As the holiday season comes to a close, many students look back not only on good company, but also beloved family meals. This season is typically filled with the tastiest of foods, from meaty main dishes to savory sides and all-too-addicting desserts. While these delicacies are delicious, they’re more than an activity over which to converse, and hold meaning beyond the holidays. For many, foods evoke strong memories of loved ones and stories in which dishes are central, whether accompanied by song or fits of laughter. Five University students shared the eats and accompanying stories that bring smiles to their faces during the holiday season.
1. Vietnamese Chicken Congee
Popular across Asia, congee goes by many different names, including cháo, jook, juk and zhou, depending on where you are across the continent. This dish is either a sweet or savory rice porridge made by simmering rice in a large quantity of water or broth until it turns into a thick, creamy consistency. This dish can be served plain or with meat, vegetables, herbs and spices. For fourth-year College student Linh Luc, congee brings memories of home. Whenever she was sick growing up, her mom would make her congee — no matter the illness, this rice porridge was the cure. Luc said that cooking congee was her “mom’s way of saying that she loves [her] without saying the words.”
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rice
- 8 cups water
- 1 ginger root
- 3 lbs chicken (chicken breast or thigh)
- 1 ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- Pinch of salt
Instructions:
- In a large pot, boil 8 cups of water.
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
- Cut the chicken into thin slices.
- Marinate approx. 20 minutes with soy sauce, chicken bouillon and some oil until fully coated and there is no remaining liquid.
- Add the rice to the boiling water, stirring as it goes in. Stir periodically so that the bottom of the pot doesn’t burn.
- Cook the rice and water for 25 minutes on medium heat.
- Gently add in the chicken in small quantities so that the chicken doesn’t clump in the pot. Stir continuously for approx. 5 minutes, or when the chicken turns white.
- Once the chicken turns white, check to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Add chicken bouillon, salt and ginger to the chicken, rice and stir for another 20-30 seconds.
2. Sinigang
Sinigang is a traditional Filipino tamarind-based sour soup. Typically made with pork, this dish is a hearty comfort food and great for the approaching cold weather. Graduate Engineering student Gary Thomas has a strong appreciation for the sinigang creation process and his mom, who always “has a simmering pot waiting” for him every time he returns home to California. Just the thought of coming home to his mom’s sinigang “makes [his] soul smile.” For Thomas, sinigang directly connects him to his mom’s heritage and his family’s roots, as he said the recipe is a “taste of a world [he] didn’t fully grow up in, but still feel[s] deeply connected to.”
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Yields: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 0.5 lbs pork (or any meat)
- 1 packet tamarind mix
- 8 cups water
- ½ an onion
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 4-5 cloves of garlic (minced or chopped)
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup vegetables of choice (e.g., spinach and okra)
- 1 or 2 drops fish sauce
Instructions:
1. Cook pork in a large pot with onions, tomatoes and garlic.
2. Once the pork is partially cooked, drain off any excess fat and add the tamarind mix to create the sour broth.
3. While the soup simmers, prepare the rice in a separate pot. Wash the rice several times, drain it and then add fresh water until it reaches the first joint of your middle finger as it rests on top of the rice.
4. About 15 minutes before the soup is finished, add vegetables of choice into the pot. Cook meat, vegetables and broth together for about 30 minutes.
5. When the rice is done, spoon it into a large bowl and ladle the hot sinigang (meat, vegetables and broth) over the top.
6. Optional: Add a drop (or two) of fish sauce.
3. Julekake
Julekake, a Norwegian delight that translates to “Christmas cake,” is actually called a bread despite its light texture. This delicacy is a sweet yeasted bread, spiced with cardamom, that is filled with raisins and candied fruits, such as candied orange peel and candied cherries. Lots of milk and butter make this a rich bread, and though this dish requires three rises, the gorgeous flavors of Julekake will make that time well-spent. Fourth-year Engineering student Paige Linton enjoys this treat with her family during the holiday season. Linton said that every Christmas morning, her grandmother makes a Julekake, which “ends up looking like a Christmas wreath” with icing drizzled on top.
Prep Time: 2 hours
Resting Time: 2 to 2 ½ hours
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Yields: 3 rings
Ingredients:
- 1 package active dry yeast
- ½ cups warm water
- 2 cups milk scalded and cooled to lukewarm
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom seed
- 4 eggs
- 8-10 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup softened butter
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven at 370°F. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over water and let it stand for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in milk, ¾ cup sugar, salt, cardamon, eggs and about 3 cups of flour.
3. When the mixture is smooth, add 3 more cups of flour and ½ cup melted butter.
4. Beat mixture until smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in about 3 more cups of flour, or enough to make a stiff, slightly sticky dough.
6. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, cover with a towel and let rise for 15 minutes.
7. Knead dough for 3-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding only as much of the remaining flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking.
8. Place dough in a large greased bowl and flip the dough to bring the greased side up.
9. Cover and let the dough rise until it doubles in size (about 1 ½ - 2 hours).
10. Punch down the dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface.
11. Cover and let it stand for 15 minutes. During this time, mix the remaining ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon to make cinnamon sugar for a topping.
12. Divide the dough into thirds and roll out each to a rectangle.
13. Spread with ¼ cup of the softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
14. Starting along the side, roll the rectangle into a roll. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet seam side down and form a circle.
15. Take scissors to cut toward the center at 1 ½ to 2 inch intervals. Do not cut all the way to the center, but enough to turn the cut pieces on their side.
16. Repeat with the other 2 rings. Cover with a towel and let them rise for 20 minutes.
17. Brush bread with beaten egg.
18. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
19. When cool, frost with vanilla glaze and decorate with candied or maraschino cherries and spearmint leaves.
20. Vanilla glaze: mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 4 teaspoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
4. Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter Brittle (Matzo-based)
Matzo is an unleavened flatbread made from flour and water, traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Passover. For fourth-year Engineering Zach Palazotto, using matzo as a base for salty chocolate peanut butter brittle is the most delicious way to spruce up the cracker. Every year, Palazotto’s mom stockpiles matzo to make this delectable and mails it to him at the University — Palazotto’s childhood and college friends anticipate it every year. The treat tastes like home and “evokes feelings of gratitude, love and kindness — all of which [he] correlate[s] with [his] mother”.
Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus chilling)
Bake Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 unsalted matzo crackers
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- One 12-ounce bag chocolate chips
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- A pinch of coarse salt
Instructions:
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, covering the bottom and sides. Place a layer of matzo crackers on the sheet, breaking as needed to cover the surface, set aside.
3. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
4. Stir in the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook undisturbed until the caramel mixture is light golden and registers 255°F on a candy thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and let cool for 1 minute.
7. Stir in the vanilla and quickly pour over the matzos, using a metal spatula to spread evenly.
8. Bake for 8 minutes.
9. Remove the brittle from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake just until the chocolate starts to melt, about 2 minutes, then spread the chocolate evenly and let the brittle cool for 5 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, melt the peanut butter in the saucepan over low heat. Drizzle across the chocolate and, using the handle of a spoon, swirl the chocolate and peanut butter. Sprinkle with salt.
11. Let the brittle cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. Break into pieces to serve.
5. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Just because fresh pumpkins are typically only available in the fall, don’t underestimate the power of canned pumpkin puree — the versatility of pumpkin’s uses should be celebrated year-round. Fourth-year Engineering student Krisalyn Mooney, who ate a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin every morning for almost seven years, would agree. This dish was “warm, familiar and [was] always waiting on the counter before school” for Mooney, and she never grew tired of it. Her mom baked the muffins “so often that they became part of the routine of [her] family, and a reminder of her [mom’s] love.” Now, finishing her last year of college, these muffins “carry that same feeling of home, and their taste is the closest thing [she] can imagine to a warm hug.”
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 16-20 minutes
Yields: 24 standard size muffins
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1½ cups oil
- 2 cups (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups flour
Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Add to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Bake at 400°F for 16 - 20 minutes.
Food is a powerful substitute for words, encompassing heart, care and love within each bite. Its true value is in how it fills you not with sustenance, but with feeling. Whether you recreate a recipe offered here, cook one passed down from your family or find a new one to explore, reflect on the stories baked into these foods and the new meanings they create as you dig in.
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