Comments on: Traditions http://www.iddream.com/2004/12/15/traditions/ Welcome to I'dDream.com, est. Nov 1999. Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:17:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Cas Kopacki http://www.iddream.com/2004/12/15/traditions/comment-page-1/#comment-817 Cas Kopacki Fri, 24 Dec 2004 07:53:14 +0000 http://www.iddream.com/plete/?p=362#comment-817 The pierogie making actually went pretty well.  The pierogies came out exceptional for the most part except that I was a little light fingered on the salt (my snobbiness about not using a measuring spoon for salt bit me...) and some of the dough was just a smidgen too think, but apparently this is a popular choice amongst my family members (i.e. Delphina).  So, overall, the more than 60 I made came out great.  Besides learning the steps, which were frighteningly simple, I was left with a sense of great accomplishment and a closeness I haven’t felt with my mom in a while (not that we’re not close, but this was something of a spiritual nature).  I had an amazing time. Yes, my mom made city chicken a lot, actually.  She did use veal and pork on skewers and breaded them.  She would then bake them after a quick drop in hot oil.  I always thought they were really delicious and apparently so did a lot of my family because when it came to having city chicken for a banquet (which seemed to happen quarterly, if not monthly during my childhood, with weddings, deaths, first communions, graduations...) my mom was always tasked with the job of making over a hundred of those suckers.  Good stuff, though. The pierogie making actually went pretty well.  The pierogies came out exceptional for the most part except that I was a little light fingered on the salt (my snobbiness about not using a measuring spoon for salt bit me…) and some of the dough was just a smidgen too think, but apparently this is a popular choice amongst my family members (i.e. Delphina).  So, overall, the more than 60 I made came out great.  Besides learning the steps, which were frighteningly simple, I was left with a sense of great accomplishment and a closeness I haven’t felt with my mom in a while (not that we’re not close, but this was something of a spiritual nature).  I had an amazing time.

Yes, my mom made city chicken a lot, actually.  She did use veal and pork on skewers and breaded them.  She would then bake them after a quick drop in hot oil.  I always thought they were really delicious and apparently so did a lot of my family because when it came to having city chicken for a banquet (which seemed to happen quarterly, if not monthly during my childhood, with weddings, deaths, first communions, graduations…) my mom was always tasked with the job of making over a hundred of those suckers.  Good stuff, though.

]]> By: Mary Stachowiak http://www.iddream.com/2004/12/15/traditions/comment-page-1/#comment-816 Mary Stachowiak Mon, 20 Dec 2004 03:31:24 +0000 http://www.iddream.com/plete/?p=362#comment-816 How did pierogi making go? Both sides of my family are Polish, but it was mostly my grandma on my mom’s side that I really remember cooking all of the traditional Polish foods, and at 87, she still does cook some of them from time to time. My dad’s side of the family, which is the second and third generation, cooks more traditional American food on the holidays. Unfortunately, I was never a huge fan of Polish food, although there were a few dishes that I really liked. One of them was city chicken. Cas, did your family ever make this? When I was doing a research paper on Hamtramck I found out that although city chicken is considered a Polish food, they did not eat it over in Poland, it is more of a Polish American phenomena. I found this really interesting. Apparently during the depression chicken was more expensive than veal and pork so they would emulate chicken by combining these two meats on stick. It’s really good and this is a dish that was a staple (you know how they say that each family only makes something like eight dishes over and over) in my step-mom’s house, then my dad’s house, and my mom’s house. Devon, I’m not sure if you had the baklava at the holiday party, but I’m pretty sure it was homemade by Natalie. How did pierogi making go?

Both sides of my family are Polish, but it was mostly my grandma on my mom’s side that I really remember cooking all of the traditional Polish foods, and at 87, she still does cook some of them from time to time. My dad’s side of the family, which is the second and third generation, cooks more traditional American food on the holidays.

Unfortunately, I was never a huge fan of Polish food, although there were a few dishes that I really liked. One of them was city chicken. Cas, did your family ever make this? When I was doing a research paper on Hamtramck I found out that although city chicken is considered a Polish food, they did not eat it over in Poland, it is more of a Polish American phenomena. I found this really interesting. Apparently during the depression chicken was more expensive than veal and pork so they would emulate chicken by combining these two meats on stick. It’s really good and this is a dish that was a staple (you know how they say that each family only makes something like eight dishes over and over) in my step-mom’s house, then my dad’s house, and my mom’s house.

Devon, I’m not sure if you had the baklava at the holiday party, but I’m pretty sure it was homemade by Natalie.

]]> By: Devon Akmon http://www.iddream.com/2004/12/15/traditions/comment-page-1/#comment-815 Devon Akmon Thu, 16 Dec 2004 17:57:20 +0000 http://www.iddream.com/plete/?p=362#comment-815 I recall the smell of kibbee baking in the oven as my sitti (Lebanese word for grandma) and her sisters prepared various Middle Eastern dishes to serve with more traditional American food (e.g. kibbee and Middle Eastern salads with turkey, stuffing, and cranberries).  I really miss watching the older generations prepare these foods (I haven’t had homemade baklava in years).  Unfortunately, my parents’ generation never sought to learn the native traditions of their parents.  I guess this had to do with wanting to assimilate into American culture (unlike today, when people tend to embrace both their ethnic and American identities).  I would love to learn how to cook and bake Lebanese foods.  Although I haven’t eaten meat in a decade, I can still recall the taste of my sitti’s kibbee! I recall the smell of kibbee baking in the oven as my sitti (Lebanese word for grandma) and her sisters prepared various Middle Eastern dishes to serve with more traditional American food (e.g. kibbee and Middle Eastern salads with turkey, stuffing, and cranberries).  I really miss watching the older generations prepare these foods (I haven’t had homemade baklava in years).  Unfortunately, my parents’ generation never sought to learn the native traditions of their parents.  I guess this had to do with wanting to assimilate into American culture (unlike today, when people tend to embrace both their ethnic and American identities).  I would love to learn how to cook and bake Lebanese foods.  Although I haven’t eaten meat in a decade, I can still recall the taste of my sitti’s kibbee!

]]> By: Randy Bishop http://www.iddream.com/2004/12/15/traditions/comment-page-1/#comment-814 Randy Bishop Thu, 16 Dec 2004 17:26:37 +0000 http://www.iddream.com/plete/?p=362#comment-814 I’m so envious of that scene you just painted. I had nothing of the sort.  My family typically picked up the holiday ham, turkey, or chicken.  Baked for 45 minutes, served with canned vegetables, potatoes mashed with butter and crème and possibly some Stove-Top stuffing on the side.  All of it came straight from the local Oak Ridge grocery market. A big deal was never made about the meal.  We all sat around watching Lions football (which no one was actually a fan) and barely uttered a word aside from how much everyone hated their jobs. Talk never surrounded music, art, current events, politics, etc… Instead it was a match of who had it worse.  I guess in a way, this was my tradition. I’m so envious of that scene you just painted.

I had nothing of the sort.  My family typically picked up the holiday ham, turkey, or chicken.  Baked for 45 minutes, served with canned vegetables, potatoes mashed with butter and crème and possibly some Stove-Top stuffing on the side.  All of it came straight from the local Oak Ridge grocery market.

A big deal was never made about the meal.  We all sat around watching Lions football (which no one was actually a fan) and barely uttered a word aside from how much everyone hated their jobs.

Talk never surrounded music, art, current events, politics, etc… Instead it was a match of who had it worse.  I guess in a way, this was my tradition.

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