Folklorama: Cornitze and Schweinshaxe vom Spiess

Schweinshaxe vom Spiess

Folklorama in 1980 was a time when people in Winnipeg went to church a lot.

It wasn’t because anyone had suddenly become religious, but because the churches were the sites for so many pavilions.

It really made a lot of sense.

Many churches in Winnipeg were started and maintained by immigrants who were proud of their ethnic heritage.

The pavilions were run by volunteers who were proud of their ethnic heritage.

One of the main places - and in some cases the only place - where ethnic traditions and culture could be observed was in the local parish churches.

Many of the Folklorama volunteers were also parish members who could easily arrange to set up a pavilion in their church without having to pay rent for the space.

We’re Winnipeggers. 

Why pay rent when you can use a space for free?

The Romanian Pavilion was held in another long established ethnic Winnipeg church, St. Demetrios Romanian Orthodox Church, 103 Furby Street, its sponsor.

After a visitor was welcomed with a warm Bun Venit it was on to the cultural displays.

As would be expected in a church, there were displays of a religious nature: icons painted on an Icon Screen (Iconotasis) sculptured in Romania on oak wood, as well as embroidered linen items.

They also had artists doing egg painting, as well as doing icon painting on glass.

The nightly entertainment consisted of three half-hour shows featuring ethnic dances performed by Balada (an Edmonton dance ensemble) and by the local Perinita Romanian Dance Ensemble, with songs provided by both the parish’s adults' and children’s choir, as well as soloists.

As with the other Eastern European pavilions, the main focus was the food.

The hearty traditional fare included: alivinci cu smantant, sarnmali, rosii si ardei umpluti, colacei, varza cu sunca, and more, followed by prajitura cu mere, saralia and corneletze for dessert.

There were three Romanian table wines and Canadian spirits and beer available, as well as soft drinks, to keep everyone hydrated.

The German Pavilion was at the building owned by its sponsor, The German Society of Winnipeg, at 121 Charles Street, and their introductory piece says:

‘Gemütlichkeit’, roughly translated means good natured, easy, comfortable, and that’s the atmosphere found at the German Pavilion.

Along with the German arts, crafts and historical items on display there was entertainment provided by the Mardi Gras Dancers, as well as singing and yodelling by the entertainers.

Everyone was invited to sing along as the German brass band, two organists, and a guest accordionist from Kitchener, Ontario, filled the air with the sound of Germany.

Along with the sounds filling the air there was plenty of food to fill the stomachs.

Rostbratwurst (a grilled sausage on a bun), Rouladen kit Rotkohl and Eisbein kit Sauerkraut were top favourites on the menu, and went well with the Lowenbrau and Dormunder beer, as well as the German wine and soft drinks.

Paul and I had taken my parents to the German Pavilion during their visits.

Since College Point was originally a German/Irish town they felt right at home.

After a beer or two, they even joined everyone in the yodelling.

Just love that spirit of Gemütlichkeit!

In the Folklorama50 brochure there is still a Romanian and a German Pavilion listed.

No surprise there - the artwork, food and entertainment are excellent.

Want German food more than once a year?

The German Pavilion is home to The Schnitzelhaus which hosts weekly buffets featuring German and Canadian delicacies in a full service dining room.  

It has become famous for its Saturday morning breakfasts.

Hints:

The recipe for Schweinshaxe vom Spiess has an intro that is a bit colourful. Here it is:

The aroma of ‘Schweinshaxe’ on the rotisserie will drive the neighbourhood wild. Try this on the evening that the neighbour you don’t like is serving her husband cold leftovers after he has been mixing cement for their new patio all day.

It even works better if the wind is blowing in their direction.

Willkommen to the ‘hood!

Check the Schweinshaxe for doneness with a meat thermometer.

Even if you’ve invited the nasty neighbours over for dinner, it’s best to be safe.

                        Cornitze

Makes about 100 cookies

Dough

Place in a large bowl

4 Cups flour

1 pound butter

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix well and break into nut-size pieces.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Filling

Combine in a medium bowl

1 pound finely crushed walnuts

1 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

4 egg whites

Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on the work surface.

Roll out a piece of dough and fill with the filling mixture.

Close and form into a crescent shape and place on cookie sheet.

Repeat with the remaining nut-size pieces. 

Bake at 375º F for 20 minutes.

                        Schweinshaxe vom Spiess

Wash and dry

3 pork hocks, not ham, each between 2 - 2 1/2 pounds

With a very sharp knife slit the skin in a crisscross pattern of half inch squares that are 1/2 inch deep.

Rub with 

salt and freshly ground pepper

Roast on the rotisseries at high heat until very well done.

This takes 2 1/2 to 4 hours, depending on the rotisserie and the size of the hocks.

If the skin starts to burn move the meat further from the heat.

Serve with Gemischter Salat (a mixed salad), Semmein (rolls) and Bier (beer).

Folklorama: Pasticchio and Gibanica

Pasticchio

The Greek Pavilion is one of the must-see places during Folklorama.

In 1980 it took place, as always, at 2255 Grant Avenue, at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.

The Ladies Philotochos Society of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, its sponsor, have never disappointed their visitors.

In the earlier years the entertainment and food were located in the church’s basement.

The experience was cozier - we’d browse in the church, where we’d see the gold leaf screen, as well as many works of art. 

Then we went downstairs into the basement, where we enjoyed the music, the dancers, and the food.

Nia Vardalos, of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame, has said that she had performed as a dancer there, as it was her parish and everyone volunteered. 

It was a fun-filled place, where the audience was invited to take part in the Zorba dance. Opa!!

The food at the Greek Pavilion has always been authentic and delicious.

We’d have a dinner of moussaka, souvlaki or pasticchio, then follow with dessert, baklava and kourabiethes, and a glass or two of Greek ouzo and Retsina.

Often people in groups would order one or two of everything and sample while enjoying the show.

As it was one of our favourites, we made sure to take my folks there when they here during Folklorama.

Since those early days the church has acquired an adjoining hall where the entertainment takes place. Now there’s a show on a stage and we can only watch the young men perform the Zorba dance.

Fun and well done, but I miss the old days when we could join in the dance.

Just north of Greece is Serbia, so let’s visit the Serbian Pavilion, which in 1980 was held in Sargent Park School at 1070 Dominion Street and extended a family-oriented Dobro Dosli to all.

The St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church congregation was the sponsor.

Classrooms were filled with cultural displays explaining the history, geography, customs, traditions and music of Serbia.

There were also short movies illustrating the way of life in Serbia.

The Servian Folk Dance Group, in national costume, performed folk dances.

The menu was hearty and delicious.

For dinner there was moussaka, sarma djuvech, barbecued piglet, and bean soup, with many desserts, including Gibanica.

Visitors could choose from Servian wines, Silvovica and Niksicko beer, as well as domestic and soft drinks.

Of course the Greek Pavilion is in the current Folklorama50 brochure, as well as two Serbian pavilions: the Serbian "KOLO" Pavilion and the Serbian Pavilion "Beograd”.  

          

Hints:

The Pasticchio recipe measures with sticks of butter.

I assume each stick is 1/4 pound.

If you ever go to a Greek restaurant and see Pastitsio or Pasticcio, it’s the same dish as Pasticchio. 

Enjoy!

In the 1980 brochure there was a note about Filo in the Serbian piece: 

Strudel; Ready made filo can be purchased in Greek or Italian stores.

Sure, you can still find it there, as well as any other major grocery store.

We’ve come a long way since 1980.

                        Pasticchio 

You’ll need a 17 1/2 inch x 11 1/2 inch x 2 1/2 inch pan

        or a combination of smaller pans - adjust the baking time

Chop

1 onion

Place in a large pot

1/2 stick butter

Over medium heat fry the chopped onion in the butter until golden brown.

Add 

3 pounds ground beef

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

Stirring regularly, cook 10 minutes until the meat is browned.

Add

4 ounces tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Set aside.

In a large pot boil

1 1/2 pounds macaroni

Cook 9 minutes.

Drain, blanch with cold water in a large bowl, and set aside.

Cream Sauce

Warm

1 1/2 quarts milk

Beat in a medium bowl

10 eggs

Melt in a Dutch oven

1 stick butter

Add gradually and stir continuously to avoid lumps

5 teaspoons flour

Stir in the warmed milk.

Add the beaten eggs to the mixture and stir until it thickens.

Beat in a medium bowl

8 eggs

Drain the macaroni and return to the large bowl

Add

1 pound Romano cheese, grated

3 Cups of the cream sauce

the beaten eggs

Stir well to combine.

Melt in the large baking ban (or divide among smaller ones)

1 stick butter

Place half of the macaroni mixture in the pan.

Sprinkle with

1/2 pound Romano cheese, grated

Pour the meat mixture over the pasta.

Top with the remaining pasta mixture.

Sprinkle with

1/2 pound Romano cheese, grated

Pour the remaining cream sauce over the pasta mixture.

Bake at 325º F for 1 hour and 25 minutes, if using the large pan.

                        Gibanica  

To make Filo

Place in a large mixing bowl

4 Cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 1/2 Cups warm water

Mix with a fork.

Knead on a board for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 3 balls.

Brush each with salad oil, cover with a cloth, and let stand for 20 minutes.

Using one ball at a time roll out about 12 inches x 6 inches.

Then pull gently over a clean tablecloth working on all sides evenly until the dough is tissue paper thin and hangs down on all sides of the table.

Allow the dough to dry a few minutes, then lift from the tablecloth.

Stretch a little more and cut off the thick edges.

Leave Filo on the table.

Cheese Filling

Place in a large mixing bowl

2 pounds cottage cheese

4 ounces cream cheese

5 eggs

2 Tablespoons sour cream

2 Tablespoons margarine, melted

1 teaspoon salt

Mix well.

Sprinkle salad oil on the filo.

Spread evenly 1/3 of the filling over the filo.

Lift the tablecloth and roll the filled filo in a sausage -like roll.

Sprinkle with oil and place in a greased baking pan.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake at 350º F for one hour.

Folklorama: Khrustyky and Walnut Torte

Khrustyky

Back in 1980, in addition to two Irish pavilions, there were two Ukrainian pavilions.

One was the Kiev Pavilion, while the other was the Lviv Pavilion.

Bitaemo!

There may have been a logical reason for this.

Maybe two different boatloads of people migrated from each of these places.

Maybe there was some historical reason why they didn’t put on a show together.

Maybe one was a little bit country, while the other was a little bit city.  

The Lviv Pavilion was set up at 591 Pritchard Avenue, the building belonging to the sponsor, the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians.

Right off the bat they talk about the food: pyrohy, holubtski, nalysynki, kyshka and studinets, which were served with local beers and liquors.

They posted a recipe for Khrustyky.

For entertainment they had AUUC choirs, while the orchestra and soloists were joined by the Kamenyan Dancers from Edmonton.

They imported performers from Lviv and featured paintings and displays based on work from the Ukrainian poet, writer, scholar, and humanitarian, Ivan Franco, who created almost all of his works in the city of Lviv.

There was a museum to display the cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people.

It was a seriously thorough, educational pavilion.

The Kiev Pavilion took place at Garden City Collegiate.

From what I remember of Folkloramas during those years, it was one of the must-see places, year after year, and the lines of people waiting to get into the place were long.

There were dance ensembles and choirs such as the Orlan Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, the Selkirk Dancers, the O. Koshetz Choir, the Todaschuk Sisters and a special guest from Montreal, Andy Czerney, who was billed as a contemporary Ukrainian vocalist.

The classrooms had been turned into display areas filled with Ukrainian cross-stitch embroidery, loaves of braided bread, artifacts and a pysanky (egg painting) workshop.

While there you could feast on holubci, varenyky, borscht, tortes, uke-a-bobs, and other delicacies, washed down with domestic beer and liquors.

They chose to share their Walnut Torte recipe.

The Kiev was more relaxed than the Lviv was, with something for everybody.

Uke-a-bobs were a hit with the kiddies.

Even my father enjoyed their food and show! 

In this year’s Folklorama the Ukraine is represented by the Ukraine-Kyiv Pavilion, whose show includes the Todaschuk Sisters.
There will also be the Spirit of Ukraine Pavilion, as well as the Russian Pavilion.

Hints:

The Walnut Torte is a light torte and you can use any filling, within reason.

Jams, canned pie filling or cooked prunes are good.

If you want to be fancy you can spread a hazelnut cream filling and then spread it over the top and sides, like a layer cake.

                        Khrustyky 

Place in a large mixer bowl

3 egg yolks

3 large eggs

Beat until light and fluffy.

Add, beating after each addition

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon brandy or whiskey

1 1/2 Cups flour

Beat until you have a soft dough.

Cover bowl and let stand 30 minutes.

Divide dough into four portions.

Take one portion and roll very thin.

Cut into 3/4 inch strips, then diamond shape in 2 inch lengths.

Make a slit in the centre of each diamond, pull one end through the slit.

Fry for a few seconds in hot oil until a light golden colour.

Drain on paper towels to cool, then dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

                        Walnut Torte 

Place in a large mixer bowl

10 egg whites 

Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Line 2 deep layer cake pans with wax paper and butter them well.

Add to the egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 or 3 drops of mapeline

Beat until it is stiff and stands in peaks.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in a medium mixer bowl

8 egg yolks

Beat well.

Add gradually

1 cup powdered sugar (berry)

Beat until light and fluffy.

Stir in 

1 Cup finely ground walnuts

4 Tablespoons fine bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons flour

Fold the beaten egg whites into this mixture.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake 40 minutes, or until done when tested.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans 5 minutes, then remove them to a cake rack.

Spread any favourite filling between the layers and over the top.

Folklorama, Then and Now / Bakewell Tart and Scottish Shortbread

Shortbread

From August 4 to 17 we’ll be celebrating Folklorama 50!

Imagine that - the fiftieth Folklorama!

Folklorama was intended to be a one-time celebration of Manitoba’s centennial in 1970. 

It was originally in downtown Winnipeg on King Street, all within walking distance.

Well that was easy - it only had 21 pavilions.

Folklorama proved so popular that it came back the next, and every summer, since.

For the longest time it was a one-week celebration.

The pavilions were in different neighbourhoods, many not in walking distance.

When Paul and I first arrived here in 1975 we really got into all the festivals in Manitoba, and that included the full, one-week, Folklorama experience.

We felt it was our duty as new Manitobans to take part in each and every event.

We were 25.  

We had more energy than sense.  

We were dumb.

We had our reasons. 

We'd grown up in New York, to be exact, Queens. 

Manhattanites knew we weren’t real New Yorkers.

Folks in Queens had the attitude I live here, I don’t have to see it.

‘It’ being Manhattan and all the tourist attractions in it.

Then we moved to British Columbia. 

We’d always meant to see places like the Butchart Gardens, but we never got around to them during the two years we lived there.

Well… we weren't going to make that mistake again.  

We were going to see everything we could in Manitoba - in one year.

Most of 1975 was a blur, including all of the Folklorama pavilions.  

I sort of remember lots of embroidery.  

I do remember the time we were stopped by a cop on Main Street.  

We weren't drunk.  

Paul had been driving and, while I waved the Folklorama passport, Paul explained to the officer that we were looking for Poland and we hadn't noticed that we'd gone past a three-way intersection.

Cops hear it all during Folklorama. 

Over the years Folklorama has gone through a few changes.

It’s grown to 45 pavilions which now are spread out over two weeks.

Some of the original pavilions have stopped putting on a show.

The volunteers had gotten old and the kids weren't interested.

No problem.

There are plenty of folks from other countries happy to set up pavilions.

Some countries are represented by more than one pavilion.

Don't ask.

I still have a program from the 1980 Folklorama.

There was a bit of information from each of the 37 pavilions.

What made this program special was that 34 countries also posted recipes.

The Chilean, Chinese, and Mennonite Pavilions had nice write-ups, but no recipes. 

The Scotland Pavilion, at the Heather Curling Club, had posted Scottish Shortbread.

The Mug Pug Pavilion, representing England, was set up in the University of Manitoba.

They had full meals from every corner of the British Isles served in a British pub atmosphere with entertainment and plenty of drinks. 

They shared the recipe for the Bakewell Tart which originated when, many years ago, a customer at the Rutland Arms in Bakewell, Derbyshire, ordered some strawberry tarts, and the cook mistakenly put the egg mixture on top of the jam.

It wasn’t the first time a simple mistake led to a new - and good - recipe.

This year, in addition to the United Kingdom Pavilion, there is a Pavilion of Scotland.

There are two Chile Pavilions: the Chile Lindo Pavilion and the Chilean Pavilion.

Enjoy!!

Hints:

You can substitute 12 ounces of flour and 4 ounces of rice flour for the flour in the Shortbread recipe.

                        Bakewell Tart 

Line a sandwich tin with

6 ounces short crust pastry

Over the pastry spread

2 Tablespoons jam

Place in a medium mixing bowl

4 ounces shortening

4 ounces castor sugar

Cream well and add

few drops almond extract

2 eggs

Beat well together, add

2 ounces ground almonds (or sponge cake crumbs)

Spread the mixture on top of the jam.

Bake at 375º F for 50 minutes.

                        Scottish Shortbread

Grease a large cookie pan.

Combine in a large bowl

16 ounces flour

  4 ounces fine sugar

Place on a board

8 ounces butter

Work in the dry ingredients, kneading well.

After all ingredients are worked together, knead and then shape into a round cake or into fingers about 1/2 inch thick.

Place on prepared land and prick with a fork.

Bake at 325º F - 45 minutes for the fingers, 60 minutes if baking a cake.

Leave on the pan for a short time before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Anna Sultana’s Magic Cookie Bars - Harvest Moon, Super Blood Moon & Total Lunar Eclipse!

A few days ago I suggested buying a box of crushed graham cracker crumbs to make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars.

I mentioned that you’ll use them.

Got an email asking where else the crumbs can be used.

I understand… the bills came in from summer vacation trips and back-to-school purchases.

You want to know these crumbs won't just sit on the shelf and gather dust.

Okay…. the graham cracker crumbs can also be used in the following recipes: 

Carmela Soprano's New Jersey Cheesecake

Carmela Soprano's Tortoni

Sweetened Condensed Milk Cheesecake 

Sweetened Condensed Milk Pie with Fruit Cocktail 

Ma also had another recipe that uses crumbs which she had discovered by mistake.

Pop’s mistake, not her mistake.

She had asked Pop to pick up a few things from the local A & P.

Just some prepackaged and canned stuff.

How much trouble could he get into looking for that kind of stuff?

She wasn’t asking him to pick through the fresh produce.

Pop went to the store and got directions for where the canned milk was kept.

He went to the aisle and looked around.

Then he knew he was in trouble.

Ma’s list had made perfect sense to her.

She had written “2 cans milk”.

By that she meant two cans of evaporated milk.

Did you see Michael Keaton in the 1983 movie Mr. Mom?

Do you remember when he asked the deli lady for some cheese and ham?

What could've been simpler?

Remember Keaton's expression and mounting panic when he was listening to the clerk as she rattled off all the different kinds of cheese and ham?

I guess his wife had written the same kind of list.

Well, 20 years before Mr. Mom came out Pop had the same kind of problem.

Ma had written what was to her a clear list.

Pop could read her writing.

The list was pretty straight forward.

Who knew there was more than one kind of canned milk?

This was in the 60s.

Pop couldn’t whip out a cellphone to ask for further instructions.

He grabbed a can of evaporated milk and a can of sweetened condensed milk.

Pop was a glass half full kind of guy.

One of them had to be the right can of milk, right?

Ma just gave him The Look when she saw the sweetened condensed milk.

It wasn’t worth a fight or a second trip to the store just to exchange it. 

Ma was also curious about the recipe that was on the label.

So she put the can in the cupboard.

After a few weeks she gave the recipe a try.

She used what she had and, after adding a few of her special touches, a new family favourite was born.

Hints:

Want less crust?

Use

1 1/2 Cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 Cup butter or margarine, melted

The can of sweetened condensed milk I’m using in this recipe is 300 mL.

That’s 10 ounces or 1 1/4 Cups.

You can use either regular or low fat sweetened condensed milk.

If your store carries a sweetened condensed milk that comes in a different sized can, that's not a problem.

Just measure what you need or adjust your dry ingredients to keep in proportion.

Ma would use what she had - sometimes more chocolate if she was short on nuts.

It’s a forgiving recipe.

The original recipe called for pecans.

Ma usually used chopped walnuts.

Peanuts are good, too.

The original recipe called for semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Ma used other kinds of chocolate, too.

I remember one Christmas when she used only white chocolate and added a layer of chopped maraschino cherries on top.

They were quite pretty for the holidays!

The temperature given is for a metal pan. 

Bake at 325º F if you’re using a glass pan.

                        Magic Cookie Bars

Line a 9" x 13" pan with aluminum foil 

Have a generous overhang so you can lift it out of the pan.

Preheat oven to 350º F

In a medium bowl combine

2 Cups graham wafer crumbs

3/4 Cup butter, melted

Spread in prepared pan.

Pour evenly over the crumb crust

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Sprinkle over the milk covered crumbs

1 1/3 Cups chopped nuts (optional)

1 Cup butterscotch chips (optional)

1 1/3 Cups chocolate chips

1 1/3 Cups flaked coconut

Press down firmly.

Bake 30 minutes, until lightly browned.

Let cool 5 minutes in the pans.

Remove from the pan.

Cool thoroughly and cut into bars.

Store covered at room temperature.

About the moon this weekend…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

On September 27 we’ll see a Full Harvest Moon!

The Moon is also at its closest point to Earth.  It's only 221,870 miles from Earth.

The absolute closest that the Moon can come is 221,400 miles from Earth. 

This makes this full Moon an official super moon.  
It will look up to 14% larger and be up to 30% brighter than a normal full Moon.

It’s called the Full Corn Moon or Full Harvest Moon because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested by Native Americans. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice, the chief Indian staples, are now ready for gathering.

Learn why it’s called the Harvest Moon.

In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September.  But in some years it occurs in October. 

Farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. 

On September 27 there will also be a total lunar eclipse!

A lunar eclipse is when the Moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. The total lunar eclipse is visible from most of North America (except Alaska and northernmost Canada) after sunset on September 27.