By Marie Fagan Peart | marie@haldimandpress.com
Amber, Teresa, Stella
I was thrilled to be invited by my daughter-in-law Amber to share in a Ukrainian Christmas dinner. Amber and Eric were hosting her parents, Teresa and Ted Snively, along with other extended family from Teresa’s side. It was Stella Rebuk, Amber’s grandmother, who immigrated to Canada from Ukraine as a small child. She left Ukraine before the Second World War with her mother and father, great-grandfather, and a baby sister. They left with only the possessions they could carry. Eventually, her family purchased a farm outside of Waterford. Stella would marry Mike Rebuk and raise their family in rural Waterford. She passed away in 2024, but her spirit was certainly present at our dinner.
The family told me that growing up they usually celebrated Christmas on December 25. On occasion, they would gather again on January 7 to commemorate the traditional Ukrainian Christmas. This was in accordance with the Julian calendar followed by the Orthodox faith. Traditional dishes were served at a special meal. This meal was meatless out of respect for the animals that were present at the time of Christ’s birth.
The menu included two soups: wheat with honey and nuts, and a borscht. Pickled herring and a baked white fish dish were prepared. Roasted sauerkraut, cabbage rolls, and perogies rounded out the main dishes. During discussion, I heard that the recipes have changed over the years, tweaked for personal preferences and changing times.
What made the evening special were the bits and pieces I overheard as people recognized Stella’s China plates that Amber was using, the cup and saucer of their grandmother’s, and the stories being remembered. I am sharing some of the recipes of that night. Enjoy!
WHITE FISH WITH SAUCE
2 pounds white fish
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup oil
¼ cup thinly sliced onion
¼ cup sliced green bell pepper
¼ cup sliced red pepper
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon corn starch
4 pimento seeds
1 Tablespoon additional oil
2/3 cup vinegar
1¼ cup water
Season fish with salt and pepper. Fry gently in ½ cup of oil until cooked. Remove and drain.
Combine all other ingredients in a saucepan and simmer with the lid off, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
Pour sauce over the fish. Serve hot or allow fish to steep for 12 hours and serve cold.
BORSCHT
3 large beets
1 large onion
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 heaping Tablespoon salt
3 large potatoes
2 large carrots
1/3 head of cabbage, shredded small
1 or 2 cans yellow and/or green wax beans
1½ cups tomato juice
2 Tablespoons of vinegar
1½ cups sour cream
6 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
Chop beets and onion. Place in a large pot and cover with boiling water. Add onion soup mix and salt. Cook until beets are almost done.
Chop potatoes and carrots and add, keeping water well over the vegetables. Cook until potatoes are almost done.
Add cabbage to soup. Cook until cabbage is done and vegetables are tender. Take off heat.
Add the beans, tomato juice, and vinegar.
In a small pan, fry bacon until well done. Add the bacon and bacon grease to the soup.
Put the sour cream in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Pour 2 cups of the hot liquid from the soup into the sour cream gradually, stirring well. Add to the soup. At first the soup is a funny colour of pink. Upon standing for a while it turns into the pretty pink colour.
