Cabbage Noodles (Halushki)

This is one of my most favorite comfort foods. It's basic - cabbage and noodles - but it takes me back to my childhood when my mum-mum and pap-pap would make this all the time and I'd eat 2 or 3 bowls! Okay - I admit it's presentation is lackluster. Heck, it may even be down right unappetizing to anyone with no experience with Hungarian and Polish foods. Like I said - this is a comfort food and yes, it's an ethnic food as well. Deal with it.

Cabbage Noodles
1 head of cabbage - chopped (core removed)

1 bag of egg noodles

1/2 stick of butter (the real thing!)

1/4 cup of Crisco (vegetable shortening) - it's comfort food, remember!

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt the vegetable shortening and add the chopped cabbage. Sautee on medium heat. Stirring occassionally to keep the cabbage moving and so it doesn't burn on the bottom.

You want the cabbage browned (see below). To be technical, you need to caramelize the cabbage to bring out the sweetness. It will probably take about 35-40 minutes of sauteeing and stirring to get it to this point. Do NOT cover with a lid at any time! You want the water to cook out and caramelize the sugars.

Now you want to boil the noodles. Once they're tender, drain and mix with the cabbage. I like to let it sit on very low heat so that the noodles have time to absorb some of the butter/shortening and the cabbage flavor. Salt and pepper to taste.

Sloppy Joes

Okay, I know...who needs a recipe for sloppy joes, you say. Well, this is *my* recipe. I have converted Manwich lovers with this recipe, so it must be good. I can't take credit, this is actually my mom's recipe...although, I don't think she uses onion. The choice is yours.

1 pound of lean ground beef
1 small onion (finely diced)
3/4 cup of Heinz Chili Sauce (NO SUBSTITUTIONS!)
1/2 cup of Heinz Ketchup (NO SUBSTITUTIONS!)
salt/pepper
olive oil

In a skillet, sautee the onion in about a tabespoon of olive oil until transparent. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Sautee until beef is fully cooked and browned. Turn the heat to low and add the chili sauce and ketchup and mix. Once sauce is mixed and thoroughly warmed, serve on your favorite roll.

Aunt Jennie's Apple Pie

No one made apple pie like my great aunt, Jennie. Most of the time she'd skip making small pies and make trays and trays of apple squares...which was basically apple pie but made on baking sheets and cut into squares. She made pies up until she got very sick and was well into her 80's.

Luckily, her recipe was written down, although, I don't think anyone can amke pies like she could! I used her recipe and was very pleased with the result. The crust was flaky and the apples were tender and sweet with a hint of tartness.

Crust
2 1/2 Cups of flour, sifted
3/4 cup of shortening
5 tablespoons of cold water
1 teaspoon of salt

Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl. With 2 forks, cut in half of the shortening until the shortening is incorporated into the flour and the mixture is "mealy".

Cut in the remaining shortening until the shortening is incorporated and forms small "beans".

Sprinkle the water onto the mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Incorporating the water thouroughly before adding the next tablespoon.

Form the dough into a ball, making sure not to over-handle the dough.

Roll out onto a well-floured surface.

Filling
8-10 apples (I used a mixture of rome, jonagold, golden delicicous, mcintosh, and fuji)
*The apples must be peeled, cored, and sliced very thin.*
The juice of 1 lemon
2/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl.

Assembling the pie:
Line the bottom of a pie plate with the rolled-out dough.
Fill the crust-lined pie plate with the apple mixture.
Dot with 2-3 teaspoons of butter.
Top with remaining pie crust.

Bake approximately 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown and filling is bubbly.

Beef Noodle Soup

This recipe has been in the family for quite some time. I remember having it as a child and it is still one of my favorite soups.

1 2-3 pound beef roast

1 head of cabbage

1 quart of tomato juice (I use homemade)

6 yukon gold potatoes (peeled and quartered)

1 pound of carrots (peeled and cut into thirds)

2 stalks of celery

1 onion (peeled and cut in half)

a small bunch of parsley

salt/pepper

Fill a large stock pot about 2/3 of the way up with water. Place the cabbage, beef roast, tomato juice, celery, onion and parsley in the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 4-6 hours (keep the lid on the pot).

After the stock has cooked, strain it through a sieve, reserving the meat. Place the meat back into the stock. Add the carrots and potatoes. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Serve with extra fine egg noodles.

Pumpkin Rolls - A Family Tradition

Each year, my mom and my aunt make pumpkin rolls. Some are given out as gifts and some are kept for the family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think everyone who tries these asks for the recipe, so here it is!

3 eggs
2/3 Cup of canned pumpkin

1 Cup of granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 tesaspoon of cinnamon

3/4 Cup of flour

1/4 Cup of chopped nuts (we use walnuts)

In a bowl, mix the wet ingredients and then mix in all of the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Turn the cake onto a tea towel sprinkled with powdered sugar and gently peel off the wax paper. Gently roll the cake and tea towel ~ roll longways. Place roll in freezer and allow to cool.

Once the cake is cool, remove it from the towel and place onto a sheet of aluminum foil. Gently unroll and spread filling inside.

Filling Recipe:
1 8oz. Package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1 Cup of Powdered Sugar

2 Tablespoons of Butter

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

Mix well with an electric mixer. Filling should be smooth and creamy.

Once the filling is spread onto the cake, roll the cake back up and wrap in the aluminum foil.

Can be frozen for several months.

Bowls of pumpkin cake batter

Bowls of Cream Cheese Filling

Spreading the cake batter in the pan

Spreading the filling on the cake roll



Rolling up the pumpkin roll