that polish kind of easter lunch

our housemate and friend we fondly call "ciocia bo" invited us for a polish style easter lunch. she briefed us that the theme of the dishes would be anything with eggs, as symbolized by Jesus' resurrection from the tomb. it was an interesting likeness as i was not aware why egg is popular during easter despite the prolific usage of "easter egg". francis and i were excited but at the same time pondering how filling it could be to have just eggs for lunch (please understand that filipinos are very fond of rice in every meal and the thought of having just egg could be a little new to us even more so for lunch).

i was wrong. it was such a heavy lunch after eating to my heart's content!

to start with,  we had kir (made from black currant) and semillon wine mix.

there were three appetizers (aside from bread and butter that was served on the side) served in bowls:

stuffed egg: a mixture of yolk, mayonnaise, garlic, dill stirred together and stuffed back to egg halves
egg and mushroom garnished with spring onion
a salad with ham, cheese and corn

three appetizers neatly set on the dining

i was so full by the end of the entrées. i certainly underestimated how heavy they were that i overindulged, scooping twice from the serving bowls each time!

the main was a beautiful and traditional white barzcz żurek, made from fermented wheat and served with white and brown sausages and halved boiled eggs. the sour taste of the soup blended with the smoked sausage and marjoram was exceptional. it is the kind of taste that i think will stay with me for a long time.

very rich barzcz żurek soup

for dessert, we had mazurek topped with dark chocolate, walnut and coconut flakes; and pascha with orange peel and raisins shaped like the tomb of Jesus. 

mazurek

pascha

it was not like our ordinary lunch. it was cooked with ciocia bo's heart and soul 
(together with her two friends who brought the two appetizers). now i understood why she hid for two days in the kitchen.

the polish ladies and me

kaela's prim and proper before the easter lunch