Wigilia

I've taken a few liberties with this traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper. First would be the date: I was all set to do this two days ago, but our neighbor invited us to an Italian Christmas Eve supper, and who am I to turn down cioppino?

I put everything on hold til today, which worked out just fine. Starting on the right is a serving of barley and prunes with lots of butter, which is best described as a kind of pudding; my mother prepared this for the big family dinner every year, but I can't find any reference to it in Polish cookbooks or accounts of a typical meal. Then we have sauerkraut and wild mushrooms; my concession here is using shitakes instead of whatever delicious variety my grandfather used to find in the woods between his house and the pond. We've added a few slices of kielbasa (Polish sausage), which was a big no-no for the meatless meal I grew up with. A slice of rye bread, emphatically not the chewy satisfying loaf I was weaned on, but good enough to awaken some taste buds. And then the centerpiece, for me anyway: pierogi. We always had them filled with sauteed cabbage and onion, and sometimes my aunt would make apple, or blueberry. Tonight Mr S helped roll out the dough, we cut little circles, plopped down some filling, pinched them shut and plunged them into boiling water. You know, they came out pretty darn good! and not one burst seam to ruin the pot!

We are missing my uncle's big bass voice singing Christmas carols, all the aunts and uncles around the table and the scattering of kids underfoot, but I can see it all so clearly, all of it triggered by this meal. It's not something I readily share because people think these foods are kind of peculiar, but Mr S is a good sport and enjoys our little celebration. And to all of you Polish folks out there: a belated Weso?ego Bo?ego Narodzenia.