Happy Holidays

Wishing you Happy Holidays — assuming you celebrate a holiday this time of year.

Despite being atheists, my husband and I put up a Xmas tree and will host three members of his family for lunch tomorrow. For me, the holidays are about family and good food made from scratch.

I’m writing this on Wednesday morning, but I’ve got to get into the kitchen to make a couple of things my mom always used to make in December — divinity & fudge. I’ll also be making something my husband’s German grandparents made for the holidays — stollen. Friday morning my husband will prepare another holiday tradition from their family gatherings — deviled eggs as an appetizer.

Next year I’ll introduce his family to zwieback:

Russian Mennonite zwieback, called Tweebak in Plautdietsch, is a yeast bread roll formed from two pieces of dough that are pulled apart when eaten. Placing the two balls of dough one on top of the other so that the top one does not fall off during the baking process is part of the art and challenge that must be mastered by the baker. Traditionally, this type of zwieback is baked Saturday and eaten Sunday morning and for afternoon Faspa (Standard German: “Vesper”), a light meal.

This zwieback originated in the port cities of the Netherlands or Danzig, where toasted, dried buns were used to provision ships. Mennonite immigrants from the Netherlands, who settled in around Danzig in West Prussia continued this practice and brought it to Russia, when they migrated to new colonies in what is today Ukraine.

If I have time I’ll make zwieback today — brings back so many memories of the holidays at my maternal grandparents.

Next new post will be a new poll on Sunday morning at 8am.

— Steve Patterson