Niagara is a great place to live, and especially in the fall with autumn colours around and harvest season upon us. We have a garden and usually grow tomatoes and cucumbers, usually just to eat fresh, but one of the great things about Niagara is the abundance of local farms: everything from pick-your-own strawberries in June, cherries in July, to apples, pears, and peaches in the fall. We cook and bake a lot, as well as do a lot of home canning in the fall.

The recipes presented below are some of our favourites. In many cases we’ve learned how to make dishes we have enjoyed at restaurants (many Disney restaurants as we dined there quite a bit in the past) and in other cases I’ve outlined some rare European delights such as kifli (some of which are difficult to find recipes for). Enjoy!

Eastern European Delicacies and Delights …

Kifli / Roszky

Known as Kifli (Key-Flea) in Hungarian or Roszky/Rozky/Rosky* (Rho-Sh-Key) in Slovak, these crescent-shaped rolls were a favourite of mine. Both grandmothers made them, the Hungarians making them larger and the Slovaks smaller. Often filled with a walnut filling, I have always preferred the moister kifli filled with plum jam (Lacvar or lekvar, pronounced ‘Leck-Var’). The recipe I have here is “Pozsonyi Kifli” which translates into “Bratislava Kifli” making them the Slovak version of a Hungarian sweet dessert.

Kifli / Roszky Recipe

Known as Kifli (Key-Flea) in Hungarian or Roszky/Rozky/Rosky^* (Rho-Sh-Key) in Slovak, these crescent-shaped rolls were a favourite of mine. Both grandmothers made them, the Hungarians making them larger and the Slovaks smaller. Often filled with a walnut filling, I have always preferred the moister kifli filled with plum jam (Lacvar or lekvar, pronounced ‘Leck-Var’). For this reason, I had also become accustomed to locating the kifli I liked by the excess jam spilling out the sides – I now purposely overfill my kifli (by my Baba’s evaluation) and they always ooze jam! This is one of my favourites recipes of all time, derived by my mother from the recipes of both of my grandmothers. It is impossible to say if this recipe is truly ‘Hungarian’ or ‘Slovak’ (since kifli was originally of Hungarian descent) however a little research shows that these are likely “Pozsonyi Kifli” which translates into “Bratislava Kifli” making them the Slovak version of a Hungarian sweet dessert … makes sense given the source.

Making these has become a Christmas tradition.

This recipe makes 60-80 Kifli.

Instructions

Mix together the following three ingredients and set aside. Ensure it does not clump.

1/4 CUP MILK (Warmed)
1 TBSP YEAST
1 tsp SUGAR

Using a pastry knife, Mix the following three ingredients in a bowl:

3 CUPS FLOUR
1/2 lb. BUTTER (1 CUP)
Pinch Salt

Add the following two dry ingredients to the above:

3-1/2 TBSP SUGAR
1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER

In a separate bowl, mix the following:

3 EGG YOLKS (SEPARATE FROM WHITES), Beaten

The add the yeast mixture from above (by now it has frothed) and add:

1/2 CUP SOUR CREAM
1/2 tsp VANILLA

Mix these ‘wet’ ingredients together with the dry ingredients. Should have the consistency of peanut butter cookie dough. Add flour if sticky. Knead well and let stand 2 to 3 hours in a warm place. To allow the dough to rise, we place the bowl with the dough (covered with a tea towel) onto the top rack of our oven and place a bowl of hot water on the lower rack. Leave the oven off and it will gently warm and allow the dough to rise. Don’t let the dough sit too long: we’ve had the butter separate out after an extended period.

Divide the dough into 5 equal sized balls. Sprinkle sugar on a board, put a dough ball on the board, and roll out into a circle about 12 inches across. Flip the dough over and put more sugar on the board. Cut like a pizza into wedges about 1-1/2 inches at widest. Here you see a traditional kifli cutter – it has a blade which makes a serrated edge.

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Place Lecvar plum jam on each wedge (about 1 tsp each) and roll from the large end to the small in sugar sprinkled on the board.

These are, by my Baba’s appraisal, overloaded and the jam will overflow onto the cookie sheet when baked (the way I like it, but less “dainty” looking than “traditional” kifli)

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Dough wedges are rolled in sugar sprinkled on the cutting board. The sugar is quite necessary to hold the kifli together – lack of sugar will cause the kifli to unroll during baking and the resulting kifli will have “tails”.

Bake on a cookie sheet at 325 F for 13 to 15 min (time given for a convection oven) until golden brown.

As well, when baking, be sure to put the “tails” of the rolls on the bottom (again, to keep them from unrolling).

A perfect kifli. Cooked golden-brown in about 14 minutes this one is the perfect shape and has only a little leaking lekvar (useful for identifying the contents, which I consider a desirable feature).

Lacvar / Lekvar

When I first made kifli, my Baba said don’t bother making lacvar as it is a lot of work and takes too long. She then told me it’s hard to find good lacvar anywhere. Hmmm, quandry?

I made a batch, as per below, and when canned properly it can be kept for a long time. You might consider making a smaller batch since twenty-four jars lasts a loooooong time. The ascorbic and citric acids serve to preserve both flavour and the deep purple colour.

1/2 bushel Italian Prune Plums
1 tsp ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
2 tsp citric acid (or 8 TBSP lemon juice)
2 Kg White Sugar

Grind plums, and split between two pots. Put 1/2 tsp of ascorbic acid and 1 tsp citric acid in each pot. Boil very slowly for about 2 hours.

Put in a roasting pan in a 325 degree F oven to thicken (to the consistency of cake batter) for about 5 hours – To test, put the lecvar on a metal spoon … it is done when no water seeps out when cooling.

Now, add sugar (it will get thinner). Bake again for 1.5 hours. Put into 250 mL canning jars and process for 10 minutes in a hot water canner (time from when the water returns to a boil). Makes twenty-four 250mL jars.

^* I’ve seen it spelled a variety of ways in Slovak, and apparently these are made in a variety of styles as well likely depending on the region.

Hungarian Gulyas (Goulash)

This recipe for the famous beef stew was adapted from the original recipe of the Hungarian Hall in Welland, famous (at least in the area) for their Gulyas.

Hungarian Gulyas Recipe

This recipe was adapted from the original recipe of the Hungarian Hall in Welland, famous (at least in the area) for their Gulyas.

1.5 lbs beef cut in half-inch cubes
2 small onions, diced
2) 900 mL low sodium beef stock
500 mL water
1 tsp caraway seeds
2 Tbsp Hungarian paprika (good quality, dark red, often from a deli)
1 cup Red Wine (e.g. Barolo, Merlot)
2 Tbsp Vegeta seasoning
1 red pepper diced into small 1/4″ cubes (can be red or yellow, but NOT green)
2 large carrots, peeled and thick sliced 1/2″
2 stalk celery, sliced
1 bundle fresh parsley (3/8″ diameter, tied with string)
1 chunk cabbage (size of a potato, usually the center core)
4 potatoes (in 3/4-inch cubes)

Into a large soup pot, fry the onions in 2 Tbsp bacon fat (important) until translucent then add the beef pieces and stir-fry until lightly browned. Some sticking to the bottom of the pot will occur.

Now, add beef stock, water, caraway, paprika, wine, vegeta, red pepper, carrots, celery, parsley, and cabbage. Simmer for a few hours then add potatoes an hour before the Gulyas is done. When done, remove the cabbage and discard.

Note that several modifications were made: Cabbage is a substitute for kohlrabi in the original recipe. The original recipe used parsley root instead of parsley. Caraway seeds can be boiled in water to eliminate the seeds from the stew.

Meat Sticks

Since I was small, I always enjoyed these meat sticks which were served only at special meals like Christmas and Easter (probably owing to the relatively long preparation time). These are common in Slavic cultures and always considered a treat!

Meat Stick Recipe

4 lbs Pork Tenderloin, cut into 1/2″ by 1/2″ pieces
5 medium Onions, cut into large chunks
1 head of Garlic, cut coarsely
2 Tbsp. Seasoning Salt

Alternately, the seasoning salt may be made by mixing the following:
2 Tbsp. Salt
2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Cornstarch

In a zip-lock bag or sealed container, mix the pork, seasoning salt, onions, and garlic together as shown in the photo to the right. Marinate the meat overnight in the fridge.

Soak two dozen wood skewers (about 12cm long and with pointed ends) in water for an hour. Separate the meat from the mixture, discarding the onion and garlic pieces, and skewer the pieces (about five per meat stick).

Bread the meat sticks by first rolling in flour, then dipping in a mixture of egg and milk (with a little salt and pepper added), then rolling in breadcrumbs. Fry each meat stick in hot oil (a shallow pan with a cm of oil) to lightly brown the coating. Now, place into a double-boiler arrangement with water underneath and bake in a 350F oven for one hour – this may be made from an inner layer of aluminum foil to hold the sticks placed into a larger roasting pan (as shown in the large photo above). Remove the meat sticks and place on a cookie sheet. Finish cooking on the sheet at 325F in a convection oven for 30 minutes to crisp the coating.

Favourite Recipes from Restaurants …

Artichoke Spinach Dip

This is a classic recipe from Disney’s Sci-Fi restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park in Florida. At the Sci-Fi, patrons can enjoy “good food” while watching “bad movies” while sitting in a car at the drive-in. You can reproduce the effect, I suppose, by nibbling on the following recipe while watching a “classic” like “Plan 9 from Outer Space”.

Artichoke Spinach Dip Recipe

As of 2009 the restaurant had changed the dip (apparently eliminating Asiago and substituting with parmesan), but this recipe, taken from a Disney planning board, is the original! We’ve made a few minor changes as well.

Using a food scale, weigh-out the following and mix together in a bowl, the set aside:
2 oz. Swiss cheese (shredded)
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
2 oz. Asiago cheese (fresh, grated)

In a second bowl, mix together the following:
6 oz. fresh spinach leaves (wash, spin, and chop finely)
2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
1 can (11 oz.) artichoke hearts (chopped)
1/2 tsp. pickling salt
1/2 of a medium red pepper, roasted in the oven and chopped
1/4 tsp. pepper

Now, in a saucepan, add 500mL of 18% heavy cream. Heat, and boil for 10 min. to thicken. Add cheeses slowly to the cream until it is all melted into a creamy cheese sauce. Add the ingredients from the second bowl (veggies and spices) into the mixture. Simmer for a few minutes, then serve with chips.

The dip can also be transferred to ceramic serving bowls, frozen, and later reheated in a microwave then the oven before serving.

French Onion Soup (Soupe a L’Oignon Gratinee)

This is a modified recipe from Chefs de France in Disney’s EPCOT park. It was modified from a recipe found on a Disney planning board.

French Onion Soup Recipe

French Onion Soup (Soupe a L’Oignon Gratinee)

This is a modified recipe from Chefs de France in Disney’s EPCOT park. It was modified from a recipe found on a Disney planning board.

In a large saucepan, dice 1¹/₂ pounds of onions and saute in 1/₂ cups salted butter. Start with the pan covered and cook slowly over low heat to soften the onions then increase the temperature and cook until onions are carmelized, quite brown, and will stick to the bottom of the pan (over ten minutes) – this is important since they must be very brown and stick to the pan for a nice colour and flavour.

When the onions are cooked, add 2 Tbsp flour and stir for about 30 sec. to form a roux.

Gradually add 2¹/₂ litres of chicken broth stirring from the bottom to dissolve the “stuck” brownings from the pan. Then add the following spices:

1 tsp. salt
¹/₂ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 bay leaves

Simmer, covered, on low for several hours.

Cut French bread slices ¹/₂-inches thick and dry in a 350F oven. Cut into pieces and place into several heat resistant ceramic bowls. Discard bay leaves and fill bowls with soup. Top with grated Gruyere cheese (or a mixture of ¹/₂ Gruyere and ¹/₂ Mozzarella if the Gruyere is strong). Place bowls in a hot oven until cheese melts and is golden brown.

Puffed French Toast

Another Disney recipe, this time from the Crystal Palace buffet. Found of the “kids” table, I always dove into these gems when at the crystal palace and evidently I’m not the only adult to do so! Serve with bacon (I’m Canadian, after all, and following the stereotype really love my bacon).

Puffer French Toast Recipe

Another Disney recipe, this time from the Crystal Palace buffet. Found of the “kids” table, I always dive into these gems when at the crystal palace and evidently I’m not the only adult to do so! Serve with bacon (I’m Canadian, after all, and following the stereotype really love my bacon).

Mix the following ingredients for the sugar topping and set aside:
4 tsp. cinnamon
³/₄ cup sugar

Now make a batter as follows:
2 eggs (beaten)
2 ¹/₂ Tbsp. sugar
¹/₂ tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¹/₂ cups milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
¹/₂ tsp. salt

After blending all of the above ingredients slowly add the following, mixing until smooth:
2 ¹/₂ cups flour
1 ¹/₂ Tbsp. baking powder

Now, prepare slices of soft bread. We use French bread, making slices ³/₄ inch thick, cutting the large slices in half, and cutting the crusts off. The above recipe will make nine slices of French bread (cut in half to make eighteen pieces).

Preheat a quarter-inch of oil in a pan. Dip bread into batter, covering both sides, and fry in the oil on each side until golden brown (about 1 to 1 ¹/₂ minutes each side). Remove from hot oil, place on a paper towel for just a few seconds to remove excess oil, and roll the entire piece in the sugar mix to thoroughly coat it. Place completed pieces on a cookie sheet, and finish in a hot oven (325 F, convection) for 15 minutes.

Main Street Bakery Cinnamon Rolls

If you’ve been to DisneyWorld in the 2000’s, before Starbucks, then you might remember the oh-so-good cinnamon buns from the Main Street Bakery. Nothing, and I mean nothing, at Disneyworld could touch these for the yummy factor! Many times we’d buy a few as we were leaving the park and let the kids enjoy them the next morning for breakfast in the hotel room before starting our day.

Main Street Bakery Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

The Main Street Bakery is gone, like so many other treasured things at Disney, but these rolls have become a new tradition for us: we make them on Christmas Eve day and have them for Christmas morning.

To give credit where credit is due, the original recipe was from the Disney Food Blog and slightly modified, primarily to accommodate available ingredients as well as our pans (inconceivable one could bake all 20 at once). As well, I’ve added photos describing the assembly steps …

Dough Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
4 1/2 tsp yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cups all-purpose flour

Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (room temperature)
1/4 cup salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

Step 1: The basic dough

1. In small bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar.
2. Stir until dissolved and set aside.
3. In large bowl, mix pudding according to package instructions with cold milk.
4. Add 1/2 cup melted butter, egg, and salt. Mix well, then add yeast mixture and blend well.
5. Gradually add flour and knead until smooth. We use a Kitchenaid stand mixer and add the flour very slowly. Even our large mixer cannot accomodate the entire load of flour without overflowing so we add about seven cups into the mixer slowly, then knead the last cup into the dough by hand – it should not be sticky when properly mixed and kneaded.
6. Place in a very large greased bowl.
7. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (one hour). We place the bowl of dough, covered with a tea towel, onto the upper rack of our (turned OFF) oven with a bowl of hot water underneath to proof the dough.
8. Punch down and let rise again for second time (one hour). Change the water to heat the oven again for proofing.
9. Roll dough on a very large, lightly floured surface.
10. Divide into two balls and roll one into a rectangle 17 x 20 inches in size (use a ruler).

Step 2: Forming the rolls

11. Take 1/4 cup of very soft butter (not quite liquid yet) and use a pastry brush to spread over entire dough surface right to the edges.
12. In small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon (we divide it into two bowls already with 1 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon each).

13. Sprinkle one half of the powdered mixture (1 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon) over top of buttered dough. Roll dough up like a jelly roll so it is 20″ long. This operation is best with two people. When you get to the end, fold the end back so the seam is on top then pinch it to seal the roll.

14. Measure dough every 2 inches with a ruler and cut with a knife to get ten pieces.
15. Repeat the same with the second ball of dough (step 10) to get twenty rolls in total.

16. Place each roll in a buttered baking pan and allow to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. Pat each roll lightly to flatten gently. Do not ram the rolls in as they will expand. We place four rolls into an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish, or six rolls into an 8″ x 12″ or 8″ x 13″ glass baking dish. When they rise, they will touch each other in the dishes (and they get larger yet during baking).
17. When you remove the dishes from rising for the last time, push the center of the rolls down if required (i.e. if they have popped up).

Step 3: Baking and Frosting

18. Bake in a preheated oven (325F convection or 350F regular) until golden brown in color, about 18-22 minutes (18 of not rammed together).
19. Combine all frosting ingredients and mix (with a hand mixer) until smooth then frost rolls while they are still warm.

Takes 4 and a half hours in total to make and makes twenty rolls. Rolls may be frozen for later.

Shrimp Creole

Over the years I have made several version of Shrimp Creole but this one is the best. Adapted from a recipe we got while on a cruise. Serves four.

Shrimp Creole Recipe

Over the years I have made several version of Shrimp Creole but this one is the best. Adapted from a recipe we got while on a cruise. One of the key ingredients is the shrimp – it must be raw and it must not be overcooked. Serves four.

1 lb raw shrimp (large tiger shrimp, zipperback)
1/4 cup white wine
Olive oil or Olive/Canola blend
1 cup half-and-half cream
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 large onion
half red pepper, chopped into eighth-inch pieces
half green pepper, chopped into eighth-inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
half can tomato paste

Pre-chop all ingredients and put into separate bowls.
Peel raw shrimp and saute in oil over high heat until just cooked: cook until both sides are pink but do not overcook.
Remove from pan and set aside. In oil, saute onions and garlic until just brown. Add chopped green and red peppers to pan and cook. Add tomato paste and stir until vegetables are coated. Add chopped tomato and cook until all pieces tender. Now add white wine, stir well, then add cream. Reduce over heat until thickened and add previously cooked shrimp bringing back to a low boil. Add cayenne (about 1/2 tsp), salt (about 1 tsp), and pepper (about 1/2 tsp) to taste. Remove from heat, sprinkle top with dried parsley flakes, and serve atop a bed of rice.