HOW-TO: Christmas Eve Holy Supper or Svjatyj Vecer

In many areas of Eastern Europe, more specifically Slovakia, Carpatho-Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Byelorus, a strict-fast Holy Supper or Svjatyj Vecer is observed on Christmas Eve. The customs differ from area to area.

According to custom, the meal begins after the first star appears in the sky.

Everyone is standing. The father exclaims for the first time the Christmas Greeting:

Christ is Born!

The family replies:

Glorify Him!

One of the children, with ewer and basin, washes the hands of each of the family members, in order from eldest to youngest. A silver coin may be placed in the basin, then given to the youngest child.

After this is complete, the father takes a rope, sprinkles it with holy water and ties it around the legs of the table. This symbolizing the ever-lasting bond of the family.

The mother sprinkles the family members with holy water so that their souls and minds may be receptive to the meaning of the Birth of Christ.

The father then sprinkles the animals of the household (if there be any) with the holy water reminding the family of the animals in the stable when Christ was born.

A single candle, placed near the center of the table, is now lit. This reminds us of the apperance of Christ, the Light of the World, who was born this day.

The father leads the family in a prayer of gratitude to God for the past year. It includes petitions for health, happiness, long life, salvation and that the family may be united in love forever.

The entire family now joins in the singing of the Troparion and Kondakion for the Feast:

TROPARION

Tone 4 - Your Nativity, O Christ our God, * has shone to the world the light of understanding! * For by it, those who worshipped the stars, * were taught by a star to adore You, * the Sun of Righteousness, * and to know You as the Orient from on high. * O Lord, glory to You!

KONDAKION

Tone 3 - Today the Virgin gives birth to the Trancendent One, * and the earth offers a cave to the unapproachable One! * Angels with shepherds glorify Him! The Wise men journey with the Star! * Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a little child!

The father then blesses the food:

Lord Jesus Christ, Who was born in a manger for our sake and salvation, bless this food and drink of Your servants, for You are holy, always, now and ever, and forever.

Family:

Amen.

The "Christmas Greeting" is now exchanged.
CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!

Everyone may now be seated.

The father breaks the bread, first making the sign of the cross on the bottom of the loaf with the knife, and gives a piece to each member of the family. The bread is a symbol of Christ, the Bread of Life. The bread is then eaten.

The father then toasts:

Good Christians! I greet you on the Feast of Christ's Nativity and wish that the Lord grant us good health and fortune to praise the eternal God for many years.

Reply:

Grant this, O God!

The mother takes a tooth of garlic, dips it in honey and makes the sign of the cross over the forehead of each family member. The honey sybolizes sweetness in life, and the garlic, bitterness.

The meal now begins. No one is permitted to skip a dish.

After the dinner is complete, the father reads one of the accounts of Christ's birth from Holy Scripture. Then kol'day - traditional carols - are sung.

Traditional Christmas Eve Supper (12 Courses)

1. Oplatky (Christmas Wafers) with Honey
2. Wine
3. Mushroom Soup
4. Pagach
5. Bobalky
6. Fish, Beans, Peas, Sauerkraut
7. Mixed Dried Fruits or Stewed Prunes
8. Assorted Fresh Fruits
9. Mixed Nuts
10. Nut and Poppyseed Rolls
11. Rozky
12. Coffee

Bobalky

• The dough for this recipe is using the traditional holiday braided bread recipe as follows:
• 1 Cake Yeast
• 1 cup scalded Milk
• 6 cups Flour
• 1 small can Evaporated Milk
• 1 cup warm Water
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Butter, melted
• 2 Egg Yolks, beaten
• 3/4 tablespoon Salt

Dissolve yeast with sugar in lukewarm milk. Set aside to rise. Sift flour in deep bowl. Add warm evaporated milk mixed with water and melted butter. Add beaten egg yolks, salt and yeast mixture. Knead very well. Cover and set in warm place. Do not permit dough to stand in draft. Let dough rise 2 hours.

Pinch off portion of dough, roll out on floured board by hand to make roll about half inch in diameter. Place on cookie sheet. Cut with edge of teaspoon into small pieces. Let rise for 10 minutes.
Bake at 375° for 15 minutes, or until lightly brown.

When cool, break and place in colander. Pour boiling water over bobalky. Place in large serving bowl.

Cook 2 sticks of butter with one onion chopped onion until brown.

Pour butter/onion mixture over bobalky.

Sprinkle with poppyseed to taste.

Toss gently and serve immediately.
or...
Cook 1 1/2 cups ground poppy seed in 3/4 cup water for 10 minutes. Boil 3 cups milk, add 1 cup sugar, or according to taste, pour over poppyseed and mix. Add to bobalky. Mix well. Serve immediately.

Mushroom Soup (Sour)

• 1 lb. fresh Mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1 teaspoon Flour
• Sauerkraut juice, to taste
• Sale and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped onion

Wash mushrooms and cook in 1 quart of water until tender. Strain (save the water). Run mushrooms through food chopper. Add sauerkraut juice to mushroom water. Salt and pepper and bring to boil.
Brown flour in butter until light brown, add onion and brown. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil and stir. Strain. Add to contents along with mushrooms and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Pagach

• 1 cup scalded Milk
• 1 Cake Yeast
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 cup warm Water
• 1 1/2 lbs. All-purpose Flour
• 2 Egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons Salt

Dissolve yeast in half cup warm water. Pour half cup scalded milk over butter and sugar. Cool to lukewarm. Add dissolved yeast. Sift flour and salt into deep bowl, add eggs and yeast mixture with remaining milk and water. Knead well. Cover with cloth and set aside in warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about two hours.

Turn out on floured board. Divide dough into three portions. Cover each portion with bowl and let rest for ten minutes.

Take one piece at a time, turn over, flatten in the center with back of hand.

Place filling in center and draw up and pinch edges together. Again place bowl over dough for ten minutes. heat over to 375°. Turn dough over with filling and press carefully with back of hand all around, then roll out slowly, so the filling will not break through, to 12-inches in diameter.
Place both hands under pagach and put in the bottom of the over for ten minutes, then turn over on the rack (in center of oven) and bake for another ten minutes.

When done, wrap in damp cloth. Let it stand for ten minutes. Brush lightly with sweet cream, then with golden brown butter on both sides. Cut to desired size. Sprinkle with sugar. Follow the same method for the other two pieces. Each portion is for one pagach.

Pagach Fillings:

Sauerkraut

• 1/2 lb. sauerkraut
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• pinch of salt and cinnamon

Wash sauerkraut in half cup of water, squeeze dry. Chop fine.
Sauté in brown butter and seasonings until brown. Cool to lukewarm.

Potato
One large potato cooked and mashed. Add one tablespoon melted, browned butter and salt to taste. A few dry crushed peppermint leaves may be added. However, this is optional.

Cabbage
One pound head of cabbage chopped fine, to which add 1 tablespoon salt and set aside to stand for several minutes. Then squeeze out water from cabbage and fry in one tablespoon butter that has been allowed to brown. Add one teaspoon sugar, and stir occasionally to keep from burning. Fry until golden brown.

Cheese

• 1/2 cup dry Cottage Cheese
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 12 teaspoon Butter
• Pinch of Salt
• Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly

Sviat Vechir recipes from various regions of Ukraine

To commemorate Christ's birth, the evening before Rizdvo, Sviat Vechir, a ritual meal is prepared with 12 meatless dishes.

Khrystos Razhdayetsya!

Christ is Born!

Kutya

• 2 cups cleaned wheat 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 3-4 quarts water 1/3 cup honey, dissolved in
• 1 cup cleaned poppy seed 1/2 cup hot water
• 2/3 cup sugar 

Wash wheat in cold water and soak overnight in the 3 to 4 quarts of water. The next day, bring the water to a boil then simmer for 4 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The wheat is ready when the kernals burst open and the fluid is thick and creamy. Chop the poppy seed in a food processor and set aside. Mix honey, sugar and hot water. Before serving mix the honey mixture, poppy seeds, chopped nuts and wheat. More honey can be added to taste.

Borshch

• 1 cup fresh or dried mushrooms 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 large onion - chopped 1/2 cup tomato juice
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil 3 peppercorns
• 2 cups beets, sliced into strips 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup diced carrots lemon juice (to taste:tart, not sour)
• 1 potato, diced salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dill (fresh or frozen) 8-9 cups water
• 1 tsp. parsley (fresh) 

Saute onion in oil until transparent. Add mushrooms- saute slightly and set aside. Cover beets, carrots, potato, parsley/dill with water and cook until barely tender. Add cabbage and cook until slightly tender. Add onions, mushrooms, tomato juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice with caution since you want the borshch tart, not sour. Bring to boil and serve.

Baked/Fried Fish

Any variety of fish baked or fried, but if frying use only vegetable/olive/hemp oil (in keeping with the meatless nature of the meal)

Osyletsi (Pickled Fish)

• 2 filleted Whitefish (preferably caught while ice fishing) or 4 salt herrings
• Milt
• 2 large onions (sliced)
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp pickling spices
• Additional sugar if desired
• 1 glass of dry white wine

Wash the whitefish (or herrings) fillets and soak in cold water for about 12 hours, changing the water 2 or 3 times. Wash again and cut into the size you want to serve. Place into a jar or crockery with a layer of sliced onion and some milt between the layers of fish. Boil vinegar, water, wine, spices, and additional sugar for 10 minutes. Let the boiled mixture cool. Strain and pour it over the fish. Let stand at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours. Then store in the fridge for another half day.

Holubtsi (Cabbage Rolls)- buckwheat and rice filled

Place one large head of cored cabbage in a deep pot of boiling water to which salt has been added. Remove the leaves as they become soft. Cool and drain the leaves and remove any remaining core. Cut the leaves to the desired size (personally I cut them about 3" wide). Grease a cassarole dish and place a few leaves of cabbage to line it. Put a tablespoon full of filling (filling recipe follows) into each leaf and roll it up tucking in the edges of the leaves as you roll. Arrange the holubtsi in layers, adding some fried onions and garlic (to taste, sauteed in olive oil) between the layers. When the dish is filled place extra prepared cabbage leaves over the top to prevent scorching. Cover and place in 325 degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs or until both the cabbage and filling are tender. For a nice variation you could also use grape or beet leaves. Also, you could pour some tomato juice over the top to add flavour.

Fillings:


Rice Filling

• 2 cups rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Pepper

Wash rice well. Add water and stir in salt. Bring to boil and cook for one minute. Stir and cover. Turn down heat and simmer until rice starts to get tender. Take off of heat and let stand covered until the rest of the water is absorbed. The rice at this stage will only be partly cooked. Saute chopped onion in olive oil and add to the rice. Season to taste. Cool and roll into cabbage.

Buckwheat Filling

• 2 cups buckwheat groats
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 4-5 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cups water

Brown groats very lightly in the oven. Place in pot with boiling salted water. Add 4 tbsp olive oil. Cook until water is absorbed. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. After baking allow the buckwheat to cool. Saute chopped onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the sauteed onions to the cooked buckwheat. Cool and fill the holubtsi.

Varenyky (pyrogies)

Dough

• 4 cups flour 1. Combine flour and salt
• 2 tsp salt 2. Add rest of ingredients
• 2 tbsp olive oil 3. Kneed until smooth and elastic
• 2 eggs well beaten 4. Cover and let stand at least 15 min.
• 1 cup water 5. Roll out thin on a floured board
• 6. Cut out rounds with a glass or beer mug

Combine flour and salt. Add rest of ingredients. Kneed until smooth and elastic. Cover and let stand at least 15 min. Roll out thin on a floured board. Cut out rounds with a glass or beer mug.

Fillings-

Potato

• 2 cups mashed potatoes 
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tbsp. vegeatble oil 
• salt and pepper to taste

- saute onions in oil, season, add potatoes and mix well.

Kapusta (sauerkraut)

• 2 cups sauerkraut 
• 4 tbsp. vegeatble oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped 
• pepper to taste

- bring sauerkraut to boil in some water. Rinse, cool, drain and squeeze out water. Chop finer if you want. Saute onions in oil and add to sauerkraut, season to taste.

Prune filling

• 1 cup prunes honey to taste
• 1/2 cup water 

-bring prunes and water to a boil, let cool and drain. Chop prunes very fine and add honey to taste.


Add 1 tbsp of filling to each round of dough , fold over and pinch the dough together well. When boiling add a little salt and oil to the water so they don't stick together. When they come to the surface, they're ready.

Cooked beans

• 2 cups white beans 
• 2 cloves garlic
• 7 cups water 
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda 
• 2 tsp. cooking oil

1 tsp. salt Boil beans in water and add baking soda and salt when almost done. Continue simmering until beans are tender. Drain if necessary and set liquid aside for later. Mash beans well, adding bean liquid a little at a time until it is of a thick consistency. Crush garlic and stir into beans. Saute onions in oil and put on top of beans before serving.

Kapusta and peas

• 2 cups sauerkraut 
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water 
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup dried peas 
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 2 tbsp. flour

Soak peas overnight. Rinse and drain. Cover with fresh water and cook until tender. Drain. Rinse sauerkraut in cold water and drain. Add the water and cook for 15 minutes. Combine peas and sauerkraut. Save the liquid. Saute onion in oil. Sprinkle flour over onions and brown lightly. Pour liquid from cooked sauerkraut and peas; add crushed garlic and stir until sauce thickens. Add sauce to sauerkraut and peas, stir and add salt and pepper to taste, simmer for 30 minutes and serve.

Beets with Mushrooms

• 3 cups chopped beets 
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 tbsps. oil 
• 1/2 tsp.lemon juice
• 1 cup mushrooms

Chop the raw beets finely and then boil in a bit of water until tender yet firm. Add lemon juice to beets. Simmer for 5 minutes. Rinse mushrooms in hot water. Drain. Saute onion in oil, then add mushrooms and crushed garlic and simmer for a half hour. Combine with beets and simmer a further 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Compote

Get an assortment of dried fruits such as apples, apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, figs or raisins and soak the fruit overnight in water. Next day, simmer until tender and add honey to sweeten to taste.

Pompushky

For the dough, it's easiest if you have a bread machine with a manual setting. In that case all you do is make up a batch of sweet dough, letting the machine take care of the kneading then following the directions after the (*). If not here is the longer, more traditional method.

Dough

• 8 cups flour
• 2pkg. yeast
• 3 cups milk
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast as instructed on package. Let stand 10 minutes. In a large bowl, put in part of the flour (about 6 cups), making a well in the middle. Beat the eggs lightly, add melted butter, milk, sugar and salt. Add this mixture to the flour along with the yeast. Mix well and knead until dough is soft and not sticky adding the remaining flour only as necessary. Knead about 10 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until double in bulk. Punch down and knead lightly. Let rise again. (*) Take a small amount of dough, roll on a lightly floured table. It must be fairly thick. Cut out rounds, coffee mugs work well. Place a small amount of filling in the centre bringing the edges together and pinch well to seal tightly. Place pompushky seam side down on lightly floured surface, cover and let rise a while, about 15 minutes. Do not let over rise. Deep fry in Canola Oil, about 375F for about 3minutes turning them to brown on both sides. When removing try to have most of the oil back into the pan, then leave the pompushky on paper towel for more oil to come off.

Fillings:


Poppy Seed (Maky)-

• 1 cup poppy seed
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
• 1 cup raisins (opt)
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil

Grind the clean dry poppy seed in a coffee grinder and add to the moistened raisins. Add honey, nuts, vegetable oil well and then fold into the poppy seed- raisin mixture. Ready to be used.

Apricot-

• 1 lb. apricots
• Sugar to taste
• 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
• Dash of cinnamon
• 1 tsp. of lemon juice

Boil apricots until soft. Drain thoroughly. Put through food processor or blender. Add the rest of the ingredients. Blend well. Ready to be used.

Prune-
the same recipe as for apricots but with 1 lb. of pitted prunes.

Additional Recipes

BOBALKI

• 1 pkg. yeast 6 c. flour
• 1 tsp. salt 2 c. water (approximately)
• 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 c. lukewarm water
• 1/2 c. oil

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water; add salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let it set about 10 minutes. Sift flour and sugar. Add yeast mixture and rest of ingredients. Knead well. Let rise until doubled. Punch down. Cut off portions of dough about the size of an egg. Roll out on floured board by hand to make roll about 1 inch in diameter. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise about 20 minutes.

Bake at 3500 for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and separate. Place in colander. Pour boiling water over Bobalki. Drain quickly to prevent sogginess. Any of the following mixtures may be used on the Bobalki:

1. Sauté 1 small onion in 2 tablespoons oil. Add 1 pound sauerkraut (drained); cook about 15 minutes. Add mixture to half of Bobalki.

2. Combine 1 cup ground poppy seed, 2 tablespoons honey and 4 tablespoons water. Add to remaining Bobalki. Mix well.

3. Melt 1 stick margarine. Combine with 2 tablespoons honey and 1/2 cup strawberry preserves.

CHRISTMAS JELLO MOLD

• 1 small (3 oz. ) box lime Jell-O
• 1 pkg. Dream Whip
• 1 small can crushed pineapple, drained maraschino cherries, drained
• 1 (3 oz.) pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese

Make Jell-O according to box instructions and let set until it just starts to jell. Beat Dream Whip according to instructions on box. Add cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Add mixture to lime Jell-O and stir until well blended. Add drained crushed pineapple and maraschino cherries. Then let jell and serve.

CHRISTMAS BREAD

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. warm water
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1 ( 1 oz.) cake yeast

Sift flour and salt in a bowl. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and add to flour mixture. Knead until smooth. Let rise until double in size. Then place in a 9-inch greased pie tin and let rise again. Bake in a 4000 oven for 30 minutes. Makes 1 loaf. This dough may also be used for making Bobalki.

NONDAIRY MASHED POTATOES

Potatoes

• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut potatoes as for mashed potatoes. Cook until done. Drain water just before potatoes are finished cooking. Fry onion in oil trying not to get the onion brown. After water is drained from potatoes, add the fried onion and oil, salt and pepper, and mash and mix well. This can be eaten with fish or can be placed in soup bowl and put either a bean, mushroom or pea soup over it and eat it that way.

MUSHROOM STUFFED CABBAGE

• 1 head cabbage
• 1 large can sauerkraut
• 1 c. ground mushrooms (either canned, dry or frozen
• 1 c. rice (uncooked)
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Cut core out of cabbage to loosen leaves. Place the head of cabbage into boiling water for a few minutest Remove leaves as they get slightly softened. Cut away the thick rib from each cabbage leaf. Fry onion in oil until soft and add to mushrooms and rice. Add salt and pepper. Mix. Place about 1 tablespoon mixture in each cabbage leaf and roll.

Drain sauerkraut; use about half the kraut in the bottom of the pot. Arrange the rolls over the kraut. Cover with remaining kraut. Fill pot with water just to the top of the rolls. Cook slowly for about 2 hours.

For flavoring and coloring you may add 1/2 can tomato soup over the top of kraut before cooking.

MUSHROOMS AND GRAVY

• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms or canned mushrooms
• 4 Tbsp. Oil
• 4 Tbsp. flour
• 1 clove garlic, cut up
• Salt and pepper
• 2 c. water
• Vinegar (optional)

Clean, wash and drain mushrooms. Cut mushrooms up with garlic. Add 1 cup water and let simmer for about 1/2 hour. Make a brown sauce (Zaprashka), blending oil and flour together in a frying pan. Keep on medium heat and keep stirring until lightly browned. Cool slightly and add 1 cup cold water and blend until smooth. Pour this brown sauce into the cooked mushroom mixture. Cook the mushrooms until tender. Add salt and pepper and a little vinegar to taste.

PAGACH -- KUPUSTANIK

Dough:

• 2 small cakes yeast
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. lukewarm water
• 1/2 c. Crisco
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 6 1/2 -7 c. flour
• 1/4 c. sugar

Soak yeast in 12 cup lukewarm water. Mix all other ingredients and then add the yeast mixture. Knead dough about 10-15 minutes. Allow to rise in warm place until double in bulk.

After dough rises, divide into 8 parts. Let rise again, covered with dry cloth. Then flatten dough out to about 12 inch thick using rolling pin. Place filling over top of dough, leaving about 12 inch from edges free from filling. Roll another part of dough the same size and place on top. Pinch edges together. Roll again. Prick with fork all over top.

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until done. Brush with oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. When taken out of the oven, cut into triangles.

Note: Any bread dough may be used.

Filling:

• 1 head cabbage
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil (enough to fry cabbage)

Grate cabbage and fry in oil, adding the salt and pepper to taste. Cool.

BREADED TURBOT FISH

• Turbot fish, cut in serving pieces
• 1/2 box cracker meal
• Salt and pepper

Season fish with salt and pepper. Roll in cracker meal. Press while rolling in cracker meal. Place on greased (Crisco or oil) cookie sheet. Cover with foil and bake until done, about 45 minutes, at 350 degrees. When done remove foil and put under broiler to brown fish.

PEA SOUP

• 1 lbs. whole green peas
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 3 potatoes (medium to 1/2 small onion, chopped large), diced
• 5 qt. water
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 small onion, chopped

Note: if you have hard water soak peas in water

Cook peas in water until almost done. Then add iced potatoes and cook until done. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Thickening: 
Make a thickening by frying the oil and flour until light brown, then adding onion and flying until well browned. Put the thickening in the pea Soup and cook 10-15 minutes. This makes a large pot of soup.

SLOVAK CHRISTMAS SOUP

• 1/2 lb. dry mushrooms or 1 qt. canned, drained and chopped
• l qt. sauerkraut juice
• 1 qt. Water
• 1 c. rice
• I Tbsp. butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• Salt and pepper

Wash dry mushrooms well in warm water. Mix sauerkraut, juice and water. (If a more sour soup is desired, use more juice and less water.) Place liquid over heat 4 and bring to boiling point. Add mushrooms. Simmer about 1 hour. Wash rice and drain. Add to boiling Mushroom soup; simmer 12 hour or more.

Put onion, butter and flour in skillet. Brown well. Add to soup; mix well. (If canned mushrooms used, simmer only about 12 hour.) Serves 12.

MUSHROOM SAUERKRAUT SOUP

• 1 c. dried mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 c. sauerkraut juice
• 1 qt. water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 potato, cubed (optional)

Soak dried mushrooms in cold water overnight or at least 2 hours. Drain and chop. Add water, sauerkraut juice and oil to soup pot. Simmer 2 hours. Add potatoes now if desired.

Brown flour in oil in frying pan. Stir constantly or flour will burn. Add about a cup of soup, stirring constantly, to make a thin gravy (Zaprashka). Add to soup. Simmer 15 minutes more. Adjust seasoning.

KAPUSTA (Sauerkraut)

• 2 large cans kraut
• 1/4 c. margarine or oil
• 1 heaping Tbsp. flour
• 3 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium potato

Rinse kraut in pan of cold water and drain. Place the kraut in a kettle of fresh water. Water level should cover kraut about 1 inch above kraut. Cook for 1 hour 1q. and add 2 mashed cloves of garlic, adding salt and pepper to taste. Grate the potato and add to the kraut. Let cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Sauté I chopped garlic clove in the margarine; gradually add the tablespoon of flour and fry until lightly browned. Add to kraut; continue to cook mixture for approximately 1/2 hour. Makes 8-10 servings.


LIMA BEAN SOUP

• 1/2 lb. dried lima beans
• 1 1/2 qt. water
• 2 1/2 c. raw potatoes, diced
• 2 Tbsp. Catsup
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1 small or medium onion
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• Salt and pepper

Bring lima beans and water to a boil; cook until partially done, approximately 1 hour. Add more water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Add raw potatoes and catsup. Brown onion lightly in butter. Add flour and continue browning until golden. Add hot water, one cup or so; stir until well blended. Add lima bean mixture and continue to cook all ingredients, adding water if necessary, until done.

ZAPRASHKA
Zaprashka is a brown sauce used for seasoning vegetables, especially on strict fast days. It is also used to thicken soups and stews.

• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1 Tbsp. chopped onion liquid
• 1 Tbsp. flour

Heat oil and add flour and onion. Stir constantly until mixture thickens and turns a golden brown. Add liquid from vegetables or soup and stir until smooth. All is then returned to soup or vegetables.

CHRISTMAS SURPRISE BITEAD BUNDLES

• 1 pkg. active dry yeast 3 eggs
• 1/4 c. warm water (110 degrees)
• 4-4 1/2 c., all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. ( 14 lb.) butter or margarine
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. light cream or milk
• Sweet Cheese Filling*
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
• 3 Tbsp. sugar

In large bowl of electric mixer stir yeast with water and let stand 5 minutes. Melt butter and mix with milk and sugar; add to yeast. Mix with eggs, 2 cups flour, nutmeg and salt. Stir to blend. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Gradually mix in 1 34 cups flour. Scrape dough onto a board coated with about 1/4 cup flour. Knead, adding flour as required, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Put into greased bowl; turn to grease top. Cover bowl. Let dough rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 12 hours. Punch down and knead several times. Wrap airtight and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Knead dough several times to remove air, then divide into equal portions. Shape one portion at a time into a 6 to 6 12 -inch circle. Place equal portions (2 to 2 12 tablespoons) filling in center. Draw dough up around and pleat; pinch firmly just above filling, letting dough top flare loosely.

Place 2 inches apart on greased 10 x 15-inch baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and keep cold until all dough is shaped. Place baking sheets with covered bundles in a warm spot and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes, then uncover.

To seal firmly, lightly pinch pleats together again. Brush surface with egg-water mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. To store, cool completely; freeze up to 6 months. Makes 16 buns.