Christmas Mushrooms

Joe Luzanski

It's not easy to write about mushrooms as we get into the winter months. Well except for cooking with them. And that is the biggest benefit to safe mushroom hunting.

We do some of our best mushroom cooking for Christmas Eve, a day of fasting and feasting. In many areas of Eastern Europe, more specifically Slovakia, Carpatho-Rus, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Belarus, a strict-fast Holy Supper or Svjatyj Večer is observed on Christmas Eve. No meat, eggs or dairy products are eaten during the fast and the menu for the evening meal reflects that rule. Some observe the strict fast until sunset others until mid-night. While there are common threads, the customs for Christmas Eve differ from region to region, village to village and family to family. Over time our "tradition" has evolved to suit our present time and circumstances. In many ways this Christmas Eve Holy Supper is the highlight of our Christmas celebration and more exciting than Christmas Day.

The day begins with Vinšovania as taught to his children by my grandfather John Luzanski. On Christmas Eve men and boys carry good wishes to their friends, relatives and neighbors and are repaid for their kindness with small treats and perhaps something to ward off the winter's chill. It is early in the day that the men and boys make their rounds for it is good fortune to have a man enter a home first with his good wishes for Christmas and the New Year and misfortune indeed to find a woman at the door early in the morning. In our house my son and I show up at our front door and then I use the phone to call my mother and my in-laws.

The adults use this wish.

I wish you, I wish you on this Christmas from today peaceful many years to await you. That you might have from the field bountiful harvests, home abundance. That you might walk between the rows of your fields like the bright moon among the stars. I wish you good luck. Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Vinčujem vam vinčujem na to Božie narodzenie oddnejši, pokojnejši veci, ročky počekac. Zejsce mali na polú rodu, doma priplodú. Zebysce codzili pomedžima radičky. Jak jasny mešiačok pomedzi hvizdočky. To vam vinčujem i žačim. Christos Raždajetsja! Slavite Jeho!

The children use this wish.

I am such a small well-wisher give me kolač, whiskey and a slice of bacon on a piece of bread. Christ Is Born! Glorify Him!

Ja taky maly vinovačok, dajce mi jeden kolačok, poharik y palenky falat slaniny na oblačok. Christos Raždajetsja! Slavite Jeho!

Once the Vinšovania is accomplished cooking for the meal begins in earnest. Traditionally twelve courses are prepared, but even if you cut that in half it is a lot of cooking and takes all day. When my Aunt Anna used to do this for her extended family she began cooking at four in the morning. Of course she had so many people at her house that they had to eat in shifts. With two of us cooking there is stiff competition for prime kitchen space and turf battles do occur. There is no harm is preparing some of the dishes a day early to prevent conflict in the kitchen and I think that a day of rest actually improves the flavor of some of the dishes.

The foods on the table include fish, succotash, mushrooms with gravy, Slovak mushroom soup, mushroom sauerkraut soup and mushroom stuffed cabbage, sauerkraut navy bean soup, breaded fried prunes, garlic, honey, oplatki (Christmas wafers), bobalki and pagach made with sauerkraut. As I said each region, village and family have their own traditions so I'm sure we are missing out on some of others family's favorite dishes.

I got back into mushrooming in order that I could gather the same mushrooms that I had gathered with my family when I was a kid and use them for our Christmas Eve holy supper. Before I joined the mushroom club I tried to find "experts" who would help me get back into mushroom hunting (safely). I figured that the old-timers at church would be experts and I went out with one fellow and we found some mushrooms. I decided to discard them after he told me that he "thought" that they were good. We also discussed the silver dollar theory of preventing mushroom poisoning. That is never a good idea.

The mushroom that so many people use for their Christmas Eve dishes is the Podpnovka obyčajná, podpinka, popinky, stump mushrooms or honey mushroom. These mushrooms belong to the Armillaria mellea family. Within that group there are many subspecies that have their differences as well as similarities so I am always careful with my identification.

Honey Mushrooms are pretty durable and they hold up well in these recipes. You don't have to use honey mushrooms, store bought "button" mushrooms will do. We've also used oyster mushrooms, horse mushrooms and Sheepshead (hen of the woods.) Pick mushrooms that work with the dish that you are preparing. This year, in the Spring, I insisted that we make the Slovak mushroom soup with morels. It did not turn out well. morels just don't have the heartiness to carry it off.

Some of the mushrooms that we use are dried and some are frozen. Horse mushrooms are always precooked and frozen. Oysters are usually dried and we both dry and sauté and freeze the sheepshead. I think that boletes would work well with these recipes but we just never find enough to give it a try.

As I said meal preparation takes all day and the excitement builds as we await the setting sun and the appearance of the first star in the evening sky. Before the meal is served, all partakers of the Holy Supper wash their hands in bowl of water with silver coins for prosperity in the New Year. We use a silver dollar given to me by my baba. That was her Christmas gift to me and now is Christmas connection to her.

In preparation for the meal a candle, that symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem, is lit and placed into the bread that is in the center of the table. A chain is placed under the table in such a way that everyone's feet rests upon it to bind us together as a family.

The meal begins with prayer and liturgical song. Then I pick up some straw or hay and place some it on the table and the remainder on the floor under the table while reciting this blessing.

We wish happiness, fortune and health with the approaching Feast Of The Nativity Of Our Lord. And we hope that all of us may live to another Christmas. To live the year long in peace and happiness. And we ask God's Blessings on all of us.

Then those present take a Christmas wafer, called oplatki, dip it into honey with the toast May God grant you be as sweet as this honey. Next we dip the garlic into the honey and eat it with the toast May God grant you be as strong as this garlic. The honey symbolizes the sweetness of life, the garlic the bitterness. Then I offer a toast Vinšovania, with sweet wine saying:

Grant oh God that we may live to an even better holy night next year. May the Lord Give health to you my dear wife and to you my son. To our family, to our good and bad neighbors, to my friends and enemies. May God bless all Christians here and abroad and may He grant eternal memory and heaven to the departed. And above all, my little Jesus, born this day, bring peace, health and happiness.

Now the food is brought to the table. The first soup served is always my wife's family's Slovak mushroom soup. This is a favorite that we make only once a year on Christmas Eve. This soup, like Mrs. Cratchet's pudding, must turn out well. At this point the Christmas icon and any decorations are removed from the table to make space for the remainder of the meal. There is no set order to the rest of the meal. Tradition dictates that everyone must at least taste each and every item served. In reality that doesn't happen. My son is a picky eater, my mother doesn't eat mushrooms and my mother-in-law is leery of wild mushrooms. Imagine that!

Just taking just a dipper of this, a spoon of that and a fork full of something else fills both the plate and the stomach quickly. We always overcook and there are always leftovers. But we have a perfect solution. We package everything up and freeze it and when Christmas Eve comes again thirteen days later on the Julian calendar we do it all over again, but on a smaller scale.

The meal ends with coffee, tea and Christmas deserts that do not keep the spirit of the strict fast. Then everyone gathers in the family room around the fireplace where we've piled up its fires half-chimney high.

Recipes

It would be fair to say since we have been making these for years we tend to adjust quantities on the fly. If we've defrosted or re-hydrated more mushrooms than the recipes call for, they don't ever go to waste so in reality the quantity of mushrooms in these recipes are understated.

Slovak Mushroom Soup

This recipe comes to us through my wife's family. This is our Christmas Eve favorite.

• 2 pints fresh mushrooms
• Salt & pepper
• 1 large onion
• 4 eggs
• Paprika

Cook mushrooms for 1/2 hour in 5 cups of water with salt and pepper (to taste.)

Mix 1 1/2 tbsp of flour with a little water and make a smooth paste.

Add 1 egg and beat well, then add enough water to make 1 cup liquid.

Pour into the mushrooms and cook slowly, stirring constantly.

Beat 3 eggs and drop into soup with a fork.

Sauté a large diced onion in 3 tbsp. butter till light brown.

Add paprika and brown slowly.

Add onion and paprika to soup.

When cooled slightly add 1 can of condensed/evaporated milk.

Mushroom Stuffed Cabbage

• 1 head cabbage
• 1 can sauerkraut
• 2 c. ground mushrooms (either canned, dry or frozen) it is best to course chop the mushrooms.
• 1 c. rice (uncooked)
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Cut core out of cabbage to loosen leaves. Place the head of cabbage into boiling water for a few minutes. Remove leaves as they get slightly softened. You can also rinse the head of cabbage and then put the head into the microwave for a minute or less. Peel off the leaves as they become soft. Cut away the thick rib from each cabbage leaf.

Fry onion in oil until soft and add to mushrooms and rice. Add salt and pepper. Mix. Place about 1 tablespoon mixture in each cabbage leaf and roll.

Drain and rinse the sauerkraut; use about half the kraut in the bottom of the pot.

Arrange the rolls over the kraut.

Cover with remaining kraut.

Now you have a choice either:

Fill pot with water just to the top of the rolls. Cook slowly for about 2 hours.

Or

Bake them in the oven at 350F until done. (I prefer this method.)

For flavoring and coloring you may add 1/2 can tomato soup, tomato sauce and lump tomatoes over the top of kraut before cooking.

Joe's Sauerkraut & Bean Soup

• 1 can of navy beans
• 1/2 can of sauerkraut
• Potatoes
• Carrots (just a little bit for flavor and color)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Just cook this together with enough water to cover.

Mushroom Sauerkraut Soup

• 1 cup dried mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1/2 can sauerkraut
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp. flour

Soak dried mushrooms in cold water until re-hydrated. Drain and chop.

Rinse the sauerkraut (if you want the soup to be less sour and salty).

Add the sauerkraut and enough water to cover the mushrooms to soup pot.

Simmer 2 hours or until mushrooms are tender.

Brown the onion and add it to the soup. You can cook the onion in the brown sauce (Zapraka) but I always burn the mixture so I do a two-step here.

Make a Zapraška, blending oil and flour together in a frying pan. Keep on medium heat and keep stirring until lightly browned. Cool slightly and add 1-cup cold water and blend until smooth. Pour this brown sauce into the cooked mushroom mixture. Add salt and pepper I use only a little bit of Zapraška because I do not want this to be gravy but a soup.

Mushrooms And Gravy

• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms or canned mushrooms
• 4 Tbsp. Oil
• 4 Tbsp. flour
• 1 clove garlic, cut up
• Salt and pepper
• 2 c. water
• Vinegar (optional)

• Clean, wash and drain mushrooms. Cut mushrooms up with garlic. Add 1-cup water and let simmer for about 1/2 hour.

  Make a brown sauce (Zapraka), blending oil and flour together in a frying pan. Keep on medium heat and keep stirring until lightly browned. Cool slightly and add 1-cup cold water and blend until smooth. Pour this brown sauce into the cooked mushroom mixture. Cook the mushrooms until tender. Add salt and pepper and a little vinegar to taste.

  

  
  

  Waiting for dinner to be served.;

  

  Washing your hands with money.