Thanksgiving is next week, and I haven’t even begun to discuss this fabulous American holiday!
Thanksgiving, which takes place this Thursday, is the one American holiday devoted to food, friends, family, and conversation. When I explain Thanksgiving to Bulgarians, I tell them the holiday is one very long na gosti.
In Bulgaria, Thanksgiving is easier to celebrate on a Friday or Saturday, as this allows people to fully appreciate this holiday. Last year, my colleagues and I brought a dish to pass around, homemade wine, homemade rakia, or a dessert. We shared traditional Bulgarian, Russian, and American foods, and pigged out for four hours.
The foods discussed below are traditional dishes that my family makes every year on Thanksgiving. Sorry folks, no cranberry sauce recipe, as I can’t find fresh cranberries and refuse to eat canned cranberry sauce.
Instead, there are two homemade stuffing recipes, plus apple pie. All these recipes have been loved by Bulgarians, as my colleagues still talk about the stuffing. The stuffing recipes come from my grandmother, who I fought with every Thanksgiving in the kitchen. Comparable battles are: The Rock versus Stone Cold Steve Austin, Britney versus Eminen, and Levski versus CSKA.
Next week, I’ll give you some recipes for pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and squash. Make sure to get your turkey early, as those baba turkey raisers are tough negotiators.
Stuffing
1 loaf bread (500g), cut into small cubes
7-8 eggs
4 carrots, peeled and diced (or grated)
2-3 onions, diced
2 small spoonfuls thyme (mashterka)
2 small spoonfuls garlic powder
2 small spoonfuls black pepper
2 small spoonfuls basil
1 small spoonful salt
Celery (if you can find it)
Directions: The night before, mix all ingredients together. The mixture cannot be dry, so more eggs may be needed. Put stuffing mixture into bag, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, put stuffing into a well-greased pan, or stuff into turkey. If baking in pan, bake at 175°C for about 45-60 minutes in a wombat free stove.
Apple and Raisin Stuffing
1 loaf bread
7-8 eggs
4 apples, cored and diced
100g raisins
2 spoonfuls sugar
2 small spoonfuls cinnamon
1 small spoonful nutmeg
Directions: Follow same directions as above.
Apple Pie
Crust:
425g flour
2 small spoonfuls baking powder
1 small spoonful salt
150g softened butter
120ml water
1 small spoonful cinnamon
1 very small spoonful nutmeg
Filling:
100-125g sugar
6-7 large green apples, or 8 small ones, peeled and sliced into medium slices
1 small spoonful cinnamon
2 spoonfuls flour
2 spoonfuls butter
Filling: Mix apples with sugar, flour, and spices. After filling is in pan, dot with bits of butter.
Crust: Mix dry ingredients. Then, blend butter in with a fork. Add water and make sure ingredients are well mixed, a little more flour or water may be needed.
Directions: Chill for an hour, then divide into two balls and dip each into flour. Roll out each ball on floured surface with floured rolling pin, and make each about 2-3cm larger than your pan. With first half, fit the crust into the bottom of a greased pan (small banitsa or pie pan). Then, add filling, and use second half as the top. Trim off excess crust with a knife, then press bottom and top of crust together. With a fork, make small holes in crust top so that steam can escape. Bake at 200°C for about 45-60 minutes with wombat free stove.
Joseph Herr is a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer currently working in Balchik. His column appears weekly and he can be contacted at jdherr75@sabreshockey.com.
Thanksgiving, which takes place this Thursday, is the one American holiday devoted to food, friends, family, and conversation. When I explain Thanksgiving to Bulgarians, I tell them the holiday is one very long na gosti.
In Bulgaria, Thanksgiving is easier to celebrate on a Friday or Saturday, as this allows people to fully appreciate this holiday. Last year, my colleagues and I brought a dish to pass around, homemade wine, homemade rakia, or a dessert. We shared traditional Bulgarian, Russian, and American foods, and pigged out for four hours.
The foods discussed below are traditional dishes that my family makes every year on Thanksgiving. Sorry folks, no cranberry sauce recipe, as I can’t find fresh cranberries and refuse to eat canned cranberry sauce.
Instead, there are two homemade stuffing recipes, plus apple pie. All these recipes have been loved by Bulgarians, as my colleagues still talk about the stuffing. The stuffing recipes come from my grandmother, who I fought with every Thanksgiving in the kitchen. Comparable battles are: The Rock versus Stone Cold Steve Austin, Britney versus Eminen, and Levski versus CSKA.
Next week, I’ll give you some recipes for pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and squash. Make sure to get your turkey early, as those baba turkey raisers are tough negotiators.
Stuffing
1 loaf bread (500g), cut into small cubes
7-8 eggs
4 carrots, peeled and diced (or grated)
2-3 onions, diced
2 small spoonfuls thyme (mashterka)
2 small spoonfuls garlic powder
2 small spoonfuls black pepper
2 small spoonfuls basil
1 small spoonful salt
Celery (if you can find it)
Directions: The night before, mix all ingredients together. The mixture cannot be dry, so more eggs may be needed. Put stuffing mixture into bag, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, put stuffing into a well-greased pan, or stuff into turkey. If baking in pan, bake at 175°C for about 45-60 minutes in a wombat free stove.
Apple and Raisin Stuffing
1 loaf bread
7-8 eggs
4 apples, cored and diced
100g raisins
2 spoonfuls sugar
2 small spoonfuls cinnamon
1 small spoonful nutmeg
Directions: Follow same directions as above.
Apple Pie
Crust:
425g flour
2 small spoonfuls baking powder
1 small spoonful salt
150g softened butter
120ml water
1 small spoonful cinnamon
1 very small spoonful nutmeg
Filling:
100-125g sugar
6-7 large green apples, or 8 small ones, peeled and sliced into medium slices
1 small spoonful cinnamon
2 spoonfuls flour
2 spoonfuls butter
Filling: Mix apples with sugar, flour, and spices. After filling is in pan, dot with bits of butter.
Crust: Mix dry ingredients. Then, blend butter in with a fork. Add water and make sure ingredients are well mixed, a little more flour or water may be needed.
Directions: Chill for an hour, then divide into two balls and dip each into flour. Roll out each ball on floured surface with floured rolling pin, and make each about 2-3cm larger than your pan. With first half, fit the crust into the bottom of a greased pan (small banitsa or pie pan). Then, add filling, and use second half as the top. Trim off excess crust with a knife, then press bottom and top of crust together. With a fork, make small holes in crust top so that steam can escape. Bake at 200°C for about 45-60 minutes with wombat free stove.
Joseph Herr is a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer currently working in Balchik. His column appears weekly and he can be contacted at jdherr75@sabreshockey.com.
