Any Polish Christmas Recipes?

My Grandparents were from Krakov, and Warsaw, does anyone have any wonderful Christmas special potato recipes to share.
Thank you,
Godlewski:)

Potato is so common in Poland that I dont' think there are any special receipes.. Maybe frytki (french fries? :).

or "placki ziemniaczane" (kill me but I don't know how translate that in english :) )

Seriously, "placki ziemniaczane" mean "potato pancakes". They look like below:

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  placki_ziemniaczane..gif
  

Do Polish celebrate christmas like the english and american does anyone know?

In the region where I live "potato pancakes" are called “plince” and are served with sugar. Personally, I don't like them very much. :)


First you have to tell us how English and Americans are spending their Christmas. Is it true that English people are obsessed with Christmas postcards? And what’s with that gossip that English people started to call Christmas just Holiday? :(

Urmmm firstly christmas is more of a comercial thing as in for children there is not much relgion behind it and it is all about money, yeah everyone sends each other christmas cards of which they send there best wishes and love in,


I am not entirely to sure what you mean here?

Wow. Is that all of the UK or just you and your family?

In the US many people go to church the night before then gets together for a dinner with the family and it's usually a big spread and plenty of coctails :) xmas morning these presents, brunch and more coctails.

That is the majority of us here in central london - of course i go to church but many others do not!!!

Most of us share gifts and spend time with our familys for dinner which is very nice but there are a many that don't do this x

Well, I've heard that in England it is no longer polite to wish other people merry Christmas, as the worshippers of other religions may feel uncomfortable and upset about it. I've also heard, that because of the same reason, the word "Christmas" was replaced by the word "holiday" on many Christmas cards. Judging by your post, I think that somebody was just talking bollocks. :)

Matyjasz, mmmmm maybe it has in different parts of london i do not think people in central london would let that happen cause they are pretty racist and stick up for what they believe in so they would not let people dictate to them that way, this is my opionion anyway x

They do happy holiday in corporate situations. It's a lot easier than saying merry christmas, happy kwanza, happy chanuka...or whatever else to satisfy everyone.

Fisz that is a very fair point so not to sure now

I don't think that it's good that people in central London are racist, but I do think that it's great that they stick up for their tradition and their beliefs. :)


I don't think that it's very hard to say merry Christmas, happy Hanukah, etc... But if people have no problem with this situation, than it's fine I think.

Yes i no i mean i for one stand up for my religion and can see why people stand up for their tradition and beliefs but i like you do not agree with them being racist.

So my question still has not been answered how do polish celebrate crimbo? x

This is also corporate. So, you're dealing with thousands of people. For a large company it would be too time consuming to tend to each groups needs so it's simplified. Personally I don't care. But it seems like there are many who do, and they'll complain or even file a grievance. It's mostly the people that don't celebrate christmas that care so much.

I can understand that. But if I were placed in such a position I would still wish people merry Christmas. It doesn't cost you anything.

Wow that is what i call christmas - i like the idea of a empty plate representing the death kind of thing.

Thank you so much i find it really interesting - do you think the polish which are england over christmas will still celebrate crimbo in this way?

Ohh, and the description of Polish Christmas isn't complete. I don't see anything about the presents. In my family, we open them after the dinner. Sometimes they are put under the Christmas tree, and sometimes they are delivered by Santa Claus. Here in Wielkopolska we call Santa Claus "Gwiazdor" which literally means "The Starman". :) It comes from the word "Gwiazdka" (eng. "Star") which is how we call Christmas Eve.

There are a lot more traditions, many of whom have their beginnings in the Slavic pagan beliefs and tradition, but I will write about them maybe another day.

Matyjasz - thank you for helping me understand, i like the idea of santa claus being star man i think it has more meaning to him that way. I notice you keep mentioning pressies hee hee i take it thats you favorite part hee hee x

I'm sure they will. :)

I totally agree. If you happen not to be Catholic...just say so :) people are so damn sensitive about everything these days.

Matyjasz what about if there families are not around them and FiSZ i agree with you there big time x

So Matyjasz...what are some other Christmas dishes besides Carp, herring, clear barszcz...

Thanks Matyjasz for the information. I am not Polish but have been invited to a traditional Christmas Eve dinner at my Polish teacher's house, next Christmas. What would be an appropriate gift to bring to her and to her husband? And how do I wish them well, in Polish, over the sharing of opłatek? (I could always ask her but I would like to surprise her with it.)

As for 'Happy Holidays' replacing 'Merry Christmas', I have to say that it varies from person to person in Canada. In the corporate sphere, it might vary (that would be my somewhat educated guess) depending on how rural or urban the area is. In most urban centers, I believe that people would use the 'Happy Holidays' greeting with colleagues and in stores. Many do not use any kind of greeting, also, which I personally find unfortunate. However, in more rural settings, or with people who one knows better (well enough to know the religious preferences), then a more precise greeting may be made.

Oh, Please let me have your recipe for potato pancakes. I had them from a polish restaurant when I lived in Chicago. Now I live in southern Indiana and all they know is "country Cooking."

I remember this recipe for potato pancakes, the way my Mother made them:

4-5 peeled, finely grated potatoes
1 small onion grated
1 egg
2 tbs flour
pinch of salt
Vegetable oil

Mix grated potatoes & onion and let them drain in a collander to get rid of excess water.
Add a beaten egg and flour. Add salt.

Using a tablespoon, add a little batter into a skillet filled with hot oil, spreading the batter thinly around. You want your pancakes to be thin & crisp, so don't mound too much batter in the skillet. Fry till the edges turn light brown. Turn to a platter.

Keep it hot in the warm oven while you fry the rest.

Hope this is good and it works out for you.

Potato pancakes are not traditional polish dish on Christmas Eve. I'm Polish and i love potato pancakes, but never ate them during Christmas time. But of course people have different habbits and ways to spend Christmas Eve.

But i think some things are common to everyone:
- we don't eat meat during Christmas Eve
- don't drink alcohol
- there should be 12 dishes at the table (symbol - those twelve guys that helped Jesus)
- traditional dishes are:
* carp in gelly - cold dish
* clear red barsch with very small dumplings (uszka - literally ears)
* dumplings with mushroom and cabbage filling
* herring in many different ways
* in my region: kutia (containing poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, currants, figs and dates)

Karolina

P.S. You should also try potato cake, generally very similar to potato pancakes, but it's big, less oily and it's baked.

My parents are from Poland - for Christmas Eve we have boiled potatoes with chopped fried onion. The whole meal consists of barscz with mushroom pierogi, fish (orange roughy), kapusta, kluski z makiem (homemade noodles with poppyseed). There are other items that are served, but I can't remember the names. Will have to ask mom! There is no meat served on Christmas Eve.

Ignore that crap. It is Christmas, will always be Christmas. This same thing happened a couple years ago here in the states and we put a stop to it right quick. People are taking things way to far with this politacally correct crap. Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!1

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas...if this offends anyone then don't read it. We don't go into your country and try to change things to your way of thinking.

But when they want us to spend money on gifts it is a Merry Christmas isn't it.