What's for Dinner ~ Friday ~ April 11th

[Lucinda]

?

[laundry_queen]

1. Because I actually planned well in advance, I'll answer this now :) Ukrainian food!

Nalysnyky (cottage cheese rolls - savory crepes filled with dry cottage cheese curds and dill. I bought this, I'm too lazy to make it.)
Holubtsi (cabbage rolls - bought this also)
Perogies (yeah, I know everyone spells it differently. Us prairie Canadian Ukrainians usually spell it like this and we don't normally call it varenyky) I made my own this time so we'll see how they taste! I used potato/cheddar cheese/onion filling.
Borscht - everyone knows what borscht is, LOL. Mine is more like a stew, I love tons of beets. I don't usually put potatoes or meat in, so it's a very healthy 'vegetable soup' type of borscht.
creamy Cucumber dill salad (like my Baba makes)
fried onions
sweet dill cream
coleslaw

I think that's it...

yum, I can't wait. I only do this once a year or so and usually it's on Ukrainian Christmas eve (Jan 6) but it didn't happen this year, so I'm doing this in April. We'll call it Easter dinner, lol.

[Lucinda]

3. It all sounds wonderful! I've never tried Nalysnyky but I am a big dill fan

and like cottage cheese curds, so it sounds like something i'd enjoy!

We have almost zero options when it comes to good ethnic foods in our area, and our grocery store caters to tourists who cook in their cabins...so its a lot of basic stuff like steaks, chops, etc and not much of anything interesting. Even the deli section is pretty boring basic stuff, so I am jealous!

[laundry_queen]

7. In that regard, where I live is like an embarassment of riches.

Because of the high population of people claiming Ukrainian heritage, I can get all kinds of Ukrainian food at our local grocery store - things that I've never even tried (I live far from my Baba and she's kind of a toxic person, lol, so I don't eat her food much...she doesn't make Ukrainian stuff much anymore anyway). Things like sweet buns or poppyseed rolls (?) Someday...they are pretty costly pre-made.

So not just Ukrainian stuff there is a HUGE Indian population here - spice stores all over. I went to a fairly big one one for the first time not too long ago (normally you can get all the basic Indian spices and foods in our local grocery store, but I was curious) and wow, it was very cool. They had not just Indian stuff, but Jamaican and African spices too. Actually, it was my SIL, who is half Jamaican, that told me to go there for jerk spice. The store had some interesting vegetables too. I had a blast when I was there.

Also, we have a large Asian population so there are Asian markets everywhere. The biggest one carries Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese (and others) ingredients. They have some really 'out there' (for me) ingredients, like those eggs with feathered duck fetuses in them. My Vietnamese friend who took me there said even she won't eat those, LOL.

Anyway, our grocery stores carry pretty much every type of 'major' world cuisine ingredients...maybe it's because it's pretty diverse around here. I really do count myself as lucky although I'm sure most big cities have the same things.

I forgot another thing we were having for dinner - kubasa! There's a place around here that makes the BEST Ukrainian ham sausage - my grandfather, who used to make his own, when he visited (he also lived far away) always made my parents buy him a box of kubasa! lol.

[Lucinda]

15. I am sooo jealous!

We've been talking about moving for my health, but it wouldn't be bad to have better food option too!

I have access to good Latin food markets, but that's about it.

[grasswire]

6. the prairie!

My grandparents homesteaded in Saskatchewan in the early 1900s. I'd love to know where you are. I hope some day to find someone who will send me a pebble from nearby the homestead.

[laundry_queen]

8. Depends on where in Saskatchewan :)

I'm actually in Alberta, but I have relatives in Manitoba so every 3-4 years or so we make the trip and pass through Saskatchewan. Next time we go (probably next summer) I may be able to make a detour

[alfredo]

10. I've never made borscht. There's a lot of good looking beets in the store,

so I might as well give it a try.

[IronGate]

2. Provided we're not out on a call,

it's Firehouse Beef Stew with garlic bread and chocolate pudding.

[Lucinda]

4. That sounds goood!

Hopefully you will have a great dinner and a calm night.

[IronGate]

5. Thank you.

Keeping fingers crossed.

[alfredo]

9. Mediterranean Kale, white bean, sausage soup, and grilled asparagus on the side.

http://www.food.com/recipe/mediterranean-kale-white-bean-soup-with-sausage-289268

Try it with a good quality sweet Italian sausage from you butcher. Do it soon because it appears that pork is becoming very expensive.

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. Lamb shanks and green beans again.

[Galileo126]

12. Portuguese-style baked cod fish

with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley - baked casserole style.

This is boyhood comfy food for me. Must be the Azorian side of the family coming out today.

[bif]

13. Sushi from Krogers

A quick bite before we head out to the opera.

[NJCher]

14. Curried turkey salad with walnuts and cranberries

Here's my recipe. I added celery and I still have to get some fresh salad greens, so I'm making a run to the Korean greengrocer before dinner tonight.

Red wine.

Later tonight, I think I might make some twice-baked potatoes. They're very small--only have about five of them.



Cher