The Everlasting Opekance Tradition

This is the first Christmas that Joe and I will share together!  In the past, we would split ways to travel home to our families, only to phone each other during rare downtime between football and Christmas roast. I always loved discussing the similarities and differences between the traditions our two families honor for this special holiday.  For instance, my family opens gifts on Christmas day, where as his family opens gifts on Christmas Eve; my family decorates and displays an evergreen tree weeks before Christmas, whereas his family enjoys their tree for the first time on Christmas Eve; my family enjoys typical American comfort foods, while his family enjoys wonderful Slovakian dishes and sweets.  As one can imagine, this year marks the first year of a new family tradition.  A Christmas celebration that joins two sets of traditions!  Our plans are this:

Christmas Eve: Have a quiet celebration, just the two of us, in Denver. This includes attending Christmas Mass at 6:00 PM, followed by a simple seafood chowder (my family's tradition) and gift unwrapping (his family's tradition). 

Christmas Day: Navigate the holiday crowds at the airport to fly into Minneapolis to meet my family around 10:00 AM, where more gift exchanging and feasting will occur.  Our time in the Upper Midwest will conclude after we drive to Necedah, Wisconsin to have second celebration with Joe's family!

I left out one very special tradition, however.  This tradition has been passed down from Joe's father's family for generations:  Opekance, otherwise known as Slovakian Poppy Seed Dumplings.  Joe's mother, Zela, adopted this tradition as a means of joining her new husband's Christmas traditions with her own.  Now I am doing the same! These special dumplings are prepared to accompany Christmas Eve dinner, which is typically fried fish and potato salad.  Joe has always spoken of these dumplings with great enthusiasm. Now, I am so grateful to be able to keep such a special tradition alive for years to come. 

Serve with a glass of milk or plum brandy!

Opekance (Slovakian Poppy Seed Dumplings)
Compliments of Zela Lazar (Joe's mother)
Serves 8


Leaven:

50 ml water, warm

2 Tbsp. yeast

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Dough:

4 cups (500 g) flour

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

150 ml milk

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Sweet Syrup:
2 cups water
3 Tbsp. honey
1 teaspoon butter
1 can (12.5 ounces) poppy seed pie/pastry filling


First prepare classic yeast bread dough by combining all of the ingredients under "leaven" to make prepare the yeast. Set aside for about 5 minutes to check to make sure that the yeast is alive (foam should form).  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together  the salt, sugar, eggs, lukewarm milk and butter. Then mix in the leaven, and finally begin adding the flour until a soft dough is formed. Knead for 3 minutes and then flip into a slightly greased bowl, cover in a warm place and allow to rise about 1 hour (or until dough has doubled in size).  Divide into 3 in balls, and roll into logs as long as your baking sheet (about 15 inches long and 1 inch wide). Place logs onto greased baking sheet and allow to rise for about 20 minutes. Cut logs with a knife into 1-inch dumplings (without cutting them completely through!) and bake 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Let cool, then break the logs into individual dumplings. Allow to dry out for a few days (see note below), then place into a large bowl. See pictures below for details.

Prepare the sweet syrup by bringing the water to a boil and then adding the honey and butter. Pour this hot syrup over the dumplings and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the canned poppy seed filling and slightly mix everything together. If the dumplings are still too hard, add more water to it. Serve immediately!

Note: Prepare the bread 5-7 days before Christmas Eve. This will allow the bread to dry out a bit so that they won't be too mushy after adding the sweet syrup.  That way, when it comes time to serve, simply prepare the sweet sauce and combine!

Dry dough dumplings soaked with simple syrup and
topped off with the special ingredient...
sweet poppy seeds!

Glorified French Toast

I recently experienced one of those "Hollywood mornings." You know when you sit up from your slumber with unusually voluminous hair, glowing skin, and you're wearing a smile instead of cursing your alarm clock?  I recognize how rare such occasions are and tried my best to preserve this enthusiasm as long as possible. After starting some coffee, I decided to have myself a sort of movie star breakfast. Or rather, something that celebrities might eat in an actual movie!  I call it, Glorified French Toast!  

Homemade whole-wheat banana bread makes
for a great option for Glorified French Toast.

This recipe is fancy but so simple. The only real messes come from making your favorite breakfast bread ahead of time. Or simply go purchase something with flax or chia seeds while wearing your biggest sunglasses if you feel like being extra glam (and don't forget to stop at Starbucks to grab a disposable cup to accessorize with). Lucky for me I had a fresh loaf of homemade banana bread (pictured above) already in-house, so I nixed the paparazzi outing and threw on a pair of heels instead. Ahem... !!

To share with you my recipe for making yourself a glorified morning on demand, just follow these five simple steps.

1. Slice up your favorite breakfast bread.

2. Dip each side of each slice into milk and then beaten eggs.

3. Drop your dipped slices into some hot butter and let sizzle on both sides until toasty.

4. Serve your, now "Glorified," French toast immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar and a side of warm syrup. 

These pictures illustrate the five steps using a
mini loaf of homemade blueberry bread, 
which I prepared earlier this summer.

5. Although it's fun to look movie star while cooking, you don't have to eat like one. Kick off those heels (if you haven't already), grab a fork, and consume your whole plate while reclining on the couch with some cartoons... or Jersey Shore reruns. 

Italy Part 31: Mission Complete

Something magical happened this week:  Monday I went for a pleasant jog in 80 degree weather - sun screen, shorts and all. Then, unexpectedly, Tuesday evening I was slipping and shivering out to my car after knocking off work. To my amazement, the sidewalks were covered with wet snow. Tree branches were gracefully stretching down to touch their roots, balancing heavy white masses. Dogs on leashes were happily sniffing their covered territory with white noses.  I guess I should start checking the weather before leaving the house in the morning! 

Cheesman Park after Denver's first snow fall of 2011.

Radishes made for fancy snowman buttons.

Second to snow, another magical thing happened this week: I completed my Italian cooking challenge!  Can you hear the confetti poppers and whistles?!  It took a total of four months to make 75 recipes, not to mention countless hours dancing around my kitchen banging on pots and pans, ventures into new neighborhoods hunting for exotic ingredients, many inquisitive or delighted looks from my husband as he surveyed the table of my latest creations.  And, of course, many treasured minutes (or hours) at the table tasting and laughing.  When I began this culinary journey, I desired for a challenging kitchen regimen that would spit me out as a better cook.  I wanted a reason to play with new ingredients, learn new preparation techniques, talk with local butchers and farmers... basically, dirty my apron on a regular basis. Mission accomplished.  

So without further ado, let me illustrate for you the lengthy (but completely worth-it) method for making Italian Panettone bread... the final recipe of the challenge.

Step 1: Intoxicate some fruit.

Sultanas, candied orange peels, and lemon-orange
zest were drizzled with rum.

Step 2: Butter  up some sweet batter.

"Sponging" the dough with yeast, butter and sugars. 

Two, 1-hr rising sessions separated with lots of kneading
produced a velvety and elastic dough ready for baking.
The fruit was folded and kneaded into the dough before
being dropped into the baking pan. 

Step 3:  Grow your dough!

After 45 minutes, I opened my oven's door
to find a golden loaf of Panettone sprouting
from the dimensions of the baking pan. 

Traditional Italian Panettone.

So, how did this girl celebrate?  She exchanged her apron for ski pants and chased the snow up into the mountains!  As it turns out, a thick slice of Panettone makes for a perfect pre-ski breakfast (paired with a hot cup of caffeine, oh course)!  This fruity rum bread may have been the last recipe, but I'm keeping it bookmarked as my favorite.

Heading to Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort.
Loveland Pass will only be open a few more weeks. 

A curious cook at play!

Despite the refined onion-slicing, egg-whipping, and squid-gutting skills that I have acquired, there was an additional outcome to completing this challenge. Something more valuable than any of the delicious recipes that I prepared.  I gained my creativity back... Something that I had pushed to the corners of my brain for years to make room for incoming data required for surviving university classes is now pulsing through my daily thoughts. I see the world around me in color again. Everything is so beautiful...  even the slushy, muddy mess that will remain in my entry way until spring.

Thank you for joining throughout my culinary tour of Italy!  Stay tuned for many more food-inspired stories to come!  Ciao Italia! 

Italy Part 23

It's a beautiful Saturday morning here in Denver, but my thoughts keep circling back to my old home in Madison, Wisconsin.  After all, it is the season when Saturday mornings are served up with a hearty side of Badger football!  Speaking of traditions, I could really go for a beer and brat breakfast, sunburn, and 5th quarter dancing with Leckrone and the marching band. Did you know that they are celebrating their 125th birthday this year?  Neat-o! 

If you want to be a Badger just come along with me,
by the bright shining light,
by the light of the moon! 

Camp Randall at kickoff.

This afternoon the Badgers are taking on Northern Illinois Huskies at Solider Field. What is this Badger having for breakfast this game day?  Biscotti. Sconnie biscotti, perhaps!

Biscotti (p. 148)

Biscotti is simply a hard sweet bread. It requires making a sugared dough, kneading, and baking. However, there is an additional baking step to give it a nice cracker crunch! 

My biscotti loaf has completed round one of baking.
The glossy sheen comes from brushing the dough with egg.
As you can see, it was a bit over zealous to rise and it split
its side from head to toe!  

Slicing the once-baked biscotti loaf.
The green bits you see are pistachio nuts.

After a second round of baking, this sweet bread is now
crispy, crunchy, slightly sweet and oh-so-neat biscotti! 

I always thought biscotti would be difficult to make, but its really not! If you can bake a loaf of quick bread, you can make biscotti. I prefer mine dipped in creamed coffee or sweet tea. It softens it up a bit. Add some fresh fruit and you got yourself a fancy breakfast.  Perhaps not very Wisconsin, but I am wearing my red "sconnie" t-shirt, ha! 

Good morning!

I absolutely adore mornings. Most days I spend a bit of time at Cheesman Park.  I love observing squirrels clamoring over fallen acorns, listening to the harmony of strangers' shoes crunching on the crushed-granite pathways, and feeling the sun's gentle warmth on my skin. One can even see the Rocky Mountains on the east side of the park. This is my favorite place to stop and welcome the day.  

This memorial, made in 1976, honors the panorama view of the
Rocky Mountains that can be seen from this spot.
I have observed the snow caps melt away completely as June
 progressed to September. Perhaps this winter, snow will return
to the mountains preceding accumulation in Denver. 

View of the skyline from the pavilion.
Cheesman Park is just east of Denver's downtown district.
Some say this lush green space was once a graveyard and that
nearly 2000 bodies still lie beneath the surface!

Denver's "temple of the sun," built in 1907.
This Cheesman pavilion was constructed out of white,
Colorado marble, inspired by the Acropolis in Athens.

Another great way to honor the morning is to make a tasty breakfast! Try these muffins while local berries are in still season, or if you can't make it to the farmer's market this weekend, substitute with frozen varieties.  Berry suggestions: saskatoons (pigeon berries), mulberries, raspberries, blueberries, wineberries, blackberries, marionberries.

"Good morning!" muffins.

I used blueberries for my batch.
Serve with butter, warm honey and a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Good Morning Muffins

Adapted from Simply in Season Cookbook

Yields 1 dozen

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup extra-light olive oil

1/4 cup raw honey

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries  (you can also substitute with shredded, summer squash)!

Combine flour, germ, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, and honey and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring just until moistened. Fold in the berries of choice!  Fill well greased muffin tins 2/3 full and sprint the top with cinnamon sugar or plain granulated sugar (optional). Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy warm! 

Note: These muffins freeze well, allowing for the opportunity to make them ahead of time. Just take out the night before to thaw. 

Winter Root Vegetables

After returning home from a Baltimore Thanksgiving gathering with Joe's family friends yesterday evening I was astonished to find a lonely rutabaga in the crisper drawer of my refrigerator. I had purchased it a few weeks ago after growing curious of the larger purple-blushed bulbs propped up next to the carrots in the produce section of my grocery store. Knowing I needed to cook this ASAP and also wanting something relatively healthy after the past week of feasting, I found the following recipe, but made a few manipulations including adding leeks, excluding potatoes, and doubling the olive oil.


Roasted Root Vegetables with Mustard


3 tbsp. Dijon mustard, coarse
6 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, fresh ground
4 carrots, sliced 1-in lengths
2 parsnips, sliced 1-in lengths
1 rutabaga, 1-in cubes
1/2 large yellow onion, 1/2-in wedges
3 leeks, sliced 1-in rings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together mustard, oil, and spices in a large bowl. Prepare vegetables and mix with the mustard sauce until well coated. Let vegetables marinate for 10 minutes and then place on baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes turning every 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

This recipe rocks. It is a wonderful way to experiment with winter root vegetables and I have to admit this was a first-time experience with rutabaga, leeks, and parsnips! Fantastic! The mustard flavor was more muted than I would have preferred but I think it is because I didn't use coarse Dijon like the original recipe calls for. I ended up drizzling some homemade mustard dressing on top (olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper shaken in an almost empty mustard bottle) and ketchup. The ketchup wasn't the most elegant side to pair with this but I had a craving for it tonight. Next time I won't because it disguises the simples spices of this dish.

Grilled leek greens and mustard veggies.

There were so many leek greens to discard that I googled "eating leek greens" and I discovered you can eat them! I opted for grilling them on my George Forman grill brushed with olive oil (pictured above). The leaves are quite fibrous and resemble giant green onions in my opinion.  I think they might be nice drizzled with some soy sauce and sesame seeds.


I also had some dried pumpkin seeds that I pan toasted using hot light olive oil and sprinkled with cinnamon and salt. During this heating process, a very pleasant cinnamon fragrance drifted from the pan which I found to stir up feelings of comfort.  I was also surprised to find that the seeds began to jump out of the pan like popcorn in the last few minutes of heating from steam bursting from the seed coat!

Sweet-n-savory pumpkin seeds.

In addition to these experiments, I whipped up some tahini based scones while the vegetables were roasting so that I could just slide them into the already-pre-heated oven when they finished. The recipe can be found on food.com as well from this link.  I used a glass drinking glass to cut the scones into round shapes after rolling out with a rolling pin. Also they received overwhelming positive feedback, I have to disagree. I would have to suggest from my experiences to hand shape into an inch high small circle for better rising, adding a 1/4 cup of honey to the dough to sweeten up a bit, and dipping the top of the scones in sunflower seeds to make them stick better (or drizzle some honey on top as a glue).

Rustic scones.