Polish Christmas CookbookChristmas Eve is called Wigilia in Poland, held on December 24th. It encompasses the entire day, includes Christmas Eve feast and then extends to the midnight mass held at the Roman Catholic Church.This Christmas Eve feast is often called wieczerza or wieczerza wigilijna which means dinner or large supper. Around dusk of Christmas Eve, children will look for the first star in the sky. The feasting traditionally begins once the First Star has been sighted by children in the sky at dusk (around 5 p.m.) Therefore, Christmas is called Gwiazdka which means the little star, referring to the Star of Bethlehem.Originally, people fasted the entire day before the feast, but that tradition has been abandoned. The feast includes foods from the four corners of the earth and originally did not include meat. Today, meat and fish are a big part of the festivities.This cookbook contains some of the best loved recipes for the Christmas Eve and Christmas holiday season in Poland.Recipes Include:Polish Mushroom Soup - Zupa GrzybowaPolish Beet Soup - BarszczPolish Mushroom Dumplings - UszkaFish in Aspic - Ryba w GalareciePolish Rolled Herring - RolmopsPike Polish Style - Szczupak po PolskuSauerkraut with Mushrooms - Kapusta z GrzybamiNoodles with Cabbage - Kluski z kapustaMushroom Cabbage Rolls - Golabki z GrzybamiPolish Dumplings - PierogiSauerkraut and Mushroom FillingPotato and Cheese FillingNoodles with Poppy Seeds - Kluski z MakiemDried Fruit Compote - Kompot z Owocow SuszonychChristmas Wheat Berry Pudding - KutiaPolish Almond Soup - Zupa migdalowaPolish Honey Spice Cookies - PierniczkiPolish Kolaczki Cookies - KolaczkiPolish Dried Mushroom Soup - Zupa GrzybowaPolish Pickle Soup - Zupa OgórkowaPolish Potato Soup - Zupa ZiemniaczanaPolish Tomato-Rice Soup - Zupa Pomidorowa RyzuPolish Barley Soup - KrupnikPolish Split Pea Soup - Zupa GrochowkaPolish Beets with Sour Cream - Buraczki ze SmietanaPolish Cucumbers in Sour CreamPolish Creamed Beet Barszcz Soup - Barszcz ZabielanyPolish Light Rye Bread with Caraway SeedsSplit Peas and Cabbage - Kapusta z GrochemPolish Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage - Czerwona Kapusta ZasmażanaSausage and Noodle CasserolePolish Cabbage Potato CasserolePolish Haluski - Noodles, Onion and CabbagePolish Sausage CasserolePolish NalesnikiPolish Sweet BreadPolish Sourdough Rye BreadPolish Cream Cheese Coffee CakePolish Noodles and Cottage CheesePolish Galicyjskie CookiesPolish Christmas CookiesSweet Polish Cherry CakePolish Yeast Plum Cake - DrozdzowkaPolish Apple Pancakes - Racuchy z Jablkami
