A Lesson about Sharing

Suburban Chicago, December 24, 1960. I don't mind sharing the pink bear with my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, because I carry my favorite stuffed dog. It was a good haul.

A Happier Kūčios

Verona, Wisconsin, December 24, 2013. The table will be a little melancholy this year.

We are ready for Kūčios

Suburban Chicago, December 24, 1965. We're about to share the Kūčios meal. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, holds a plotkelė wafer. I'm trying to imitate my cool Toronto Cousin's hairstyle; Mom didn't like it.

Overstimulated

December 24, 1960. My Mom remembers Santa bringing only one toy for me each Christmas. I remember more. Here's a post-Kūčios, gift-opening session at which I received at least three gifts. There's a top, and I got a telephone so I could be just like Mom. This also is the year when Santa delivered the skunk.

Ah, look! It's Christmas Eve, and Tatjana has put on a dressier housecoat. Tatjana's habit of wearing housecoats drove Mom batty.

Related by Marriage: Gifts

Madison, Wisconsin, December 24, 1991. Mr. Irene watches as Aunt Martha opens a gift.

Waiting at the Bay Window

Suburban Chicago, December 24, 1965. Dad spots me again waiting at the window for Santa.

The Madison Kūčios Celebration

Madison-Vilnius Sister Cities, Inc. and the Madison-area folk dance group, Žaibas, hosted its annual Kūčios gathering yesterday. It's a lovely event, and folks arrive from around the state to celebrate the occasion.

Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. Each table featured a plate of plotkelės.

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. It's a potluck affair. I made Christmas Fish. (See menu items and recipes here and here and here.)

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. We had several delicious herring dishes.

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. That's my (first) plate. My favorite dish was the "Herring Under a Fur Coat."

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. Santa arrives!

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. Santa engages the children in the "Jurgelis Meistrelis" dance. Santa had push-ups on the mind.

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. This Santa was so good that even his children didn't recognize him.

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. Santa had a tree decorated with straw ornaments.

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. Finally, it's time for the gifts!

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. Aww, bless.

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 12, 2015. There's no free gift for the older children: each must recite a poem or perform a song before Santa passes along the prize.

A Closer Look (Part 24)

Mariampolis, Lithuania, December 24, 1936. This is my maternal Grandmother, Jadzė. The family resemblance is clear in this photo.

Here's the original post.

Memory Triggers

Suburban Chicago, December 24, 1965. Dad snapped this photo as we waited for Kūčios to begin. Although I smiled, I was annoyed because Mom had just used a barrette to undo the effect of my cool, over-the-eye, side-parted bob. Mom made me wear tights again! And this was long before tights were fashionable. I also was miserable because I suffered from badly chapped lips that winter. Do you recognize the silver bracelet?

This image captures how pink our kitchen was. There's the Roper wall oven that served us for 34 years. The elephant figurine resting below the chandelier presently sits—minus his tusks—on a bookshelf in our current home. The "Swim Little Duck" folk art hangs above Mom's head.

A Closer Look (Part 16)

Mariampolis, Lithuania, December 24, 1936. My Mom cherishes her Christmas gift. The doll may be wearing Polish folkdress; Mom's maternal Grandmother, Zigmunta, was Polish.

Here's the original post for this photo.

Dinner Supervisor

Verona, Wisconsin, December 24, 2014. Rex oversees the end of our Kūčios celebration.

Christmas Fish

Are you curious about the recipe for "Christmas Fish?" Here is how we make it:

Žuvis su Pomidorais, or "Christmas Fish"

1/4 ounce dry Porcini mushrooms

1-1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds yellow onions, sliced into rings

5 to 6 ounces carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

3 ounces celery, coarsely grated

2 tablespoons tomato paste

24 ounces tomato ketchup

1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (to taste)

2 bay leaves

1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika (to taste)

8 peppercorns

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, minced very fine

1/4 cup dry, white wine

2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice (to taste)

3 to 4 tablespoons dill pickle brine (or cider vinegar)

1 cup flour, sifted

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

32 ounces firm white fish (Whitefish, Sole, or Orange Roughy)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced

Cover the dry mushrooms with 1-1/4 cups water in a glass measuring cup. Microwave for about 1-1/2 minutes; then let the mushrooms soak in the water for about 30 minutes. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter; reserve 3/4 cup liquid. Chop the mushrooms finely.

In a large skillet, heat the canola oil and butter. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until onions are translucent and softened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add tomato paste, ketchup, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, peppercorns, chopped, chopped mushrooms, and parsley. Add the white wine; scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Sauté, stirring often, for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add 2 teaspoon lemon juice, reserved 3/4 cup mushroom liquid, and 3 tablespoons dill pickle brine to the pan. Simmer slowly for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, or until the mixture thickens. Taste to determine whether the sauce needs more Dijon mustard, paprika, lemon juice, and/or dill pickle brine (or cider vinegar). Cool the sauce. While the sauce cools, prepare the fish.

Mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the fish fillets in the flour mixture and shake off excess. 

In a large sauteuse pan, heat the canola oil (there should be about one-half inch of oil in the pan). Brown the fish fillets. When the fish fillets are browned, transfer to several layers of paper towel to drain the excess oil.

Assemble the dish in a 3-quart, glass serving dish. Spread a layer of the onion/tomato sauce mixture on the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of the fish, then a layer of the onion/tomato sauce, then fish, with the top layer of the onion/tomato sauce. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

Serve at room temperature. Just before serving, sprinkle with freshly snipped parsley leaves.

This Year's Table for Kūčios

Verona, Wisconsin, December 24, 2014. We stick to the twelve traditional dishes for our Kūčios.

(When Mom saw the table, she said, "Do you remember when I roasted a duck on Kūčios?!!")

Merry Christmas!

Silent Night

Lübeck, Germany, about 1946. The residents of the DP camp's Žirgynas prepare to celebrate the Kūčios meal. (More photos from this night appear here, here, here, and here.)

Thanks to Toronto Al for making this photo available to us.

We break bread.

Suburban Chicago, December 24, 1961. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, and her family—husband Kadis and daughter Toronto Cousin—spend Christmas with us. The family engages in the tradition of breaking plotkelės before the Christmas-Eve meal, Kūčios. We also place a plotkelė on each dish.

Opening Gifts

Suburban Chicago, December 24, 1960. The Kūčios meal is finished, and we've moved into the living room to open gifts. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, looks happy when she opens a box containing a pocketbook; her face brightens more when she finds the pocketbook contains an envelope of cash.

Welcome, Winter

Verona, Wisconsin, December 24, 2013. It's cloudy, warm, and grey this year, but we had a nice snowfall last Christmas Eve.

Christmas Manners: Linger on each gift.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, December 1960. Look closely; you may find a few gems.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

A Closer Look (Part 15)

Mariampolis, Lithuania, December 24, 1936. My Mom's maternal Grandmother, Zigmunta, holds one of the "Pupsikas" dogs.

Here's the original post for this photo.

"Twelve Dishes and No Booze."

A Lithuanian living in the UK reflects on our Christmas-Eve ("Kūčios") traditions. We, too, prepare that holiday meal.

(Yes, the piece is from 2007, but the customs have not changed.)