Babka
2cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups raisins
5 cups milk, scalded and cooled
14 1/2 cups flour
20 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
3 pkgs yeast
2 oranges - juice and rind
Soak yeast in milk and add some flour and let rise till bubbly. Cream butter, sugar and egg yolks. Combine with yeast mixture. Add more flour, raisins and orange. Dough should be soft. Let rise again. Grease tall tins and fill 1/3 full. Let rise until dough rises to top. Bake in moderate oven for about 1 hour or until done. Babka should be handled very carefully when taken out of the container. It should be laid on a soft, covered cushion or pillow. Change position as Babka cools - Mary Barker
(KR March 4, 1994)
Sauerkraut with Mushrooms
[Kvashenaia Kapusta s Gribami]
1 cup dried mushrooms
2 cups water
1 lb saurkraut
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp sugar
Wash the mushrooms, then soak them in 2 cups of water for 1 hour. Cook them for 15 minutes in the same water. Take them out and chop them fine. Add them to the saurkraut with 1 cup of the water in which they cooked. Cook for 20 minutes. Add sour cream and simmer for another 20 minutes. Taste, and if too sour, add 1 teaspoon sugar. Serve hot with meat dishes. Taste for salt as you prepare. 4 servings
[KR September 13, 1996]
Baked Pumpkin with Eggs
[Tikva s Yaitzami]
1 lb fresh pumpkin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
2 tbls butter plus butter to grease baking dish
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste, for eggs - dill
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the pumpkin and cut in thin slices. Salt it and lightly roll in flour. Fry in butter until cooked. Arrange in a buttered, oven proof dish which can be brought to the table. Beat the eggs well, add the milk, salt and pepper and pour over the pumpkin slices. Sprinkle with dill and bake in oven until the eggs are cooked. Serve immediately. 4 servings
[KR October 11, 1996]
Eastern Cheese Sirnaya Paska
3 lbs fresh, dry, unsalted cottage cheese
2 cups sugar according to taste
1/2 lb butter
7 egg yolks
1/8 lb raisins
1/8 lb candied cherries
1/4 lb blanched and chopped almond meats
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1.4 tsp almond extract
1 pint sweet cream
Press cheese through strained. Cream butter , sugar and egg yolks beating well. Add cheese, salt and sweet cream to the creamed mixture and mix, but DO NOT BOIL. Remove from fire and add the remaining ingredients. Cool, stirring at intervals during the cooling process. When entirely cold, mold in a desired form and place under a light weight for several hours. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
[KR May 13, 1994]
Rizanka - Halushki
1 1/2 cups Flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
pinch of salt
Mix above and knead thoroughly until a smooth texture. Roll very thin. Let stand about 1/2 hour. To make halushki cut the dough into one inch squares. Rizanki (noodles), should be sliced into thin strips. Cook in salted, boiling water for about 10 minutes. For halushki, drain, cool slightly and serve with butter. Rizanki should be added to beef stock or chicken soup.
Halushki is also delicious when served with sweet or sauerkraut or cottage cheese. Chop one small head of cabbage and cook in salted water until tender. Drain, squeeze out the excess water and fry the cabbage in butter. Add the cabbage to the halushki, mix well, add melted butter and serve. If saurkraut is used, drain or thoroughly soak with water to remove excess salt. Simmer a chopped onion in butter and add to the saurkraut before mixing with the halushki. With cottage cheese, add dry to the cooked and buttered halushki.
[KR July 8, 1994]