11 November

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November 12, 2018

Kotlety

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Kotlety (Котлеты)

(Ukrainian Ground Meat Patties)

November 12: Feast Day of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych

When we used to live in Illinois, we met our friend Olga W.’s parents while they were visiting the United States from Ukraine for the first time. As they did not understand or speak English, Olga joked that her mouth was getting tired and her voice was getting hoarse from translating for everyone in our culturally diverse group. Then her mother cooked us a typical Ukrainian dinner of ground meat patties and served them with potatoes, brown gravy and a dilly tomato-cucumber-onion salad. “Mmmmm” needs no translation! All together at the dinner table, we graciously shared a common human need and love for food.

Ukrainian-born St. Josaphat Kutsevych (Йосафат Кунцевич), a Polish-Lithuanian monk and Orthodox archbishop, believed in bringing people together in the Christian faith. He was martyred on November 12, 1623, because he wanted to unite Christians (Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants).  Read the reflection of what St. Josaphat’s life mission was about at the Franciscan Media website.

Like edible ecumenism, in this Ukrainian style meat patties recipe, ground pork is often mixed with another ground meat (beef, chicken or turkey). There are many variations to this recipe but the result is still the same deliciousness! So in honor of this bold Ukrainian saint and his idea to mix things together, we were inspired to cook kotlety for his feast day. Mmmmm!

Recipe

Adapted from Olga W.’s Mom

Ingredients

  • ½ pound ground pork
  • ½ pound ground beef, chicken or turkey (we used beef)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ small onion, grated
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • oil for frying

Directions

In a bowl, combine the ground meats with the egg. Grate the onion and add it to the mixure.

Sprinkle the garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Add the bread crumbs. Mix well. Use a large ice cream scoop to make balls. Flatten lightly into patties.

Heat a little oil on the bottom of a skillet. Fry the patties until browned on both sides and cooked through in the middle. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Notes

 

November 6, 2018

Barbara Bush Cookies

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Barbara Bush Cookies

November 6:Election Day 2018

We have been making cookies for Election Day events for some time now, using the presidential bake-off recipes from “Family Circle” magazine. These chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, submitted by former FLOTUS Barbara Bush, were among the first to be included in the publication’s inaugural cookie contest back in 1992. Although her recipe “lost” and her husband, George H.W. Bush, did not get re-elected, according to the magazine’s mythical prediction, Barbara Bush’s cookies have remained popular ever since the Houstonian Hotel asked her permission to put them on the Olivette restaurant’s menu.

On April 17, 2018, Barbara Bush passed away. As a respectful tribute to the late First Lady, we baked a batch of her cookies, which are also suitable to serve at social gatherings during the midterm elections.

Recipe

Adapted from the Houstonian Hotel

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar, granulated white
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup quick cooking oats (not instant)
  • 6 ounces (half a bag) of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a bowl, sift together the flour, slat and baking soda. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the white and brown sugar. Beat in the egg. Gradually add the flour mixture and blend well.

Stir in the vanilla. Fold in the oats and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonsful onto a lightly greased cookie sheet about two-inches apart to allow for spreading.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until the middle of the cookies have set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container. Yield: Approximately 3 dozen.

Notes

  • We photographed our final food photo with a red rose, white pearls and a blue background for a patriotic color palette. Barbara Bush’s favorite color was blue and she was famous for her fashionable accessory (pearls) so we placed a strand of Islander’s beads around the cookies in the late First Lady’s honor.
  • We visited the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas, where Barbara Bush is laid to eternal rest.
  • Try our other Election Day cookie recipes from the presidential bake-off (2012 and 2016). These include both the political parties’ candidates’ Democrat and Republic recipes.
  • Search our blog for other recipes for Election Day (see the Patriotic listing under Theme Menus).

 

November 9, 2017

Yiaourtopita

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Yiaourtopita

(Orange Greek Yogurt Cake)

November 9: National Greek Yogurt Day

There is a hilarious scene in one of our favorite movies, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, in which the bride and groom’s families meet for the very first time. The American groom’s mother presented a bundt cake to the Greek bride’s mother to be served after dinner as a dessert (and decorated with a flower pot in the middle of the “cake with a hole in it”).

Perhaps the Greek mother would have found it easier to pronounce yiaourtopita than bundt. And it is easier for us non-Greeks to call the following recipe Orange Greek Yogurt Cake (although lemons could be substituted). It could be baked in a loaf or round pan, but as a nod to the movie we baked the cake in a mini bundt pan.

This Orange Greek Yogurt Cake is terrific for teatime and also on National Greek Yogurt Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Voskos)

Ingredients

  • 2 oranges, zested and juiced (about ¼ cup liquid)
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla or orange extract
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup canola or vegetable oil

Directions

Wash and dry the oranges. Zest the rind and squeeze the juice. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with sugar, egg, and juice.

Add the zest extract. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually mix this in to the wet ingredients. Add the oil and mix into a smooth batter.

Pour the batter in a well-greased mini bundt pan, loaf pan or round cake pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes (mini bundts) and 30-45 minutes for the loaf or round cake pan, testing for doneness. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a cup of tea (optional).

Notes

  • As an intermarried couple ourselves, of course we loved the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”! There are many other films focusing on intercultural and interracial relationships. See the list here. 
  • We used full fat and whole milk Greek yogurt so the cake would be moist and not too dry.
  • National Bundt (Pan) Day is coming up in a few days on November 15.
  • Search our blog for other Greek recipes.
 

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