Time To Start Working On Your Velykden Menu

 Easter - Velykden - is coming, and there's a lot of cooking to be done before company arrives. Here are some of the traditional dishes served in Ukraine for the holiday.

• Paska - a sweet bread that is traditionally baked in a round shape and decorated with symbols or designs that represent the holiday.
• Babka - a rich, sweet cake that is often flavored with vanilla, raisins, or other fruits.
• Kovbasa - a type of sausage that is commonly made with pork and flavored with garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Ham - a roasted or boiled ham is often served as a main course during Ukrainian Easter.
• Holubtsi - cabbage rolls that are filled with a mixture of ground meat, rice, and spices.
• Varenyky - boiled dumplings that can be filled with potatoes, cheese, or meat.
• Deruny - potato pancakes that are typically served as a side dish.
• Beetroot soup - a hearty soup made with beets, potatoes, carrots, and meat.
• Easter eggs - hard-boiled eggs that are traditionally decorated with intricate designs using wax and colorful dyes.

Our family came from the Galicia region, spanning the border from Ukraine to Poland. We enjoyed many of the dishes listed above, and some others:

• Ukrainian Style Beets with Horseradish
• Kolachki
• Ukrainian Nut Roll 
• Kapusta
• Ukrainian Red Eggs and Beets 
• Halupchies aka Halupkies. This is our family recipe for the Holubtsi listed above.
• Borscht Our family recipe for the beetroot soup listed above.
  

Uncle Corky carries the Kovbasa from the smoker to the kitchen.