IMMIGRANT RECIPES FROM MY GRANDMOTHER
1 lb pork spare ribs
1 can (14.5 oz) canned diced tomatoes
1 small can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans
1 small head cabbage, shredded
1 onion chopped
2 potatoes cooked and coarsely mashed in their water
1 tsp each salt, pepper, garlic salt or to taste
2 quarts water
Place ribs in a large pot with 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil and skim off frothy protein..
Add salt, pepper (fresh ground best), tomatoes, garlic salt and onion. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1+1/2 to 2 hours
Add potato mixture to soup mixture. Add sauerkraut and cabbage to soup and cook until cabbage is done.
Make a thickening (zaprashka) of 1 TBL flour and 1 TBL oil. Brown and add to the cabbage soup.
½ lb fresh yellow wax beans cut into 1-inch pieces
1 TBL flour
1 small onion chopped
1 egg beaten
1 Cup whole milk or half+ half
salt and white pepper to taste
Cook beans, salt and onion till tender in water to cover. Do not drain. Beans and water will be the base for the soup
In another pot bring milk just to a boil (scalding). Turn heat off and cool while you are cooking beans.
Beat into the milk, the flour and egg mixture.
Carefully add milk mixture to the bean mixture off the heat so as not to curdle.. Soup will thicken.
Correct seasonings
2 lb ground chuck
2 or 3 pork spare ribs
1 medium onion chopped
½ Cup uncooked rice
16 oz tomato sauce or V-8 juice
4 lb cabbage head or 2 x 2lb heads
1 lb canned sauerkraut
salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste
1 egg
RICE: Parboil rice as follows: Mix ½ cup of rice with 2 cups water; bring to a boil then drain.
CABBAGE: Remove torn or dirty outer leaves. Core the cabbage by making deep cuts (4 inches) into the base. Pull out the core and you will see that the leaves separate a little and are detached from the core.
Fill a large cook pot with water to within two inches of the top. Bring to a boil. Float the head of cabbage. As the outer leaves turn green, you can separate the leaves using tongs. Set each leaf aside to drain and continue until all leaves have been separated.
Trim the large central vein of each leaf with a sharp knife to the approximate thickness of the leaf. This will make the leaf easier to roll.
MEAT FILLING: coarsely chop one onion, sauté until transparent; add to the ground chuck; add one egg, salt and pepper to taste; garlic salt to taste; the drained rice and 8 oz of tomato sauce. Mix well. Meat will feel moist.
SAUERKRAUT: drain a 1 lb jar/can by squeezing in your hands. Set aside.
Roll up meat in cabbage leaves. Place about 2 TBL meat mix at the base of the leaf-cup. Roll forward, fold over each side of the leaf and continue rolling forward to the end of the leaf. Place the bundle, seam side down in the pot.
PRESSURE POT: Place a rack in the bottom of the 6 qt pressure pot; add ½ cup water to pot (or the required amount per pot instructions)
Fill the pot with folded cabbage bundles; top with sauerkraut; place any remaining loose cabbage leaves on top. Place pork ribs on top. Cover with 4 oz tomato sauce(or V8 juice)
Cover pressure pot and cook 12-14 minutes and let steam drop on its own.
COOK POT METHOD: Place a wire or metal rack on the bottom of the pot to prevent burning.
Add a layer of cabbage bundles; cover with 1/3 sauerkraut and continue layering
Add 8 oz tomato sauce and 8 oz water; put 2-3 large cabbage leaves on top. Place the pork spare ribs on top.
Place a dinner plate upside down on the leaves. Place a full 10-12 oz glass of water on the plate to weigh it down. Bring to a boil and cook 2 hours.
Serve with additional tomato sauce.
½ Cup shortening (or butter)
1 ½ Cups sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk beaten
2 Cups sifted flour or 2 ¼ Cups sifted cake flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
3/4 Cup buttermilk
1 Cup mashed bananas (about 3, the riper the better)
½ Cup chopped nuts (if desired)
1-tsp vanilla
Grease and flour 9 inch square cake pan
Cream together until fluffy the shortening and sugar
Beat in thoroughly 2 large eggs (1/2 Cup)
Add vanilla
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
mix together mashed bananas, buttermilk
Alternately add flour mix and liquid mix to the sugar mix ending with the flour addition.
Fold in nuts
Bake @ 350 degrees for 40 minutes
½ Cup butter
1 Cup sugar
3 TBLS cocoa powder
1 Cup milk
1-tsp baking soda
2 Cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1-tsp vanilla.
Cream butter and sugar; add cocoa and vanilla and mix well
Combine flour, soda and baking soda
Alternate addition of dry and liquid ingredients to the sugar mixture and mix well
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in layer pans, 55 minutes in tube pan
1 Cup brown sugar
½ Cup white sugar
1 Cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
3 Cups sifted flour
2 Cups chocolate. bits
1 Cup chopped nuts
½ tsp baking soda (3/4 if at high alt.)
4 TBLS hot water
Cream together white and brown sugar, shortening, salt and vanilla
Beat in eggs one at a time
Mix soda and water
Alternate addition of flour and liquid. Start and end with dry.
Mix in nuts and choc. Bits
Bake on greased cookie sheet. Size about 1 TBL dough
Bake @ 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes
5-tsp kosher salt
1 ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
3-tsp ground allspice
3-tsp garlic powder
½ oz ground rosemary
¾ TBL curing salt (optional)
4 lb pork butt, cut into large pieces
1 lb beef chuck, cut into large pieces
1 ¼ lb fresh pork fatback, cut into large pieces
½ Cup cold water
14 feet sausage casings, 1 inch in diameter (No need to turn them. Just rinse them out)
Mix all of the spices in a small jar and shake to mix well.
Grind the meats and the fatback coarsely in a meat grinder or food processor.
Place the mixture in a bowl; add the seasonings and mix thoroughly through the meat.
Mix in the cold water, which will make the meat easier to stuff.
Refrigerate overnight. If using curing salt, the refrigeration allows the meat to cure. If not using curing salt, the refrigeration makes the meat easier to work with.
Makes about 5x 1-lb rings. Tie the ends of each ring with string [Hint: tie a knot in the casing, then using thin kitchen twine tie the string around the knot. Hang rings in a smoker. Most hardware stores sell them. Smoke for two hours.
To prepare a ring of kobasa for serving, simmer about 20 minute in saucepan with a very small amount of water. Continue simmering until water evaporates; deglaze pan with red wine or beef stock or more water to make a sauce.
Slice ring and serve with the sauce.
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