World Recipes

Cesnica (Serbian Christmas Bread)

7 3/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons yeast
1 cup shortening
2 teaspoons salt
Warm water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, yeast, shortening and salt. Knead with enough warm water to moisten until dough separates from hands. Dough should be firm, not tacky.

Put dough on greased pan. Let rise for 10 minutes in warm area. Perforate dough with fork. Insert clean coin (quarter or gold dollar) and spread dough flat like a pizza.

Bake for 25 minutes until brown.

Makes 16 servings.

Approximate values per serving: 349 calories, 14 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 7 g protein, 49 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 268 mg sodium, 35 percent calories from fat

Gulyas (Hungary)

"Gulyas" means cattle- or sheep-herder in Hungarian. This hearty soup has traditional roots in the foods prepared by rustic herders, long ago. Serve the soup in bowls topped with sour cream.

1 pound lean boneless stewing beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper
3 cups beef stock or broth
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dry marjoram
Salt and pepper
1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes, broken up
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 red (or green) bell peppers, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons water
Csipetke, if desired
Sour cream

Wipe beef with damp cloth; cut into 1-inch cubes. Place oil in Dutch oven. Add beef; brown well on all sides. Remove from pan with slotted spoon; set aside.

Add onions and garlic to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add paprika, cayenne, stock, the 2 cups water, caraway, marjoram, salt, pepper and meat. Stir well. Bring to boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, 45 minutes.

Add tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and peppers. Stir well; return to boil. Cover; cook 30 minutes.

Combine flour and the 2 tablespoons water; stir to form smooth paste. Add slowly to soup, stirring well. Cook over low heat, stirring until thickened. Drop Csipetke (noodle/dumplings) into soup before serving, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6.

Brussels Sprouts with Sour Cream (Hungary)

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts*
3 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup dairy sour cream
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Heat 1 inch salted water to boiling. Add Brussels sprouts. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.

Fry bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon; reserve. Cook and stir onion in hot bacon fat until tender. Stir in Brussels sprouts, sour cream and pepper; heat until hot. Sprinkle with bacon.

* 2 (8 ounce) packages frozen Brussels sprouts can be substituted for fresh Brussels sprouts; cook as directed on package.

Czech Goulash

1/4 cup shortening
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds pork or beef, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups water
2 tablespoons flour

In a cast iron Dutch oven, saute onion in shortening. Add garlic; saute until translucent. Add meat, onion, paprika, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Brown well.

Add 1/2 cup of the water; simmer, covered, until meat is tender, about 1 hour.

Sprinkle flour over drippings in the pan; stir until brown. Add remaining water; simmer 10 to 20 minutes.

Csipetke (Pinched Noodles - Hungary)

You can drop csipetke into broth or soup for extra flavor and texture, or you can serve them alongside a main course with sauce or gravy, or you can use them in place of dumplings or noodles in almost any other recipe.

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix flour and salt; add egg. Stir to make a stiff dough, sprinkling in a few drops of cold water if necessary. Knead until smooth. Let dough rest at least 30 minutes.

Flatten dough a bit at a time between floured palms (or roll 1/8-inch-thick on a floured board) and pinch off pieces slightly smaller than a dime. Drop them into rapidly boiling salted water; cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse csipetke; stir them directly into stew or soup, if ready. Otherwise, turn them into a bowl, coat with oil, and set aside in a warm place until ready to use.

Chilled Czech Blueberry Soup (Boruvkova polevka studena)

3 cups blueberries
4 cups water
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Boil 2 cups of the blueberries in the water. Stir in salt, cinnamon and sugar. Remove from heat.

Whip flour into the sour cream, then whip both into the hot liquid. When well blended, return the pot to the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until thickened.

Remove from heat, stir in another 1/2 cup of blueberries, and chill in refrigerator.

When ready to serve, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of blueberries and ladle into bowls.

Traditional Polish Sweet Bread (Babka)

This dessert, a cross between cake and sweet bread, is often baked for Easter.

3 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter or margarine
6 eggs
3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
About 7 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups milk

Topping
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled

Grease side and bottom of 2 (10-inch) tube pans. Prepare Topping; set aside.

In a shallow, medium bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 cup flour; stir to combine. Cover; let stand in a warm place 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.

Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until melted. Let stand until mixture cools to warm.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, egg yolks and remaining 1 cup sugar until pale and frothy. Add cooled milk mixture, salt and yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Gradually beat in 4 1/2 cups flour. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead dough into a soft, smooth dough. Divide dough in 1/2. Arrange 1 part dough in each greased pan. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly beat 2 egg whites in a small bowl until foamy. Brush beaten egg whites on top of dough. Evenly sprinkle Topping over dough. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 3 to 4 minutes on racks.

Turn out of pans; cool completely on racks. Frost with confectioners sugar icing, if desired.

Makes 2 (10-inch) cakes.

Topping

In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles crumbs.

Confectioners Sugar Icing
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating constantly. Beat 10 minutes or until glossy.

Add lemon juice; beat 2 minutes or until icing stands up in soft peaks. Makes about 1 1/4 cups icing.

Variation
Add food coloring or flavorings, such as 1 teaspoon sifted unsweetened cocoa powder or vanilla extract. Use a little more sugar if liquids are added.

Polish Easter Bread (Babka)

2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 package yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs (at room temperature)
1 can seedless raisins

Mix 3/4 cup flour and yeast. combine milk and margarine in a saucepan only until WARM. Pour into bowl. Add remaining dry ingredients, and beat for 2 minutes in electric mixer.

Add eggs 1 at a time and up to a 1/2 cup flour to make a thick batter. Beat for an additional 2 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Stir in raisins and turn out into a 2-quart greased tube pan. Let rise uncovered for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Before removing form pan and while still hot from oven, prick bread with a fork and pour Rum Syrup over the cake.

Rum Syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup rum

Bring all ingredients to a boil.