Posted on 03/18/2005 9:15:08 AM PST by lizol
Polish Borscht for Easter
By Dina D'Amato / Recipe The recipe above was a traditional Easter morning meal served and enjoyed by most members of the Polish side of my family. I have very fond memories of Easter as a child. Following church, we would go with my Dad and Grandfather "house-hopping" to several of my relatives' homes. Mom would usually stay home for those who would be visiting our home. At each house, there was a large pot on the stove of fresh borscht and an abundance of sides, and plenty of everything to go around.
I have tried to carry on this recipe with my own family, but it is very much an "acquired" taste, and they have yet to acquire it. My own Dad, who is Italian, said it took him many years to appreciate borscht, but will now go many miles out of his way to get a good bowl. But if you're adventurous, and like to try ethnic foods, give it a try. But please, have a backup meal just in case!
1-2 Polish Kielbasa
2-3 chicken boullion cubes
Approximately 10 cups water
1 package soup vegetables (or use your own chopped celery, carrots, onion, parsley, etc.)
Approx. 4 Tbsp. butter
2 eggs
½ C. flour
1 pint heavy cream
Approx. ½ c. water
1 can (what size?) chicken broth
¼ - ½ c. white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Sides:
Sliced kielbasa (from above)
Horseradish
Sliced hard-boiled eggs
Sliced mushrooms (from a can, or cooked if you wish)
Rye or pumpernickel bread
Directions:
1. Prick kielbasa all over to let flavor out. Bring kielbasa to a boil in 10 cups of water. Add vegetables, boullion and butter. Cook (at a simmer?) for approximately 30 minutes.
2. Remove kielbasa and set aside. Remove vegetables and discard.
3. In a medium bowl (or 8 c. Pyrex measuring cup), mix together the eggs, flour, heavy cream and enough water to make a total of 3 ½ - 4 cups. Add to kielbasa broth.
4. Add chicken broth, vinegar, salt and pepper.
5. When serving, put your choice of sides in your bowl and cover with soup. Serve with bread on the side.
i am not saying you are wrong, i have seen it done that way, but that is the sort of FOOFIFIED version, not the truly earthy eastern european way, with which i am familiar> i think you'd like mine just fine.
Well if I can eat kimchi, then I can stomach just about anything. EXCEPT cold beet soup.
"FOOFIFIED Boscht". Heh.
tell me you don't understand my point via my rather creative new word.. ; )
Kinda shocked we got two dozen replies intot the thread with no mention of czarnina
Loved the pierogi and kielbasa and stuffed peppers at holidays, hated the borscht.
In fact, during holiday meals, my mother would forget my first name - she would tell everyone, 'Don't pass the borscht to HER because SHE doesn't like it.'
Yeah, it looks like I was too lazy to really read the recipe...
But maybe they should call it something other than "borscht".
The first thing that popped into my head was the cold version...
and then the idea of cold chunks of fatty kielbasa floating around in it made it seem even less appetizing.
LOL!!!!!
'Looks like a candidate for the WFTD, xs!
duly noted: )
Yeah, I really looked forward to watching my Mom and now-departed Dad make the kielbasa fresh with the old grinder and casings. It's been many years since then, though...
My Mom was born in Hungary, came here in 36..My dad was born here, his parents came from the Ukraine..
so you are a hunky through and through! the term, as used by my family has always meant someone of eastern european extraction. i am half lithuanian, a quarter polish and a quarter ukrainian. all my grandparents came off the boat.
I guess..I'd heard the term used occasionally..never learned to speak Hungarian..just three words.."nem besay magyar" I was stationed in Europe from 68-72, and in 70, I had an extended medical leave when I got back from Afghanistan..when I got out of the hospital, I travelled through much of Hungary fromtwo weeks..went to see my mom's old village..95% of her family was wiped out in the camps during the war,..but found some distant relations...It was an amazing experience..
Now, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
According to Ukrainians, "borscht" is strictly a Ukrainian dish, and nobody else knows how to make it correctly.
Now, admittedly my whole "eastern European" life-experience involved only Ukraine (one year), Russia (eight months), and Moldova (four days, there illegally), but my mother was of Slovakian descent, and she never mentioned borscht.
She made all these other Slovakian foods, such as meat wrapped in cabbage (ugh), and poppyseed rolls (the food of the gods), and a bunch of other Slovakian stuff whose names I no longer remember--but she never in her life mentioned the word "borscht," as it was perhaps unknown to her, being a Ukrainian delicacy.
"According to Ukrainians, "borscht" is strictly a Ukrainian dish"
There is the red one (with beets) and the white "borscht", which in Poland is sometimes called Ukrainian borscht. The second one was probably "invented" in Ukraine, but both of them are popular in Poland.
So I'm a Mexican girl trying Polish Borscht (very similar to the one on your recipe) for the first time last night. My boyfriend's uncle made some for easter and it was delicious. It was the white broth kind but made with sour cream and lemon juice instead of vinegar. I sure could use a bowl right about now!
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