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Where theres smoke theres fire

Jackmartin
Jackmartin Member Posts: 196
My wife is a hospital pharmacist and she of course works with a lot of other health professionals. She comes home and informs me one of the doctors she works with has asked if I could install a new furnace for his mom. I really do not like doing residential work , but; after 42 years of marriage you do what you are told. So I meet the doctor at his mom's house, a little place over in the north end of Winnipeg. Nice guy, we discuss what has to be done ,agree on a price, and it is a go. Now, if I had of been paying attention, I would have noticed he never spoke English to his mom only Ukrainian. I also noticed his mom seemed nervous, I asked him if his mom was okay with this furnace change and he said "Sure" his dad had passed away about five years ago and they had a very strict demarcation of household duty. Dad worked two jobs five days a week and at the corner butcher on Saturdays [ he was paid in meat] and mom did the house and the kids and her word at home was law. So my youngest son and yours truly went over on Saturday, got the plastic run for the vent and told mom we would be back Monday. We arrive with the sheet metal guys or should I say people because their apprentice is a lovely young lady. Mom opens the door and the blast of heat knocks us back. She had turned the heat up to 90 in case she got cold. She greeted us in Ukrainian, and before I could tell her I do not understand, young Robin, the sheet metal apprentice answers her in her own language. This is great, so we leave Robin to explain things to mom and drag our junk down the basement. So the changeover was easy, high boy to a high boy 98 percent York. The sheet metal was installed -- their usual excellent job-- and I went up to install a new Heat only manual stat. I explained to mom, there would be in all likelihood some smoke when we started the furnace and it was nothing to be concerned about. I asked if she understood and she said Ya Ya, so I took that as yes. We start the furnace and I am checking the gas pressure , my son remarks Dad can you hear sirens? I cannot hear anything anymore, too many boilers rooms. So, I say nope, and then even I could hear the sirens , so I remarked must be close by? Next thing we know, the back door bursts open and five of the largest people I have ever seen, are in the basement complete with oxygen tanks and axes. The Fire Chief says to me where's the fire and of course I am stunned -- nothing new for me-- and I say "Huh"! They had gotten a 911 call for a fire, mom saw the smoke or smelled the dust burning off and called the fire department. So, he tells the fire fighters to go up and check, he exits and I hear, you guessed it, an animated conversation in Ukrainian, seems the Fire Chief was fluent in the language. I am beginning to think, I am the only person in Western Canada, that does not speak Ukrainian. We finish up and leave. Now, it is just a funny story to tell over supper that night. The next day, my wife comes home with the cheque and a porcelain roaster full of cabbage rolls -- I love cabbage rolls. The doctor explained to my wife, that his mom felt bad, and she sent over the cabbage rolls to say sorry. I just hope she needs her hot water tank changed next ;hell, the cabbage rolls were so good, I will call 911 the next time. All the best Jack
CLambratioGordykcoppDZoroSolid_Fuel_Man

Comments

  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    Don't know much about Ukraine other then they make good beer and apparently cabbage rolls.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,405
    LOL, Priceless!!
  • DZoro
    DZoro Member Posts: 1,048
    Very nice story! I have a great Polish story from my area, but yours tops all :)
  • Leonard
    Leonard Member Posts: 903
    edited February 2018
    Like Polish food. Remember ma making peirogies. Anyone have the recipe for it. Remember filling was riced potatoes, cottage cheese, egg and some other stuff. Better one was garbage and onions but forget the recipe.

    Got her recipe for gawomkeys (cabbage rolls, no tomatoes) if anyone wants it. Also have it for boast ( 3 day marinated rolled otes and rye bread. with eggs and onions, bacon.
    DZoro
  • info43
    info43 Member Posts: 51
    @Leonard
    Just like Babci used to make!
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,038
    Does anyone make Ustakaka....(Swedish)?
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,405
    I think we should start a "Heating Help" cook book!!
  • Shalom
    Shalom Member Posts: 165
    edited February 2018
    We (Galician Jewish, i.e. eastern Polish/western Ukrainian) called those cabbage rolls Holopches (or Kholopches if you're Hungarian). Ukrainian has an H but Russian does not, so if you're of Russian descent you'd call them Golupki.

    Secret is, you parboil (or microwave) the cabbage just enough to wilt the outer few layers of leaves, and as you're wrapping the meat in those, you put the cabbage back in the pot/microwave to wilt the next layers. Otherwise the leaves crack and don't wrap properly, but heat it too long and it'll fall apart. At least this is how my mother does it.
  • Leonard
    Leonard Member Posts: 903
    edited February 2018
    Recipe .....Golupki (likely phonetic spelling ...ga-wom-key). Ma boiled the cabbage head in pot of water to soften it, then could peel off leaves and use them to roll up filling. For filling I use 5 pounds of 85% hamburg, 2 pound bag of 20 minute rice, need ~3 heads of cabbage depending on head size. Picture of oval "dutch" oven for size....https://i.pinimg.com/736x/7d/e6/36/7de6362b4483cae88eab05413577e012.jpg

    My filling is just 50/50% mix of cooked rice and raw hamberg, mix in a lot of salt, pepper, and bell's seasoning (picture of turkey on front). Put on gabage leaf and roll up. Then layer in large oval covered dutch oven.

    Can of chicken broth into pan bottom so won't burn. Sprinkle salt from 1 pound can on top of layer of rolled cabbage till you think it's too much , then add more salt. Need that salt or no taste, (gets sucked into cabbage.) Left over cabbage leaves on top so won't burn, salt them too. Cover and cook at 350 degs for ~1.5 hours (2 layers). Serve hot, yummmmmmm...... add salt and pepper, maybe also butter or plain yellow mustard. Re-heat ..... Cut in half and steam heat in fry pan, boil off excess water.

    Comes in other variations: my aunt used 50% pork 50% hamberg for the meat. I didn't like hers, too greasy. Others substitute green pepper for cabbage and add tomato sauce but I think that's an Italian version..
    ShalomDZoroSolid_Fuel_Man
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,405
    SEE, THE HH COOKBOOK HAS BEEN STARTED!!!!
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,038
    Not another category!
    kcopp
  • Shalom
    Shalom Member Posts: 165
    edited February 2018
    My mom did the meat pretty much like yours, obviously without pork, but for sauce half and half Heinz ketchup and wholeberry cranberry sauce. (Admittedly this was sourced from her neighbor who was Sephardi, circa 1978 , my Babbi is not around to ask anymore so I don't know how they did it in Poland. I'll have to ask my mom how her mom cooked it next time I talk with her.)

    Edit to add; she did it in the pressure cooker, not the oven. I guess 15psi steam kinda brings this back on topic...
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • Jackmartin
    Jackmartin Member Posts: 196
    Glad to hear I am not alone in my love of Slavic food, yummy.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,405
    @Shalom , I love using a pressure cooker cause where I live we have electric heat. I need steam from something!!

    @Jackmartin , always like reading your posts from up north. I feel like I am back in my youth reading a Jack London book
  • Leonard
    Leonard Member Posts: 903
    edited February 2018
    In winter love taking pressure cooker outside and removing the pressure weights to vent pressure. 20 ft steam gizer in the floodlight. Fills yard with fog even in the wind. And it goes on for a few minutes