ZABAVA on Whyte Avenue (Edmonton)

For three days of epic arts and culture, the only feature celebration site in Edmonton during the 2013 Alberta Culture Days will happening at St. John's Institute on Whyte Avenue (near the University of Alberta). All events are free, all fun, and full of cultural richness - all you need to do is arrive in a Ukrainian blouse or shirt! Come out to support the community's Ukrainian artists, performing and visual. Industrious volunteers could help with the pyrogy pinching party, or help out in other ways.

Just make sure to be there for the Saturday night zabava right on Whyte Avenue - the street will closed! And Trembita Ukrainian Band wants you there for the fun!

Halushky - the Gluten Free Varennyk (Pyrogy)



n.kryschuk



Craving pyrohy (varenyky) is an issue for people with gluten intolerance issues. But there is a way around it - truly there is. Here is a recipe to try, delicious and easy. Tastes almost like the real thing!! Enjoy!

 

Potato Halushky
1 cup mashed potatoes
½ cup flour (try non gluten flour with 1/8 tsp of xanthum gum)
1 egg beaten
½ teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Shape mixture with fingers into finger lengths. If you get creative, try varenyk shaped, little half moons or tiny triangles.  They will be sticky, but resist the temptation to add more flour. (makes about 10 fingers)

Drop them into rapidly boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes.

Remove with colander. Place on a serving dish with melted butter (margarine). (fried onions optional)

This quick and simple meal is for those who like pyrohi (vareniky) but are concerned about the amount of flour needed for the dough. With only ½ cup flour to one cup of potato, this is a good alternative. It’s probably not wise to make a big recipe.

Primitive and Delicious

Feeling a little thwarted in my Paleo Ukrainian Christmas planning lately.  Puzzled and trying to find ancient solutions with today's tools.  Cultural anthropology anyone?

Armed with a recipe for non gluten varenyky that requires non gluten all purpose flour from the health food store.  Not sure I am going to like garbanzo bean flavoured dough.  Sure enough, pyrohy don't stick! Back to the health food store for another variety that uses rice, tapioca, quinoa and something else.  Doesn't sound like something pra-baba used.

amk2013

It got me thinking about this whole wheat issue.  If it is true that wheat has been around for thousands of years, clearly the first farmers harvested only small amounts, and used what they had.  Milling would have been way to much a process for the ancients, not in a big way at least.  So they must have ground what they needed, as they needed. 

I've discovered that wheat doesn't instantly produce gluten, it needs to be worked - ie kneaded to produce the gluten properties, then....Well, it seems that rolling dough thin enough for sticky dough varenyky was probably not easy for the ancients.  And compounded with that, finger pinching pyrogies in the coldest, darkest time of winter was probably not all that comfortable. 

So, it got  me thinking about  korzh  iz makom - корж із маком, the way my mom makes it.  Actually, this recipe is probably something her grandmother brought from her mother, when she left to be married at 12 years old.  Yah, that's my pra-baba, and that's an old recipe.

amk2013

It's a basic dough for varenyky, kneaded soft, and rolled out onto a greased pan, like a flatbread.  No yeast involved.  Bake it, cool and break into chunks while warm and dress it with a warm liquidy mixture of poppy seed, honey and water.  Suitable for a meatless meal anytime!

So, in all practicality, the Ukrainian kutia кутя is probably a real starting point in culinary tradition.  And varenyky вареники are probably based on the enhanced properties of gluten wheat flour.  Interesting. Korzh iz makom корж із маком is probably somewhere in the middle of the journey in Ukrainian cookery - hope you enjoy the recipe.  In my eyes, this is truly winter lenten fare - primitive and delicious.

Try this recipe for a lenten korzh корж - 3 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 cup soya milk.  Mix the dry ingredients and add the wet, mix and knead well.  Roll to 1 cm thick and place on sprayed baking sheet.  Prick all over with fork and bake for 45 minutes in medium oven.
Or try this recipe for a non lenten korzh - 3 eggs, well beaten, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp salt, 3 tsp baking powder, 4 cups flour.

Beat the liquid ingredients, add the dry and knead until soft and pliable.  Roll thin and drape in vegetable oil sprayed cookie sheet, pricking the dough in several places.  Bake in medium oven for 45 minutes.  After the palyanitsia паляниця cools, break chunks into a bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, soak 1 cup poppy seed in boiling water, drain the water and grind the seeds.  Add sugar or honey to taste.  Moisten the palyanitsia паляниця chunks with boiling water, adding the sweetened, ground poppy seeds and mix.  Serve warm.

Still have to find solutions to the non gluten varenyky problem - help!

Remembrance, Analysis and Problem Solving

What are you hungry for?  Most of us have simple needs.  We need to belong. So where is the meeting place in Calgary for Ukrainians seeking belonging?

Calgary's Ukrainian churches serve more than Liturgical services, the Spirit is an energy, energy for fueling community.  And the community is always active.

Calgary's Ukrainian Community hosts seniors clubs, choirs, dancing organizations, language schools, cooking teams, bazaar events, political activist groups, teen clubs, scouts organizations, Christian catechism programs, book clubs, libraries, museums, programs for every age, outreach groups, visitations for the needy, fundraisers for worthy causes, authors, painters, sculptors, weavers, and builders, connections to international groups of similar purpose, the list goes on.  You belong!

And the unifying constant, the signpost that identifies Ukrainians of all stripes, the symbol that says "we were here", "we are here", in my humble opinion is the pyrogy пиріг (also referred to as the varenyk вареник).

Varenyk - pyrih, is a boiled dough wrapped morsel of deliciousness. Comfort food at its best - a reminder of times past, hard times, survival, family and ancestry, loving hands.  The pyrogy/varenyk is an example of remembrance, analysis and problem solving, thoughtfulness and consideration, speed, suppleness and flexibility. The pyrogy is ancestral memory all in one delicious morsel, it is part of a  mystical connection to something bigger than all of us.

Danny Schur of Winnipeg produced this documentary of interest to all Ukrainians in all parts of the Ukrainian community. He wrote, directed, shot, edited, created music and produced this documentary at Winnipeg's Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic church. With Danny's best, here is the link.http://youtu.be/CM4JIBqjAZA

University of Calgary Ukrainian Students' Society

The Ukrainian Student's Society, at the University of Calgary, has a new President!  Kathryn Owad is a third year science student, majoring
in Biology! Besides that she is a PLAST member, and youth leader/counsellor on Saturdays, and has willingly given up her summers to be a camp counsellor/leader too!  And she has been dancing with Barvinok Ukrainian Dancers, for 16 years. 

The Ukrainian Student's Society at the Univeristy of Calgary has been a welcoming place since Kathryn's first year of studies.  Since many PLAST friends were actively involved, she instantly felt at home, and extended an arm to welcome others.  She served on various executive positions, but was made President just recently!  Congratulations, Kathryn!

President Kathryn (and Former President Andrij Butynets - who were both recently counsellors at PLAST's summer camp for novaky - at Camp Bar-V-Nok, Pigeon Lake) recently told me of their first Ukrainian Student's Society event for the 2012-13 season - it was a Perogie dinner and perogie eating contest! Their first social gathering, it was basically a meet and greet to involve our old and new members.  And the winner of the perogie eating contest (which involved THIRTEEN competitors) got a bottle of Ukrainian vodka followed by continued socializing at the University bar "The Den".

The Ukrainian Student's Society welcomes all students to their next event,  "Music Bingo Night" which will be on October 9 at "The Den".  They will feature three categories of music (Classic rock, top 40's, and Ukrainian").  Prizes will be awarded to those who recognize the songs!

Their third event is the "Ukraine vs. Poland's annual soccer match," which will be held
October 19th and is pretty much just a big cultural competition between
the USS and the Polish club! Kathryn says they are still sorting out main details but
it's always a fun time, and Ukraine almost always wins!

Their future events include: Holodomor awareness at St. Vlads with a small presentation by the club. EURO CUP 2013 which is a soccer tournament against different clubs, some of which include: Polish, British, French, German, and Spanish clubs, and is mainly organized by their USS executive! (who, it seems, won the tournament last year!!).
The club also hosts a pysanka painting workshop, a dance workshop, and a Ukrainian cuisine night/garlic eating contest, coming up in the new year!!!
Kathryn shared another interesting bit about the group.  She says that the USS executive likes to do is play "Mario Cart" in our clubs office (which is graciously provided by the U of C! The Ukrainian Student's Society club room is a gathering place where there is always gaming going on and it has become a club tradition to play on study breaks!

Come and visit at MSC 279-I. The office is located in the Macewan Clubs area in the corner of Macewan Hall by 'Stor'.
So, if you are aware of Ukrainian students needing a Ukrainian welcome at the U of C, please pass this information along! 

ps - Congrats to the club for their generous and enthusiastic welcome!  Good luck with your events!!  Sounds like fun!

Their contact info is:
Email - uss@ucalgary.ca
office - MSC 279I (Mac hall)
Phone # - 403-220-7012
Website - www.usscalgary.org
Facebook page: University of Calgary Ukrainian Students' Society

http://susk.ca/media/publication/