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Category Archives: Culture

Botvinka – Red Beet Leaf and Herb Soup

Once my garden produces an abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables, the time is right to cook Botvinka. Soups are very popular in Eastern Europe and are the first course of a lunch or dinner meal, just like tossed salads in the U.S.
The name for this soup, “Botvinka,” derives from the Polish description of the tops of very young red beet plants, which are the major ingredient in this soup.

This dish is full of the goodness of fresh, young, green leafy vegetables, and because they are so tender, they require a very short cooking time.

Traditional Ukrainian Paska Recipe – Ukrainian Easter Bread

Easter is one of my favorite holidays, because of its rich traditions. One of these is the blessing of a basket of special foods which becomes the Easter Sunday brunch, being the first meat meal, after a strict fast on Good Friday and Saturday. One of the special foods in that basket is a round shaped Easter Bread, called Paska in Ukrainian, or Babka in Polish. The top of this bread is elaborately decorated with fancy dough ornaments, having a cross as the central motif. Here is my family Paska recipe, which makes two large loaves, or several small ones.

Potato Balls (Knedle) – Vegetarian Recipe

One of the items my mom cooked often, and I enjoyed very much, are Knedle, or Potato Balls. These are very quick to prepare, require few basic ingredients, and are very versatile for serving plain with butter and sauteed onions, with tomato sauce, or even filled with fruit and served as a sweet dish or dessert.