March 2, 2022

Borscht

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , , |
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Borscht

March 2, 2022: Ash Wednesday (Worldwide Day of Prayer and Fasting for Ukraine)

This post is dedicated to our friend Olga W. whose family is fighting for survival in Ukraine. Olga was Islander’s classmate when we lived in Illinois. We join others around the world in praying for peace in her country. We also pray for the Russians who do not support their government’s war with their neighbor; sometimes hatred is misplaced on the people because of their political leaders’ actions.

Borscht, which is believed to have originated in Ukraine (see Notes), is a vibrantly colored vegetable soup made with beets, cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes. It was a dish that Olga would cook when Islander came to visit and stay with her in Indiana during spring break, which often fell on Lent Fridays. This budget-friendly soup is suitable as a meatless meal on Ash Wednesday as well. As the season of Lent begins, cook borscht as a sign of solidarity and support for Ukrainians and continue to pray for peace around the world.

Recipe

Inspired by Olga W.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup shallots, chopped finely (may substitute for onion)
  • 2 large red beets, peeled and grated
  • ½ head of green cabbage, sliced finely
  • 2-3 carrots, peeled and grated
  • 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 6-7 cups water
  • Sour cream 
  • Dill, chopped (optional garnish)

Directions

Chop the shallots, grate the beets and slice the cabbage.

Grate the carrots and cube the potatoes. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Sautee the shallots until softened, around 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the beets, cabbage and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened, around 15 minutes. Stir in the potatoes. Season again with salt and pepper. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, stir then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and dill.

Notes

 

April 5, 2020

Byzantine Spice Cake

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Byzantine Spice Cake

March/April: Palm/Passion/Pussy Willow Sunday

Although we lived in the Chicago suburbs of Elgin, Illinois, for five years, we did not really explore the other Lenten traditions in the area’s Christian churches. Then when Islander’s brother went on his sabbatical year at the Catholic Theological Union, she took the opportunity to return to the city to visit him downtown and her Ukrainian friend Olga W. in Skokie.

She stayed in a guest room across from her brother’s in the CTU dormitory where other priests, brothers and sisters were residing on the same floor. Brother Chet F. from the Congregation of the Holy Cross invited a group of us to go with him to Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Parish in Homer Glen for Palm Sunday. The beautifully painted church with traditional iconography was made even more festive with fresh palm fronds—plus pretty pussy willows.

Islander later asked Olga, who attended Russian Orthodox Church services in her youth, about the pussy willows. She explained that in some colder countries in Europe, palm leaves were not readily available but pussy willows were symbolic of spring so were used instead during Palm Sunday celebrations.

It was very interesting to learn about the pussy willow tradition at the Byzantine church. So for our blog post, we have featured a recipe for Byzantine spice cake that can be made for Palm/Passion/Pussy Willow Sunday.

Recipe

(Adapted from Genius Kitchen)

For the spice cake

  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup + ½ cup yogurt (plain Greek yogurt)
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground mace or allspice

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil and sugar. Beat in the eggs and ½ cup of yogurt.

Add the baking soda and orange juice to the mixture. In another bowl, sift together the flour and spices (ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and mace/allspice).

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir in another ½ cup of yogurt. Mix until smooth.

Pour the batter into a 9×13-inch greased baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, testing the cake for doneness. Remove from the oven. Poke holes in the cake with the tines of a fork. Let cool completely.

For the topping

  • ½ cup water
  • ¾ cup sugar, granulated white
  • ½ cup honey

Directions

In a saucepan over the stovetop, mix the water, sugar and honey. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, reducing heat as to not bubble over and splatter.

Mix until slightly thickened. Cover the saucepan for another five minutes. Pour hot topping over the cake. Spread the honey glaze over the top and let it soak. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

  • This cake was really dense and dry and probably would make a good tea bread if baked in a loaf pan.
  • Plain Greek yogurt may be substituted for sour cream.
  • We halved the syrupy topping. It is sticky-sweet, which complements the very mildly spiced cake.
  • Search our blog for other Palm/Passion Sunday and Lenten recipes.
 

April 1, 2011

Capirotada

Posted by HI Cookery under 04 April | Tags: , , , |
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Capirotada

Capirotada

April: Lent

Now that we live in Texas, we are fortunate to be able to sample some of the most special South-of-the-Border Catholic cultural cuisine during holy days. Latino ingredients are abundant and readily available at local grocers for us to try cooking a meaningful Mexican meal.  For Lent, we learned how to make a traditional bread pudding called capirotada.  Our Tex-Mex friends explained to us that the bread represents the body of Jesus Christ; the syrup is His precious blood; the cinnamon sticks are the wood of the cross; the raisins are our sins and the nails of the crucifixion; and the cheese symbolizes the church that binds all of the faithful together. Capirotada exemplifies edible evangelism at its best!

Recipe

(Inspired by Gregorio y Sylvia P. and adapted from HEB)

Ingredients

  • 4 bolillos (white or wheat rolls) or 1 large loaf of French bread
  • ½ cup butter or margarine
  • 5 cups water
  • 3 sticks cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon anise seeds
  • 3 cones piloncillo (or 1 ½ cups brown sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used Mexican vainilla)
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (we used Mexican blend of shredded cheeses, such as Sargento brand Classic 4 Cheese Mexican)

Directions

Slice the bread and butter them. Toast in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut the sliced, buttered bread in to 2-inch pieces. Arrange them in a large casserole or baking pan.

Capirotada

Make a syrup by boiling the water with cinnamon, anise seeds, piloncillo/brown sugar and vanilla for 30 minutes, mixing well to dissolve the piloncillo/brown sugar.  Strain the residue and retain the liquid. Sprinkle half the raisins on top of the bread.

Capirotada

Sprinkle one cup of the shredded cheese on top of the bread. Ladle the syrup over the bread until it is half soaked. Sprinkle with the remaining raisins and cheese. Ladle more syrup until it is well absorbed in the bread mixture. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Decorate the top with cinnamon sticks in the form of a cross (optional). Capirotada may be served warm or cold.

Capirotada

Notes

  • Sprinkle a cup of chopped pecans in the mix before baking to add a crunchy texture to the dish.