Groan..... I ate toooooo Much!!!!

but not enough that i didn't take a plate home for Ron (LateR ON). 

Today i had the pleasure of being invited to my friend Ella's for her birthday lunch.  Shouldn't it have been the other way round?  Anyway joy Oh joy, her mum was also invited and so i got to eat generously from the combined cooking efforts of both.  Don't we all wish we had a polish matka (mum) that arrived with bags of good wholesome polish food.  Ive told her before that she can adopt me any time she wants and turn up every Sunday lunch time.  

OK, starter was "barszcz" or beetroot soup (borchtz in polish).  This is usually a clear red soup (beetroot) or clear white soup (potatoes) but today ours was not clear and had pieces of beetroot in it to give it texture.  I enjoyed it with a dash of cream.

Confession - I don't like beetroot.  Its not the flavor its the memories of self-sustained living in childhood and during the season being faced with too much beetroot and mushrooms for that matter.   I'm going to have to get over it because i seriously enjoyed this soup.  The sour component was lemon (rather than vinegar) and it just takes the sweetness off the beetroot. 

Mains was a cheese bake with tuna, macaroni, cauliflower, broccoli etc made by husband, Rob.  It was lovely but not as good as his seriously good cauliflower cheese (I've bagged this for the next feast).  My polish Mum made Golabki(gaw-WOHMP-kee),  served with tomato sauce and cream.  



These are naked Golabki - without the sauce. 

Golabki is stuffed cabbage rolls.  Ours were made from beef mince, onion and garlic, and buckwheat, and of course cabbage leaves. 

OK, now hang onto your stomachs because its desert time.   One must remember, that we were not feeding 20 people, only 7.  

Ella truly outdid herself with a new Greek recipe (we are very multicultural with our stomachs) - Creamy Custard Pie (Galaktompoureko).  see recipe

Then because she was given a bag full on cumquats she made Cumquat Liquer Cheesecake.  This was seriously good - the marmalade tang on top of the cheesecake with Grand Marnier and walnut and biscuit base.  I do have the recipe for this but its long and i cant find a link to this recipe from an old Women's Weekly cookbook.  Leave a comment and i will post.

Did i mention the Paczki - (POHNCH-kee) baked rounds of yeast dough similar to a light doughnut brushed with melted butter and icing sugar straight out of the oven.  Sometimes they are filled or sprinkled with sugar & cinnamon but ours were not.  I couldn't fit anymore in so i forgo the delight but the others were putting jam on them with much ummmming and oooinnng so i guess they tasted great too.  

Oh, and lets not forget the freshly baked almond macaroons that were perfect.

So who is Ella, the wicked queen of deserts and over feeder of friends.  She forced me, honest!


See that evil grin as she serves another piece. 

Happy Birthday for Tomorrow Ella 

For all these polish dishes - search here

 

So what did i give her for her birthday.  A huge bunch of flowers, perfumed soaps, fragrant candles  etc.  No.  I went to the local fruit market and went out the back and got a car load of Styrofoam boxes for her new glasshouse.  I also went through the waste bin and filled two boxes full of veggie scraps for her chookies "the girls".    I'm such a good friend, aren't I.  NOT

Thanks for visiting Living In The Land of Oz  (& Gluttony, only sometimes)