Who has memories of growing up in a Polish neighborhood or Polish family?
 

Golumpki (Polish Stuffed Cabbage) Recipe « Table Talk



Who has memories of growing up in a Polish neighborhood, Polish family or Polish church??



Who remembers Golumpki (Polish Stuffed Cabbage rolls) ??



CLICK ON ABOVE HYPERLINK FOR STUFFED CABBAGE RECIPE....SUPPOSED HEALTHIER VERSION........although I still make the original......



This *recipe is “altered” from the traditional of ground pork (or beef), white rice, sauteed onions, however, the folding of the green cabbage leaves as shown is good for beginners.


My Ukrainian mom made them , my Polish mother in law made them..........and I made them for most of the past almost 50 years........



*Supposedly, this is a healthier version (turkey may be substituted). My mother in law would make a meatless variety for Christmas Eve Villeja with basically rice / onions....but we all preferred her ground pork filling, naturally.



Keep scrolling to the bottom (for the photos) of the recipe page............on above hyperlink....FOR INFO ON VILLEJA.........pronounced villea......spelled below as Wigilia in Polish language.


My mother in law did arrange the hay/straw on the table, as below.....and always had the Oplatek wafer to pass around the table..........on Christmas Eve.



I continued on with this custom during our marriage after my mother in law passed......for our children and for my husband.

However, after they all left for college, they informed me they didn't care for stuffed cabbage, etc. So, traditions end.



I doubt if anyone at all in the family is continuing on with these traditions........so the memories will suffice.



My Italian dad liked the "seven fishes" for Christmas Eve, but my mom would make the stuffed cabbage at other times. She spoke Ukrainian and Polish as did her mother. She would tell me how the priest would come around and bless the bread and food.

Ditto for my Polish mother in law.....same custom. I doubt if this still happens. I think the Ukrainian priests might still come around to bless the food for the "third wave of immigrants" as they call them.......Christmas and Easter time both.



Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia! That is the way to say "Merry Christmas" in Polish. Among Poles, wherever they are, the most beloved and beautiful of all traditional festivities is that of Christmas Eve. It is then that the Wigilia, or Christmas Eve Dinner is served. It is a solemnly celebrated occasion and arouses deep feelings of kinship among family members.

For days in advance, Poles prepare the traditional foods and everyone anxiously awaits the moment when the first star, known as the Gwiazdka, appears in the eastern sky. For that is when the feast to commemorate the birth of the Christ Child begins.

There is always a thin layer of hay under the white tablecloth in memory of the Godchild in the manger. Before sitting down at the table, everyone breaks the traditional wafer, or Oplatek and exchanges good wishes for health, wealth and happiness in the New Year. This is such a deeply moving moment that often tears of love and joy are evoked from the family members who are breaking this symbolic bread. The Oplatek is a thin, unleavened wafer similar to the altar bread in the Roman Catholic Church. It is stamped with the figures of the Godchild, the blessed Mary, and the holy angels. The wafer is known as the bread of love and is often sent by mail to the absent members of the family.

The dinner itself differs from other evening meals in that the number of courses is fixed at seven, nine or eleven. According to myth, in no case must there be an odd number of people at the table, otherwise it is said that some of the feasters would not live to see another Christmas. A lighted candle in the windows symbolizes the hope that the Godchild, in the form of a stranger, may come to share the Wigilia and an extra place is set at the table for the unexpected guest. This belief stems from the ancient Polish adage, "A guest in the home is God in the home."

The Wigilia is a meatless meal, no doubt the result of a long-time Church mandate that a strict fast and abstinence be observed on this day before Christmas. Although the Church laws have been revised and permit meat to be eaten on this day, the traditional meal remains meatless. Items that would normally be included in a traditional Wigilia menu include mushroom soup, boiled potatoes (****ofle), pickled herring (sledzie), fried fish, pierogi, beans and sauerkraut (groch i kapusta), a dried fruit compote, babka, platek, assorted pastries, nuts and candies.

After the meal the members of the family sing Polish Christmas Carols called the koledy while the children wait impatiently around the Christmas tree or choinka for the gifts to be exchanged.

Aside from the beautiful Wigilia, the Polish people have a number of other traditions that they practice throughout the Christmas season. Polish Christmas Carols or koledy are numerous and beautiful, especially when sung in Polish parishes at the Christmas Eve Mass. This Mass is called the Pasterka, which means the Shepherds Watch, and there is popular belief in Poland that while the congregation is praying, peace descends on the snow-clad, sleeping earth and that during that holy night, the humble companions of men - the domestic animals - assume voices. But only the innocent of heart may hear them.

Christmas Day itself is spent in rest, prayer, and visits to various members of the family. In Poland, from Christmas Day until the twelfth night, boys trudge from village to village with an illuminated star and a ranting King Herod among them to sing carols. Sometimes, they penetrate the towns in expectation of more generous gifts. In some districts, the boys carry on puppet shows called shopky. These are built like a little house with two towers, open in the front where a small crib is set.

During the Christmas season, the theaters give special performances. On the feast of the Epiphany, the priest and the organist visit the homes, bless them and write over their doors the initials of the three wise men - KMB (Kasper, Melchior and Balthazar) - in the belief that this will spare the homes from misfortune.

The Christmas season closes on February 2, known as Candlemas Day. On that day, people carry candles to church and have them blessed for use in their homes during storms, sickness and death.

Wesolych Swiat, Bozego Narodzenia i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!


The Meaning of Oplatki (Christmas Wafers)

The celebration of Christmas by American families is enriched spiritually when time honored "old country" traditional customs are adopted. These practices serve to downplay the secular emphasis that has made of this holy time more of a "sell-ebration". These customs reemphasize what this great celebration is all about - the proclamation of the "good news" for all humankind of our redemption.
An especially popular custom is the sharing of the "Oplatek" or Christmas wafer, also known as "Anielski Chleb" or Angel Bread.
For the people of Poland and other Western Slavonic nations the "Oplatek" has always had a mystical quality.
The "Oplatek" is much like the unleavened wheat hosts used at Mass. Different Christmas scenes are embossed in the baking process.
For Americans, the "Oplatek" represents a reverent tie to the customs of "the old country." The observance that takes place on Christmas Eve becomes a sign of unity and solidarity with all members of the family, neighbors, and friends. Even absent members of the family receive an "Oplatek" by mail as a sign of their communion with their loved ones at home.

BOTH MY ITALIAN DAD AND MY UKRAINIAN MOM WOULD TELL US CHILDREN THAT THE ANIMALS COULD TALK ON CHRISTMAS EVE....THE ONLY TIME OF THE YEAR THAT THEY COULD SPEAK.
AND WE BELIEVED THEM.

Went to Polish Grammar School, and my GrandParents were from Poland. I never met my grandparents, but loved the Polish food, and traditions. My wife will occasionally make me Perogy, and Golumbki. I actually made a big pot of Cabbage soup last night. I love cabbage! The Polish Deli in Leesburg, has good Kielbasa, Bigos, and Veal Loaf. I wish there was a good Polish restaurant near The Villages.

Cabbage rolls...YUM!
 

Our German neighborhood in the south end of Columbus, Ohio abutted the Polish parish of St. Ladislaus. Sweetie and I went to many Polish weddings there with kids I went to school with and at every one of those wedding receptions they served Cabbage Rolls. They were slightly different (and I think better) than our German interpretation of them.


I know I would LOVE anything coming from YOUR kitchen, Senior.

And I know you have lucky kids and family. Your caring attitude is obvious.

AND...of course the animals talk on Christmas Eve. Of course.

Waiting to chat with Mikey, our kitty, again.( It's all in his eyes...)

My mom always said she was raised on cabbage soup and potato soup.**
Now that Polish restaurant would be a great change from the same old same old. You open one and we will come. Ukrainian food is nearly identical. Also miss the babka.

**Ditto for beet soup.

I get Blue Seal Kielbasi from Chicopee Massachusetts. They UPS it with the Millies Pierogies which are as authentically home made tasting as my mother made them and my mother in law.........plus myself as a young mom. Now it's easier to buy them ready made and keep in freezer all winter long.

P.S. TO PETE:
My husband also went to Polish Grammar School....Saint Casimirs.
His grandparents were also from Poland but their towns are now in Ukraine. Lviv/Lwow.
Rzezow I think is still in Poland. The borders changed so much since it was POLAND, then AUSTRIA HUNGARY, THEN divided again after WWII.

My Ukrainain grandmother's village is now in Podkarpackie Poland......but when she came as a 14 year old orphan from Poliany Surovichyny SANOK (Sianik) it was in Austria Hungary (as Ukraine did not exist) but she knew what she was as a "White Russian" but not a Russian....a Rusyn from Keiven Rus (....Ruthenian....now called Ukrainian)..........she lived near the Carpathian Mountains.

So many memories of my Polish childhood. My parents spoke Polish at home thinking we all kiddies couldn't understand. But lo and behold, we all understood and knew exactly what they were saying. Eventually we spoke the language as well. Yes, we made traditional stuffed cabbage and pierogies and chruscicki (a crisp fried treat) and we still celebrate the Christmas Eve traditional meal after all these years. Until I left PA we also did the Easter tradition of blessing the food. Very specific items that had religious significance. Priest used to come to the house years ago but now we took our food to a communal blessing at the church. Each year the were fewer that kept up the tradition. My sister still does it. Too many membories to write here but great growing up with ethnic culture and tradition.

Memories
 

Thank you for bringing back those memories that we all shared. Going and having our Easter Dinner blessed at church, the men's choir singing Polish Xmas Songs at Midnight Mass, The golumki and periogi's.....so many memories. My father speaking so lovingly about Poland and growing up with his sister's and brothers. Again, thank you so making me think about all these wonderful things.

When I grew up in the Detroit area, there were many, many hard working and friendly polish people. My "people" were Slav's from Yugoslavia and my grandparents immigrated from there. First came my Grandfather who got a job and built a home. Then came my Grandmother in an arranged marriage. They were wed in Cleveland and migrated to Michigan. I still make some of my Grandmothers recipies as well as some from our polish neighbors.
About 5 years ago I was able to travel to Krakow Poland and spent 10 days with absolutely wonderful people and eat great food. The history and the people made me feel warm and fuzzy inside as the memories of childhood flooded back.

Be wonderful to have a Polish restaurant near TV...my husband was born in Poland and since we have been married I have had yummy and fattening food!!Too bad there isn't a Polish club anymore...we are only renters for mar and Apr but would still join if we could.

Polish
 

Went to St. Stanislaus grammar school. Still can understand polish but don't speak much of it anymore. Still have polish xmas eve with the extended family (about 70-80 people). What a great time!

Anyone got a recipe for kapusta.

We had a Polish Community Center in the town I grew up in. Many people had their wedding receptions there. Their roast beef dinner was a staple and for only $7 a plate.

Those days are gone....... :sigh:

Ahhh... Blue Seal Kielbasa is excellent (as good as Martin Rosol in New Britain, CT). Used to stop by the market in Chicopee when driving my daughter to UMass. Having lived in MA for 38 years, we would frequently get Millies Pierogis. Have to ever been to Galemo's (spelling?) in Worcester? Homemade Veal Loaf, and fantastic Kielbasa. There were some great Polish Restaurant in New Britain, CT. I was raised a couple of towns from there.
Now I need to find out how to UPS the Blue Seal, and Millies....

I also went to St Stanislaus, but in Bristol, CT. Never learned to read, or write too much Polish, since the nuns only brought out the Polish grammar books a few times a year. However, I still know a lot of Polish "phrases". They just seem to slip off the tongue, like it was yesterday.

You experienced it all for a much longer time than we enjoyed.
Great memories for sure.

Were you from the Pittsburgh area?

My mother was Ukrainian Greek Catholic but they did the same exact things as the Polish R.C. with the blessing of the food, etc.

She would always tell me "Grandma celebrated her Christmas on January 6 or 7".....that was the Orthodox or Russian Christmas; different calendar.

The holidays were simpler, yet more profound in those days..........not as commercial as today. Not as much big ticket gift giving that's for sure.......

Basically, it was a religious holiday as you state above.

You are very welcome. Thank you for reading it.

My mother in law would take us to Midnight Mass when we lived in New Jersey. She is gone now, but I still remember.

It all seemed more simple, yet precious back then.........

I wish I could "enlarge" my Polish genealogy as I have my dad's Italian side..........but it is challenging (with the border changes and the language barrier, etc.)

You were fortunate indeed to travel to Poland to make new memories.

Your Yugoslavian grandparents' immigration story is a classic one.
They traveled great distances to achieve their great dreams....in America.
If all of our immigrant grandparents had not ventured forth, we would not be here today...........my Ukrainian grandmother came as an orphan on a ship that was practically sinking........in steerage, of course.

Her father had come ahead to earn money in America to send for his wife and daughter.........however, his wife received a black edged letter back in the old country saying he had died. Something about a train.
I never found out the actual facts. He might have gone to work in the mines of Pennsylvania. Eventually, his wife passed and the little girl,my Ukrainian grandmother, was sent to live with her grandmother .....all of this happened in Poliany Surovychny Sanok Austria Hungary . When that old lady died, my grandmother was now a total orphan. She was farmed out into working for rich people as a maid.........until someone in America sent her a steamship ticket to work in a boarding house in N.J.

All of her papers were burned in her one and only valise during a fire that broke out the night before she was to board ship in Bremen Germany for America..........so all of her history was "lost". I have since found some of it in my genealogy research.........but it must have been quite scary for a naive 14 year old, totally orphaned, to come to America to work in a boarding house as a maid servant..........but this was the plight of so many of the immigrants.

AS others have also said, their rituals and traditions were very important to them as it made them feel close to what they left behind........

Nice to remember again..........during this holiday season.

It would be nice if someone would start one and then occasionally share some of their home made ethnic foods.

My husband's cousins all belonged to a Polish Falcon's Club in N.J.
They went to all the polka dances, etc.

People here in Vermont would travel to Massachusetts to polka with someone's band......can't remember his last name........Jimmy something or other????

We never learned to polka in the 1960's but my mom could. Ditto for my mother in law.

That must be one HUGE Christmas Eve celebration..........

Kapusta Recipe - Allrecipes.com


Above is a very basic meatless recipe. My mom would make it with spare ribs.....not mushrooms. But if you read below the recipe, others offer their variations.



It's just long slow cooked saurkraut.......I use the type in bags, rinse and squeeze out......then add some olive oil to moisten it and slow bake with pork chops...........can't find good spare ribs anymore..........so just improvise on the above hyperlink.



The longer you cook it, either on the stove top or in the oven, with added moisture so it doesn't dry out......the better it gets.

Sad to say. We had the Polish Falcons Club.....probably same type of place.

Nice to reminisce.

Where in Vermont?
 

Where in Vermont are you from? My father was born in Bellows Falls, and my "Uncle" would always travel the few miles to go to Polka parties in Massachusetts until a couple of years ago. I can still remember the Polish Picnics in Bellows Falls, that we would travel to from Connecticut every year.

BTW - From the responses to your thread, it looks like a few of us still appreciate, and respect our Polish heritage.

I too grew up in the Detroit metro area and lived for a while in Hamtramck..which was a Polish community. We still go there for meals to a restaurant called 'Polonia'...I love the dill pickle soup and city chicken..and of course pierogis! I'm not Polish..allegedly I'm German, Irish, French and Indian.

It is the best we've ever had. Used to buy the supermarket variety kielbasi until we got the "Polish Party Package" which included the Blue Seal Kielbasi in with our cabbage (saurkraut) pierogi, potato and cheese pierogi and potato and onion pierogi...........(myself, my mom and my mother in law would make the farmers cheese and mashed potato variety at home and then smother them in sauteed onions.......)

Ukrainians call piergoi "varenky".......exactly the same.

Ann, the lady who ran Millies and would call me on the phone to confirm my orders , sadly passed away at a young age last year...........so if you order, fill out the order blank.........submit it and then I would suggest calling them to confirm. I just had to do that. The manager was nice to talk to; she told me that Ann's husband is now in charge of production........he left his job to help out.........it's a great successful business........and I'm glad it's still in operation...........here's the hyperlink:

Welcome to Millie's Pierogi On Line!



Remember to figure out your own postage as well before submitting or the "items in green" will have to be re done by you.

Last year I kept emailing Ann at her email, not knowing she had died. I still can't believe it. These pierogi taste just like homemade. Not cheap, but it's a labor intensive dish to make.

Great for Christmas Eve.

Band
 

I think the bands name was Jimmy Stur.....might now be spelling it right. Boy, I use to love to Polka, that is before the knees gave out haha. I can still remember my Mom and Dad doing the Oberik ( again spelling?...it's like a polish waltz...

That's it. A neighbor in town (mom of my daughter's , at the time, school friend) would go to all of Jimmy Stur (sp?)'s get togethers. She was born in Pittsburgh, PA (again, large Polish population) and married her penpal from Vermont, the rest is history......went to all those polka bands......

I "hear you" on the knees.......

We live in Southwestern Vermont , however, Rutland has a large Polish population still.........

Again, Millies in Chicopee, Mass. has some wonderful pierogies and Blue Seal Kielbasi. Too far to travel to, so we have them ship it to us.

Welcome to Millie's Pierogi On Line!

Southwestern Vermont. Our daughter and family live in Northern Vermont; our son in Colorado........rest of our family , what's left of it, in New Jersey, Arizona, California.
I think Bellows Falls is on the other side of the state, separated by the Green Mountains.

Yup... Bellows Falls is about 30 miles up from Massachusetts on the Connecticut River. Just off of I-91. Sounds like you are near Rt-4 South of Rutland, where my mother was born.

Polish Food
 

My wife grew up in a Polish family so I guess I'm Polish by marraige. If been eating poPolish foods of all types for almost 43 years. Her parents are both gone but she still make stuffed cabages,perogia,cabbage soup etc. We found a place on Long Island called Rapackis where we've been buying Kielbasi for almost 25 years, They'll ship it here but we usually bring it back down on the plane or ask my daughter to bring it down when she comes. Had a Kielbasi cook off one night between the Polish Deli in Leesburgs Kielbasi and Rapacki's the neighbors oneof whom is also Polish said the Long Island stuff won hands down. We're usually asked to bring Kielbasi when we do our spur of the moment parties, Great boiled or on the grill.

We head up to Rutland to take Route 4 EAST to cross the mountain by Killington and then head north up Route 100, etc., etc., etc. to Calais, Vermont.....which is up by North Montpelier......very rural area up there.

West Rutland, I think, is where the Polish church is, etc....
on the way to lake Bomoseen??? Castleton? Fairhaven?

We're in southwestern Vermont, which is what they call the "banana belt" as our snow melts faster than those towns up north. Our kids went to the University of Vermont on Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont.

We cross the Green Mountains going east to Brattleboro to head to Maine seacoast (and or New Hampshire of course).

Yes, it is great grilled.......or simmered gently. Sometimes I just throw it in the oven in a baking dish.

Your Long Island kielbasi sounds kind of like Blue Seal's from Chicopee Mass.........I'll bet you make everyone hungry on the airplane.....just the aroma. Or is it in your luggage?

p.s.
I forgot to mention that I'm really glad to meet some folks who eat something other than kale and beans. I like them, don't get me wrong, but there are so many other tasty morsels out there. We actually love all ethnic foods.

My wife is polish/german/french. We have been together since age 13 and so her family was my family and vice versa. Her polish grandmother lived with them and so the household was decidedly polish. When we travelled home we made sure we purchased kielbasi from the local polish deli and italian sausage from the italian deli. we have purchased kielbasi from the Leesburg market and my wife likes it but I preferred what we had back home.

My wife makes stuffed cabbage (golabki) but I also remember my mother in law calling it ( phonetic sp hilloopshe), pierogi, kapusta and my wife still fashions a pound of butter into a lamb at Easter. I do recall her family sharing wafers at Christmas and the priest coming in and blessing their home.

Her grandmother used to make me cabbage and potato soup,and her special polish mushroom soup. In return we brought Grandma, pasta fogoli which she loved because she was for all intent and purposes a vagan.

Finally we had our wedding reception at the Polish Falcons and all those foods and more flowed for several hundred people. We married right out of high school. I think back about that now and it scares the heck out of me on how young we really were when we wed but I wouldn't change a day of it.

The polka's got to me though those wild Poles love that happy music

I am first generation polish for my father was born in Poland. Attended polish grammer school, and when we got married in the church our marriage certificate has both the polish name ()as well as the "english" name.

Love the polish traditions but I have one up on most ....my birthday is
Dec 24th and Santa always made a big entree after the family dinner.

Born and raised in Scranton Pa

Borscht.....beet soup with a dollop of sour cream, or if I remember correctly mashed potatioes.....boy, the memories come flooding back :)

I grew up with the Polish speaking parents and Grandparents. We celabrated alot of the old Polish traditions. I must be the last generation as the kids could care less about old traditions. At least I know when we move to the Villages there are some Polish people.

100% Italian here, but my Polish neighbors owned a White Eagle Polish Meat Market/Deli and oh boy do I have memories..then there was the Polish Catholic Church, Our Lady of Czestochowa-St Casimir Parish where we would get freshly made pierogies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:bowdown:

Your mother in law might have been influenced by other Polish/Ukrainian or just Ukrainian friends or relatives when she called them by the Ukrainian name.......



Print Potluck Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Holubsti Recipe - Food.com - 185891

Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are called Holubsti

Polish language and Ukrainian sound quite similar.....

However, Ukrainian is written using the cyrillic alphabet........

Also, here is an alternate UKRAINIAN recipe for cabbage rolls; I do recall my mother saying that "Grandma used buckwheat"...
Other Eastern European recipes for same dish are shown.....
Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage Recipe with Potato-Buckwheat Filling - Recipe for Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage with Potato-Buckwheat Filling - Holubtsi Recipe

I believe there used to be a website for Polish foods from that city/area called Polonia. Perhaps ten years ago? Not sure if they are still in business.

You might be a smidgen Polish and not even know it.
My husband's name sounds German but his "greats" were all Polish.
There were parts of Poland that had a decidely German influence.
This was way before World War II even.......
The borders changed so much over the centuries............ditto for the rulers.

Yes, my husband's baptismal certificate has his first name in Polish.
Of course he never went by it. Difficult to spell even.........let alone pronounce it in Polish.

Happy upcoming birthday. What a great date to celebrate.

Everything gets diluted as each generation comes along.
I think my generation (born 1945) is one of the last to have attempted to keep the old traditions going.........I did it for a long long time.

Both the Polish, in deference to my husband's side, as well as my Dad's Italian side and my mom's Ukrainian side (which is really a lot like Polish culture)......only the language uses different alphabet. My mom and her mother could speak Polish as well as Ukrainian. If you saw columns of the same words........one might begin with a "w" while the same word next to it begins with a "v" or what have you. Now, writing it would be more difficult with the cyrillic alphabet which makes me feel dyslexic just to look at it.

Sounds like quite a few with Polish ancestors.

With our ADULT children inlaws , our grandkids now are Heinz 57........Polish, Ukrainian, Italian, French, Greek (D.N.A. from ancestry.com shows some Turkish and Iranian), GERMAN,IRISH, SCOTTISH, MORE IRISH AND GERMAN......so the grandkids are EVERYTHING. And so go the "traditions" as they make their own nowadays.............this is why I made that post..........to see if there were some Polish folks with childhood memories in TV. I know there are lots of Italian paisano's...........the Polish are much more accepting of what everyone calls those stuffed cabbage rolls as we've heard all the varieties.............versus the "gravy/sauce" controversy.

Good old memories for sure.

That's the black Madonna, correct? My mother in law and mom had statues of her....



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