Western PA Ethnic Cooking - Polish - Part 11 - old recipes, photos & modern day recipe links

Old immigration photos (food below)

  

  

1870's. The Russian controlled part of Poland grew exponentially in population so the jobs were scarce so the Polish were forced to leave the country to find work.  First they went to Brazil, Bosnia and the US.

More immigration photos (food below)

  

  

1910. The second wave of immigrants came to the US measured over 20,000. They came for STEADY INCOME.  Other group of Poles were the Austrian, German and Russian Poles.

History of Polish Food

• Early foods included lots of grains like rye, wheat, millet, grain, barley and buckwheat groats
• 18th century - potatoes introduced (the potatoes mixed with sour cream was a mainstay of the country table
• Cabbage is one of the oldest Polish foods
• Soups are a Polish special and one of the great ones is Kapusniak, a fresh cabbage or sauerkraut dish with bone marrow, meat and dried mushrooms
• Eel and herring are favorites and served fresh, salted, smoked, pickled or combined with other foods
• No Christmas Eve supper or other important meals would be complete without mushroom soup. 
• Dried Polish mushrooms, exported to western Europe and America are sought-after delicacies
• Honey was a precious food and beekeeping became an occupation
• Polish honey cakes and cookies have become world famous
• Poles ate a lot of game and wild birds fond in the forests.  Hunting: duck, venison, pheasant was considered an art. 
• The wild pig after being domesticated became an important food.
• The Polish hams and sausages (kielbasi) are rated at the top!
• (I grew up on great homemade kielbasi - brother-in-law was Polish and liked to make his own!)
• Spices: All members of the onion and dill was very important.
• Later, added cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, cloves, saffron, anchovies, capers, lemon and horseradish (Slav favorites)

Foods:

• Polske Paczki or Polish Donuts

LINK FOR POLISH DONUTS

• Bialy Barszcz or White Borscht

LINK FOR WHITE BORSCHT

• Bigos or Hunter's Stew

LINK FOR BIGOS

• Konserwowane Brzoskwinie or Brandied Peaches

LINK TO BRANDIED PEACHES

• Pierogies

LINK TO PIEROGI RECIPE

  

  

  

  

  

Darkest red represents current Polish ethnic population in USA. 

Western PA Ethnic Cooking - Italian - Part 10 - old recipes, photos & modern day recipe links

  

  

  

  

  

The Italians immigrated to Western Pa from 1880 to 1900's and later!!

• First immigrants came from Abruzzi (Aleleta, Costel di Sangro, Pesco Costanza), Puglia, Calabria or other regions of Mezzogiorno (southern Italy).  Land had been transferred to the wealthy so there were few opportunities for the working class. 
• The immigrants were skilled laborers
• peddlers
• masons
• shoemakers
• carpenters
• tailors
• Others found work as 
• laborers in mines
• construction and
• on railroads. 

Foods that were prepared were:

• Braciola (rolled round steak)
• Fettunta (garlic bread)
• Pasta e Fagioli (Peasant Bean Soup)
• Minestrone (Italian Soup)
• Zuppa italiano matrimonio (Italian wedding soup)
• Spaghetti salsa (spaghetti sauce)
• Gnocchi di patate (potato gnocchi)
• La scelta: fettuccine alfredo (fettucine noodles with alfredo sauce)
• Pollo alla cacciatora (chicken cacciatore)
• Vitello parmigiano (veal parmesan)
• Insalata zucchine e melanzane (hot or cold ratatouille)
• Pizzells (Italian waffles)
• Biscotti (Italian cookies)

Recipe for Fresh Tomato and Zucchini Sauce

  

  

• 3 lb. fresh tomatoes
• 2 TBSN salad oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 TSP minced garlic
• 3 cups shredded zucchini (2 medium)
• 1 TSP salt
• 1/2 TSP thyme
• 1/8 TSP black pepper

Use fully ripe tomatoes. Seed and chop tomatoes to make about 5 1/2 cups.  Heat oil in medium saucepan. Add onion & garlic & saute for 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients & simmer (covered) for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve over fresh green beans, pasta, rice or broccoli spears. 

Modern day link to Capellini with Spicy Zucchini Tomato Sauce

Fettunta (real Italian garlic bread)

  

  

Grill thick slices of salt-less Italian bread over a bright fire until golden crisp on the outside but still soft within.  Rub fat cloves of raw garlic (cut in half) over bread.  Laying the slices on a large plate, drizzle with warm olive oil and sprinkle with a good pinch of coarse salt. 

Modern day link to Simply Recipes garlic bread

Gnocchi di patate (potato gnocchi)

  

  

3 lb. potatoes (5 or 6 lrg)

3 TBSN grated Parmesan

3 cups flour

1 egg

salt & pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in salted water & drain. Put in bowl and mash.  Add cheese, flour, egg & seasoning.  Roll & form. Drop into boiling water. They will surface when cooked.  Remove them with a slotted spoon & serve with your favorite sauce. 

Modern day link from simply recipes for gnocchi & photo instructions

                                          Vitello parmigiano (veal parmesan)

1 lb. veal steak, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1 egg

2 TSP water

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup olive oil

But veal into 6-8 pieces.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Beat egg with water.  Dip veal in egg, then roll in mixture of Parmesan cheese & bread crumbs.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Fry veal (about three pieces at a time) until golden brown on each side.  Lay in shallow wide baking dish.  

Use your favorite sauce.  Pour most of it over the veal.  Top with thin slices of mozzarella then pour over remaining sauce.  Bake in 350 degree moderate oven for about 30 minutes. 

Veal Video

Modern day link for Betty Crocker Veal Parmigiana

MODERN DAY LINKS TO RECIPES BELOW:

  

Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies

Epicurious recipe for anise almond biscotti

All recipes Italian cream cheese and ricotta cheesecake

Epicurious Zucchini Fritters

Yummly's Beef-shank-sauce-over-polenta

Jamie Oliver's Minestrone