"My friends and family know how much I love to cook, especially around
Christmas. I wish I could take credit for them all. Here are some
of the recipes I have made and collected over the years. Yes, my
infamous mushroom soup recipe is here. Make it one of your own Christmas
traditions! There is also a links section
for some interesting recipe web sites. Enjoy!"- Mark
It is a Konecki Polish tradition to have mushroom soup at the Christmas Eve meal - Wigilia. We always had it with Ritz Crackers and boiled potatoes. We used Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup for years. Then one year in the early 80s I realized that homemade soup would be very cool, and give me something to do instead of watching T.V and tormenting the siblings. I found a recipe in a Polish cookbook that used dried Polish Mushrooms and vermouth. Interesting, but it lacked the creaminess that we all really liked. So with a bit of experimentation and inspiration, I basically wound up with the recipe you see here. Every year it changes somewhat-more or less cream, fancy mushrooms, a shot of vermouth or not - but the essence of the soup remains. My sister-in-law, Heidi, makes this at her home when we cannot be together at Christmas. That allows us to celebrate the birth of Jesus as if we were. I am told that the wisest of the Three Wise Men brought this soup with him to give to the babe, but somewhere along their journey the soup mysteriously disappeared. He reluctantly had to settle on the lesser gift of Gold.
Ingredients:
3 oz. Dried Polish Mushrooms
4 quarts Chicken or Beef Stock- Homemade if possible, Swanson canned
if you can't, Wyler's bullion cubes if you must
3/4 stick of 100% real genuine grade A butter, not margarine, not non-stick
spray-BUTTER
2 Yellow Onions chopped fine
2 Lb. Fresh Mushrooms
(if you can afford it, use a variety of shrooms-White, Crimini, Oyster-nothing
too 'meaty')
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2-3 tbs. fresh dill
2-3 tbs. fresh Italian or regular parsley
2 cups heavy cream- buy the best in your vicinity- don't use off brands.
Milk
the cow yourself if you must
1 shot of sweet vermouth or cognac
Soak the Dried mushrooms in 2 cups of water overnight in the fridge.
Gently take the mushrooms out of the liquid. Carefully pour the liquid
into another container, leaving behind the sediment. Chop the mushrooms
and transfer any precious shroom nectar to the other liquid.
Slice the fresh mushrooms - I remove the stems-slice the caps and
chop the stems
Melt the Butter in a large soup pot- as some hard parts of the butter
remains, add the chopped onions, then the fresh mushrooms and finally the
rehydrated mushrooms. Let them get to know each other for about 1/2 hour
under a comfortable med-low heat.
Mushrooms give off liquid as they cook, so allow that to happen
and let the liquid reduce considerably before you then add the flour.
Keep stirring for about three minutes. Don't let the flour burn- light
golden is OK if you want a golden tinge to the soup.
Pour the broth into the pot stirring vigorously as you go-we don't
want lumps- if you wind up with some, get the trusty whisk and have
at it. Bring to a gentle boil, stir often until the soup thickens.
Reduce the heat , add the pepper, 1/2 of the dill and parsley, and
the liquid from the dried mushrooms.
Simmer for an hour or two.
Check the thickness of the soup. If you want it thicker, take more
flour and whisk it with enough water to resemble light cream. Pour it into
the hot liquid as you stir. Remember though, the cream will thicken it
up as well.
About 10 minutes before serving, introduce the soup to the liquor.
Add the other 1/2 of the dill and parsley.
Gradually add the cream- more or less to your taste.
Check if it needs salt and add less than you think you should-intense
cooking makes you want more salt.
Serve with boiled potatoes and/or your favorite crackers. Enjoy!
The first year I made this, our Godchild Morgan surprised us when not only did she finish all the meat on her plate, she asked for MORE! With apologies to my vegetarian friends and to the cow, here is Emeril's recipe from the wonderful Emeril's Creole Christmas cookbook. Watch him on the Food Network.
Ingredients:
One 3 1/2 pond beef tenderloin,fat trimmed
1 TBL olive oil
1 TBL Creole Seasoning
2 TBL Dijon mustard
1/2/ lb fresh horseradish-peeled and grated
1/2/ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2/ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
Rub the tenderloin with the oil and Creole seasoning. In a hot
heavy pan, sear the meat until brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per
side.
Line a shallow baking pan with a wire rack and aluminum foil. Place
the tenderloin on the rack and rub it with the mustard.
Combine the horshradish, black pepper garlic and salt in a small bowl.
Using your hands press the mixture evenly over the top and sides of the
tenderloin.
Roast for about 30 minutes for rare and about 35 minutes for medium
rare.
Remove from the oven and let rest about 5 minutes before slicing.
Mix together:
2 1/2 Tbl sweet paprika
2 Tbl salt
2 Tbl garlic powder
1 tbl fresh ground black pepper
1 tbl onion powder
1 tbl cayenne
1 tbl dried oregano
1 tbl dried thyme
Keeps for 3 months in an airtight container.
Another Emeril favorite. I make this for special occasions or for when I want to gain a few pounds.
Ingredients:
3 tbl unsalted butter
3 cups thin sliced yellow onions
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb assorted exotic mushrooms about 3 cups
1 tbl chopped garlic
5 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp Tabasco
sauce
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
8 slices of white bread crusts removed, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, fresh grated
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease a 2 quart glass rectangular pan with 1 tbs of the butter.
Heat the remaining 2 tbs of the butter in a large saute pan. Add the
onions 1 tsp salt , cayenne and black pepper. Cook until the onions are
soft, about 4 minutes. Add the shrooms and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for 1/2 a minute. Add the cream,
remaining tsp salt, Tabasco
and the Worchestershire. Whisk till blended. Add the onion mushroom mixture
and the bread cubes. Mix well. Pour into the glass pan and top with the
cheese.
Bake about 55 minutes until the top is brown and bubbly. Let cool for
5 minutes before serving.
This Recipe comes from Bernadette Lastinger, a friend of Paddy's Mom. She gave it to me about 9 years ago and I make it every year around the first part of November. The Christian Brothers get a good work out with all the brandy I put in my cake. My brother Ken loves the Almond Paste so much it is now his nickname.
STEP ONE
The Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups of butter
2 cups of sugar
8 well beaten (like the Cardinals or the Bears) Eggs
1/2 cup of Brandy- plus 1 small snifter for Mark to ease the process
and drudgery of cooking
1 TBS. Rose Water(optional, but fragrant)
1 tsp. Orange extract
4 cups sifted all purpose unbleached flour
2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup coarsely ground and blanched almonds
3 cups raisins
3 cups currants
3/4 cup candied cherries,quartered
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup candied lemon peel-chopped*
1/2 cup orange peel-chopped*
sometimes I just use 1 cup of the mixed candied peel
with the green cherries, because fruitcake is the only thing you should
ever make with green cherries
Cream Butter and Sugar
Add eggs one at a time, alternate with a tablespoon of the flour-trust
me you will like this trick to keep the eggs from curdling
Add brandy, rose water, orange extract and beat till fluffy
Sift together flour, salt, spices.
Stir in ground almonds
Stir gently into the creamed mixture
Add whole almonds and fruit
Line the bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan with a thickness of
waxed paper
and place on a baking sheet.
Pour the batter into the pan
Bake for 2 1/2 hours at 300 degrees F
Cool in pan on rack
Remove the cake from pan and add another 1/2 cup of brandy on top
Wrap in Saran
Wrap and then foil and keep in a lonely dark place
Occasionally unwrap and pour a shot of brandy on top. Remember to
rewrap it.
About 3 days before Christmas unwrap the cake from its liquorious
home. Continue with Step Two.
STEP TWO
Almond Paste
Ingredients:
2 8 oz. cans of Almond Paste- Ken likes to make his own
Take 1/2 of one can and roll it out between two sheets of waxed paper
into a 2.5 inch wide rectangle about 1/8 in. thick. Repeat with the second
1/2 of the can. Press both against the sides of the cake to cover.
Take the 2nd can and roll out a 10 in. circle. (Cut out a 1 1/2
in. circle from the center if your baking pan requires it and mail it to
my brother)
Place on top of the cake and lightly pat the top and sides to secure.
STEP THREE
Royal Icing
Ingredients:
3 egg whites-room temp.
1 16 oz. package of powdered sugar,sifted
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. vanilla
In a small mixing bowl, or the Kitchen Aid Mixer ( I love this thing), beat all ingredients 7-10 minutes until very stiff. Keep bowl covered during frosting to prevent crust from forming.
Frost the cake a day or so before Christmas to get the icing
hard. You can decorate the cake anyway you wish, with cute little trees
made out of more almond paste or happy snowmen. When you cut the
cake its going to be messy so wear safety goggles.
This is great with Barry's Tea
Another joy from Ireland that I try to make every year. This should be made around the first part of November. It really makes a difference in the aging of the pudding.
Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached white flour
2 cups soft breadcrumbs
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup of suet chopped up finely
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup candied cherries
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup currants
1/2 cup mixed peel
3/4 cup Guinness- the Pub Draft
one- stay away from the bottle
6 eggs room temp unhatched and beaten
Combine first 8 dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the fruits.
Add the eggs with a happy wooden spoon and then the Guinness. Grease up
two 7 inch pudding basins and load em up. Cover with foil and then the
lid if it has one. Tie the foil down tight with string. Steam for 4-5 hours.
After they are cooled,wrap them in Saran
wrap and keep them hidden in a dry place. Steam the pudding for about
3 hours before you serve it with Irish Whiskey Butter: 1/2 cup powdered
sugar and 2 oz butter creamed together, with 2-3 Tbs. Bushmills
or Jameson's slowly added to taste. Keep the 'butter' refrigerated
until use.
If you want to, you could pour a shot of Irish Whiskey on top of
the steamed pudding and light it before you carry it to the table. Very
cool.
This is fantastic ice cold. Just the thing for a winter's evening. OK that's kind of like a warm fire during the summer, but trust me, it's the only way to drink this. One of Paddy's favorites. Remember DO NOT drink this and drive. I mean it!
One bottle of 100 proof polish vodka- or use Polish Everclear(I can't
remember the name of it) if you want to really liven up the Busias
1 glass jar of european cherries- the whole thing juice and all. I'd
say about a 16 oz jar.
1 cup of Imported sour cherry syrup-Go to the local polish deli.
2-3 months
One clean glass container with a tight fitting lid-One year I used
a 1/2 gallon glass milk bottle with a twist top.
Mix the first four ingredients together. Place in container. If you
have room left in the container add more stuff. Taste it as you go till
its just right. Practice singing Sto lat to the baby Jesus. Sleep
it off and hide it until Christmas.
Mary is an AOL friend of mine from years ago when it was just starting out. One of the nicest people I have ever known. She lives in Rhode Island and loves food as much as I do. From time to time we swap recipes. Here are some that she has sent. I hope she sends some more!
Colonial Corn Pudding
4 eggs
6 tblsp melted butter
2 Tblsp flour
1 Tblsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 3/4 cups shoepeg corn (appx 12 oz can)
17 oz can of creamed corn
1 cup heavy cream
Heat oven to 325 degrees, grease 2 qt oven proof dish, Beat the eggs,
sugar, salt, melted butter (cooled slightly), flour, pepper and nutmeg,
then fold in the corn, creamed corn and whipping cream. Pour into
prepared container and Bake in a 325 degree oven for one hour and 15 minutes
or til knife comes out clean. Serve hot.
Orange Sweet Potato Puff
3 lbs sweet potatoes cooked
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (separated, 3/4 cup in the recipe, 1/4 cup to sprinkle
on top)
6 eggs separated
1 Tblsp grated lemon zest (rind)
1 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Grease a 2 qt souffle dish. Beat the 6 egg whites till stiff.
Mash the cooked sweet potatoes, mix with butter, beaten egg yolks, lemon
zest, orange juice and cinnamon.
Fold in the beaten egg whites and pour into greased dish. Sprinkle
remaining 1/4 cup of sugar on the top and bake in a 350 degree oven for
one hour. Serve immediately
Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 1/4 cup gingersnap crumbs (about 20 - 2 in cookies)
1/4 cup of melted butter
3- 8 oz pkgs. of cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
16 oz can of pumpkin
1 Tblsp Brandy (optional but ohhhhhhhhso good)
4 eggs
Whipping cream
12 Whole pecans for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter
and press evenly into 9 inch springform pan. Bake in oven for 10
minutes, COOL crust
LOWER oven temperature to 300 degrees. Beat cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon,
ginger, and cloves on medium speed till fluffy. Add the pumpkin.
Beat in the eggs on lowspeed one at a time. Pour mixture into springform
pan over prepared crust. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour and 15 minutes
until center is firm. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
Will keep up to 48 hours. Beat whipping cream, add powdered sugar
to taste and flavor with 1/2 to one teaspoon of Brandy (may substitute
with 1/2 tsp vanilla). Spread or pipe whipping cream onto top of
cheesecake. Garnish with 12 evenly spaced whole pecans around the
perimeter.
For when Ron's Kielbasa puts you over the edge
Merry Christmas!
All non brand items copyright Mark Konecki 1999
