traditions
Harira soup & Sugar festival
Ramadan is over at the end of April and the Muslim community celebrates with Eid Al Fitr, the Sugar Festival. Do only sweets end up on the table then? And what makes Eid Al Fitr so special? I asked my Moroccan frien Chaimae el Hathat
For about a month, Muslims do not eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset. For Chaimae Ramadan is a period she looks forward to every year. “It is a spicy, but also a very beautiful period. We spend more time with our family and the togetherness is great. There is nothing like breaking the hunger pangs together after a day of fasting,” Chaimae said.
So what do you eat during Ramadan, after sunset?
“We break the fast with a date, milk or water. After that, I always eat Moroccan soup and drink a lot of water. With us, a lot of salads also end up on the table, complemented by spring rolls or puff pastry snacks. With many Moroccan Muslims, honey biscuits end up on the table. But equally, pasta or vol-au-vent may follow afterwards.”.
Ramadan concludes on 21 or 22 April with Eid Al Fitr. What does the Sugar Festival mean to you?
“During Eid Al Fitr, we celebrate the end of that month of fasting. For me, it is also a time to be thankful that I was able to participate in Ramadan again. This is not the case for everyone, there are people who cannot participate, due to illness for example. Most people take a day off from work. You can compare it to Christmas, everyone is nicely dressed up and gives presents to each other.”
How will you experience the celebration this year?
“It will be a special Eid Al Fitr because we will be celebrating. The family traditionally gathered at her house. Eid Al Fitr is all about being with your family and taking time to catch up. In the morning, the men usually go to the mosque. Meanwhile, a sumptuous breakfast is prepared. Having breakfast together with the family is one of the highlights for me. I look forward to enjoying my morning coffee every year.”
What ends up on your table?
“With us, these are typically Moroccan dishes. During breakfast, Moroccan tea and biscuits are certainly not to be missed. There are also pancakes or some sort of doughnut and bread on the table. Afterwards, couscous, for example, follows. And during the Sugar Festival, a lot of delicacies end up on the table that are unfamiliar to many. For example the msemen is a typical of Eid Al Fitr and really delicious! They are square, leafy pancakes. They are often eaten with honey, but you can also combine them with savoury things. If you want to spend a little less time in the kitchen, I can recommend a simple Moroccan tea.” And this soup is so delicious that you can eat 3 plates of it!
Harira
Harira is a rich soup made with tomatoes, broad beans and chickpeas. The soup owes its delicious flavour to the oriental spices.
Ingredients: 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 5 tomatoes, 2 stalks of white celery, 1 sweet potato, 150 g broad beans, 1.50 l vegetable stock, 250 g canned chickpeas, 1 tsp ras el hanout, 1 tsp ginger powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 0.50 tsp cinnamon powder, olive oil, salt & pepper to taste
Finishing touch:
100 g sour cream, lemon wedges, 2 tbsp finely chopped mint, 2 tbsp chopped coriander
19 ingredient selected
Methods:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the tomatoes in an oven dish and drizzle with olive oil, squeeze the garlic over them and season with salt and pepper.
Place in the oven for 25 minutes.
Finely chop the onion. Cut the celery into small pieces.
Peel and dice the sweet potato.
Fry the onion glazed in olive oil. Add the celery and sweet potato to the onion and add the ras el hanout, ginger powder, turmeric and cinnamon. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Blend in the oven-fried tomatoes until smooth. Pour this along with the stock to the vegetables and bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes.
Skin the broad beans. Rinse the chickpeas under cold running water. Add them to the soup along with the chickpeas. Let cook for another 5 minutes.
Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with the fresh mint and coriander and a spoonful of sour cream.
Top with the lemon wedges.
Butter week, the Russian carnival
Butter or pancake week alias Maslenitsa also known as Butter Lady, Butter Week, Crepe week, or Cheesefare Week is an Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday, which has retained a number of elements of Slavic mythology in its ritual, celebrated during the last week before Great Lent, that is, the eighth week before Eastern Orthodox Pascha.
The date of Maslenitsa changes every year, depending on the date of the celebration of Easter. It corresponds to the Western Christian Carnival, except that Orthodox Lent begins on a Monday instead of a Wednesday and the Orthodox date of Easter can differ greatly from the Western Christian date.
The traditional attributes of the Maslenitsa celebration are the Maslenitsa effigy, sleigh rides, festivities. Russians bake bliny and flatbread, while Belarusians and Ukrainians cook pierogi and syrniki.
Traditions
During the week of Maslenitsa, meat is already forbidden to Orthodox Christians, and it is the last week during which eggs, milk, cheese and other dairy products are permitted, leading to its name of “Cheese-fare week” or “Crepe week”. The most characteristic food of Maslenitsa is bliny – thin pancakes or crêpes, made from the rich foods still allowed by the Orthodox tradition that week: butter, eggs and milk.
Since Lent excludes parties, secular music, dancing and other distractions from spiritual life, Maslenitsa represents the last chance to take part in social activities that are not appropriate during the more prayerful, sober and introspective Lenten season.
In some regions, each day of Maslenitsa had its traditional activity. Monday may be the welcoming of “Lady Maslenitsa”. The community builds the Maslenitsa effigy out of straw (из соломы), decorated with pieces of rags, and fixed to a pole formerly known as Kostroma. It is paraded around, and the first pancakes may be made and offered to the poor. On Tuesday, young men might search for a fiancée to marry after Lent. On Wednesday, sons-in-law may visit their mother-in-law, who has prepared pancakes and invited other guests for a party. Thursday may be devoted to outdoor activities. People may take off work and spend the day sledding, ice skating, snowball fights and with sleigh rides. On Friday, sons-in-law may invite their mothers-in-law for dinner. Saturday may be a gathering of a young wife with her sisters-in-law to work on a good relationship.
Sunday of Forgiveness
The last day of Cheesefare Week is called “Forgiveness Sunday”. Relatives and friends ask each other for forgiveness and might offer them small presents. As the culmination of the celebration, people gather to “strip Lady Maslenitsa of her finery” and burn her in a bonfire. Left-over pancakes may also be thrown into the fire, and Lady Maslenitsa’s ashes are buried in the snow to “fertilize the crops”
At Vesoers on Sunday evening, people may make a poklon (bow) before one another and ask forgiveness. Another name for Forgiveness Sunday is “Cheesefare Sunday”, because for devout Orthodox Christians it is the last day on which dairy products may be consumed until Easter. Fish, wine and olive oil will also be forbidden on most days of Great Lent. The day following Cheesefare Sunday is called Clean Monday because people have confessed their sins, asked forgiveness, and begun Great Lent with a clean slate.
Modern times
During Soviet times, Maslenitsa, like other religious holidays, was not celebrated officially. However, it was widely observed in families without its religious significance, as an opportunity to prepare crêpes with all sorts of fillings and coverings and to eat and share them with friends. After the start of perestroika, the outdoor celebrations resumed, although they were seen by some as an artificial restoration of a dead tradition. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many Russians have returned to practicing Christianity, the tradition is still being revived
With increasing secularization, many Russians do not abstain from meat and Maslenitsa celebrations can be accompanied by shashlik vendors. Nevertheless, “meat still does not play a major role in the festivities”.
Many countries with a significant number of Russian immigrants consider Maslenitsa a suitable occasion to celebrate Russian culture, although the celebrations are usually reduced to one day and may not coincide with the date of the religious celebrations.
On 20 March 2017, the British tabloid newspaper, the Daily Mirror described the Maslenitsa as a Hooligan training ground however one of the centuries-old traditions in this folk festival is “wall-on-wall” (‘stenka na stenku’, Russian), which involves sparring between men dressed in traditional folk clothes!
Salty panettone for Christmas
An inevitable staple on Christmas tables, the gastronomic panettone (panettone gastronomico) is a savoury version of the traditional cake of the same name, now a traditional starter in Italy in every sense of the word. The basic dough is the classic panettone dough, which has a more neutral taste without the addition of candied fruit and raisins. After baking, the panettone is divided into discs to make many soft layers that can be filled as sandwiches. The filling will be the personal touch that makes this preparation unique: sauces, salami, salmon, cheese and many other tasty ingredients will be the perfect filling for panettone. By alternating the fillings, you get layers of different flavours, so if you cut the panettone into slices, each guest can enjoy all the fillings. Enrich your festive table with delicious appetizers and lots of tasty snacks. And to make the table even more festive, try making a beautiful bread dumpling!
The ingredients for the dough
150 g flour
Whole milk 100 g
2 g dry brewer’s yeast
FOR THE DOUGH
Flour 0-s, 400 g
Whole milk 120 g
Butter 80 g
Sugar 40 g
Eggs (medium) 1
Yolks (one medium egg) 1
Dry brewer’s yeast 2 g
Fine salt 8 g
Malt 2 g
FOR THE SALMON FILLING
Fresh, spreadable cheese 100 g
Fresh liquid cream 10 g
Fine salt to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Chives 15 g
Smoked salmon 80 g
FOR THE ASPARAGUS FILLING
Asparagus 150 g
Robiola cheese 100 g
Fine salt to taste
Black pepper, to taste
FOR THE GOAT CHEESE FILLING
Goat cheese 160 g
Tomato concentrate 10 g
Fresh liquid cream 20 g
Radicchio 40 g
Cooked ham 100 g
Black pepper to taste
Fine salt to taste
FOR THE SHRIMP FILLING
Prawns 170 g
Chives 5 g
To prepare the panettone, start by preparing the dough: pour the sifted flour into the mixer, pour in the milk; add the dehydrated brewer’s yeast and start kneading. You should get a rough, not too smooth dough. Cover the dough with cling film. Leave to rise overnight (12 hours) in the fridge. The next morning, pour the dough into the bowl of a mixer. Add 2 g yeast and 120 g milk, malt, sugar and sifted 0a flour. Knead briefly, then add the eggs and salt. Continue kneading with the machine until the dough is smooth and elastic. Now add the lightly softened butter, a little at a time, waiting for the previous piece to process before adding another. Wait until you have a shiny, elastic dough. Grease a bowl with soft butter, place the dough in it and shape it into a ball. Cover with cling film and leave to rise in the oven with the light off for about 4 hours. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured baking tray and stretch it out with your hands, pulling the corners tight.
Place the resulting ball in a 1 kg paper panettone tin. Leave to rise in a turned-off oven or on the electric oven for about 4 hours, or until the top reaches the edges. Brush the top with the egg white and bake in a preheated oven at 170 °C.
Bake for 45 minutes (or in a fan oven at 150 °C for 35 minutes) at the bottom of the oven. Carry out a toothpick test, reaching to the centre to see if it is cooked and remove from the oven if it comes out dry. When baked, take the panettone out of the oven, pierce the bottom with the appropriate pin (knitting needle) and place it upside down to cool, placing weights on each end without touching the top (this is to preserve the shape of the dome and prevent it from falling off). The panettone is ready, but before filling it, place it in the fridge to set.
Prepare the panettone filling, starting with the shrimp filling:
Chop the chives, peel the prawns and cook in plenty of salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain them and pour them into a bowl with the cocktail sauce, add the chives and stir to season the prawns, store the prawn cocktail in the fridge. Stir the spreadable cheese into the cream, season with chopped chives , mix the ingredients, then store the cream in the fridge with the salmon.
Prepare the goat’s cheese filling: in a small bowl, mix the goat’s cheese with the cream, add the tomato purée, season with salt and pepper, mix the sauce and refrigerate. To finish the asparagus filling, wash the asparagus and remove the tough, green, stringy part with a potato peeler. Cut off the tops and leave whole, cut the rest of the stem into small pieces. Blanch the tops for a few minutes to soften them, then drain and cut in half lengthways.
Many people make gourmet panettone by putting single filling wedges on each layer; instead, I tried to mix the wedges so that each layer had more filling, and the result was truly amazing!
Silvesterclaus in Switzerland
While in Vienna, people walk pigs on a leash in the hope of bringing good luck for the coming year, in many Christian households in Germany the day is celebrated by pouring lead (Silvesterblei, Bleigiessen) into an old spoon over a flame and then dropping it into a bowl of cold water; the shape of the lead is used to predict the person’s luck for the coming year. If the lead is in the shape of a ball (der Ball), it will be lucky all year round, while the star (der Stern) represents alternating luck.
If Switzerland, then a New Year’s Eve cradle
The Silvesterklaus or New Year’s Eve cradle (Swiss German: Chlaus) means a man dressed up as St. Sylvester or a New Year’s Eve figure. In the Reformed canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, New Year’s Eve is still celebrated in this way.
History
St. New Year’s Eve, or New Year’s Day, is actually commemorated twice in the world, once on 31 December according to the Gregorian calendar and once on 13 January according to the Julian calendar. On both days, the Silvesterkläuse dress up in strange costumes and go from house to house in small groups, ringing huge bells sewn on their backs and singing very slow-paced yodels to wish people a happy New Year. If 31 December or 13 January falls on a Sunday, the celebrations are held on the Saturday before.
Retrieved from
It is believed that the Chlausen festival is not of pagan origin, but can be traced back to a late medieval Advent tradition involving students from a monastic school. In the 15th century, when the celebrations became increasingly wild, erotic and carnival-like, the Catholic Church found this behaviour hardly appropriate for the Advent holy season, which in turn explains why the Chlausen tradition was moved from Advent to New Year’s Eve.
The tradition is first mentioned in 1663, when the church authorities objected to such noisy celebrations. In the Catholic semi-canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, some 18th century records state that participation in the ‘Chlausen’ tradition was punished with a heavy fine of five talers. Despite this, the tradition persisted in the Catholic semi-canton to a small extent until 1900, because it was more or less tacitly tolerated by the local district authorities. This was particularly the case in the border areas close to the Reformed Appenzell Ausserrhoden, for example in Haslen, surrounded on three sides by the villages of Hundwil, Stein, Teufen and Buehler Ausserrhoden, or in Gonten, near Urnäsch and Hundwil. Mixed groups were also formed, combining members of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden (this still happens occasionally), and there were sometimes isolated actors.
Today, the tradition is kept alive in the Protestant canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Three different types of Silvesterchläuse are distinguished: the Schöne (beautiful), the Schö-Wüeschte (beautiful-ugly) and the Wüeschte (ugly).
The Schöne-Beautiful are very ornate headgear compositions depicting scenes of peasant life, local customs and crafts, special buildings, sports or family life, which require hundreds of hours of intensive work. Their costumes resemble local folk costumes.
I wish you to all a jolly happy 2022! Cheers!
Eggflower soup or the Italian Zuppa Stracciatella
Stracciatella in Italian, a diminutive, derived from the verb stracciare (“to shred”), meaning “a little shred”, there are two different food related stuffs exist in Italy: the Stracciatella alla romana, which is a soup consisting of meat broth and small shreds of an egg-based mixture, prepared by drizzling the mixture into boiling broth and stirring. It is popular around Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy especially at Christmas time. And the other one which is more well known is the ice cream, the Stracciatella soup inspired the gelato (Italian ice-cream) flavour of the same name which was created in 1962 by a restaurateur in the northern town of Bergamo, who claimed he had grown tired of stirring eggs into broth to satisfy customers from Rome.
The zanzarelli is a similar soup, was described by Martino da Como in his 15th century manual, The Art of Cooking. Other variants exist.
Traditionally stracciatella alla romana used to be served at the start of Easter lunches. Stracciatella alla romana is traditionally prepared by beating eggs and mixing in grated parmesan, cheese. salt and pepper, numeg, lemon zest and sometimes semolina; this mixture is then gently drizzled into boiling meat broth, while stirring so as to produce little shreds (“stracciatelle“) of cooked egg in the soup. The resulting soup can be served in bowls containing a few thin slices of toasted bread, with additional parmesan grated on top. Food historians said that the stracciatella alla romana used also to be scented with marjoram. Other traditional Italian and Italian-American recipes suggest garnishing with chopped parsley or spinach as a main ingredient.
The traditional preparation of stracciatella is also rather similar to that of sciusceddu, a rich festive soup from Messina in Sicily. that may be a cousin of the Roman dish.
The Zuppa pavese is consisting of broth into which slices of stale bread and poached eggs are placed.
Ginestrata is also a kind of egg-based soup in the Italian cuisine that originated in Tuscany. That can be described as a thin, lightly spiced egg-based soup. Egg yolk, chicken stock, Marsala wine or white wine, butter, nutmeg and sugar are primary ingredients. Additional ingredients may include different types of wine, such as Madeira wine and cinnamon. It may also be served as an antipasto dish, the first course of a formal Italian meal. Ginestrata may be strained using a sieve. It may be prepared using a double boiler for cooking, and the nutmeg and sugar may be served atop it as a garnish. It may also be cooked in an earthenware pot. It is a thin soup that only slightly thickens when the cooking process is complete.
The soup dates to the Middle Ages in Tuscany, Italy, when it was prepared by the families of married people the day after their wedding, to “revive the flagging spirits of the bride and groom
The Egg drop soup is a Chinese egg soup of wispy beaten beaten eggs in chicken broth. Condiments such as black or white pepper, and finely chopped scallions and tofu are commonly added to the soup. The soup is made by adding a thin stream of beaten eggs to the boiling broth in the final moments of cooking, creating thin, silken strands or flakes of cooked egg that float in the soup.
These kinds of egg drop soups have a thinner consistency than most common Western variants. Depending on the region, they may be garnished with ingredients such as tofu, scallion corn.
Egg-based soups in the European cuisine
In France, tourin, a garlic soup, is made with egg whites which are drizzled into the soup in a similar way to how traditional egg drop soup is made.
In Spain, the similar and traditional sopa de ajo (“garlic soup”) uses egg whites to thicken the broth in a similar way.
In Austria and in Hungary the egg drop soup (Eierflockensuppe or Eierflöckchensuppe is a simple, traditional recipe generally made for very young children or sick people. Scrambled eggs are mixed with flour and then poured into boiling soup in order to make small egg dumplings Spices can be added to the egg-flour mixture according to taste.
There is a similar recipe in Polish cuisine (kluski lane, lit. ‘poured noodles’), with the egg-flour mixture either poured directly into soup, or into boiling water, then strained and added to a soup or sauce. For children, often simmering milk (optionally with sugar) is used in place of soup.
In Russia, semolina is usually boiled in the chicken stock before the eggs are whisked in for a more substantial result, and flavored with chopped scallion and black pepper Simple egg dough dumplings similar to lazy varenik or the Ukrainian halusky are a frequent addition in the southern regions.
In Cyprus and Greece the egg is beaten and then slowly stirred in the soup so it does not curdle. Lemon and rice are the additional ingredients besides the chicken stock to make avgolemono, originally a dish from Jewish cuisine.
Zuppa Stracciatella
The idea of this soup isn’t uniquely Italian. It is really no more than another version of the Hungarian egg drop soup with an Italian twist. For the one, the eggs are mixed with Parmesan cheese to thicken the pasta of cooked egg in the soup. Put a few slices of artisan salume and a mix of marinated olives on the side and you have one fabulous winter meal.
Ingredients: 6 cups good quality chicken broth or stock
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp grated Parmesan
fresh Italian parsley and basil
1 cup baby spinach, cut in thin strips
Methods: In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the cheese, parsley and basil with the beaten eggs. Stirring quickly in a clockwise motion, gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the hot stock, creating thready strips. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
For my variation, I added in a cup of some lovely prosciutto tortellini and cooked it until the pasta was al dente and hot throughout.
Toss the spinach in just before serving so it doesn’t lose its fresh green color.
Chinese eggdrop soup
Ingredients:
4 cups salt reduced chicken stock
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp reduced salt soy sauce
1 tsp caster sugar
white pepper, to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 green onions, sliced diagonally
2 tbs torn coriander leaves
Methods:
Combine the stock, tomatoes, soy sauce and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with a little white pepper and the sesame oil. Add the eggs in a thin stream, while stirring the soup in a clockwise direction, to form thin stream of egg. Let stand for 1 minute, then serve in deep bowls, topped with green onions and coriander.
The Vesuviella a Christmas dessert from Neaples
The Vesuviella, together with the Konosfoglia, is an innovative cake proposed to celebrate the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. There is no historical or traditional anecdotes to tell about it, but just simply to say that it is a cake created and offered in the “Cuori di Sfogliatella” pastry shop in Corso Novara in Naples.
A few years ago, the entrepreneur-owner of the business, Antonio Ferreri, together with the president of the Movimento Neoborbonico, Gennaro De Crescenzo, and the president of the Fondazione Il Giglio, Marina Carrese, organised the presentation of these new desserts, which are nothing more than new types of sfogliatelle.
A novelty appreciated by the Neapolitans
Neapolitans are very loyal to tradition and don’t like to see their classic recipes distorted. However, the inventiveness of this Sfogliatella numero 2 has been widely appreciated. Together with the Gelato Konosfoglia, the novelty immediately struck a chord, also because it is not a substitute for the classic dessert, but an additional variant.
The dessert was created in any case in a popular pastry shop in Naples that gives value to the confectionery translations not only from Campania but also from Sicily.
The desserts dedicated to the Two Sicilies have been created taking into account the main values of Campanian and Sicilian confectionery. These desserts are exclusive to the Cuori di Sfogliatella pastry shop.
Konosfoglia versus Vesuviella
Before talking about Vesuvielle, let’s also say what Konosfoglia is, born together and sold hand in hand. The latter is the innovative ice cream was created at Cuori di Sfogliatella. The new cone is put in place of the classic curly sfogliatella wrapper, inside of which is the ice cream. This cone is basket-shaped and replaces the bucket.
These wrappers are filled according to what the bakery has available. The basic ingredient is ice cream made from pasteurised ricotta, cream, whole milk and natural cinnamon flavouring. To round off the treat, fruit sauces or natural extracts are added.
The inventiveness of the confectioner then poets the Konosfoglia to present itself with tasty decorations made of elements such as strawberries, chocolate chips, etc..
It should be remembered that this wrapper, together with the ice cream and sauces, are produced in the laboratory in an artisanal way. This is a concept that has gone straight to the heart of the consumer and is encapsulated in a single sheet of pastry, for so much flavour.
A dedication to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
This very special dessert, named Vesuviella because of its volcanic shape and in honour of the ‘King of Naples’ (i.e. Vesuvius), is a dedication to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. This is why there is also an offshoot of Sicilian tradition, i.e. sheep’s ricotta, typical of cannolo and cassata with cow’s ricotta used to make sfogliatella. It is no coincidence that the sauce is made as a tribute to Sicily, using another typical regional product, namely natural pistachio paste from Bronte.
he Vesuviella, emblem of the Bourbon world, is in fact presented in two unique versions, namely Orange Vesuviella and Pistachio Vesuviella. As for the ricotta cheese, 50% sheep’s milk ricotta and 50% cow’s milk ricotta are used for the mixture.
Mix of novelties and traditions
As for the Vesuvielle, it has very characteristic proportions as well as particular and at the same time simple ingredients. These include less semolina and more ricotta than in the classic recipe.
A new cake was created for the Kingdom of the two Sicilies, not the sfogliatella, because a new cake was needed to represent both Sicily and Campania. And the volcanic shape is in honour of the fact that the two regions are home to Mount Etna and Mount Vesuvius respectively.
Vesuviella borbonica and Konosfoglia borbonico, it should be noted, belong to the CompraSud project of the Neoborbon Movement and the Fondazione Il Giglio.
Feast of Seven fishes
It all started with me meeting my Italian friend, Massimo and we were talking about Christmas coming up. And he said I love it because we always eat baccalá on Christmas Eve. We’ve already started planning the menu with my sister whose husband runs a restaurant in Pontremoli (Tuscany). What was baccala I asked him because I have never heard of it and he became so enthusiastic and told the next: Baccalá is the Feast of the Seven Fishes and it’s an Italian celebration of Christmas Eve with dishes of fish and other seafood. Although it is not called on that name in Italy and is not a “feast” in the sense of “holiday,” but rather a grand meal.-continued Massimo with wide theatrical gestures that are so characteristic of him.- -“Christmas Eve is a vigil or fasting day, and the abundance of seafood reflects the observance of abstinence from meat until the feast of Christmas Day itself. Today, the meal typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. The tradition comes from Southern Italy, where it is known as The Vigil (La Vigilia). This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus (It was introduced in the United States by Southern Italian immigrants in New York City’s Little Italy in the late 1800s.)
The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat on the eve of a feast day. As no meat or animal fat could be used on such days, observant Catholics would instead eat fish (typically fried in oil).
The number seven? It is unclear when or where the term “Feast of the Seven Fishes” was popularized. It may come from the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church or the Seven hills of Rome or something else. There is no general agreement on its meaning. The salted cod fish’s custom of celebrating with a simple fish such as baccalà reflects customs in what were historically impoverished regions of Southern Italy, as well as seasonal factors. Fried smelts, calamari and other types of seafood have been incorporated into the Christmas Eve dinner over the years. The meal includes seven or more fishes that are considered traditional. (In some Italian-American families, there is no count of the number of fish dishes.)
-“Our typical feast-meal’s components may include some combination of anchovies, whiting, lobster, sardines, baccalá (dried salt cod) smelts, eels, squid, octopus, shrimps, mussels and clams. The menu may also include pasta, vegetables, baked goods and don’t forget the wine.
But what happened on the other day? I talked to my Mexican friend Louis and he told me that there is no Xmas without bachalao! Okay and when I made some research on that I found out that baccala is not an Italian tradition at all, it’s rather Norwegian where dried and salted cod or saltfish which has been preserved by drying after salting (Cod which has been dried without the addition of salt is stockfish). Salt cod was long a major export of the North Atlantic region, and has become an ingredient of many cuisines around the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean.
Dried and salted cod has been produced for over 500 years in Newfoundland, Iceland and the Faroe Island and most particularly in Norway where it is called klippfisk, literally “cliff-fish”. Traditionally it was dried outdoors by the wind and sun, often on cliffs and other bare rock-faces. Today klippfisk is usually dried indoors with the aid of electric heaters. In Norway, Bacalao refers to a “stockfish/klippfisk casserole” with tomatoes, olives, onions, and peppers, but not always, because of the numerous recipes for this Norwegian fish dish. However, it is always made with salted, dried cod, (stockfish) as the main ingredient. Kristiansund S, is a city well known for their version of Bacalao. Other parts of the country have their own special way of making Bacalao.
But before it can be eaten, salt cod must be rehydrated and desalinated by soaking in cold water for one to three days, changing the water two to three times a day. The best Norwegian recipe comes from Kristiansand from a small but famous village of Norway. Here is the best recipe of baccalá:
Ingredients
1 lb salted cod, 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, 6 or less large onions, chopped, 1/4 cup (or less) olive oil, 3 tablespoons dry sherry, 4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped (canned whole tomatoes work great) 4 tablespoons green olives, sliced, 5 cloves garlic, minced, 1 fresh or dried jalapeno pepper minced
4-ounces pimientos, 1/2 cup pitted black olives (Greek optional), 1/2 teaspoon oregano (optional)
Freshly ground pepper, salt to taste
Preparation
Soak salted cod for 12 hours Change water every 4 hours. Drain and shred fish. Saute onions and garlic in oil.
Add oregano, parsley, olives, pimentos, jalapenos, wine and simmer.
Layer sauteed vegetables, potatoes,shredded fish, salt and pepper.Drizzle remainder of the oil.
Bake at 350°F. for 35-40 minutes and you have Bacalao. Serve with Greek or Italian bread and salad and of course, don’t forget your favorite bottle of wine. Skål!
There is no Christmas without baccalá
In Europe, the baccalá dish is prepared for the table in a wide variety of ways; most commonly with potatoes and onions in a casserole, as croquettes, or as battered, deep-fried pieces. In France, brandade de morue is a popular baked gratin dish of potatoes mashed with rehydrated salted cod, seasoned with garlic and olive oil. Some Southern France recipes skip the potatoes altogether and blend the salted cod with seasonings into a paste. There is a particularly wide variety of salt cod (bacalhau) dishes
In several islands of the West Indies, it forms the basis of the common dish saltfish. In Jamaica, the national dish is ackee and saltfish. In Bermuda, it is served with potatoes, avocado, banana and boiled egg in the traditional codfish and potato breakfast.
In Liverpool England, prior to the post-war slum clearances, especially around the docks salt fish was a popular traditional Sunday morning breakfast.
In Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, (In Greece, fried cod is often served with skordalia), Brazil, the term Bacalao is used for stockfish (salted dried cod). In Spain (bacalao/bacalhau), the recipe calls for stockfish, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, Spanish peppers, and oil and they call it Bacalao en Salza.Bacalao, an international affair…In Mexico, where there will not be Christmas without Bacalao, they combine shredded stockfish with salsa, finely diced onions, chili, olive oil, almonds, parsley, cubed potatoes, capers, olives and simmer it slowly and they have Christmas Bacalao. In some regions of Mexico it is fried with egg batter, then simmered in red sauce and served for Christmas dinner.
At the supermarket you can find frozen ready-made Bacalao for your convenience if you live in Norway, that is. In the United States, salted, dried cod/klippfisk can be found in a 1-lb wooden box in your grocer’s meat department, or frozen in 1-lb packages at Walmarts.
Blueberry festival in Belgium: The Witch and the Black Goat
While witches have always existed in the Salm valley, just like anywhere else, the folklore group of the Macralles du Val de Salm from Belgium has only been in existence since 1955. Every year on 20 of July, the Macralles gather at a place: called Tienne-Messe to celebrate their Sabbath. This “Son et lumière” show stages amusing anecdotes about what has happened to certain of the people of the Salm valley during the last year, all in the Walloon dialect. Then the next day, they march in procession through the streets of the he Fête des Myrtilles (Blueberry Festival – July 21). The story of the Macralles is drawn from a local legend: the legend of Gustine Makra.
The course of the event: Every July 20 and for 24 hours, the “Neurès Bièsses” (the Macralles) symbolically take possession of the key of the city, and gather on the rocks of Tiennemesse to hold their Sabbath in the presence of their master, the “NeûrBo” (the Black Goat), who is none other than the Devil. This ceremony attracts more than 2,000 spectators every year. The macralleboast, in the local patois, of their harmful activities perpetrated during the year, whose targets are very diverse.
From 7:30 pm, musical and visual entertainment in the streets of Vielsalm
At 9:30 pm: taking the keys to the city; the macralles invade the communal park! During a scenario reviewed every year, they seize the key to the great displeasure of the mayor and the country guard. They then demand power for a period of 24 hours.
The “Neurès Bièsses” (the macralles) then gather at a place called Tiennemesse.
They review funny events and anecdotes of local and regional life. The devil, Neûr Bo (black goat) presides over this ceremony full of magic, terror and laughter. Every year, more than a thousand spectators witness this real sound and light.
Highlights of the Sabbath: – the arrival by the air of witches, with the help of their broom of course! – the establishment of the cauldron where the emmacrallée potion, the “tcha-tcha” will be concocted – the arrival of the devil on an authentic hearse – the enthronements of personalities, greeted by hunting horns and artifices. Not to mention the various more or less skilful attempts of the Country Guard (“the Emmacrallé”) who tries, without much success it must be said, to put an end to the Sabbath and tries to make public order reign!
Who has already once attended the Sabbath in the past should not be afraid to see the same things again from year to year because the Sabbath changes over the years. If we always strive to maintain a common frame to the various performances, we seek above all constantly not to tire the faithful spectators, especially through the use of many accessories and disguises, as well as music adapted and composed by our technical team. The lighting and a studied pyrotechnics make it possible to stage the highlights of the Sabbath, to enhance the play of the actors and the visual effects.
The “Neurès Bièsses” also take advantage of this sound and light show to induct certain personalities, both local and national, and thus confer on them the title of “Baron des Frambâches”. The ritual of enthronement consists in making the future Barons taste the “tcha-tcha” (potion based on crushed blueberries) and to make them ride
and broom and repeat the sentence that will “emmacraller” them forever: “Sôte, Mirôte, oût hayes èt bouchons!”
On the Sabbath are also enthroned the young Macralles nicknamed the ” loumerottes “. The loumerottes only become real Macralles after two years of apprenticeship.
After the Sabbath, a reception is organized and brings together all the members of the Macralles group, as well as the Barons of the Frambâches and the sympathizers. The opportunity for everyone to meet, and to sign the Golden Book, a real treasure illustrated by many cartoonists, each more prestigious than the other…
In addition to the outdoor processions, the Macralles are of course rampant in their own locality; collection of eggs and giant omelette offered each beginning of the year, local entertainment etc.
By the way every October 31 from 1999 to 2008, the Macralles also organized the Halloween party for children: torchlight procession in the streets of the locality, followed by a ball for all the little devils and other monsters!
Between 2000 and 2010, the Macralles of the Val de Salm were the initiators of 7 “Great Gatherings of Witches”.
The program of these diabolical days expanded as the editions went on: artisanal market ofthewitch, street entertainment: storytellers, fire-eaters, jugglers, magicians, puppet theater, medieval musicians and other troubadours.
In the evening, a large international procession of groups of witches took place: “sisters” came especially from the whole of Belgium, but also from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland; as early as 2001, for the first time in Belgium, the presence of luminous electric floats in the procession, always on the theme of witchcraft, which will dazzle more than one!
For the pleasure of the eyes, no less than 8,000 light points are needed per tank to perfect the magic of the show. The closing evening in the communal park is placed under the sign of fire, accompanied by wild music.
The legend of Gustine Makra: she had managed to awaken the fairies and gnomes from hibernation, but she had also revived tormentors and ghosts, werewolves and demons. Fortunately, the later canonized Gengoux, long ago, managed to conjure up the Beings of Darkness. But now that almost 1313 years have passed, they are about to wake up again… Do you manage to make contact with above- , extraterranean and subterranean creatures and reveal the Mysteries of the Macralle? You can learn the language of the black magicians, who not only uses words, but also sound vibrations –and waves, sound patterns and music? After all, don’t you shy away from fighting Gustine Makra & her Creatures of Darkness, and putting them back to sleep with the appropriate formula.
A Swedish bun to die for
Those who have dealt with the Swedish national sport “fika” (coffee and cake) certainly already heard of the Semla. Whether you know it or not, this wheat pastry, filled with almond cream and whippid cream, it is a must. The Semla is so popular, it even has its own day in the Swedish calendar. In addition to cream and almond cream (a kind of marzipan), cardamom gives the Semla its typical taste, which you can experience through half spring in Sweden. The Semla tastes particularly good on The Day of The Semla, which falls on February 28th this year. The Day of The Semmel is a variation on a tradition called “Fettisdagen”, the fat Tuesday, on which one was allowed to treat oneanother before Lent.
Although the Semla is delicious, in the last few years the craziest variations have been in the hands of Stockholmers. In the race for the craziest Semla, there was already everything from semmel wraps, semmel pizzas, a hot dog semla and a bread crumb. The Semla used to be popular, for example, as it is said that the former king Adolf Frederick of Sweden loved so much the semla that he died of digestion problems on February 12, 1771 after consuming a meal consisting of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut (cabbage), smoked herring and champagne, which was topped off by fourteen helpings of hetvägg (semla).
A semla is a traditional sweet roll made in various forms in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, associated with Lent and especially Shrove Tuesday in most countries. In Sweden it’s most commonly known as just semla (plural: semlor), but is also known as fettisdagsbulle (lit. “fat tuesday roll“). When it is served in a bowl of hot milk is hetvägg. The name semla (plural, semlor) is a loan word from German Semmel, originally deriving from the Latin simila, meaning ‘flour, itself a borrowing from Greek (semidalis), “groats which was the name used for the finest quality wheat flour or semolina.
Today, the Swedish-Finnish semla consists of a cardamon-spiced wheat bun which has its top cut off, and is then filled with a mix of milk and almond pasta topped with whipped cream. The cut-off top serves as a lid and is dusted with powdered sugar. Today it is often eaten on its own, with coffee or tea. Some prefer to eat it in a bowl of hot milk. In Finland, the bun is often filled with strawberry or raspberry jam instead of almond paste, and bakeries in Finland usually offer both versions. (Many bakeries distinguish between the two by decorating the traditional bun with almonds on top, whereas the jam-filled version has powdered sugar on top). In Finland Swedish semla means a plain wheat bun, used for bread and butter, and not a sweet bun. At some point Swedes grew tired of the strict observance of Lent, added cream and almond paste to the mix and started eating semla every Tuesday between Shrove Tuesday and Easter. Every year, at around the same time that the bakeries fill with semlor, the Swedish newspapers start to fill with semla taste tests. Panels of ‘experts’ dissect and inspect tables full of semlor to find the best in town.
Some bakeries have created alternative forms of the pastry, such as the “semmelwrap” formed as a wrap rather than the traditional bun, while others have added e.g. chocolate, marzipan, or pistachios to the recipe
In Finland and Estonia the traditional dessert predates Christian influences. Laskiaissunnuntai and laskiaistiistai were festivals when children and youth would go sledding or downhill sliding on a hill or a slope to determine how the crop would yield in the coming year. Those who slid the farthest were going to get the best crop. Hence the festival is named after the act of sliding or sledding downhill, laskea. Nowadays laskiainen has been integrated into Christian customs as the beginning of lent before Easter
Hetvägg or Semla
However the oldest version of the semla was a plain bread bun, eaten in a bowl of warm milk. In Swedish this is known as hetvägg, from Middle Low German hete Weggen (hot wedges) or German heisse Wecken (hot buns) and falsely interpreted as “hotwall”. The semla was originally eaten only on Shrove Tuesday, as the last festive food before Lent. However, with the arrival of the Protestant Reformation, the Swedes stopped observing a strict fasting for Lent. The semla in its bowl of warm milk became a traditional dessert every Tuesday between Shrove Tuesday and Easter. Today, semlor are available in shops and bakeries every day from shortly after Christmas until Easter. Each Swede consumes on average four to five bakery-produced semlor each year, in addition to any that are homemade.
The recipe
For the BUN INGREDIENTS: 4 1/4 cups milk, 1.4 oz dry yeast, 12 oz melted butter, 4 eggs, 1 ¾ cups caster sugar, 1-2 tsp salt, 1.5 tbsp ground cardamom, 13.5 cups white flour
FOR THE SWEDISH SEMLA Almond paste – one small container was plenty Powdered sugar Whipping cream
FOR THE FINNISH SEMLA: Raspberry or Strawberry Jam Whipping cream
Directions: Dissolve the sugar in the milk over heat. Do not allow the milk to boil. Allow the mixture to cool until you can withstand testing the heat with your finger for several seconds. (You don’t want to kill the yeast!) When cool enough, add the yeast to the milk. Let sit for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter and allow to cool for a minute or two. Add the eggs. Add the egg/butter mixture to the milk/sugar/yeast mixture. Add the salt, cardamom, and flour. Run in a mixture with a dough hook or knead until smooth and only slightly sticky.
Cover the dough and let rise until doubled in size. You can refrigerate the dough at this point, but be aware it will take the buns a very long time to rise if you do.
Weigh your buns. 110 grams for very large buns and 35 grams for smaller buns. (I prefer the smaller as the large are very difficult to eat.) Roll each bun until smooth. Let buns rise until doubled. You will really be able to see the lightness. Use a pastry brush to brush each bun with an egg wash.
While baking, whip the cream.
FOR THE SWEDISH SEMLA Cut off the tops of each bun.1Scoop out a pocket of bread. Preserve the breadcrumbs. Mix the bread crumbs with almond paste – to taste. I used a foodprocessor. Add in enough whipped cream to moisten and make it all hold together. Refill the pockets with the almond paste mixture. Cut each top into a triangle. Replace each top.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
FOR THE FINNISH VERSION Cut the top off each bun. Spread a generous amount of jam onto each bun Top with whipped cream. Replace the top.STEP 22Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes, depending on the size.
The sophisticated pumpkin
I have a kind of love and hate relationship with the pumpkin. When I was a kid, I couldn’t stand the sweet and slimy pumpkin baked in the oven. But in San Francisco after eating a pumpkin soup, I fell in love with. And since I’ve been living in Germany for a decade, I’ve tried almost 100 variations of pumpkin dishes. The Germans especially prefer it at fall.
All about pumpkin
The pumpkin is a cultivar of winter squash. Native to North America (northeastern Mexico and the southern United States), and they are one of the oldest domesticated plants, having been used as early as 7,500 to 5,000 BC. Nowadays pumpkins are widely grown for commercial use and as food, aesthetics, and recreational purposes. Pumpkin pie, for instance, is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the United States, and pumpkins are frequently carved as jack-o’-lanterns for decoration around Halloween, although commercially canned pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie fillings are usually made from different kinds of winter squash than the ones used for jack-o’-lanterns.
So as we can see pumpkins are very versatile in their uses for cooking. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, the leaves, and even the flowers. Pumpkin purée is sometimes prepared and frozen for later use. When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, steamed, or roasted. In its native North America, pumpkins are a very important, traditional part of the autumn harvest, eaten mashed and making its way into soups and purées. Often, it is made into pumpkin pie, various kinds of which are a traditional staple of the Canadian and American Thanksgiving holidays. In Canada, Mexico, the United States, Europe and China, the seeds are often roasted and eaten as a snack.
Pumpkins that are still small and green may be eaten in the same way as summer squash or zucchini. In the Middle East, pumpkin is used for sweet dishes; a well-known sweet delicacy is called halawa yaqtin. In the Indian subcontinent, pumpkin is cooked with butter, sugar, and spices in a dish called kadu ka halwa. Pumpkin is used to make sambar in Udupi cuisine. In China and Korea, the leaves of the pumpkin plant are consumed as a cooked vegetable or in soups. In Australia and New Zealand pumpkin is often roasted in conjunction with other vegetables. In Japan, I lived in Hokkaido, where small pumpkins are served in savory dishes, including tempura. In Myanmar, pumpkins are used in both cooking and desserts (candied). The seeds are a popular sunflower seed substitute. In Thailand, small pumpkins are steamed with custard inside and served as a dessert. In Vietnam, pumpkins are commonly cooked in soups with pork or shrimp. In Italy, it can be used with cheeses as a savory stuffing for ravioly. Also, pumpkin can be used to flavor both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
In the southwestern United States and Mexico, pumpkin and squash flowers are a popular and widely available food item. They may be used to garnish dishes, and they may be dredged in a batter then fried in oil. Pumpkin leaves are a popular vegetable in the Western and central regions of Kenya; they are called seveve, and are an ingredient of mukimo, respectively, whereas the pumpkin itself is usually boiled or steamed. The seeds are popular with children who roast them on a pan before eating them. Pumpkin leaves are also eaten in Zambia, where they are called chibwabwa and are boiled and cooked with groundnut paste as a side dish. Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are edible and nutrient-rich
Traditionally Britain and Ireland would carve lanterns from vegetables, particularly the turnip, mangelwurzel, or swede, they continue to be popular choices today as carved lanterns in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The practice of carving pumpkins for Halloween originated from an Irish myth about a man named “Stingy Jack”. The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween, but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which are both readily available and much larger – making them easier to carve than turnips. Not until 1837, does jack-o’-lantern appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern, and the carved pumpkin lantern association with Halloween is recorded in 1866. In the United States, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween. In 1900, an article on Thanksgiving entertaining recommended a lit jack-o’-lantern as part of the festivities that encourage kids and families to join together to make their own jack-o’-lanterns.
Association of pumpkins with harvest time and pumpkin pie at Canadian and American Thanksgiving reinforce its iconic role. Starbucks turned this association into marketing with its pumpkin spice latte, introduced in 2003. This has led to a notable trend in pumpkin and spice flavored food products in North America. This is despite the fact that North Americans rarely buy whole pumpkins to eat other than when carving jack-o’-lanterns. Illinois farmer Sarah Frey is called “the Pumpkin Queen of America” and sells around five million pumpkins annually, predominantly for use as lanterns!
Growers of giant pumpkins often compete to see whose pumpkins are the most massive. Festivals are often dedicated to the pumpkin and these competitions. I participated in one in Ludwigsburg/Germany two years ago. It was a mega event! Pumpkins everywhere. The record for the world’s heaviest pumpkin was, 1,190.5 kg (2,624.6 lb), and was established in Belgium in 2016.
In the United States, the town of Half Moon Bay California, holds an annual Art and Pumpkin Festival, including the World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off.
spajzgirl 