Family Recipes: Polish and Jewish culinary traditions

Family Recipes Polish and Jewish culinary traditions

Introduction Food is a great vehicle for bringing people together, forging bonds and creating conversation. It allows for sharing our cultures and heritage with people from different backgrounds.

In October 2020, online session took place where we discussed how closely Polish and Jewish culinary traditions are intertwined. We also talked about the lasting influence of Jewish and Polish cuisine on culinary traditions in both cultures in modern cooking practices.

During the session members of both communities had the opportunity to talk about their choice of food/dish and to share the story behind their chosen dish and receipts with others.

This booklet collects family recipes, the stories behind and the culinary traditions from the session as presented by the Polish and Jewish community members.

I hope that you will enjoy reading this booklet, and these recipes will inspire you to create your own versions of presented dishes, to add your own flavor and style.

Barbara Czyznikowska FRSA Leicester, January 2021

SUBMITTED BY KAZIA MYERS

‘USZKA’ – Mushroom dumplings

‘USZKA’ – Mushroom dumplings Fillings for dumplings • 300gms, packet of mushrooms • ¼ or ½ an onion (quantity to your liking) • 1 OXO cube (beef for the dark colour) • Salt and pepper to taste Preparation 1. Clean and roughly grate the mushrooms (put aside) Chop the onion very finely and fry in a little oil till soft.

Kazia Myers and family making ‘Uszka’ for Christmas Eve

Dough for ‘USZKA’

2. Add grated mushrooms, crumbled OXO cube, mix and fry on gentle heat till all the moisture evaporates.

• 3 cups flour (I always use the ‘OO’ Grade Pasta Flour for whiteness.

3. This may take half an hour or longer, the mixture should be moist but not runny. Add pepper and salt to your taste.

• 1 cup warm water

4. Once cooled it can be used straightaway. I make mine the day before and store in the fridge in a lidded container. Any excessive moisture can be soaked up with a paper towel.

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

These are the guiding measures - you can use any sized cups, depending on the quantity required.

Next page ……..

‘USZKA’ – Mushroom dumplings continues…..

Preparation continues ….

1. On a floured board roll out 1/3 of the dough, keeping the rest covered.

2. Roll it out flat and thin, but thick enough to hold the mushroom mixture.

3. With a sharp knife cut the dough down and across to make 3cm squares (larger if you wish).

4. Fill each square (one after another) with ½ a teaspoon of the mushroom mixture. Bring the opposite corners together and pinch hard to make a filled dough triangle.

Pinch the sides together to seal them, then bring the elongated ends together, pinch together and seal to form the ‘Uszka’ shape.

5. ‘Uszka’ – means ‘little ears’. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough and mushroom mixture.

6. Place the finished uszka on a floured board ready to boil, OR ready to be deep frozen and then sealed in a plastic bag ready to boil when required.

‘Uszka’ are served with beetroot soup ‘barszcz’, any time of the year, but especially on Christmas Eve with the 12 course meal.

Reflections from Kazia In our virtual get-together CABBAGE was mentioned too. It is one of the favourite vegetables in Polish cuisine.

From my childhood, lived in a refugee camp after the war, I remember my Mother’s simple dishes:

Anyone with a plot of land grew cabbages. It is easy to preserve through the winter months – shredded and salted in air-tight containers. It has positive properties for the digestive system, especially preserved as ‘sauerkraut’.

• Mushrooms fried with onions and made into a sauce with soured cream. Served simply over mashed potatoes with dill.

Cooked on the base of fried diced bacon and fried onion, and with addition of grated carrots, a tomato or two, it is truly tasty.

With the addition of sauerkraut and a variety of diced meats, it is called ‘bigos’ in Polish, the ‘Hunters Stew’.

‘Gołąbki’ is another delicious cabbage dish: fried minced meat (can be pork, beef or chicken, or mushrooms for the vegetarians) mixed with cooked rice, and then spoonfuls of this mixture wrapped up in cabbage leaves (that have been softened with boiling water). These cabbage parcels are then packed tightly in an oven proof dish and cooked covered in tinned tomatoes for 40 minutes in pre-heated moderate oven.

• Placki – grated potatoes , with egg and flour to form a mixture, that was then fried in flattened spoonfuls, like small pancakes.

• Thin slices of white bread dipped in beaten egg with ½ pint of milk, fried on both sides and served like pancakes.

• Apple rings dipped in pancake batter and fried – served with sugar and cinnamon.

• Pancakes served with sweet things, or, also with savoury home-made cottage cheese.

I send everyone my very best wishes, and happy cooking!

SUBMITTED BY MIRIAM LEVENE

Cheesecake

Cheesecake with meringue topping Based on Miriam’s memories of her mother’s & Oma’s Shavuot baking Base • 1 ¼ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder , ½ teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup sugar, 75g Margarine or butter

Cheesecake with meringue topping baked by Miriam Levene on Saturday 24th October 2020

• Mix all until you get crumbs

Preparation

• spread across base of tin

1. Combine all the filling ingredients and then add

• OR: 2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs, ¼ cup melted butter

• 4 large egg yolks [one at a time] • 50g butter/margarine

Filling

• ¼ cup flour

• 250g Ricotta cheese • 250 g Mascarpone cheese

• tablespoon of fresh lemon juice 2.

Pour over base and bake for about 1 hour, should be just set in the centre.

3.

Cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

4.

Oven should be set. at 325F / 160C.

• 75g sour cream • 1 cup castor sugar

Cheesecake with meringue topping continues…..

MERINGUE TOPPING • 4 egg whites • ¼ cup castor sugar • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar [or teaspoon lemon juice]

Preparation 1.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.

2.

Add rest of ingredients and beat until stiff but not dry peaks form.

3.

Spread across cheesecake, bake for about 10 minutes until meringue is golden brown.

4.

Oven should be set to 375F /190C.

5.

Chill well before serving – can take an hour.

Cheesecake with meringue topping baked by Miriam Levene on Saturday 24th October 2020

Thank you to cousin Leah for translating her mother’s written recipe and providing a website link.

SUBMITTED BY MARY COOPER

Barley and mushroom

Barley and mushroom

Ingredients • 1 vegetable stock cube in 3/4 litre water • 250 grams of barley • 1 lbs of mushrooms • Olive oil Preparation 1.

Slice half of mushrooms and fry with the second whole ones in olive oil until browned

2.

And put in a dish.

3.

Use the same pan to put in the barley and stock And simmer for 20 mins with lid on, then add the mushrooms.

4.

Simmer for 15 mins with lid off.

5.

Check that barley is cooked and add more stock to ensure the meal stays moist but not wet.

6.

It can be eaten hot or cold as main meal or with meats or salad.

SUBMITTED BY OLA HORBACZ

Makiełki and Kompot for Christmas Eve

Makiełki Makiełki is a dessert which my Mother would prepare for the Christmas Eve supper. It is a typical dessert which I think is unique to Poznań, which is where my Mother was from. Similar dishes which use pasta or grain are called Makówki or Kutia.

My Mother’s version was always served with a compote which was prepared from dried fruit consisting of: apple, pears, figs and apricots but she did also add fresh oranges and lemon to her recipe. What follows are recipes for both.

Quantities and the ingredients are my preference. They can be adjusted to suit the individual.

Ingredients • 1 tin of poppyseed base (this is ready to use and saves you a lot of time, available from a Polish deli – somewhere like Smaczek on Belgrave Gate, Leicester) • Honey • Dried fruits such as sultanas, prunes, apricots, dried cranberry or any other dried fruit • Mixture of any nuts, e.g. cashew, almonds, walnuts or pecans • About a cup of double cream or milk if you prefer • 1 French Stick or other white bread

Preparation: 1. Heat up the cream but do not boil. Chop up the nuts roughly, not too small (some can be left whole) and mix with the dried fruit.

2. Put the poppyseed mix in a bowl and add the nuts and fruit. Add the honey to the cream. Pour the cream into the poppyseed mixture and mix well.

3. Get a glass or crystal bowl and put a layer of the mixture into the bottom. Roughly tear the bread stick into 1 inch squares and scatter over the mix. Add another layer of the poppyseed mix and repeat until the bowl is full. Press down lightly between layers.

4. The top can be decorated with a pattern using some nuts and/or fruit. Put it in the refrigerator to set. The dessert needs to be made in advance as it is better a day later and can be kept for a few days in a cool place.

Kompot

Ingredients • 1 packet of dried fruit (available from Lidl/Aldi/ Waitrose) the contents vary but usually contain dried apple, pear, apricots, figs & prunes • Water • Lemon Juice • Sugar • 2 large oranges

4.

After an hour slice about 2 large oranges and float them on the top of your compote. Cook for another hour but be careful not to overcook so reduce the temperature.

5.

Leave to cool and keep in a cold place until you need it.

Preparation 1.

Put the fruit in a large oven proof dish (preferably one that has a lid).

2.

Cover the fruit with cold water probably about a litre.

Leave for about an hour.

3.

Put in the oven for about an hour on about 150ºc and at that point you can adjust the taste and flavour by adding sugar or lemon juice (if required).

SUBMITTED BY BARBARA CZYZNIKOWSKA

Polish Potato Pancakes (Placki Ziemniaczane)

Polish Potato Pancakes

Ingredients: •

2 large russet potatoes, raw (about 1 1/2 pounds)

•

1/4 cup onion (about 1/2 of a small onion)

•

1 egg

•

1 Tablespoon flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)

•

1/2 teaspoon salt

•

Pepper to taste

• 3 teaspoons oil, divided, for frying • It makes approx. 12 pancakes

Preparation: • Place peeled & chopped potatoes and onion into a food processor. Process for about 30 seconds until lumps are gone.

• Place in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and let drain for 5 minutes or longer.

• Carefully pour off the drained liquid but keep the white starch that’s settled on the bottom.

• To the starch, add the drained potato/onion mixture, egg, flour, salt, & pepper.

• In a pan heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil over medium heat.

Spoon 1/4 cup mounds into pan, flattening each one to an even thickness.

• Cook about 3 minutes per side, adding 1/2 teaspoon oil as needed.

They can be garnished with a variety of toppings.

I serve them with some cream and chives - delicious!!!!

Further reading

Eugeniusz Wirkowski Cooking The Polish Jewish Way

Rebeka Wolff

Claudia Roden

Kosher Polish Cuisine

The book of Jewish Food