More Recipes

Speaking of Chute's recipes, here's a few more written in her own hand! They're in phonetically spelled English using Lithuanian spelling conventions (e.g. "jielo" = yellow; "čioklat čips" = chocolate chips). Chute and Tevuk's poor English and heavy accents were always something I found endearing. It made them them, and this reminds me of that.

Deviled Eggs
worcestershire sauce
parsley
mustard "sauce"
sour cream
mayonnaise
Lawry's red seasoning salt
horseradish sauce
salt and pepper
celery salt

Coffee Cake
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding
4 "kiaušiniai" (eggs)
1/2 "puod" (pot) "pieno" (milk)
2 "saukštai smetonas" (spoons of sour cream)
3/4 "puod alyvos" (pot of oil)
1/2 "puod" (pot) whiskey
1/2 "puod" (pot) ???
1/2 "puod" (pot) chocolate chips

Beans Salad
1 can green beans
1 can yellow beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can bean sprout
1 small onion (??)
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar (sounds a little sweet to me!)
1/2 cup oil
salt and pepper

Pistachio Sour Cream Cake
1 pack (18.5 ounce) yellow cake mix
1 pack Royal Instant pudding, pistachio
4 eggs
1 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup water or milk

These things really make me smile, ear to ear, as if she was reading them aloud in her own poor English.

Tribute

I have lost the last of my grandparents. Chute passed away in the morning hours of this past Sunday. She was 93 and quite healthy, all things considered. The most difficult part for me is that she was doing so well for such a long time (the last 4 years, at least) that I let myself believe she could actually make it to 100. She died peacefully, and with dignity, in her sleep.

In a tribute, I am posting her recipe for šaltibarščiai (cold beet soup). Traditional beet soup is made with kefir, but this is difficult to find in most places outside of Eastern Europe, so the kind she always made (and the kind I always knew growing up) was made with sour cream. It gives a sharper taste, which I prefer.

In the style she would have done it, I provide no measurements, quantities, or definite instructions - something I always found frustrating when I was trying to record our important family recipes. But I've come to terms with the fact that these things have never been static, unchanging, or permanent, just like the people in our lives.

Ingredients:

• sour cream
• cooked beets julienne
• water
• hard boiled eggs, sliced
• cucumber, chopped
• dill (fresh not dried)
• salt

Mix the beets (and the beet juice) into the sour cream. Add water to get the right thickness. Add chopped cucumbers and eggs. Add dill and a little salt. The most important part is to let it sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours. It's best on day 2-3. During the waiting period, stir it periodically and add salt a little bit at a time. You don't want to taste the salt, but you need it to make the beets weep, which makes the sour cream taste like the beets. Add more water periodically, as it thickens in the fridge.

Skanaus!

Rest in Peace

Rest in peace, močiute.