A Polish Themed Christmas Buffet Revisited

People from Poland have two very distinct ways of celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Rick  and Elaine combined the two at  an open house where one side of the table featured Christmas Eve dishes and the other side featured dishes from Christmas Day.  The Poles love to have fish, but Rick and his friends aren't big on this food, so the meal contains no fish.

Oplatki  (O-pwaht-kee) are thin wafers that have four beautiful Christmas images stamped into them. The images include the Nativity, the Star of Bethlehem, or the Holy Family. Break off a piece of the wafer and do a blessing. This blessing can simply consist of what you desire for your loved ones in the upcoming year - whether it be good health, success, or happiness. The purpose of this act is primarily to express unconditional love and forgiveness for each member of the family.

The Front Side of the Table--The front side represents Christmas Eve in Poland. No meat is served.

Deviled eggs

Borscht

Instead of being the chunky  style of beet soup that is found in other Eastern European nations, Polish Borscht consists of nothing more than rich vegetable broth and a few cut up beets.  The broth consists of leeks, carrots, celery, beets, parsley and dill.

Bigos

Bigos is the national dish of Poland and is made with sauerkraut, cabbage mushrooms and a mixture of Polish sausage, spareribs, fried pork, cooked ham and pork hocks.  The only time bigos is served without meat is on Christmas Eve.

  Pierogies (Potato and cheese)
and Cherry

Red Cabbage Salad

This delicious salad is made from apples, red cabbage, lemon,  sugar, and garnished with fresh parsley and hard boiled eggs.

The Back Side of the Table--The back side represents Christmas Day in Poland.·     

·    

Cabbage Rolls

The cabbage leaves are stuffed with ground pork, ground beef and rice. They are covered with a tomato and beef broth sauce.   

Ham

It's hard to believe, but there are some 

guests who don't like Polish food. So, 
in keeping with the Polish tradition of 

serving meat on Christmas day, we

 have added ham to the menu along 

with bread rolls, lettuce, tomatoes

 and cheese for those 

sandwich lovers.

Dessert

Poppy Seed Rolls

Polish Nut Rolls

We started at six in the evening  and ate and drank until ten o'clock. What

 a wonderful way to end Christmas Day.

The Christmas Mexican Themed Buffet Revisited

On Christmas Day Rick Podowski invites his friends and relatives to an evening buffet with a theme that reflects one of the cultures of the members of The Hefty Trio.  Over the past three years he has presented buffets with Irish, Italian and Polish themes. So in honor of Leti the theme this year is Mexican.

Since San Jose, California is a mecca for good Mexican food, Rick decided to make this an easy feast by purchasing many of the products.

All events start with lots of libation. He picked some Pinots, a couple of Cabs and some nice Chardonnays. Since the theme is Mexican, he created a margarita bar and of course salsa and chips help people to get started.

Rick went to the farmer's market and purchased the traditional Mexican Christmas dish--tamales.  However, there is a twist. In Oaxaca, a southern Mexican state, they spread the masa on banana leaves and cover  the chicken with mole (chocolate with twenty-seven spices).  For those who want to create their own burrito, the tortillas have been wormed in the steam tray.

Rick purchased pulled chicken from the grocery store and all he needed to do was to heat it in the microwave. He also purchased beef for fajitas and heated the strips in a pan.

Guests have their choice of accompaniments--sour cream, green onions, guacamole, cheese and a salsa.

Refried beans and rice round out the meal. Rick bought the rice from the store and the beans were from a can.

So that you don't think that Rick is totally lazy, he made the bread pudding. the flan and even though it's not Mexican, he added a little Polish Nut Strudel.  

Felice Navidad

Be sure to read the five books in The Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio Series.

Irish Apple Maple Pork Chops with a Burrell School Zinfandel/Syrah Blend

The Irish whiskey combined with the sweetness of the maple syrup and the apples encapsulates the flavors of Ireland. A fruity Zinfandel blend goes well with this dish. The recipe first appeared on this blog in October of 2013.

Serves 4

The recipe can be found in The Winning Certificate where Sylvia Medina, a student at Central High joins a teenage gang after her adopted mother's death and is trapped in a life style of violence and hopelessness. Can the school's Literary Club and an image on the computer of her birth mother provide the hope necessary for Sylvia to survive?

Antonio Medina, after his wife's death from cancer tries everything to get Sylvia back on track. However, nothing helps until Rick Podowski and Leti Rios, advisors to the high school Literary Club, get Sylvia involved. Sylvia reluctantly shares some of her poems. Then, as Sylvia becomes more committed, she begins to change and becomes in touch with her feelings.


As Sylvia develops her ties to the Literary Club, she gets more intrigued by the picture of her birth mother and tries to find her. She learns that her mother lives in New York and when members of the Literary Club go to Columbia University to attend a conference and receive an award for their magazine, Sylvia goes along. Instead of going to the conference, she visits her mother.


She finds out that her mother married a very rich man, and she has two stepsons. The stepfather is dead, and the two sons along with her lawyer are trying to get her farm and include it as part of a land trust being used as a means to launder money for the mob. Murder, kidnapping, money laundering, and mob activities are included in this novel. 

Irish Apple Maple Pork Chops

4  6 ounces boneless pork loin chops*

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup good Irish Whiskey or Bourbon

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 apple, washed, peeled, cored and chopped

1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme

Salt and  Pepper to taste

* Since there are only two of us we cooked three instead of four chops.

Cook pork chops in a heavy skillet about 10 - 12 minutes on medium heat. Do not over cook the chops. Remove & keep warm. Add oil, garlic, and bourbon to the skillet. Cover and cook over high heat 1 minute. 

Add the chicken broth, maple syrup, apple, salt & pepper cooking until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the thyme and  cook 1 minute. Serve sauce over the chops.

Burrell School Vineyards And  Winery                                                       

In 1854, Lyman J. Burrell planted the first grapes in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the winery property and in the 1860's the family donated an acre of land to build a school. Little is know about the original school, which burned in a forest fire in 1889. In 1890 a new school was built that served as a K-8 school through 1954. Currently it serves as the residence of the owners.

The building was abandoned, and the Moultons, Dave, a hardware engineer and his wife Anne, a teacher began to restore the schoolhouse in 1973.

The winery, which occupies the old carriage house, was bonded in 1994. Initial plantings were to Chardonnay and Merlot, with Pinot Noir added in 2002. They also planted Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

Barrel selection is tailored to each varietal. Long, slow aging from 12 to 18 months in French or American oak barrels produces a superior wine. Bottling follows, with an additional six to twelve months of aging before any wines are released.

 In the 2009 Santa Cruz Mountains Commercial Wines Competition Burrell School won silver medals for its Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

Rick's Favorite: Italian Eggplant Involtini

This blog has published 36 of the 37 recipes found in the Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio series.  It's now time to go look at one of Rick's favorites. Italian Eggplant Involtini contains thin spaghetti and ricotta cheese rolled inside of a grilled eggplant slice topped with marinara sauce and smoked mozzarella cheese. A glass of Odonata Malbec is the perfect accompaniment for this dish.

   

Italian Eggplant Involtini 

2 eggplants (1 pound each)

olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups of marinara sauce

1/2 pound of thin spaghetti

20 fresh basil leaves, chopped

8 ounces ricotta cheese

1/2 pound of smoked mozzarella cheese

Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 3/8-inch thick slices. You should get 8 slices from each eggplant. Brush some olive oil on the eggplant slices and place under the broiler for 4-5 minutes per side.

Bring the water for the pasta to a boil, add salt to taste, and cook the pasta until al dente. When the pasta is ready, drain, and toss with half of the tomato sauce and half of chopped basil, stirring until the pasta is well coated. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Coat the bottom of a baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Put a slice of the cooked eggplant on a plate. Place a few strands of spaghetti on top of the eggplant slice; the strands should drape over the slice on both sides.Add some ricotta cheese over the pasta and roll the eggplant slice around the pasta and cheese. Place the roll in the baking dish.

  

When all the rolls are in the baking dish pour a little of the sauce over them and sprinkle the remaining basil on top. Place a slice of smoked mozzarella on top of each roll. Dot the top of each roll with a little more sauce. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese melts.
Serves 8

This recipe can be found in Death of a Foster Child which explores the guilt felt when the foster placement of a teenage girl in the home of Rick Podowski and his wife failed. To complicate matters, the foster child was brutally murdered and the authorities believe she was selling drugs on the school campus and by implication asserted that the foster parents allowed this behavior. Rick Podowski with the help of Leti Ramos, Erin McGinty and Teresa Spinelli, also know as The Hefty Trio investigate to learn the truth.

     In the process of investigating, they discover the world of drug sales on the high school campus, the underlying challenges facing students in a gang infested school, as well as the difficulties faced by special education students. The reader will experience the frustrations of foster parents when faced with a system that is designed to keep the children dependent. Suggestions to improve foster care and move the children towards independence are provided at the end of the book. 

Odonata Wines

     Odonata the name selected for this new winery is an order of insects, which includes not only dragonflies and damselflies but also nearly 6,000 other species.

     Denis Hoey, the youngest winery owner and winemaker in the Santa Cruz Mountains, graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Business Management in 2004. Soon after that, he met Jeff Emery, owner and winemaker at Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard. Their relationship quickly turned into an Old World apprenticeship for Denis, who is currently the production manager for SCMV. This experience has been the foundation of Denis' education in the art of wine making.

     Denis made his first wine from the 2005 harvest, and has built his limited production Odonata Wines to 1,000 cases per year, blending old world methods with new world technique to produce nouveau-style wines that include Chardonnay, Grenache, Malbec, and Syrah. His second label, Damselfly Cellars produces Petit Syrah, Sangiovese and Rose.

Polish Fish Bigos

The definition of ecstasy is sitting down to a plate filled with Polish Fish Bigos, pierogi, garden tomatoes covered with olive oil and balsamic vinegar accompanied by a nice glass of red wine.  

This recipe comes from  the Bigos Bar website first developed by Mike Oborski, the honorary counsel of the Republic of Poland in Kidderminister, England. The national dish of Poland is bigos and this is one of many variations. Rick likes this dish with a glass of full flavored Martin Ranch Grenache.

You can read about Rick Podowski's reaction to this dish in The Winning Certificate

Serves 4 to 6

1 ounce dried mushrooms

1 1/2 pounds of fresh fish (cod, halibut, haddock) cut into 1 inch thick steaks, skinned and boned

2 cups boiling water

1 1/2 lbs cabbage shredded

1 lb fresh sauerkraut

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

Place the mushrooms in a small mixing bowl, cover with boiling water, and let them soak at room temperature for about 1 hour, until they are soft. Drain them in a sieve set over a mixing bowl, and set the mushrooms and liquid aside separately. 

Drain the sauerkraut, wash it under cold running water, and let soak in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes, depending upon its acidity. Squeeze the sauerkraut, a handful at a time until it is dry. Set aside in a bowl.

In a 2 1/2 to 3-quart enameled or stainless steel casserole, heat the oil over moderate heat. Stir in the onions and, stirring constantly, cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent. 

Stir in the salt, pepper, marjoram, cabbage, paprika, mushrooms, 1/2 cup of the mushroom liquid and the sauerkraut. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the casserole, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

 Add the fish chunks and the remaining mushroom liquid, and toss the ingredients together lightly. Re-cover the casserole and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the fish feels firm when prodded with a finger. 

Serve the bigos directly from the casserole or from a heated tureen.

Martin Ranch Winery

Dan Martin is a fifth generation Californian whose ancestors came to Monterey in the 1850's to take part in the gold rush, instead of which they became ranchers in the Monterey Bay area.

Dan studied agricultural education, and spent the next twenty-two years in produce distribution and groceries. For seven years he owned three small groceries, but in 1989 the Loma Prieta earthquake did so much damage to one of his stores that he decided to close all three and go into the wine business. Along with Therèse his wife and business partner, he purchased seventeen acres and started the vineyard in 1992. In 2002, they had their first commercial crush of 625 cases and by 2004, they had increased production to 3500 cases.

At the 2009 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition, the J.D. Hurley 2009 Sauvignon Blanc won a Gold medal. The 2005 Estate Cabernet, the 2006 Dos Rios Cabernet, the 2006 Santa Clara Valley Syrah, the 2007 Lester Family Vineyards Syrah, and 2008 Malbec all won silver medals.

Visitors to the winery are invited to pick vegetables from the garden.

Irish Beef Stew-- A Comfort Food For Long And Cold Nights

We have set our clocks back and with the longer hours of darkness in the evening and colder temperatures we turn to comfort foods.  There is nothing better than an Irish Beef Stew served over a plate of steaming hot noodles with a glass of Hunter Hill Zinfandel. 

This recipe can be found in The Fishy Chips,  the second novel of the Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio amateur detective series. 

Loyalty and betrayal quickly become conflicts in The Fishy Chips, set in the Silicon Valley of California where many of the titans of the computer world have research and development operations and manufacturing facilities. Educators, under the control of Chinese agents are using students from the Mission Community College’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Program to obtain a top-secret computer chip being manufactured by Intel for use in the United States Military's anti--ballistic missile system. Rick has to reconcile his loyalty to his students with loyalty to his country as he works with his friend from the FBI to recover the stolen component. Also telling the story is George Yuan, a nineteen-year-old alienated Chinese-American. Through the help of a beautiful female spy, George discovers his love and loyalty to China. He agrees to help steal the computer chip. In the process of recovering the stolen computer chip, the FBI captures the members of the spying ring, and two others are murdered. Irish Beef Stew Accompanied by Hunter Hill Zinfandel                      Rick likes the Hunter Hill Zinfandel which provides a spicy contrast to the heavy flavor of the broth.  Some people like to serve this stew with Colcannon, Rick likes it with noodles.

Beef, onions, garlic and carrots

Serves 6

2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons of butter
4 teaspoons all purpose flour1 clove garlic, crushed4 large carrots, peeled, sliced2 cups pearl onions2 tablespoons of tomato paste3/4 cup canned beef broth
1 can of stout or dark ale

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper and coat it with the flour.  Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over high heat.  Add the beef and sauté until it is brown on all sides about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic, carrots, and onions to skillet and cook for one minute. Add broth, tomato paste and stout. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours until beef and carrots are tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare noodles as per the directions on the package. Pour the beef stew over the noodles and serve.

Hunter Hill Vineyard And Winery

The Hunter Hill Vineyard and Winery is located in Soquel on the old Manildi farm that in the late 1800s raised apples, stone fruits, and grapes. Wine was made for home consumption. Christine, a granddaughter of the Manildis married Vann Slatter and they returned to the farm to raise their own children. In 1992, Christine and Vann decided to replace the old apple trees with Merlot grapes and they started to experiment with making wine. By 1998 the winery moved from the basement of the house to a new facility and Hunter Hill was bonded. The six-acre property now produces ten to eighteen tons of Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah grapes each year. They produce about 2400 cases of wine per year. Hunter Hill was named after the Slatter’s Chesapeake Bay retriever, Hunter, who died several years ago. Her muzzle still graces the Hunter Hill label and business cards. The family also is in the construction business, having owned Santa Cruz-based Slatter Construction since 1985. They were responsible for rebuilding much of downtown Santa Cruz after the earthquake in 1989.