Saturday, December 24, 2011

December 23rd

A day late bit we are rocking 7 here! Happy Birthday big girl!!!

2 comments:

Emily K said...

My nephew's birthday is also Dec. 23rd!

Actually I was reading your blog from 2007 about Peirogi's/Pedeha/Piroxa. Oh my gosh, I don't know how to spell it, I just know how my great aunt pronounces it & it does sound more like Pedeha except she really uses the throat muscles, I'm laughing as I'm trying to explain, it's something that I could probably only properly explain in a You Tube video which I'm not going to attempt to do.

As Ukranian Orthodox Xmas is upon us for 2012 & since we were cheating last year when we bought Pedeha at Costco & they're no longer carrying it frozen, we made them by hand this year. My mother made this idiotic cheese mixture. I was busy working so I couldn't just do it my darn self.

Pedeha is ONLY made 2 ways, using a mashed potato inside OR with Hoop or Farmer's cheese, which our local "Sprouts" store carries (Farmer cheese anyway) Hoop is harder to find. Sprouts is like Whole Foods or Sunflower market (found in Vegas). We're in Orange County, Southern California.

Personally I prefer the Hoop or Farmer's cheese over the mashed potato, I like the texture of the cheese better. Lots of butter/onion sauce & voila, AWESOME pedeha for everyone!

My great Aunt makes the BEST Halupki (she pronounces it Halupchi though). You have to make these the right way, no cheating! I love these things!

We're also making the Ukranian staple Kapusta (not my fav but I'll eat it), Pashka, we're not making for Xmas, THAT takes too much time, plus it's an Easter bread.

I am going to make a Polish Apricot sausage & a Tort Migadlowy, for dessert, which looks super yummy.

Sorry, I type fast, I'm just another German/Ukranian out there who wants to keep the traditions going for cooking for the Julian calendar holidays (2nd xmas/2nd easter) that we get to celebrate each year! I'm happy to hear I'm not alone & if you'd ever like to share recipes, just shoot me an email: EmilyKnell1@yahoo.com

Christine said...

Hi Emily!!

I love your comments! Thanks!!!!

1) I know EXACTLY what you are talking about with that throat muscle thing!!!!

2) We use the cheese with the potato, I bet I would love it with just cheese. I was at a Christmas party this year and I was inntroduced to a woman who adds bacon and onion to her potato mixture!! That sounded great but my family would probably have a heart attack.

3) Halupchi is exactly how my family pronounces that!

4) Kapusta is actually my favorite of the Ukranian foods but we don't have it for CHristmas. Just Easter though!

I'm so glad to find someone else who knows what the heck I'm talking about!!!