just going pit-a-pat,” she said. 

The girls never forgot this wonderful Christmas and how their aunt made baked Christmas ornaments with them out of flour, salt, and lots of green food colouring. . . it was the only colour I had in the pantry.  I think they even made green lambs!

Dec. 26 is Anastasia's birthday.  

Wishing you the loveliest day, Anastasia!

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VARENIKI with POTATO & MUSHROOMS

            From UKRAINIAN CUISINE, published in Kiev, 1975

FILLING:

1 ¼  pounds potatoes

½ pound onion

½ pound mushrooms

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

*Boil unpeeled potatoes in salted water until well done.   Peel and put through ricer into a large bowl.

*Finely chop onion in food processor and set aside.

*Finely chop mushrooms in a food processor and set aside on a separate dish. 

*Heat oil and brown the onion lightly: 7 minutes on a low heat.

*Add the mushrooms and stir for 3 more minutes.

*Stir in salt and pepper.

*Mix the onions and mushrooms into the potatoes.

Use Mary Stadnyk’s method to prepare the dough and the vareniki.

http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2012/06/perogiesvarenikipyrohi.html

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Note from a Russian regarding perogies/vareniki:

Tatiana : 

It was interesting for me to learn when I moved to the US from Moscow, that you call this dish “pirogi” when we in Russia (and Ukraine) call this dish “vareniki”. Pirogi are the yeast dough pies, that can be stuffed with apples, cabbage and eggs, rice and meat etc and baked in the oven.

Beautiful WROCLAW, Poland . . . and Polish CHICKEN with MUSHROOMS

We were all enchanted by the fairy-tale loveliness of  the square in Wroclaw.

Bryan's journal:  

Thursday September 6

From Frankfurt, we boarded a CJR (a Bombardier regional jet) for the flight to Wroclaw, Poland. What a surprise to have a free beer if we wanted one.

After we landed around 2:00 pm and retrieved our bags we were fortunate to hire a taxi-van for 50 Polish zlotys to take us to our Airbnb accommodation located in the old town (Stare Miasto) near the market square (Rynek). Our suite was situated on the top floor of an apartment building. There was no elevator. There were three bedrooms and one bathroom with a temperamental gas water heater.

After we settled in we walked over to the Rynek and eventually had our first of many pleasant Polish suppers at Karczma Lwowska.

Friday September 7

After a leisurely outdoor breakfast at a bistro off the main square, Eleanor set off to purchase bus tickets for our next leg of the trip. Bryan and Nestor went in search of the Panorama of Raclawice and the National Museum but not before walking in the wrong direction. Thank heavens for large street maps on billboards. They eventually found the Panorama, purchased tickets and waited for our group to walk up the circular ramp to see what was a 360ᵒ mural/diorama depicting the April 1794 battle of Raclawice. They were given special little translators to listen to the narrator tell the story in English.  A short walk across the street took them to the National Museum where they walked through rooms of triptychs that were taken from Polish churches. Needless to say their visit was brief. Bryan managed to forget his glasses in a washroom but they were waiting for him at the entrance kiosk. Such Polish efficiency! They walked along the Oder River past the Polish Hill (Ceglarski Citadel) and Cathedral Island before turning toward the old town square (Rynek).

The city is full of grand old churches; there are nuns everywhere. It truly is a Catholic country.

There are lots of bicycles in use including rented ones and there are electric trams criss-crossing the city.

Around the old city square you can find tiny bronze gnomes engaged in some form of activity often outrageous and always humorous. The square is dominated by the Town Hall and its art museum.

Around the square itself there are rows of restaurants with indoor and outdoor tables.

 In the open areas there is a wide variety of street performers: buskers, jugglers, portrait artists, bubble blowers. That evening we dined in the outdoor area of Restauracja Krolewski located in the Dwor Polski Hotel on the Rynek.

Perogies, with an amazing variety of stuffings, seem to be on almost every restaurant menu, and I had them everywhere we went.  

One thing that really surprised me is that a variety of sauces accompanied the perogies instead of sour cream!

In Wroclaw, dumplings were offered alongside meat.  Thinking these would be perogies, I ordered this but the dumplings turned out to be Silesian dumplings which appear on p. 100 of a beautiful Polish cookbook called ROSE PETAL JAM.

   

Saturday September 8

The slats holding up Bryan’s bed separated last night and he fell through so he spent the rest of the night sleeping on a couch in the living room. 

It rained overnight and it was quite cloudy in the morning.

We had a good breakfast in a small bakery nearby around the corner.

     

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POTRAWKA z KURCZAKA POLSKA

                        From Jeff Smith’s THE FRUGAL GOURMET on OUR IMMIGRANT ANCESTORS, page 371

I serve the chicken with Kopytki (just like Italian gnocchi): p. 54 in EAT SMART in POLAND by Joan & David Peterson, 

 but Silesian dumplings also would be a great side dish.  

And to round off the evening, a video about Chopin!