Christine's Warm Salad of Pork and Black-Eyed Peas

10 ounces of black-eyed peas, cooked

1/3 C. Italian salad dressing

1/2 C. snow peas, coarsely chopped or halved

1/4 C. green onions, diced

1/4 C. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/4 C. celery, sliced

1/4 C. red pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp. olives, sliced

drizzle of olive oil or non-stick cooking spray

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips

fresh spinach, greens, and lettuces to line plate

1) Combine first 8 ingredients and set aside.

2) Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and stir-fry garlic for 30 seconds.

3) Add pork. If uncooked, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until no longer pink. If cooked, stir-fry just until warm.

4) Remove from heat.

5) Add vegetable mixture to pork in skillet and mix well.

6) Serve over greens.

Piparkoogid (Estonian Gingersnaps, literally "Pepper Cakes")

These are a traditional part of the Estonian Christmas celebration. They are very thin, crispy, and—depending who is making them—delicious or deliberately awful. (Some Estonians like to make these cookies particularly sharp, almost inedibly so, to commemorate the bitterness of their years in captivity.)

VERSION #1 (from Estonian Tastes and Traditions by Karin Annus Karner)

1 C. sugar

1/4 C. molasses

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. ground cloves

2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 sticks butter

4 C. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

sprinkles or sliced almonds (opt.)

Yes, there's no ginger in these gingersnaps.

1) Combine the first five ingredients with 1/3 C. water in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils.

2) Remove from heat, add the butter and pepper, and stir until completely melted.

3) Cool to room temperature.

4) Gradually stir in the flour and baking soda until smooth.

5) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times until smooth and all of the flour is well incorporated.

6) Wrap the dough in waxed paper and chill for at least 45 minutes (or up to several days or weeks).

7) When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

8) Divide the dough into four or eight pieces.

9) Roll out one piece at a time to 1/8-in. thickness (or thinner, if you dare).

10) Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and place one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

11) Decorate with sprinkles or slices almonds, if desired.

12) Bake for 6-8 minutes or until slightly brown and slightly firm to the touch.

13) Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then carefully transfer the cookies on wire racks using a thin metal spatula and cool completely.

NOTE: These keep well in an airtight container for about 2 months.

VERSION #2 (from Eesti Kook, Estonian Cooking by Lia Virkus and Harri Ilves)

2 sticks plus 2 Tbsp. margarine (250 g)

1 C. sugar

1 C. dark malt

2 tsp. ground cloves

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. cocoa powder

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

5 C. flour

ICING (opt): 1 egg white, 2 C. icing sugar, a few drops of lemon juice

1) Mix margarine, sugar, spices, and malt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

2) Remove from heat and cool.

3) Whip with electric mixer until fluffy.

4) Add eggs one at a time and continue to mix.

NOTE: If you prefer crispy gingerbread cookies, mix the dough as little as possible.

5) Wrap dough into plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least until the next day but up to two weeks.

6) When ready to cut cookies out and bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7) Roll 1/3 of dough on lightly floured surface until thin, then cut cookies out with cookie cutters.

8) Bake for 6-8 minutes.

9) To make optional icing, combine all ingredients. Beat with electric mixer and use immediately.

10) Decorate cookies with icing or colored granulated sugar.

Malle ("Mall's") Ounakook ("Apple Cake")

3 C. flour (gluten-free works fine as well)

3 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick butter

1 C. sugar (we use a little more)

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 C. milk

1/2 C. sour cream (opt. but we do)

3-5 cooking apples, thinly sliced

1) Mix together dry ingredients.

2) Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs one at a time.

3) Add vanilla, then slowly add flour mix and milk (and sour cream, if using), alternately.

4) Spread batter into greased cookie sheet. (I use my Pampered Chef bar pan.)

5) Stand apple slices upright into batter in cookie sheet.

TIP: Mark out three rows, and put the slices a little bit apart, then fill in the openings later.

6) Bake at 375 degrees until baked through and golden brown (30-40 minutes).

Kohupiima Korp (Estonian Cream Cheese Sheet Cake)

Traditional Estonian recipes for this cake vary wildly, but this is the version the Muursepp family has made over the years. Dear Helde (my husband's grandmother) and Emi (his mother) made this lightly sweetened cake for our family at most holidays, and our kids love it!

FOR THE DOUGH:

1 box cream cheese

2 sticks butter

4 cups flour

Knead well and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to use, let it stand out to become room temperature, then roll out to 1/4 inch and place on a large cookie sheet.

FOR THE FILLING:

3 Tbsp sour cream

1 lb cottage cheese

3 eggs

3/4 C. sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp vanilla

lemon zest

Mix filling by hand. Pour over dough and flip edges over toward the center of the cake. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Rosolje, Muursepp Style—Estonian Pink Potato Salad (Can Be Vegan)

Traditional Estonian recipes for this potato salad vary wildly. The dressing often has Dijon or hot English mustard, prepared horseradish, or sugar in it—though the Muursepp family variety never has. Use a one-to-one ratio between potatoes and beets. (In other words, it's half potatoes and half beets.)

cooked beets (canned is fine), finely diced

cooked potatoes, chilled and finely diced

sweet onion, finely diced

dill pickles, finely diced (lots!)

hard-boiled eggs, finely diced and crumbled on top (omit for vegan)

ham, finely diced (opt., omit for vegan)

pickled herring, finely diced (opt., omit for vegan)

golden delicious apples, finely diced (opt. and common, but never part of the Muursepp family traditional rosolje)

Dice all ingredients into very small, evenly sized squares. Stir into dressing.

Dressing:

Half mayonnaise and half sour cream (or can use 1/3 each of mayo, sour cream, and greek yogurt)—I use vegan mayo and cashew yogurt

Salt and pepper

Dill pickle juice (opt., but definitely part of the Muursepp family recipe)

Pat Panther's White Almond Bark

1 pound whole almonds

1 pound white almond bark candy pieces

1) Toast almonds at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then cool.

2) Melt almond bark candy (in double boiler, if you have it) and stir in toasted nuts.

3) Pour mixture onto foil-lined cookie sheet—I use parchment paper—and flatten with a wooden spoon.

4) Let cool, then break into bite-sized serving pieces.

COOK'S NOTES:

* Don't make more than one batch at a  time. If you want more, make each batch individually.

* If you use a double boiler, be careful of hot water dripping! If you don't, melt the candy on a very low temperature, stirring constantly, and do not burn!

* The large Costco bag of almonds is 2 pounds.

* Almond bark candy pieces are a seasonal item so buy it when you can if you'll want it other times than at the holidays.