Yet, it is the responsibility of the family leaders to not let go of the traditions completely.
But Peter’s parents are no longer with us and our daughter is an adult with her own family. Travelling to our house for Wigilia and then getting home for their American Christmas Day celebration makes life more complicated. So the practicality of 12 courses starting at a strict time with the light of the first star becomes less important than making sure the celebration is stress free and focuses on the family. Not everyone at our table eats fish and we’ve cut back the 12 courses for health reasons.
But no one will be wearing jeans or a ball cap because after all Wigilia is special and only comes once a year.
We still make our wishes for each other with the sharing of a wafer from Poland. We’ve gotten away from a few of the less popular heritage dishes, but we each have something traditional on the menu that is special and beloved.
Each of the dishes we enjoy for Wigilia is in our book: Polish Classic Recipes:
We still make our wishes for each other with the sharing of a wafer from Poland. We’ve gotten away from a few of the less popular heritage dishes, but we each have something traditional on the menu that is special and beloved.
Each of the dishes we enjoy for Wigilia is in our book: Polish Classic Recipes:
• Classic Barszcz (beet soup)
• Vegetables Polonaise
* Baked Fish with Mushrooms & Cheese
• Vegetables Polonaise
* Baked Fish with Mushrooms & Cheese
• Honey Cake
• And multi-national holiday goodies exchanged with the neighbors
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If you aren’t going out this year to celebrate New Year’s Eve, you could host a dinner party for friends or family (or certainly both). Make it easy on yourself, plan a delicious menu (from our book) and ask everyone to bring a dish. For us it’s gotta be comfort food that goes best with the adult beverages to be consumed that night.
Greet everyone with a favorite cocktail or a glass of bubbly. As an appetizer, serve a selection of pretty canapés made up that afternoon. Use round crackers or cocktail squares of dark and light rye bread...see how creative you can get with stacking the ingredients.
For the main course, you can’t go wrong with Hunters Stew (Bigos). It’s a big-flavored savory dish that can be made up several days ahead of time. Have a bowl of baby boiled potatoes nearby that have been drenched in butter and sprinkled liberally with dill.
Some of our friends like an ice-cold Polish vodka with their Hunters Stew...so we’re always ready with our favorite Polish vodka (Luksusowa) but there will be no pressure on those that choose a non-alcoholic drink.
Some of our friends like an ice-cold Polish vodka with their Hunters Stew...so we’re always ready with our favorite Polish vodka (Luksusowa) but there will be no pressure on those that choose a non-alcoholic drink.
If the group is larger, you may want to have one or two additional dishes. If you have access to good smoked kielbasa, buy two or three varieties, slice them into ½ inch rounds and serve with Cwikla, the traditional Beets With Horseradish garnish that takes less than 5 minutes to whip up. YUM...the hotter the better!
Early in the evening, keep the beverages flowing. But you also have a responsibility to keep track of how much your guests imbibe. Closing down the bar early, and switching to decaf coffee, well before folks start going home, is the right thing to do.
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