Sauteed Mushrooms (Czechoslovakia)
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
Salt, to taste
Fry onions in melted butter. Cook 4 to 6 minutes or until translucent; add mushrooms, caraway seed and salt. Saute 10 to 15 minutes.
Serves 4.
Rumanian Mixed Vegetables (Ghiveci)
This is the national dish of Rumania, and it is traditionally cooked in a special casserole called a "guvens."
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, sliced
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground marjoram
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
Heat 1 inch water to boiling in 3-quart saucepan. Add potatoes, carrots and beans. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes; drain. Cook and stir onions and garlic in oil in skillet over medium heat until almost tender. Add tomatoes, cauliflower florets, celery, salt, thyme, marjoram and pepper. Cover and cook 5 minutes.
Place potato mixture in greased 3-quart casserole. Spread half the tomato mixture over top. Layer zucchini and green pepper over tomato mixture. Top with remaining tomato mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F until vegetables are tender, 50 to 60 minutes.
Pork Sausage Loaf (Hungary)
1 cup diced mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
1 pound fresh bulk pork sausage
2 cups dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon paprika
Melt butter in a skillet and add mushrooms. Saute. Combine sausage, mushrooms, egg and crumbs and shape into a loaf. Sprinkle with paprika. Place in a small roaster; cover. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1/2 hour.
Uncover, return to oven, and bake 30 more minutes.
Serves 4.
Beets in Orange Sauce
5 medium beets (1 1/4 pounds)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
3/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vinegar
Cut off all but 2 inches of beet tops. Leave beets whole with root ends attached. Heat water and 1 teaspoon salt to boiling in 3-quart saucepan. Add bets. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook until tender, 35 to 45 minutes; drain. Run cold water over beets; slip off skins and remove root ends. Cut beets into 1/4-inch slices.
Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper in 2-quart saucepan. Stir orange juice gradually into cornstarch mixture; stir in vinegar. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in beets; heat until hot.
Yields 4 servings.
Poppy Seed Cake (Czechoslovakia)
6 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup poppy seed
Add salt to egg whites and beat until foamy, then add the cream of tartar and beat until stiff. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar. Beat well and set aside.
Beat egg yolks; add 1 cup of sugar and beat well. Add cold water to mixture and beat until lemon colored. Add flour; beat well. Fold into the egg whites. Fold in poppy seed carefully. Pour into an ungreased angel food pan and bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour. Invert until cool.
When cool, cut into two layers. Put a butter cream frosting between layers.
Polish Salad with Pickles Eggs (Salatka z Piklowanymi Jajkami)
Pickled Eggs
1 bunch leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
Prepare Pickled Eggs. Toss lettuce and onion. Divide among 6 salad plates. Cut eggs into slices or fourths. Arrange 1 egg on top of each salad. Shake remaining ingredients in tightly covered container; drizzle over salads.
Pickled Eggs
3 cups beet juice (cooking water from beets)
1 cup red wine vinegar
8 whole black peppercorns
4 whole allspice
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
6 hardboiled eggs, peeled
Heat beet juice, vinegar, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and bay leaf to boiling; pour over eggs. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
Polenta with Cheese (Mamaliga, Rumania)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup water
3 1/4 cups boiling water
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded Swiss or Kashkaval cheese
Mix cornmeal and 3/4 cup water in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in 3 1/4 cups water and the salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils; reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir until smooth. Spread 1/3 of the mixture in greased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Dot with 1/3 of the butter; sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat twice. Sprinkle with Swiss cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.
Fried Cornmeal Mush
Omit butter and the grated Parmesan and Swiss cheeses. After cooking 10 minutes, spread in greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 12 hours. Invert pan to unmold; cut into 1/2-inch slices.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in skillet until melted. Coat slices with flour; cook uncovered in butter over low heat until brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Serve with molasses, jam, maple syrup or sour cream if desired.
Pears with Nut Stuffing
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 ripe firm pears, cut into halves
1/3 cup finely chopped nuts
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon dairy sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Mix 1/3 cup sugar, the water and lemon juice in ungreased 8-inch square pan until sugar is dissolved. Arrange pears in pan, turning to coat with sugar mixture. Cover and bake at 325 degrees F until pears are almost tender when pierced with fork, 25 minutes.
Place 1 pear half, cut side up, in each of 8 serving dishes.
Mix nuts, 2 tablespoons sugar, the brandy, 1 tablespoon sour cream and the vanilla extract; fill centers of pear halves with nut mixture. Mix 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 tablespoon sugar. Top each pear half with dollop of sour cream mixture.
Yields 8 servings.