Here's my vecamamina's skabenu zupa recipe... it's delicious!
1. In a big pot, along with about 2.5 liters of water, put 2-3 laurel leaves, around 20 whole black peppercorns, 1 medium onion, chopped, 2-3 cloves garlic, minced, 2 pork ribs, cut into 3-4 large chunks, 2 tablespoons whole barley, and 1.5 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the flame to simmer.
2. Chop around 5 peeled raw potatoes into small cubes of various sizes.
3. When the barley is done, add the potatoes to the large pot and boil until the potatoes are soft. At this point, you can either remove the meat and set aside, or continue with it in the broth.
4. When the potatoes are soft, add around 350g of sorrel and boil for a few more minutes.
5. Just before serving, add 4-6 chopped boiled eggs.
6. Serve with sour cream.
Enjoy!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
December 8th
Tuesday
Got up at 4am and crawled to Hotel Riga to get the airport shuttle at 5am. It was only two blocks away and it was nice to walk the quiet dark streets at that hour. As I waited, I watched the half moon slowly emerge from the clouds and tried to start preparing myself for the transition.
The shuttle driver was nice, and we chatted a bit in Latvian. Everything at the airport went smoothly, and we took of for Stockholm at 7am. Napped in the Stockholm airport. Watched the new Harry Potter movie and The Time-Traveller's Wife on the plane. Got into NYC at 1pm and took the AirTrain to the NJ Transit train to the Subway, where I transfered from the Blue Line to the Grey Line, and finally emerged at Graham Ave., in Brooklyn, where Lia met me and we walked to her flat. She lives in an awesome loft apartment - spacious... and cold. Lia went to work, and I was asleep by 7pm.
Word: Uz drīz redzēšanos!= See you soon!
Dish: rice risotto with broccoli (on the flight) along with mom's raisin bread and my pumpkin pie leftovers
Highlight: watched the two movies (especially without the dubbed Latvian!)
Lowlight: leaving.
Random Observation: I've always loved airports, where you really see such a diverse cross-section of people, who are often either excited or sad or in some other emotional state that comes along with travel. I cried when I left, and again when we were landing and I saw the ugly industrial mess in New Jersey.
Got up at 4am and crawled to Hotel Riga to get the airport shuttle at 5am. It was only two blocks away and it was nice to walk the quiet dark streets at that hour. As I waited, I watched the half moon slowly emerge from the clouds and tried to start preparing myself for the transition.
The shuttle driver was nice, and we chatted a bit in Latvian. Everything at the airport went smoothly, and we took of for Stockholm at 7am. Napped in the Stockholm airport. Watched the new Harry Potter movie and The Time-Traveller's Wife on the plane. Got into NYC at 1pm and took the AirTrain to the NJ Transit train to the Subway, where I transfered from the Blue Line to the Grey Line, and finally emerged at Graham Ave., in Brooklyn, where Lia met me and we walked to her flat. She lives in an awesome loft apartment - spacious... and cold. Lia went to work, and I was asleep by 7pm.
Word: Uz drīz redzēšanos!= See you soon!
Dish: rice risotto with broccoli (on the flight) along with mom's raisin bread and my pumpkin pie leftovers
Highlight: watched the two movies (especially without the dubbed Latvian!)
Lowlight: leaving.
Random Observation: I've always loved airports, where you really see such a diverse cross-section of people, who are often either excited or sad or in some other emotional state that comes along with travel. I cried when I left, and again when we were landing and I saw the ugly industrial mess in New Jersey.
December 7th
Monday
Packed up and left Jurkalne fairly early with mom and Marija. First stop was for me - the beach. It was too windy and cold for the two old biddies, so I walked alone for only 5 minutes, taking in the sea air and listening to the surf. Leaving always makes me melancholic.
Then we visited Sasha for an hour or so. He looked the same as always to me, and the three of them argued politics for a while.
Then, the bus stop, near the Rimi Supermarket. I hate goodbyes, but not enough to avoid them. I gave them both huge hugs and kisses and told them how much I love them. I only cried a little bit.
In Riga, I met up with my friend Gunta and she gave me an awesome tee-shirt - with lyrics in Latvian from a Latvian rock band called Prāta Vētra which means Brainstorm... I'll post the lyrics later. I gave her one of my favorite tees - my black one with a scorpion on it.
She took the 11:30pm train home... and yet another good-bye.
Then trying to sleep by midnight, but without much luck. Too much transition.
Word: alus kauss = beer mug/stein
Dish: mushroom pizza and fries for dinner
Highlight: all of it
Lowlight: saying goodbye to mom
Packed up and left Jurkalne fairly early with mom and Marija. First stop was for me - the beach. It was too windy and cold for the two old biddies, so I walked alone for only 5 minutes, taking in the sea air and listening to the surf. Leaving always makes me melancholic.
Then we visited Sasha for an hour or so. He looked the same as always to me, and the three of them argued politics for a while.
In Riga, I met up with my friend Gunta and she gave me an awesome tee-shirt - with lyrics in Latvian from a Latvian rock band called Prāta Vētra which means Brainstorm... I'll post the lyrics later. I gave her one of my favorite tees - my black one with a scorpion on it.
She took the 11:30pm train home... and yet another good-bye.
Then trying to sleep by midnight, but without much luck. Too much transition.
Word: alus kauss = beer mug/stein
Dish: mushroom pizza and fries for dinner
Highlight: all of it
Lowlight: saying goodbye to mom
December 6th
Sunday
Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus! We had a big party today. So all morning, we were getting things ready - mom mixed up everything for her potato salad, we got the tablecloth out, and everything.
I was going to hang a few spruce boughs on the door for Christmas, in lieu of a wreath, but Marija had a fit and said that spruce boughs on the door means that someone died in the house. Of course, mom had no idea, and wanted to hang them anyway, but that would be horrible, and so I convinced her we shouldn't.
Valija came over first, and said that Alberts didn't want to come (I had offered to help her with his chair). Then came Nagite and Kristine - and Kristine was dressed in full Santa Claus costume! It was excellent. They had also made little trinket gifts of a mini-card, pen, and konfekte. A bit later, Mara shows up, with a friend, Erika, who plays the accordian! We had music and singing, and at on point, when she played Tutalin, Tagatin.... mom even suggested we go into the other room to dance! As usual, mom enjoyed her raspberry liquour with juice and got very silly.
That night, I had them open their gifts. I gave mom a fleecy pair of socks for the house, a regular thin wool pair of socks, eyeglass retainers for her reading glasses, and a toaster. She loved it. I gave Marija a small weaved cloth and a calendar with information about blossoms and teas and other healthy things. I had wrapped it in an old map from one of those airline magazines and she loved the map more than the calendar!
Word: apdāvināt = to give a gift
Dish: the potato salad, desa, and speka rausi were the biggest hits.
Highlight: santa and all the dancing and laughing
Lowlight: packing my bags later that night
Random Observation: We are such a matriarchal family.
Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus! We had a big party today. So all morning, we were getting things ready - mom mixed up everything for her potato salad, we got the tablecloth out, and everything.
I was going to hang a few spruce boughs on the door for Christmas, in lieu of a wreath, but Marija had a fit and said that spruce boughs on the door means that someone died in the house. Of course, mom had no idea, and wanted to hang them anyway, but that would be horrible, and so I convinced her we shouldn't.
Valija came over first, and said that Alberts didn't want to come (I had offered to help her with his chair). Then came Nagite and Kristine - and Kristine was dressed in full Santa Claus costume! It was excellent. They had also made little trinket gifts of a mini-card, pen, and konfekte. A bit later, Mara shows up, with a friend, Erika, who plays the accordian! We had music and singing, and at on point, when she played Tutalin, Tagatin.... mom even suggested we go into the other room to dance! As usual, mom enjoyed her raspberry liquour with juice and got very silly.
That night, I had them open their gifts. I gave mom a fleecy pair of socks for the house, a regular thin wool pair of socks, eyeglass retainers for her reading glasses, and a toaster. She loved it. I gave Marija a small weaved cloth and a calendar with information about blossoms and teas and other healthy things. I had wrapped it in an old map from one of those airline magazines and she loved the map more than the calendar!
Word: apdāvināt = to give a gift
Dish: the potato salad, desa, and speka rausi were the biggest hits.
Highlight: santa and all the dancing and laughing
Lowlight: packing my bags later that night
Random Observation: We are such a matriarchal family.
December 5th
Saturday
Day before the party.
I had left-over pastry dough and didn't feel like making yet another dessert, so I experimented with a pot-pie. I put in it potatoes, spinach, brussel sprouts, onions, and garlic and gave it a bit of curry seasoning. It wasn't amazing but it wasn't bad either.
Can't remember much else.
Word: recepte = recipe
Dish: above
Day before the party.
I had left-over pastry dough and didn't feel like making yet another dessert, so I experimented with a pot-pie. I put in it potatoes, spinach, brussel sprouts, onions, and garlic and gave it a bit of curry seasoning. It wasn't amazing but it wasn't bad either.
Can't remember much else.
Word: recepte = recipe
Dish: above
December 4th
Friday
Mom was desperate to find Hellman's mayonaise so we drove to Alsunga to look for it. No luck. She then dropped me off at the library and I was going to check email for a bit and then run/walk home from there. It was a beautiful crisp winter day - blue skies and the meadows were covered in a white frost and sparkling in the sun. I ran for an hour, then walked for a half hour, and was home. Mom called me twice, wanting to come pick me up (and thinking I was crazy), but I told her to stay home, and I'd call her if I couldn't do it. Ha.
Word: pastmarka = stamp
Highlight: the run! and making it home!
Lowlight: couldn't play scrabble on the Alsunga library computer
Random Observation: running and walking is so much nicer than driving. I saw so many beautiful details on my run/walk home that I'd never seen on all my drives along the same road. (including 5 deer, just in the woods a bit)
Mom was desperate to find Hellman's mayonaise so we drove to Alsunga to look for it. No luck. She then dropped me off at the library and I was going to check email for a bit and then run/walk home from there. It was a beautiful crisp winter day - blue skies and the meadows were covered in a white frost and sparkling in the sun. I ran for an hour, then walked for a half hour, and was home. Mom called me twice, wanting to come pick me up (and thinking I was crazy), but I told her to stay home, and I'd call her if I couldn't do it. Ha.
Word: pastmarka = stamp
Highlight: the run! and making it home!
Lowlight: couldn't play scrabble on the Alsunga library computer
Random Observation: running and walking is so much nicer than driving. I saw so many beautiful details on my run/walk home that I'd never seen on all my drives along the same road. (including 5 deer, just in the woods a bit)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
