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| Most of the recipes are for items that were an essential part of the Easter Basket. What was blessed in church before or on Easter Sunday was what you ate on Easter Sunday. As families got larger, it was no longer necessary to take the entire meal to church to be blessed, but just a portion of everything that was to be eaten. Pierogies were eaten all during Lent. The Soups and Stew recipes were eaten on Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Monday. |
Ukrainian Easter Bread - Babka (also called Paska) 3 tbsp yeast 1 tsp sugar 1/2 cup warm water 2 cups scalded milk, cooled 1/2 lb melted butter, unsalted 10 yolks and 2 whole eggs, well-beaten 1 cup sugar 1 tsp salt grated rind of 1 lemon 1 orange, juice of 1 tsp vanilla (optional) 9-10 cups flour 1 cup golden raisins, soaked in water Combine yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Yeast should rise to top as a foam. Add yeast to the remaining ingredients, adding flour and raisins last to make very soft dough. Knead only until dough no longer sticks to your hands. Cover with a cloth and let rise away from drafts. When doubled in bulk, punch down and let rise again. Punch down. Put in greased pans (Clean, used, metal coffee cans work best.) Let rise, again. Bake at 325° F for 3/4 - 1 hour, depends on size of pans. This recipe makes 4-5 loaves. The tradition is to have one large loaf for the "home" and a smaller loaf for each family member or guest.
1 C milk 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 C flour, divided 3/4 C sugar 1 1/2 T yeast 3 eggs 1 egg yolk 1 tsp. salt 1/2 C butter, softened 2 T orange juice 2 tsp. orange zest 2 tsp. vanilla 8 dyed hard boiled red eggs. Tradition says the eggs have to be "blood red" to signify the suffering of Christ. May have also originated from the pious legend that Mary Magdala was bringing cooked eggs to share with the other women at the tomb of Christ. When Mary Magdala saw the Lord, the eggs in her basket turned brilliant red. Heat milk to very warm, and pour into the bowl. Mix in 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar and yeast until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm, draft-free place until bubbly, about 30 minutes. To the yeast mixture add eggs, one at a time. Add another 1 cup of flour, orange zest and salt, then softened butter, vanilla and orange juice. Mix well. This is where you may have to start using your hands. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft, sticky dough, kneading until smooth (until it no longer sticks to your hands.) Coat a bowl with vegetable oil and turn dough in bowl to lightly coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a clean, draft-free place, until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or flour and butter as you would for a cake. Some also sprinkle yellow corn meal on the flour and butter.
1. You can divide the dough into thirds, roll each third into a long rope then braid those ropes, then twist this braid into a ring. (see above picture) Tuck the dyed, hard boiled eggs, wide or heavy side down, between the strands of the braid, at even intervals around the circle. 2. Make two straight braid loaves by first dividing the dough in half, then dividing each half into thirds. Roll each of these thirds into a long rope and make a straight braid, tucking the ends under, and placing 4 eggs, evenly spaced between the strands of the braid. Make a second braided loaf with remaining dough. 3. Divide the dough into eighths, then roll each loaf into a rounded oval loaf. Press a dyed, hard oiled egg wide or heavy side down, into the center of each "roll." You can bake it as is, or make a "Cross" out of dough to encase the egg. Smaller breads are especially handy for tucking into Easter Baskets. Whichever option you choose, you should now cover the prepared bread with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place once again, until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Brush loaves with egg mixture and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350° F and bake for about 20 minutes more or until golden brown and hollow sounding when thumped. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 2 Braided Loaves or 1 Braided Ring or 8 Small Loaves
1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup lukewarm water 1 packet of yeast 3 cups scalded milk, or enough scalded milk added to whey (from egg cheese) to make three cups liquid, cooled 5 cups flour 6 eggs, beaten 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup melted butter 1 tablespoon salt 9 to 10 cups sifted flour 1 egg Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let sit for 10 minutes. Combined the softened yeast with the lukewarm milk (or milk and whey) and slowly add the 5 cups of flour. Beat well until smooth. Cover and let the batter rise in a warm place until light and bubbly. Add the beaten eggs, sugar, melted butter, and salt; mix thoroughly. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that is neither very soft nor very stiff. Knead until the dough no longer sticks to the hand. Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny. Can take up to 10 or more minutes, depending on the weather (humidity.) Place in a bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let it rise again. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Wrap one in plastic and set aside. Shape the remaining two parts into round balls and place in greased, round pans such as a cake pan. Cover the pans with towels and let rise in a warm place until dough reaches the tops of the pans. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Divide the reserved dough into 4 equal parts. Shape each into a 20-inch rope. Cross the center of each pan of dough with the ropes. With a scissors, make a 6-inch slit lengthwise down the end of each rope and twist the ends into swirls, forming a stylized cross. Once the cross is in place, use additional dough to fill in spaces with rosettes, birds, or other designs. Brush loaf tops with a beaten egg diluted with 2 tablespoons of water. Bake in a moderately hot oven (400 degrees) for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 25 minutes or longer, or until done. It may be necessary to cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove the loaves from the pans and allow them to cool. Makes 2 large loaves. Tradition has it if you place a cross on top of the bread and surround it with a plait made out of more dough, you are giving it a crowned effect or the Greek abbreviation for the name of Christ. The Slavonic people also cut an "X" and a "B" into the dough before baking. The two letters stand for "Christ is Risen." |
cheese is bland but may have a somewhat sweet taste "indicative of the moderation Christians should have in all things." This original recipe used thirteen (13) eggs, one each for Christ and his 12 apostles. We will use an even dozen. 12 eggs, 1 quart of whole milk, 1 Tablespoon white sugar (you can use up to 1/2 cup of sugar if you want it sweeter, but no more), pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp vanilla (or a little more if you like the taste.) Lightly beat eggs, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla until all of the eggs are broken. You do not want frothy eggs. The original recipe called for cooking the mixture over a medium heat in a white, enameled pan. This is tricky. The egg mixture burns almost immediately. A better method would be to use a double boiler or a smaller pot within a larger one that is filled 1/2 up with water. Whatever method you use, stir constantly, (do not walk away) with a wooden spoon (tradition) until mixture curdles. It should look like soupy scrambled eggs. Cook a little longer but do not let liquid evaporate. Line a colander with three layers of cheese cloth and pour the egg mixture into the cloth. Drain the egg cheese. Some persons like to drink the "whey" or use it to make Paska so you may want to save it. Take up the ends of the cheese cloth and squeeze the cheese to extract more liquid. Shape into a ball and tie with a piece of string close to the ball top. Be careful, the egg cheese will be hot. Tie the cheese ball somewhere where it can drain. Southsiders used what was handy -- the kitchen faucet. If you make a lot of cheese, like my sister does each year, hang a portable shower rod over your tub and tie the cheese balls to the rod. Works really well. As with all egg products, you do not want to leave it out of the refrigerator too long. I tried to have it drain while refrigerated but this did not do as well as hanging it somewhere for a short time. When no more liquid drips from the egg cheese, unwrap it from the cheese cloth, re-wrap it in plastic, a piece of cloth (better) or foil and refrigerate. This cheese cannot be made too far in advance of Easter. It was usually made on Holy Thursday or Good Friday. Variations to the recipe: Since this is a bland cheese some will add caraway seeds to the mixture or golden raisins. Others will bake the cheese for about 10 minutes in a low oven (about 250 deg) after taking it from the cheese cloth. |
Condiments and butter:
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| Dessert: Nut and Poppyseed rolls |
Friday evening or early Holy Saturday morning. Wash and boil eggs according to your own way. Refrigerate until you are ready to use. In general, each of these recipes will use four (4) cups of chopped fruit, vegetable or vegetable skins to every four (4) cups of water. If you are using spices then the ratio is one Tablespoon to 4 cups of water with the exception of Turmeric. You will need 3 Tablespoons or more of Turmeric to every 4 cups of water. Bring the solution to a boil and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes. The smells can be overpowering, especially with the red cabbage and turmeric. Allow the liquid to cool. Strain the liquid. Add two (2) Tablespoons of white vinegar. Do not add vinegar if you are using a boiled onion skin liquid. Dip an egg in the liquid. You can add more than one, but make sure the eggs are free floating. Do not stack. To get an even color, you will have to rotate the eggs a lot. Most eggs will not take on a natural dyed color until they have been submerged for at least 30 minutes, minimum. Put eggs back in the refrigerator to be on the safe side. When you are ready to take out, check the color. Eggs will appear darker than the dried color. Wipe with a paper towel and set to dry on a rack or in the bottom section of an egg carton. (Turn over the bottom section and cut a hole in each egg section and put the egg to dry in this hole.) Eggs dyed with natural dyes will have a flat color. If you would like your Easter eggs to shine, wipe with a paper towel dipped in cooking oil. Save the shells from your eggs. Eastern European tradition holds if they are ground up and placed in a garden you will have a bountiful harvest. Symbolic of life and Christ's resurrection. Here are a few examples of "natural" egg dyes used during the early to mid 1900's.
"Written" eggs (Pysanky) and these decorated edible eggs were both in an Easter Basket. |
during Holy Week. Greek Catholics and the Orthodox, in addition to abstaining from meat on certain days, were also not allowed any dairy products. Fasting was also a personal thing. The following recipe could have been eaten on any day of Holy Week, but especially on any day but Good Friday (considered a day of "black fast" and very little was eaten on that day.) Barley Soup. This is the Polish version. 4 potatoes, sliced 2 carrots, sliced 1 parsley root, sliced 1 celery stalk, sliced 1 large onion, sliced 1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced 6 cups boiling water 1/2 cup barley 2 additional cups water 1 T. dill leaves 1 T. chopped parsley salt and pepper to taste.
2 pounds sauerkraut 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced 1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1 (20 ounce) can tomatoes 1 large onion, sliced peppercorns or ground pepper 1 bay leaf 2 cups diced Polish sausage or leftover meat from the Easter meal 1 cup coarsely chopped bacon 1/2 cup red table wine |
Meat:
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The Basket:
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Greetings:
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| Cook the potatoes, carrots, parsley, celery, onions and mushrooms in 6 cups of boiling water for 20 minutes. Simmer the barley in the additional 2 cups of water until tender. Combine with the vegetable soup, cook for 10 minutes. Add dill and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serves about ten. |
Wash sauerkraut and squeeze it. Add mushrooms, apples,
tomatoes, peppercorn or pepper and bay leaf. Cover and simmer of
1 hour. Add the meat and bacon, simmer for 1 hour longer. Add
water if necessary. This stew is better the next day when it has had
a chance to rest.
When you are ready to eat the stew, combine 2 T water and 2 T flour
together and add to 1/2 cup of red table wine. Stir into the stew
when it is reheated. This will not only thicken the liquid but give it
added flavor. Serve with steamed potatoes or rye bread.
For less fat, cook the bacon before adding. Do not allow to brown,
just give off fat.
tomatoes, peppercorn or pepper and bay leaf. Cover and simmer of
1 hour. Add the meat and bacon, simmer for 1 hour longer. Add
water if necessary. This stew is better the next day when it has had
a chance to rest.
When you are ready to eat the stew, combine 2 T water and 2 T flour
together and add to 1/2 cup of red table wine. Stir into the stew
when it is reheated. This will not only thicken the liquid but give it
added flavor. Serve with steamed potatoes or rye bread.
For less fat, cook the bacon before adding. Do not allow to brown,
just give off fat.
| Pierogi, Pirohi: Eaten during Lent by the majority of persons living on the Southside. Egg dough and any filling with a dairy product was not allowed for Greek Catholics and the Orthodox on certain days of the week. Everyone had their own regional recipe for pierogi. Fillings, were again, personal preferences .
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