Cabbage Soup - Camille Zaleski King

Cabbage Soup - tastes just like stuffed cabbages

• 1 - Polish Sausage Ring
• 1 - Onion
• 1 - Small head of cabbage (grapefruit size)
• 1 - Can diced tomatoes
• 1 - can of sourkraut
• 1 - can of cream of tomato soup 
• 1 - can of diced tomatoes
• 1 - can tomato sauce
• 2 - bouillon cubes (chicken, beef or veggie)
• 1 - 2 tbs Olive oil
• salt & Pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1/2 cup instant rice

Cut the sausage into "wheels" and cook in a frying pan. 

Once done set aside and drain on paper towel. 

Dice the onion and cook until translucent in 1 -2 Tbs olive oil. 

Add hamburger meat and cook until no longer pink. 

Chop the cabbage into postage stamp size pieces, add to onions. 

Rinse and drain sourkraut, add to onions and and cabbage. 

Then Add tomato soup, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, sausage, paprika and bouillon cubes. Fill pot with water to cover all the ingredients and stir. 

You can add chicken stock instead of water, but then omit bouillon cubes. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Cook on medium to medium low heat until the cabbage is cooked all the way, then add instant rice and cook for 5 minutes more or until rice is soft.
Top with sour cream!

POLISH BIGOS (HUNTER'S STEW) - Bill Szemcsak

POLISH BIGOS (HUNTER'S STEW)

• 3 lg. cans sauerkraut
• 1 c. cooked barley
• 3 cans mushrooms
• 1 tbsp. dill weed
• 1 tbsp. caraway seed
• 1 tsp. Accent
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 lb. butter
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 2 lbs. cooked fresh Polish sausage

Pour boiling water over sauerkraut; squeeze out and put in roaster. Fry onion in butter until tender. Mix with sauerkraut; add remaining ingredients. Put in oven; cover and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees

Nut & Poppy SEED ROLLS - Mrs. Rose Tarrantino, 1960's Ukrainian Cookbook

Blogger's note: There are a number of Poppy Seed and Nut Roll Recipes here, I felt we should post them all due to the fact they are "Perth Amboy's Family Recipes".

Nut & Poppy SEED ROLLS - Mrs. Rose Tarrantino, 1960's Ukrainian Cookbook

NOTE: An Eastern European dessert table would invariably include something sweet made with poppyseeds, either ground or whole. This poppyseed roll or strudel is made with a yeast dough and is known as makowiec (mah-KOH-vyets) in Polish. Canned poppyseed paste, available in the ethnic aisle of most supermarkets, can be used, but directions are also given if you choose to make your own filling.

• 4 1/2  c. flour
• 1 tsp, salt
• 1 c of lukewarm water
• 1/2 c of butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 fresh yeast cakes

Crumble yeast into cup, add water and sugar, let stand until
you mix butter and flour as for pie crust. Make a well and add
egg yolks, salt and yeast mixture. Mix until smooth and dough
leaves the side of the bowl. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll each
piece out as thin as possible and spread with (cooled) filling
Place greased pan and brush with egg white. Let stand in warm place
for about 1hour. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 - 45 minutes ~
or until brown. Cover with damp cloth as soon as you take it out
of oven, keep covered for about 10 minutes for a nice crust.

Nut Filling

Heat milk, add walnuts and stir. Add sugar, butter and
lemon juice. Cool before spreading on dough.

• 1 lb. ground walnuts
• 1/2 co sugar
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1tsp, lemon juice

Pierogi Dough (All Recipes) - LINDA YURKIW

"Ukranian Pierogi ready to be stuffed with your favorite filling."


Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Make a well in the center.
In a separate bowl mix together the vegetable oil, warm water, and beaten egg. Pour into the well of the dry ingredients. Knead dough for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cover dough and let rest for 2 hours. Roll out and fill as desired.

Jellied Pigs Feet - Ernestine Pioshonka

From: Bless This Food
Sunday School Mothers'Guild
St. Peter's Episcopal Church
Perth Amboy, N. J.
1977


Jellied Pigs Feet
Ernestine Pioshonka

2 pigs feet
2 pigs knuckles
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 small onion
1 Tbsp. mixed spices
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. vinegar

     Have pigs feet cracked. Wash them in salted water; put in large pot. Cover with cold water.
Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Take all scum off. Add all ingredients. Simmer about 3 to 4 hours,
until tender.  When meat is tender, strain the broth to a large bowl.  Take meat off the bones
and add to the broth.  Cool overnight.  Before serving, remove the lard from the top. 
\

Palacsinta (Crepes) - Dorothy (Kulbacki) Szemcsak, submitted by Barbara (Szemcsak) Davis

Palacsinta (Crepes)

• 4 eggs beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. oil

Mix flour, salt and sugar.  Combine beaten eggs, milk and oil and add to flour mixture gradually making a thin smooth batter.


Add butter or oil to skillet getting it hot, add a small amount of batter making a THIN pancake.  Brown lightly both sides and remove.  Repeat till all batter is gone.  Spread filling on pancake, roll and put into a warm oven in buttered baking dish till heated.  Remove, sprinkle with powered sugar.


Fillings:  Any jams or preserves, prune and cheese fillings (see below) Cheese filling:

• 1/2 lb. cottage cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Beat together.

Polish Potato Pancakes - Placki Kartoflane - Bill Szemcsak

This is the way my Mom made her Polish Potato Pancakes- If you are going to use this recipe, I can not stress enough the HAND GRATING ! The texture will not be like Mom's if you use a blender or food processor.

• 5 lbs. Large Potatoes
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Large Yellow onion 

Grate peeled Potatoes and Onions with a Hand Grater. Add Flour, Eggs, Salt and Black Pepper. (remember, you can always add salt and black pepper to taste)  Mix the ingredients together. Put oil in the bottom of a skillet and heat to medium-high. Put 2 or 3 lumps of the potato mixture in the hot oil (leave space between each lump), and flatten. Let them brown on one side, flip and let brown on the other side. Drain on paper towel. Serve warm. Serve with Sour Cream or Applesauce! 

Polish Chicken Paprikash - Carol Zaleski Wright

Carol Zaleski Wright -"100% Polish - my Mom used to make this all the time and now as I'm really thinking about this, one of the favorite side dishes for this was Haluski - you know, cabbage & egg noodles."

• 1 whole chicken cut up or can use 4 - 6 boneless chicken breasts;
• 1 small onion,
• 1 clove garlic,
• 3 - 4 tbsp olive or vegetable oil;
• paprika,
• 1 16 oz can tomatoes, cut up,
• 1 green pepper cut anyway you want,
• salt & pepper to taste,
• 1/2 pint sour cream.

Brown onion & garlic in oil; sprinkle chicken with paprika and brown evenly. 

Add tomatoes, green pepper, salt & pepper, cover and low heat for one hour.

In last five minutes,

take some of the liquid from the chicken and add to the sour cream until smooth - keep adding until mixture is smooth and then add all back to chicken.

Keep temp low to avoid curdling.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Polish Little Cakes - Kolaczki - Kathy Syontko Szemcsak

My Mom, Sophie, always made these Little Cakes around Christmas and Easter in our home on Johnstone Street.

• Makes about 7-9 dozen Fruit Filled Cookies
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes

All times are Approximates - Kathy wanted the times in to show that it does not take long to make them.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16-ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 1 lb.  (4 sticks) butter, softened
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 (14-ounce) cans fillings of choice (poppy seed, apricot, prune, raspberry, etc.)
• Confectioners' sugar

 Directions:

Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix well. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4-inch on a surface that has been dusted with equal parts confectioners' and granulated sugars, keeps the dough from sticking. Cut into 2-inch squares. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon filling on center of each square. Overlap opposite corners of dough to the center over filling. 

Bake for 15 minutes or when corners start to brown. Cool and dust with confectioners’ sugar. If not eating in a day or two, do not put confectioners' sugar on it, wrap or store in tight container. Freezing is acceptable also.

Ukrainian/Hungarian Cucumber Salad - Noreen Stephenson

Ingredients

• 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 dash white pepper
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt. Let stand 15 minutes*. Drain liquid. Add onions, vinegar and pepper. Just before serving, stir in sour cream.


*Hungarian Editor's Note: Mom let it stands for 2 hours before draining.


Serves 6 

Cabbage and Noodle - Haluski - Peggy Konopka Martinez

• 2 medium heads of cabbage
• 1 medium onion
• Canola Oil
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1 lb egg noodles

Core and dice cabbage in quarters.  Then put the cabbage in the food processor and process it until it is fine.

While you are doing the cabbage you can peel the onion and put the onion in the food processor with the cabbage. 

Coat the bottom of a 3 quart pot with the canola oil and heat.

Once the oil is hot enough, put the cabbage and onion in the pot and cook this until it becomes soft.  This takes a couple of hours.

Make sure you stir every 10 to 15 minutes so it doesn't stick to the pot.

During the course of cooking the cabbage you may need to add more oil so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pot.

While you are cooking the cabbage put in salt and pepper to your taste.

Taste the cabbage to make sure it is done.

Boil the water for the egg noodles and make them as the directions on the bag.  I usually use medium egg noodles (Pennsylvania Dutch) but you can use any egg noodle.

Drain and rinse noodles.

Mix the egg noodles in with the cabbage in the pot and there you have it. 

How To Make CHRUSCIKI- Angel Wings and /or Csoroge

This is Visual Directions to Follow when making Csoroge or Chrusciki.....

Recipe are on a different Page.

 Ready to Eat Above.

  Knead a soft dough................,Roll Out to 1/8 inch thick....

 Cut into 2 " Strips than crosswise to form 2x2" Diamond Shapes.....

Make Slit in center of square; draw one end through......

and Fry for a minute or two.... 

 Once it's done, Sprinkle Confectionery Sugar..

CHRUSCIKI- Angel Wings - Kathleen Syontko Szemcsak

• 5 Egg Yolks
• 1 Whole Egg
• 1 tbsp. Brandy, Rum or Vanilla Extract
• 2 Cups of Flour *
• * add more to make Firm Consistency to roll
• 6 Tbsp. Sugar
• 6 Tbsp. Sour Cream

Beat eggs, add Sugar and mix in rest of ingredients and mix well.

Roll out thin approx. 1/8 inch thick
and cut into diamond shapes. Make a split in the center, pulling one end through the split.
Fry in deep hot shortening. When nicely brown remove and drain on paper toweling or brown
paper bag. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when serving. 

Szemcsak's Pierogies

Pierogi Dough. 

Sift about 2 1/2 c. flour onto breadboard.

Sprinkle with 1/2 t. salt.

Make a volcano-like crater in the flour mound and deposit 1 egg into it.

Work ingredients into a dough, gradually adding about 1/2 c. lukewarm water in a thin stream.

Knead dough on floured board until firm and smooth,

Roll it into a ball, and

Let it rest 10 minutes or so beneath a warm inverted bowl.

Take 1/3 of the dough at a time (leaving the rest beneath the bowl) and roll out thin.

With glass or biscuit-cutter, cut dough into circles.

**Place a spoonful of filling on each circle slightly off center, fold in half, and press edges together with fingers, crimping to ensure a tight seal.

Drop small batches of pierogi into a fairly large pot of boiling salted water, making sure not to crowd them.

When boiling resumes, reduce heat to a slow boil and cook about 10 minutes.

Test one to see how well dough is cooked.

Remove to colander with slotted spoon and rinse lightly with cold water. I place them in a large bowl and cover with melted butter (like the churches did)

Fillings… Ask if you have a favorite filling – my favorite are Potato/cheese, Sauerkraut

Potato/Cheese  Pierogi Filling-  

Ingredients:

3-5 lbs of Potatoes

2 cups of Cheddar Cheese

Milk

Butter

Salt to taste

Peel Potatoes and cut in 1- 2 inch pieces

Place Potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil Potatoes until soft for mashing. Drain water, add Cheddar Cheese, butter, milk and salt to taste as you are mashing Potatoes. Mash the Potatoes until no lumps, NOT WATERY! You should be able to place your folk into a mound of potatoes and it will stand up.  Go to ** above

Sauerkraut

Take a can or package of shredded Sauerkraut, drain and soak in water for a hour or more.

In a large skillet, melt about a ½ stick of butter or margarine.

Drain Sauerkraut good and place in Skillet, sauté until Sauerkraut is lightly brown.

Go to ** above  

The Above dough recipe make 25-30 pierogies or roughly four servings.

Szemcsak's Stuffed Cabbage - Kathy Syontko Szemcsak Töltött-Káposzta, Gołąbki, Plnené Kapusta

This is a combine Recipe from 4 families;

Szemcsak (Hungarian), Kulbacki (Polish), Piorkowski (Polish) and Syontko (Slovak)

• 2 lb. Chopped Meat
• 1 lb. Ground Pork
• 1 medium onion – Chopped (fine) and Sautéed in butter.
• 2 cup of white rice (washed) Instant rice ok, but I didn’t say that!
• 1 can of sauerkraut ( no seeds)
• 4 strips of bacon
• 1 lg (16oz) can of  Tomato Sauce
• 1 lg (16oz) can of  Tomato Soup
• 1 lg head of cabbage

Spices:

• Hungarian Paprika
• Salt
• Black Pepper

Parboil head of cabbage.

Mix chopped meat, ground pork, chopped onion and rice in a large mixing bowl.

Note: Add above spices to taste!

Take one cabbage leaf at a time and cut of the HEAVY VEIN, fill the leaf with 2 TBSP of Meat.

Roll, folding in one side as you roll and tuck in the other side with finger.

Continue until all cabbage and /or meat is done.

In a Large Pot, line the bottom with left over cabbage and some sauerkraut(Prevents from burning rolls on bottom).

Place cabbage rolls on bottom, after a roll or two, put in some sauerkraut mixed among the cabbage rolls, halfway up, place 2 slices of bacon.

Continue until all the Cabbage Rolls and Sauerkraut is in the Pot.

Place remaining bacon on top!

Pour Tomato Sauce and Tomato Soup in Pot, add enough water until cover.

Cook for about an hour or two…..The way to check is to make sure the RICE is Cooked/Tender.

My way to check is take a food thermometer and reached a temperature of 160-170.

While cooking, taste sauce and add salt/pepper/paprika to TASTE….remember you added spices to Meat Mix!

Szemcsak’s Kielbasa & Sauerkraut - Kiełbasa dymu i Kapustą - Bill Szemcsak

• •  1 Large Ring             Kielbasa (Polish Sausage)                                        

                  Note: It is very important to get some good Homemade (butcher) Kielbasa.
• 16 oz.                           Sauerkraut (cans or package)                                      
• 2 Tbsp.                        Paprika                                                                              
• 2 Tbsp.                        Shortening (butter, margarine or crisco)                   
• Pinch                           Black Pepper    (to taste)                                                        
• Pinch                           Salt                     (to taste)                                                      
• Small Onion               Diced & Sauté (optional) 

Slice the Kielbasa on a angle about ¼ inch thick.
Place shortening on the bottom of a large frying (skillet) pan and place on low/medium heat.
Cook until lightly brown on both sides, do not overcook.
While cooking Kielbasa, drain sauerkraut, soak or wash in cold water.
After Kielbasa is done cooking, remove from stove and remove kielbasa from the pan, but leave liquid in pan.
Once Sauerkraut is wash or done soaking, Drain until it is somewhat dry. Place Sauerkraut in Pan, stir and sauté on low heat.
While the Sauerkraut is sautéing, add Paprika, Black Pepper and Salt.
Sauté until Sauerkraut is a reddish/light brown, do not overcook.
* Do not let Sauerkraut dry out, add a little water if needed,
while the Sauerkraut is almost done, add the Kielbasa and stir, cook until the Kielbasa is warm.


Note: If done properly, the Sauerkraut should have lost it tartest and not be overpowering.
  
One More Note: Remember to Sauté the Sauerkraut and not "fry".