Babos Receptai (Part 15)

Here's a recipe Tatjana got from her daughter—my Dad's twin sister—Jonė.

 Here's how I translated the recipe:

Streusel Kuchen

Streusel Topping:
1 to 1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter (not specified in the recipe, but I would add)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Cake:
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 to 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (Tatjana probably used one of these)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 sticks margarine
1 stick butter
1 "cup" granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk 

Marmalade or jam 


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and adjust the rack to the center position.

For the Streusel: Mix together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the vanilla. Chill the streusel while you prepare the cake batter.

For the Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Cream the margarine, butter, and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.

Alternately fold in the sifted dry ingredients and the milk, beginning and ending with the sifted dry ingredients. 

Spread the dough on a greased, flat baking pan (size not specified). Spread some marmalade or jam over the top.

Scatter the streusel over the top of the cake. Bake for about 40 minutes. If the cake is not ready after 40 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 10 minutes.

Babos Receptai (Part 14)

My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, baked only a few signature items. She often made (and I still bake) "Babos Pyragas." She also (over)baked Banana Cake. Occasionally, she made Devil's Food cupcakes from scratch. She never frosted the cupcakes, so they were quite dry. (I dislike cupcakes, by the way, because who wants to eat all that hard crust? Isn't it better to eat the soft, moist inside of a cake?)

Here's Tatjana's recipe for the Devil's Food Cupcakes (notice again the chemical formulas):

Here's how I wrote up the recipe:

Devil's Food Cake

(1) First, cream together:
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 whole eggs

(2) Second, sift together:
 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

 (3) Third, stir together:
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla

And now add to the (1) sugar/shortening/egg mixture the (2) sifted dry ingredients and (3) the liquid ingredients. Add the dry ingredients in three additions and the liquid ingredients in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

A cake (Tatjana used a 10-inch tube pan) bakes for about 45 to 55 minutes* at 350 degrees F.

ADDED: A reader tests this recipe.

*Baking time adjusted from the duration I originally had posted.

Picnic Culture: Patio Storytelling

Suburban Chicago, June 1969. The woman standing, wearing sunglasses, is Godmother. Standing on the left is my Mom; my Mom's best friend, Donna, sits on the left.

Hazard

Suburban Chicago, June 1960. I remember my Parents received that whirligig as a housewarming gift. It frightened me. I wasn't afraid of getting knocked in the head by it. Instead, the sharp edges spooked me.

Uncommon Reunion

Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, July 1964. In the 1960s, we didn't see seagulls in urban areas. We spotted the birds only when we traveled to a lakeside location.

Let's get a picture before we take down the tree.

Suburban Chicago, December 1964. The aluminum tree didn't get assembled every year, but it lasted for a while.

Mistletoe Elf watches as friends gather.

Suburban Chicago, December 31, 1969. My Mom's best friend, Donna (right), and her husband Vytenis take their turn hosting the New Year's Eve gathering for our suburban enclave.

Babos Receptai (Part 4)

My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, liked to cook for parties. When we entertained, Tatjana sometimes prepared classic, Russian dishes.

Dinner parties usually featured several courses. Tatjana preferred to start an elaborate meal by serving a clear bouillon. She often prepared pastry rolls filled with meat to accompany the soup.

Here is Tatjana's recipe for the meat-filled rolls:

Here's how I translated the recipe:

Dough for Rolls to Serve with Bouillon

Set aside 1/2 cup margarine and 1 cup butter to come to room temperature so that they are completely softened. After creaming the mixture, add 2 to 3 tablespoons (with a "cap") sour cream and some flour. Then after mixing, add 2 tablespoons [grain] alcohol.* Mix again, adding as much flour so the dough is flaky, and so you'd be able to roll it. If you used salted butter then check to see if the dough needs a bit more salt and/or 1 teaspoon sugar.

Grind boiled beef [Tatjana selected the chuck roast she had used to make the bouillon]. Add as much bouillon to the meat as necessary to make the meat softer (similar to the texture of a paté). Then add salt, ground pepper, one sautéed onion (finely minced), and chopped fresh parsley.

Bake at 400-450ºF. It's possible also to brush the surface with a [beaten] egg.

*Ha ha! So, adding Vodka to a pastry dough is not really a recent innovation.

It's Sunday. Let's get dressed up and go to the zoo.

Brookfield Zoo, September 1961. We briefly visit the Polar Bears, and then we head to my favorite spot: the Children's Zoo.

Babos Receptai (Part 2)

Here's the recipe my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, used for her Babka. In the title's parenthetical, Tatjana wrote, "Velykiška," or "for Easter." The Babka Tatjana baked is similar to a Kulich. I don't know from what source Tatjana got the recipe, but she considered it her own.

Here's how I modified and wrote up the recipe:

Babos ('Stakaninė') Babka 

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dark rum

1 cup milk (or half and half)

1 vanilla beans, split lengthwise

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup bread flour, sifted twice

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 large egg whites

pinch (about 1/8 teaspoon) each: table salt and cream of tartar

5 large egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

finely grated zest of 1/4 orange

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1-1/4 cups bread flour, sifted twice

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted twice

soaked raisin, drained (from above)

At least two hours before beginning to make the Babka, or the night before, soak the raisins in the rum. After the raisins have soaked, drain the raisins.

Place the milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk. Microwave briefly until the milk is heated through, but not boiling. Add the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup butter, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Gradually add the 1 cup bread flour, beating with a wire whisk until the mixture is completely smooth. Cool to lukewarm. 

In a glass measuring cup, combine the yeast with the 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir and let stand in a warm place until foamy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the lukewarm milk/flour mixture to the yeast and stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and the 3/4 cup sugar until very thick and pale in color. Add the cardamom, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and orange zest and beat for a few more seconds at high speed. Add the 3/4 cup softened butter, cut into small chunks, and continue beating until the mixture is very smooth (mixture may appear curdled). 

Meanwhile, in another large bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and cream of tartar until they are stiff and glossy. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.

Stir the proofed milk/flour sponge into the egg mixture. Gradually add the remaining 1-1/4 cups bread flour and 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, mixing until the dough is very smooth and loose. Switch to the electric mixer's dough hook and knead until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be very sticky. Knead for about 8 minutes. Toss in the drained raisins.

Transfer the dough to a clean, well-greased bowl, cover very tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft free place for 45 minutes. Punch down dough, knead briefly, and let rise another 45 minutes to 1 hour.

While the dough rises for the second time, prepare the baking pan. Spray the bottom of a 10-inch tube pan with non-stick vegetable spray and line with parchment paper. Butter the paper, the sides, and the center tube of the pan. (Alternatively, lightly spray a nonstick, 12-cup Bundt pan).

Punch down dough, shape it into a ring, and place it in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise again, covered, until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 350ºF and set a baking stone ("pizza stone") on the lower rack. Remove the other racks from the oven.

Bake the Babka until it is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then carefully lift the Babka from the pan. Remove the parchment and allow to cool on a wire rack, inverted. If preparing for Easter, spread with icing (below) and sprinkle with multi-color décors.

Icing ("Lucras") for Babka

2 egg whites, room temperature

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating constantly.  Beat 10 minutes, or until glossy.  Add the lemon juice and beat an additional two minutes, or until the icing stands up in soft peaks.

Babos Receptai (Part 1)

"Babos Receptai" means "Grandma's Recipes." My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, copied her favorite recipes into a Mead composition notebook. Most of those recipes are ones she used for entertaining; her everyday cooking was not remarkable. There were, however, two "noncompany" items for which Tatjana jotted the "prescription" (as we sometimes call "recipes") into the notebook. Both were sweets Tatjana regularly baked for the family.

The first treat was "Babos Pyragas," or "Grandma's Cake." Whether this was really Tatjana's own recipe, we don't know. Tatjana often called something "her" recipe if she considered it one of her signature dishes. Babos Pyragas resembles a large jam crostata. Tatjana prepared a cookie-like dough. She patted two-thirds of the dough into a rimmed cookie sheet. She covered the surface of the dough with strawberry jam. Tatjana then rolled the remaining portion and cut out leaf shapes out of the dough. She placed the shapes on top of the jam at curved angles so the leaves looked like fronds bending in the wind. Tatjana usually overbaked this treat because the strawberry jam would have burnt, chewy specks in the corner pieces.

Here's the notebook page for the recipe. Tatjana was a messy cook; most of her recipe pages are smattered with batter, just like this one. Tatjana must have dictated this recipe because the ingredients appear in my Mom's handwriting. (I don't remember anyone making the "Šarlotka" recipe that appears on the same page in blue ink):

Here's how I wrote up the recipe:

Babos Pyragas

4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons sour cream (recipe called for 2 heaping tablespoons)
2 tablespoons grain alcohol 
1-1/2 cups strawberry jam

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and adjust the oven rack to the center position.Butter a 15-by-10-inch rimmed cookie sheet ("jelly roll pan"). Sift the flour and set aside.

Use an electric mixer to cream the butter with the sugar for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is very light in color. Add the vanilla extract and grain alcohol. Stir in enough sour cream to make a soft dough. Using a spatula, fold in the flour, mixing only until the flour disappears.

Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into thirds. Wrap one third is plastic wrap and refrigerate. Press the remaining two-thirds of the dough evenly into the prepared pan. The dough should be about one-third inch thick.

Spread the strawberry jam over the dough. Roll the remaining, chilled dough on a well floured surface until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut out decorative leaf shapes. Arrange these over the jam in bent shapes.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool before slicing into about 36 wedges.

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What was the second treat Tatjana often baked for us? It was a Banana Cake. The recipe appeared in the 1956 edition of the Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book. Tatjana baked the cake in a 10-inch tube pan (she called that pan her "Babka Form"). Tatjana also overbaked this cake; I remember the smell of the slightly burnt crumbs.

Here's how Tatjana copied the recipe for the Banana Cake. The recipe on the lower half of the page is for a Poppy Seed Torte:

What's new about language-immersion schools?

Today's edition of the Wisconsin State Journal features a story about language-immersion schools in Madison. I chuckled when I saw the heading, "The kids just love it," because there was little I liked about going to school on a Saturday.

I didn't see, at first, what was "new" about these schools; I had been familiar with them since the early 1960s. So: what's different about the Madisonian, language-immersion schools? They're not focused on keeping a threatened culture alive; they're "raising global citizens."

Related by Marriage: Come over and see the tree.

Suburban Chicago, December 1960. Mr. Irene's maternal Aunt, Martha, and her husband, Wally, drive out to the suburbs to visit Mr. Irene's Parents. Do you remember when no one hung art at "eye level?" (Click on the "living room" label to see more examples of how people displayed art in the 1950s and 1960s.)

Related by Marriage: Office Pool

Chicago, Illinois, 1967. Mr. Irene's maternal Aunt, Martha, worked for a time as a key-punch operator. Do you remember that "Smoking is Very Glamorous" poster?

To them, you'll always be a kid.

Time-Life photographed rock stars and their parents.

Donovan's Mom had a devoted poodle.

Monday is "Laundry Day."

Toronto Ontario, January 1961. Do you remember when people observed "weekly chore schedules?" Ironing probably fell under Monday's "laundry" tasks.

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

Camp Song

Ontario, Canada, about 1962. The folksters perform at a summer camp Toronto Al attended.

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

Related by Marriage: Accordion Lessons, in Three Takes

Mr. Irene took accordion lessons, performed in group recitals, and competed regularly throughout his elementary school years. 
 
Polkas, Broadway show tunes, and movie themes made up the early curriculum. Within a few  years, Mr. Irene began studying the challenging music of accordion virtuoso performer and educator, Charles Magnante. 
 
In 1939 Magnante and his trio played in Carnegie Hall. With a single event, Magnante changed the image of the piano accordion from a folk instrument to a versatile and expressive voice for jazz and classical music. The Magnante Trio soon found new audiences and venues for their work. Magnante dominated the accordion music world with his engaging live performances, musical arrangements, recordings, and original compositions from the 1940s through the early 1960s. 
 
Mr. Irene played the Magnante composition, Accordion Boogie, for a Chicago-area competition in the summer of 1969. The following spring, Mr. Irene represented his sixth-grade class at a school talent show by reprising this tune. Listen to this thirteen-year-old accordionist play Accordion Boogie much like the young Mr. Irene did—it’s a precise reading, but a little rushed. This version comes from a more seasoned accordionist. The slightly slower rhythm and accented bass make the piece swing.
 
By the end of his music lessons, Mr. Irene had taken up Lithuanian folk melodies using a guide book he discovered in a Lithuanian gift shop in Marquette Park.
 

 
Suburban Chicago, 1965. Sheet music cover for the accordion solo arrangement of Hello Dolly.

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Suburban Chicago, 1969. Sheet music cover for the Magnante composition, Accordion Boogie.

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Suburban Chicago, 1971. Inside cover page of a Lithuanian-language, accordion method book, The Youngest Accordionist, written by the musician and arranger Povilas Četkauskas. The Chicago-based, Lithuanian-American, Karvelis Press published it. The book featured Lithuanian folk songs and dances as well as solo transcriptions of well known classical piano and opera melodies.

Cultural Programming

Chicago, Illinois, August 1966. My Dad attended a taping of "Lithuanian TV," and he snapped a photo of this ensemble as it performed. "Lithuanian TV" was a program produced by a local, Chicago station. The show aired weekly (Fridays?) on Channel 26.

Zoo Queue

Brookfield Zoo, June 1961. These people only look like they're in a DMV line; instead, they wait for the doors of the Seven Seas Panorama to open.