Christmas Conversation

Back Row: Me, Nestor, Cousin Marilyn, Diana

Front Row: Cousin Vernon, Cousin Pat, Cousin Gerald, Cousin Ernie

Marilyn:  What dishes did your Mom prepare for Christmas eve..

What fish  did she prepare

Me:  Hi Marilyn,

Here's what I remember:  kutya, sauerkraut pyrohy, potato & cot cheese pyrohy, studenetz (jellied fish), Holobtsi, nuts, candy, Christmas cake, Aunt Mary's cookies, gingerbread cookies, and vinerterta.  

I have no clear memory of vegetables because I was a picky eater so I filled up on things I liked. . . potato & cot cheese pyrohy! 

What did your mom make? 

 Marilyn:  Yes, it was the same dishes for my Mom.. our Baba made borscht, clear with little mushroom dumplings.  Her meal was dairy less as well as meatless.  Baba did a blackened flour mushroom sauce

Mom made mushroom soup, in place of Borscht.. in the seventies she only did meatless not dairy less.  And also did a mushroom sauce but in cream.

Serge makes a beautiful beet salad as does Father Oleg’s wife in Dauphin.. "Herring under a coat".. looked like a pie so i didn't taste it then it was gone before dessert! LOl

Auntie Marion pan fries fish no aspic fish. and does a pidpanki sauce. 

No one likes fish aspic, so I have been doing Fish balls 

                                                                  Gedo and Baba

                                                                     Mom and Aunt Nellie (Marilyn's mom)

                                                Cousins Daniela, Andrew, and Serg

                                                                 Mom and Aunt Marion

Mom made her own syr (cheese) for vareniki.  

I was intrigued as a child by the references to food in Nursery Rhymes, but 

I was surprised when I learned that Little Miss Muffet’s ‘curds' were like Mom’s syr and Miss Muffet's 'whey' was the pale, sour liquid Mom would pour into the slop pail for the pigs.

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                                       Wonderful movie:  Funny & sweet

My Birthday in 2019

Perfect gifts from Bryan and the girls:

and lots of time to just relax and enjoy what I love to do: 

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73 now

Season of the turkey . . and the Barefoot Contessa's TOMATO SOUP

Leftover turkey?

Make:

Ina Garten’s TOMATO SOUP

Serve with a small Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwich and Turkey Salad p.50 in SAVORY SALADS by Tupperware

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

3 cups chopped onions (2 onions)

1 tbsp minced garlic

4 cups chicken stock

1 large can crushed tomatoes:  28 oz

¼ tsp saffron

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

½ cup uncooked orzo

½ cup cream:  18% or whipping

1.      Cook onions in 2 tbsp oil for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and very tender.

2.     Add garlic.  Cook one more minute.

3.     Add chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, salt, and pepper. 

4.     Bring soup to boil.  Then simmer for 15 minutes.

5.     Cook orzo for 10 minutes.  Drain.  Stir in 1 tbsp olive oil.  Set aside.

6.     When ready to serve soup, reheat it.  Stir in orzo and cream.