Ukraine christmas iii

1 servings

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Modern Adaptation of Sviata Vechera (Christmas Eve) The modern adaption of Sviata Vechera is faithful to some of the old traditions discussed above. The house is cleaned, the table set with the best china and candles. One candle and one dish of kutia are placed in the window in memory of the souls of ancestors -- or more recently, in memory of the Ukrainian soldiers who fought in the war for the Ukraine's independence in 1918. An extra place is set for the unexpected guest. The table is covered by an embroidered linen cloth. A large kolach with Christmas greenery (instead of the traditional straw or hay) serves as the centerpiece. A plate with small pieces of kolach and a dish of honey is set at the head of the family's place. In the corner of the room, a Christmas tree decorated with handmade ornaments substitutes for the ancient sheaf of wheat (didukh). The same basic dishes are prepared and served in traditional order. Dietary restrictions have been somewhat modified by the church, and many cooks cheat a little by including ingredients that were formerly banned. These include eggs, butter, and cheeses, which are used primarily in the preparation of kolach, pampushky, and fillings for varenyky. It is very proper for families to develop personal adaptions of the basic Sviata Vechera menu. Some families dote on fried fish or marinated herring (a perennial favorite). Some prefer the fancy fish quennelles. Some serve two or three fish courses. Individual interpretations of borsch are also common. Usually, the borsch served is a full bodied but meatless "Ukrainian" borsch, which includes all the vegetables and is thickened with zaprazhka (roux). Some families serve just a clear bouillon of beet broth, kvas, and stock with vushka (Dumplings) floating on top. The target number of dishes is twelve, in honor of the apostles, or the magic numbers of nine or seven if one is superstitious. The traditional menu adapted usually includes braided bread (kolach) with honey, beet soup or broth (borsch) and dumplings (vushka) with mushroom filling, fish in aspic, or in any other style, stuffed cabbage leaves (holubtsi) with mushroom sauce, dumplings (varenyky) filled with mashed potatoes and sauted onions, dumplings filled with cabbage and sauerkraut, compote of dried fruit (uzvar), flummery (kutia) of wheat kernels with honey, poppy seeds, etc., tea with lemon, yeast raised doughnuts (pampushky) with rose preserves.

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