Christmas cookbook scrapbook by Smart Design Expo - 4 wonderful polish recipes for Christmas by smartdesign-expo_marketing

In ever y c o r ner of the wo rl d C h r istma s c el eb rat i ons a re a ss o ciate d with

Wa r m t h and a t r u ly ma gica l atmo s phe re . E ver y c ou nt r y h a s its own custo ms a nd t ra d i t i ons, as t hey s ay. Th at is exa ctly the rea s on w h y we h ave o rga nize d th is eve nts o t h at you coul d dis cove r our Po li s h c uisine a nd tra dition.

Wh at rea l ly goe s on ba cksta ge i n Sm a r t D e sign E xp o? Have a l ook a nd se e !

A pinch of pepper, a dash of mint _4 The polish borscht with dumplings _8 The polish dumplings with sauerkraut and mushrooms _10 Making dumplings _12 Carp with porcini sauce _14 The polish gingerbread cookies _16 Thank you! _18

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK SCRAPBOOK

A PINCH OF PEPPER, A DASH OF MINT Poland if you think of Christmas, things such as various customs, stunning decorations and this unique atmosphere immediately come to mind. The Christmas Eve dinner (Wigilia) is traditionally perceived as the most lavish meal during the whole year. Our tables simply groan with food – as abstinence is required, there are 12 meatless dishes that all family members must taste. However, we do not sit at the tables to enjoy this magnificent food we wait for so desperately until the first star, the symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, becomes visible in the evening sky. The Christmas Eve dinner must simply be perfect – one does need to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Making an extra place-setting at the table for an unexpected guest to celebrate hospitality in a symbolic way is an intrinsic part of it. Once we have done that, we are ready to break the Christmas wafer (opłatek) with our nearest and dearest. This wonderful gesture,

which strengthens our relationships, gives us a chance to express our feelings and thoughts that otherwise would be left unspoken because there is either no time to do that or the time is not right. With the sound of the Polish Christmas carols and the smell of Christmas tree wafting around us, we enjoy the unforgettable atmosphere of Christmas. Since we would like to share these wonderful emotions with you, we have prepared our very own cookbook scrapbook containing 4 recipes for typically Polish Christmas dishes. We hope you will give them a try! We have had a great time cooking together and we would like to share this joy with you. Take a look at our photos! Let us know if your dishes turned out as incredible as ours!

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK SCRAPBOOK

TOG ETHER!

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK SCRAPBOOK

THE POLISH BORSCHT WITH DUMPLINGS

SERVES:10

P R E PA R AT I O N TIME:3,5H

LEVEL OF D I F F I C U LT Y: HARD

Borscht: Prepare the pork broth. Add the vegetables, mushrooms, apples, three quarters of the garlic, salt, marjoram, allspice and bay leaf. Add about 0.5l of water. Keep boiling for at least three and a half hours. Peel the beets and grate them by hand using the large holes of a box grater. Put the beets into a pan, add the broth, then bring the soup to a boil, remove from the heat and set aside for at least 3 hours, preferable for the night. Drain the soup and season with salt, sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic, marjoram and pepper.

Melt the butter, fry the onion and add the mushrooms. Keep frying for a few minutes and from time to time add some water left after soaking the mushrooms. Simmer without a lid so as to let the vapor escape from the mixture and season to taste. Chop the filling finely and stuff the dough.

Dumplings dough: Combine the flour, oil, salt and the egg. Add the boiling water and keep kneading until it is smooth.

Serving: Stuff the dough with the chosen filling and form the dumplings, then boil them in salted water until they rise to the surface. Serve the dumplings together with the hot beetroot soup.

Filling 1: Soak the mushrooms in cold water for 2 hours.

Filling 2: Peel the apples and grate them coarsely by hand using the large holes of a box grater. Melt some butter and fry the apples. Add some salt and marjoram, then cool the mixture and stuff the dough with it.

INGREDIENTS DUMPLINGS:

B O R S C H T: P R E PA R E T H E P O R K B R OT H T H E D AY B E F O R E + S M O K E D P O R K B O N E S 1 KG + P O L I S H A P P L E S W H I C H H AV E A S W E E T- S O U R TA ST E E .G. : J O N AG O L D, S PA R TA N 8 0 0 G + CARROTS 300 G + CELERY ROOT 200 G + PA R S L E Y R O OT 2 0 0 G + GARLIC 1 HEAD + DRIED BOLETUS 20 G + M A R J O R A M , S A LT, B L A C K P E P P E R C O R N , A L L S P I C E , B AY L E A F, S U G A R , A P P L E C I D E R VINEGAR, GROUND BLACK PEPPER + W H O L E B E E TS - 2 . 5 KG â&#x20AC;&#x201C; U S E A S M A N Y KILOGRAMS OF BEETS AS MANY LITERS O F B R OT H YO U WA N T TO C O O K

+ + + + + + + + +

W H E AT F LO U R 5 0 0 G AN EGG B O I L I N G WAT E R 2 5 0 M L O I L - 1 TA B L E S P O O N ONIONS 200 G DRIED MUSHROOMS 100 G BUTTER 50 G APPLES 300G S A LT, P E P P E R , M A R J O R A M

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK SCRAPBOOK

THE POLISH DUMPLINGS WITH S AU E R K R AU T A N D M U S H R O O M S

70 - 100 DUMPLINGS

P R E PA R AT I O N TIME:2 H

Dough: Add the boring water to the flour. Combine 1kg of flour with 2 eggs, some salt and a tablespoon of oil. Keep kneading until the dough is smooth. Then divide the dough into portions, wrap it in cling film and chill in the fridge. Preparation: Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out, about 3mm thick. Cut circular shapes out of the rolled dough (about 8cm in diameter) and flour them lightly to prevent them from drying. Put a spoonful of the

LEVEL OF D I F F I C U LT Y: MEDIUM

cooled filling onto each circular shape and form dumplings. Boil the dumplings in salted water until they rise to the surface. Take the dumplings out of the water and serve while still hot. Filling: Soak the dried mushrooms in water. Melt the lard and fry the onion, add the garlic and simmer adding the reserved water. Add the sauerkraut, the mushrooms and the spices. Continue to boil for about an hour.

INGREDIENTS FILLING: + DRIED BOLETUS 50 G + DRIED PORCINI 50 G + SAUERKRAUT (FERME NTED CABBAG E) 400 G + WHITE ONION 300 G + GARLIC - 4 CLOVES + P U R E L A R D ( P O R K FAT ) W I T H O U T PORK RINDS 200 G + OIL 100 ML + BUTTER 100G + P EPPER, ALLSPIC E , B AY L E A F, SU G A R, CARAWAY (O PTIO NA L )

DOUGH: + + + +

W H E AT F LO U R 1 KG 2 EGGS B O I L I N G WAT E R 5 3 0 M L S A LT

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK SCRAPBOOK

MAKING DUMPLINGS

Although dumplings may not be the most important food to us Poles, we do love them dearly. Some we use as a carbohydrate base for a main meal, others are a meal in themselves; some are eaten with soups, while others can be eaten as a dessert; some are sweat, while others savory. Dumplings are incredible simple to make and very much part of our Polish heritage, all you need is a little confidence in the art of folding and preparing the dough, to make these little wonders. Once mastered, dumplings can be made in minimal time and truly are little flavour bombs that you can fill with whatever mixture your heart desires! 1. Cut circle 8-10 cm shapes out of the dough with a cutter (wine glass could do the job as well!) 2. Put a teaspoon of the filling inside each circle 3. Close each circle to create a half-moon shape 4. Seal the edges to create a triangle 5. Press the edges down with your fingertips to seal the pierogi and create a frilly edge

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK SCRAPBOOK

CA R P W I T H P O R C I N I S AU C E

SERVES 20

P R E PA R AT I O N TIME: 2 H

Carp: If you don’t buy carp fillets, you will need to clean the fish yourself – in that case filet and scale the carp, dry the fish with the paper towels (do it a few times in order to get rid of the slime). Make small cuts every 2mm without cutting through the skin so that frying could make the fish bones melt. Season the fish with salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and marjoram. Lay the fish in a baking dish, cover it with a layer of chopped onion. Put another layer of fish and then again a layer of chopped onion on top. Set aside for 24 hours. Dust the fillets with the wheat flour or cornflour, heat the oil and fry the fillets until the skin is golden and crispy.

LEVEL OF D I F F I C U LT Y: MEDIUM

Porcini sauce: Soak the mushrooms in cold water for 2 hours (and reserve it). Chop the onion finely, melt the butter and fry the onion. Add the chopped mushrooms. Simmer adding the reserved water (use two thirds of it), the broth and some thyme. Continue to boil for about 15-20 minutes. Add the cream. Bring it to a boil and then thicken it with flour and butter. Season to taste. The sauce should have a distinctive, both salty and peppery taste. Serving: To give the carp a buttery taste, add some butter and reheat the fish in the oven before serving. Then serve with the porcini sauce and voila!

INGREDIENTS SAUCE:

CARP: P R E PA R E PA P E R TOW E L S, A FILLETING KNIFE – A SHARP KNIFE WITH A LONG BLADE + F I L L E TS O F CA R P ( 3 CA R P - 2 - 2 , 5 KG ) + CORNFLOUR OR CHICKPEA FLOUR (ADDS CRISPNESS) + OIL + M A R J O R A M , S A LT, P E P P E R M A R I N AT I N G : O N E D AY B E F O R E S E R V I N G + A N O N I O N 1 - 2 KG + GARLIC - 4 CLOVES + OLIVE OIL

+ DRIED BOLETUS 100 G + FRESH THYME - A BUNCH OF SPRINGS + O N I O N S 0, 4 KG + CREAM 32% 1L + BROTH - 1,5L + BUTTER 150 G + FLOUR 100 G + S A LT, P E P P E R

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK SCRAPBOOK

THE POLISH GINGERBREAD COOKIES

MAKES APPROX. 30

P R E PA R AT I O N TIME:1,5 H

Gingerbreads: Sift the flour onto a pastry board, melt the honey and mix it with the flour when it is still hot (preferably with a knife). Keep mixing and add the sugar, baking soda and spices, then the butter and the egg. Knead the dough until it is firm and dense (until it resembles shortbread), adding from time to time one tablespoon of milk (which means that some milk may be left). Keep kneading the dough until it is smooth (for about 10 minutes). Roll out the dough on a lightly floured pastry board, about 1/2 cm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the rolled dough. Put the cookie shapes on the prepared baking sheets (lined with parchment paper). Ensure they are at least 2 cm apart so they don’t spread into each other as they bake. Preheat the oven to 180°C (do not use the fan-forced option). Bake the cookies for about 10-15 minutes, depending on their thickness.

LEVEL O F D I F F I C U LT Y: EASY

Icing: Separate the eggs and place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low-medium speed slowly adding the confectioner’s sugar until the icing is smooth. When do you know it is ready? When the mixture turns white and creamy and it resembles meringue!Try adding a little food colouring for a splash of colour. Our secret recipe for the chili icing – grind the chili peppers by hand using a mortar and pestle, then add the chili and a pinch of cinnamon to the mixture! Decorating gingerbread cookies : The only limit is your imagination! Let the freshbaked cookies cool completely. Fill the piping bag with the icing and decorate the cookies as you wish. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

INGREDIENTS DOUGH: T I P : P R E PA R E T H E G I N G E R B R E A D D O U G H A N D L E T I T M AT U R E F O R T W O W E E KS + + + + + + + +

W H E AT F LO U R - 2 C U P S H O N E Y - 2 TA B L E S P O O N S S U G A R - 3 /4 C U P BAKING SODA - 1,5 SPOONS GIN G ERBRE A D SP I C E - 1 0 G ( A HA L F OF S AC H ET ) B U T T E R - 1 TA B L E S P O O N 1 EGG WARM MILK- ABOUT 1 /3 CUP

ICING: + EGG WHITES - 100 ML + CONFECTIONER SUGAR - 300 G + OPTIONAL: FOOD COLOURING

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK SCRAPBOOK

T H A N K YO U !

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK SCRAPBOOK

Enjoy Smar t Design E x p o team .

You have had a chance to see what really goes on backstage in Smar t Design Expo and at this point we are more than sure you know our company like the back of your hand. Some people had a good laugh, others had their fingers cut... How was it? It was tasty. It was cosy. It was hear ty. It was inspiring. It was just right. Have a wonderful Christmas!

W W W. S M A R T D E S I G N - E X P O . C O M