{"id":5008,"date":"2017-12-16T20:57:06","date_gmt":"2017-12-17T02:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/?p=5008"},"modified":"2018-01-06T17:04:14","modified_gmt":"2018-01-06T23:04:14","slug":"setting-the-table-for-kucios","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/setting-the-table-for-kucios\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting the table for K\u016b\u010dios"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cooking Lithuanian<\/em>
\nby Ona Daugirdien\u0117.<\/p>\n

Christmas Eve or K\u016b\u010dios<\/em> is a sacred day. Family members hurry home to be with their loved ones, debts are repaid, neighbors make peace, animals speak at midnight and well water turns to wine. The table for the evening meal is covered with a snowy white cloth and decorated with simple fir branches and candles. Twelve symbol-laden dishes are prepared.<\/p>\n

The start of it all<\/strong>
\nThe recipe for the dish, K\u016b\u010dia<\/em>, has a very old history. It was mentioned in the 1573 Volfenbiutel Postilla, one of the oldest books handwritten in the Lithuanian language. In the days of our pre-Christian forefathers, when the days got shorter and darkness began to dominate, the distance between the living and spirit worlds seemed to narrow. People felt the spirits of ancient ancestors around them. K\u016b\u010dia<\/em>, made from grains and honey-sweetened water was a ritual food made to be shared with the spirits. It was set in a place of honor at the center of the table, to be tasted by every member of the household.<\/p>\n

As Christian traditions took hold, this ancient grain dish not only retained its important place in commemorations, but gave its name to K\u016b\u010dios<\/em>, the supper meal and the day of Christmas Eve. Thanks to LH<\/em> reader Daina Kojelyt\u0117, you can ensure that K\u016b\u010dia<\/em>, the oldest and most important dish of K\u016b\u010dios<\/em>, is on your family\u2019s menu this year.<\/p>\n

from Daina Kojelyt\u0117, Villa Park IL<\/em>
\nSavory K\u016b\u010dia<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

1 cup wheat berries
\n1 medium red onion
\n1 large sweet-tart apple
\n1\/2 cup dried mixed berries, cherries or raisins
\n1\/2 cup walnuts<\/p>\n

Dressing:<\/em>
\n1 tsp. poppy seeds
\n4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
\n2 Tbsp. apple cider or balsamic vinegar
\n1 Tbsp. honey
\n1\/2 tsp. salt ground pepper<\/p>\n

1. Rinse wheat berries, place in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight.<\/p>\n

2. Drain, place in a medium saucepan with 3 cups water and a pinch of salt. Cook until just tender \u2013 about 1 hour. If the grains are tender and water remains, simply drain any excess.<\/p>\n

3. Finely chop the onion. Optional: rinse briefly with hot water to reduce the bite. Your onion may be sweet enough to skip this step.<\/p>\n

4. Dice the apple, chop the walnuts. Place the warm cooked wheat berries in a large bowl and toss with onion, apple, walnuts and dried fruit (if using cherries, cut them in half).<\/p>\n

5. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss to combine. Let stand for several hours or preferably, overnight, to allow flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Medieval herring fisher. (1555)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most versatile fish in the world<\/strong>
\nNo one has to sing the praises of herring to a Lithuanian. We know how good it is. It can be eaten hot or cold, fried, smoked, salted or marinated, alone or in a complex dish. And during K\u016b\u010dios<\/em>, it is definitely king, creatively combined into a staggering variety of dishes.<\/p>\n

The following recipe from \u017divil\u0117 Vaitkien\u0117 is a classic. It was very popular in pre-war Kaunas, so when you make it today, you are continuing a delicious tradition.<\/p>\n

from \u017divil\u0117 Vaitkien\u0117, Seven Hills OH
\n Kapota silk\u0117 (chopped herring)<\/strong><\/p>\n

fillets of 2 nice-sized herrings
\n1 tart apple
\n1 onion
\n3 hard-boiled eggs
\n2\u20133 pieces white bread
\nscallions, chopped<\/p>\n

Dressing:<\/em>
\n4 Tbsp. olive oil
\n2 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice
\n\u00bc tsp. sugar<\/p>\n

1. Finely chop herring and peeled apple. Dice onion and cook until softened. Cool.<\/p>\n

2. Chop 2 eggs. Chop the yolk and white of the remaining egg separately and reserve for garnish.<\/p>\n

3. Remove crusts from bread, soak in water. Squeeze out liquid.<\/p>\n

4. Make dressing: whisk oil, vinegar and sugar.<\/p>\n

5. Combine herring, apple, onion and bread and mix well. Then add the 2 chopped eggs along with the dressing, and toss gently.<\/p>\n

6. On a shallow serving plate, form the herring mass into a fish shape and decorate with scallions and reserved chopped egg.<\/p>\n

Note: The final presentation can be brought to perfection with the addition of thinly sliced radish and cucumber \u201cscales.\u201d Do it. Every family needs a high achiever.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
The making of kisielius<\/em>. From the 15th century illuminated manuscript \u201cRadvila Chronicles.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s not K\u016b\u010dios<\/em> without kisielius<\/em><\/strong>
\nThe name kisielius<\/em> is derived from the Slavic word for \u201csour.\u201d Kisielius<\/em> is a very old food, first mentioned in the old East Slavic \u201cPrimary Chronicle,\u201d describing how it saved a 10th century Rus\u2019 city, besieged by nomadic Turkic tribes, from starvation. It can be made from grains (most commonly, oats), peas or lentils into a slightly fermented porridge, or into a viscous fruit dish. The latter is what most of us are familiar with today.<\/p>\n

Fruit kisielius<\/em> is very popular in many northern European and Slavic countries and can be made from strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, cherries, red currants, rhubarb or bilberries. But for Lithuanians during K\u016b\u010dios<\/em>, tradition rules: the crowning glory at the end of Christmas Eve dinner is always cranberry or spanguoli\u0173 kisielius<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Shortcuts for making kisielius<\/em> abound \u2013 from simply thickening bottled cranberry juice cocktail to using packages of artificially flavored powder (there should be a law against this…). Gintaras Deikis\u2019 wife learned to prepare all of the traditional K\u016b\u010dios<\/em> dishes from his mother and makes kisielius<\/em> the proper way. It\u2019s delicious!<\/p>\n

from Gintaras Deikis, Chelsea MI<\/em>
\nSpanguoli\u0173<\/em> kisielius<\/em> (cranberry pudding)<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
\n1 lemon for zesting
\n1 orange for zesting
\n1 \u00bc cups sugar
\n3 Tbsp. cornstarch<\/p>\n

1. Wash cranberries and place in strips of zest from 1 lemon and 1 orange. Simmer 20\u201325 minutes until berries have popped.<\/p>\n

2. Over a bowl, using a metal spoon press and scrape berries through a sieve. Make sure to scrape through as much pulp as you can. Occasionally pour in a bit of cooking water to rinse the pulp through the sieve.<\/p>\n

3. Return the cranberry pulp to the cooking liquid. Add sugar and bring to a boil.<\/p>\n

4. Meanwhile, mix 3 Tbsp. cornstarch with \u00bc cup cold water. Add \u00bd cup of hot berry liquid to temper and stir quickly. Then pour the starch mixture into the simmering berry liquid, stirring vigorously to prevent lumping. Cook briefly until thickened.<\/p>\n

5. Put into glass bowl or serving dishes and chill. May be served alone or with a splash of cream.<\/p>\n

Scandal can be a good thing<\/strong>
\nWhen I married into the Daugirdas family, I stepped onto a learning curve. Daugirdai did a lot of things differently from my family. I vividly remember my first K\u016b\u010dios<\/em> with the new relatives, because I ended up being scandalized not once, but twice. At home we limited ourselves to a modest glass of wine during K\u016b\u010dios<\/em>, whereas my father-in-law came to the table toting a well-sampled bottle of vodka (are Catholics even allowed to drink that during K\u016b\u010dios<\/em>?). My mother always served dishes made with the humble silk\u0117<\/em> (herring), but my mother-in-law brought out (gasp!) a bowl of…How-is-that-even-Lithuanian?- shrimp salad! I was aghast.<\/p>\n

However, my scepticism about these new additions to the K\u016b\u010dios<\/em> menu quickly abated. I realized that even wine during Christmas Eve supper was probably a modern introduction, and the only reason Lithuanians didn\u2019t eat shrimp in centuries past is because there weren\u2019t any in the Baltic Sea. Today, whether K\u016b\u010dios<\/em> is celebrated with my husband\u2019s family or with my traditionalist Kliorys clan, everyone wants to know one thing: \u201cWho\u2019s bringing Halina\u2019s shrimp salad this year?\u201d<\/p>\n

from Halina Daugirdien\u0117, Wilmette IL
\n<\/em>Halina\u2019s shrimp salad<\/strong><\/p>\n

1\u00bd lbs. shrimp, cooked
\n4\u20135 hard-boiled eggs
\n4 stalks celery
\n1 small onion<\/p>\n

Dressing:<\/em>
\n\u00bd\u2013\u00be cup mayonnaise
\n\u00bd\u20131 lemon, juiced
\nsalt, horseradish, pickle juice, as needed<\/p>\n

1. Defrost shrimp if frozen. Using paper towels, dry the shrimp well. Excess moisture will result in a watery salad.<\/p>\n

2. Finely chop shrimp and eggs. Mince celery and onion.<\/p>\n

3. Blend mayonnaise and lemon juice. Adjust amount to your liking.<\/p>\n

4. Combine all ingredients and dressing in a large bowl. Mix, check seasoning.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/em> Unfortunately, today\u2019s farmed shrimp tends to be bland. If possible, look for wild or Gulf shrimp \u2013 they have much better flavor. But if these are not available, increase savoriness with salt, horseradish and pickle juice, to taste.<\/p>\n

Post scriptum:<\/em> If you are keeping the K\u016b\u010dios<\/em> tradition of no dairy, no meat, you have nothing to fear from mayonnaise \u2013 it\u2019s made from oil and egg yolks.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Harvesting beets. From \u201cTacuinum of Rouen,\u201d a 15th century illuminated medical manuscript based on Arabic texts translated into Latin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beets \u2013 a ruby jewel for the table
\n<\/strong>Lithuanians love their beets. In days gone by, this beautiful and vitamin- loaded vegetable was harvested in the fall and stored over the lean winter months for use in soups and sides. So it\u2019s not surprising that beet dishes have a prominent place on the K\u016b\u010dios<\/em> table. Traditionally, a vegetarian beet soup (bar\u0161\u010diai) is served, along with as many beet dishes (in combination with herring, grains, potatoes and other vegetables) as the creative cook can devise.<\/p>\n

We have chosen a recipe that uses the very traditional beets and baravykai, but updates the flavors with fresh and dried fruit, and earthy, nutty lentils (called l\u0119\u0161iai<\/em> in Lith.).<\/p>\n

Beets with lentils and fruit<\/strong><\/p>\n

4 beets, roasted or boiled
\n1 onion
\nDried baravykai (boletus mushrooms), handful
\nDried pears, several
\n\u00bc cup golden raisins
\n1 tart apple
\n\u00bd cup walnuts
\nsalt and pepper
\nolive oil, lemon juice<\/p>\n

For the lentils:<\/em>
\n\u00be cup green French lentils
\n1 sprig thyme
\n1 stalk celery
\n\u00bd onion
\nbay leaf, peppercorns<\/p>\n

1. For best flavor, roast the beets: Oil lightly, wrap in aluminum foil and bake in a 375\u00ba oven for 45\u201360 min. If you opt for boiling, cook until slightly al dente. Cool and peel.<\/p>\n

2. Soften dried baravykai (mushrooms) in a bowl with boiling water. If the pears are very dry or hard, soften them, also.<\/p>\n

3. Cook lentils in 2 cups water, with celery, \u00bd onion, bay leaf and peppercorns. Simmer uncovered until lentils are just tender, approx. 15\u2013 18 min, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to overcook! Remove seasonings. Strain lentils well. Cool.<\/p>\n

4. Dice the onion and cook in olive oil until softened, but not browned. Chop the softened mushrooms and fruit to a fine dice. Add to onions along with walnuts and cook everything briefly. Cool.<\/p>\n

5. Cut beets into delicate-sized cubes. Finely dice fresh apple.<\/p>\n

6. In a large bowl combine beets, apples, lentils, and everything from the frying pan. Drizzle some olive oil, give several good squeezes of lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temp.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/em> All lentils are not equal \u2013 most will get mushy and fall apart. Make sure you buy French lentils for this recipe (and no, you don\u2019t have to go to France \u2013 they are readily available). They are darkish green before cooking, slightly brownish after cooking. These lentils will stay intact and have an especially delicious flavor.<\/p>\n

P.S.<\/em> Any favorite home-made vinaigrette dressing will be delicious on the salad as well.<\/p>\n

Thank You! A\u010di\u016b!<\/em><\/strong>
\nThank you to our cooking column contributors:<\/p>\n

Daina Kojelyt\u0117
\n\u017divil\u0117 Vaitkien\u0117
\nGintaras Deikis
\nHalina Daugirdien\u0117<\/p>\n

In appreciation, you will receive a certificate for one year’s subscription to Draugas News\/Lithuanian Heritage. A\u010di\u016b labai!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cooking Lithuanian by Ona Daugirdien\u0117. Christmas Eve or K\u016b\u010dios is a sacred day. Family members hurry home to be with their loved ones, debts are repaid, neighbors make peace, animals speak at midnight and well water turns to wine. The table for the evening meal is covered with a snowy white cloth and decorated with …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5006,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-food-cooking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5008"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5019,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5008\/revisions\/5019"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}