VODKA

A man of working classes who wants to celebrate payday will drink vodka straight up. It is also the accompaniment to the finest of caviars. Poland has never experienced prohibition - alcohol has never become a moral issue. There are unlimited methods for flavouring vodka, all easy and imaginative. Try one or more of the following.

ICED COFFEE POLISH STYLE

kawa mrozona po polsku

1/2 cup sugar

5 cups chilled, strong coffee

1 cup vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup vodka

2 cups whipped heavy cream

Blend sugar with coffee and refrigerate for several hours. Distribute ice cream equally among 4 glasses. Splash with vodka, add the sweetened coffee and top with the whipped cream. Serves 4.

ICED COFFEE WITH VODKA

kawa mrozona z wodka

5 cups chilled strong coffee

1/2 cup sugar or honey

1/2 cup vodka

Combine ingredients and chill to blend. Serve over crushed ice. Serves 4

SUMMER PUNCH

poncz letni

3 oranges, peeled and mashed

3 cups sugar

1 sliced orange

1 quart white wine

juice of 1 lemon

1 cup vodka

2 cups water or

2 cups seltzer (club soda)

Marinate crushed oranges and sugar overnight. Combine with the other ingredients and serve in tall glasses. Serves 4.

CUCUMBER PUNCH

poncz ogorkowy

4 cucumbers

4 lemons

2 cups sugar

1 fifth saulternes ( or other white wine)

1 fifth vodka

10 egg whites

Puree the cucumber if you own a blender; or, pare, grate and press through a sieve. Blend well with all the other ingredients except the egg whites. Beat the whites until they form peaks, then fold into cucumber mixture. Serve in iced glasses on a hot afternoon.

WHITE WINE PUNCH

poncz na bialym winie

juice of 2 lemons

grated rinds of 2 lemons

juice of 3 oranges

1 cup water

3 cups sugar

1 quart white wine

1 cup vodka

Combine the first 6 ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the wine and vodka. Mix well and serve to punch  cups, warm, on a wintry evening

CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR

likier czekoladowy

6 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

3 ounces baking chocolate

4 tablespoons light cream

2 cups vodka

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Combine yolks and sugar. Whip until frothy. Heat the chocolate and light cream in the top of a double deck pot until melted, then combine with the egg mixture and the vodka. Pour into glasses and top with the whipped cream. Excellent after dinner.

HONEY VODKA

miodowka

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup boiled water

2 cups boiled water

1 cinnamon stick

10 whole cloves

2 teaspoons whole allspice berries or

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon anise seeds

2 cups honey

2 cups vodka

Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water over medium heat, stirring constantly until carmelized. Slowly add the remaining 2 cups of water and spices. Heat for 10 minutes, then strain through cheesecloth. Stir in honey, bring just to boil, then remove from heat. Combine honey mixture with vodka, stirring constantly, and serve hot.

NEW YEAR`S EVE PUNCH

poncz noworoczny

5 oranges (the juice and strips of rind)

5 lemons (the juice and strips of rind)

1 pound sugar

1 fifth sauternes (or other white wine)

1  fifth vodka

Juice the oranges and lemons. Slice the rinds into segments and remove membranes. Combine all ingredients and heat through, but do not boil. Remove rinds and serve immediately.

HONEY PUNCH

poncz miodowy

3 egg yolks

1 cup honey

juice of 2 lemons

6 slices lemon rind

2 cups hot, strong tea

1 cup vodka

Combine egg yolks with the honey. Gradually stir in the strong tea, juice and lemon rind. At the last minute add the vodka. Serve immediately. ( terrific in combatting a cold or the flu)

At Easter the dinner table is decorated with bottles of vodka and liqueurs that are flavoured at home and tinted in colours of gold, green and red. Egg liqueur is favourite flavour at this time of year.

EGG LIQUEUR

likier jajeczny

2 cups sugar

6 egg yolks

1 cup scalded milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups vodka

1/2 cup cognac

Combine sugar and eggs. Whip until frothy. Add other ingredients and beat thoroughly. Allow flavours to blend for 2 days in the refrigerator. Tint with food colour if desired. Serve chilled and well shaken.

HOT MEAD WITH VODKA

krupnik

2 cups honey

1 cup water

7 whole cloves

12 cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 vanilla bean or

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 strips lemon rind

1 fifth vodka

Combine and heat the honey and water. Slip all spices into a cheesecloth sack and add to the honey mixture. Bring to boil, then remove from heat and allow flavours to blend for an hour or more. Remove spice sack. Heat again-do not boil-and mix well with the vodka. Serve each cup with a cinnamon stick for a stirrer.

Note :  This mead mixture may be made ahead of time, then warmed up just before serving. This is a timehonored hot beverage that is still a favourite on a cold day.

LEMON AND MILK VODKA

cytrynowka z mlekiem

1 whole lemon, halved and seeds removed

1 vanilla bean, slice lengthwise

1 quart milk

1 cup sugar

2 cups vodka

Place lemon and vanilla bean halves in a sterilized 2 quart jar. Scald milk, then dissolve the sugar in the hot milk. Cool, add to the lemon/ vanilla mixture. Finally add the vodka. Cork and place the bottle in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. At that time, filter the mixture through cheesecloth and pour into another clean bottle. Seal. Serve chilled.

VANILLA VODKA

waniliowka

3 vanilla beans

1 cup vodka

1 quart water, boiled

3 pounds sugar

1 quart vodka

Slice vanilla beans and combine with one cup vodka. Pour into a sterilized bottle, seal and store in a dark, cool place for 10 days. At that time, boil the water and sugar to form a syrup. Cool slightly, then combine with the vanilla mixture and the remaining quart of vodka. Strain, then pour into other sterilized bottles. Seal, and age for several months.

ANGELICA VODKA

angelika

1/4 cup angelica seeds

1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds

1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds

1/2 tablespoon anise seeds

1 quart vodka

2 cups boiled water

2 cups sugar

Crush seeds and spices with a rolling pin. Combine with vodka in a sterilized jar or bottle, seal and let flavours blend for a week in a cool place. At that time, boil the water and sugar to form a syrup. Strain the vodka mixture through cheesecloth and slowly combine with the syrup. Pour into sterilized bottles, seal and store for 6 weeks to age.

HERB VODKA

ziolowka

1/2 quart water, boiled

1 pound sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup thinly sliced lemon peels

1 tablespoon angelica root

1 tablespoon coriander

pinch anise seeds

1/2 quart vodka

Combine all ingredients except vodka and bring to a boil. Cool, add vodka, pour into sterilized bottle and seal. After a month of setting in a dark place, filter the brew through cheesecloth, and pour into another clean bottle and cap.

CARAWAY SEED VODKA

kminkowka

1/2 cup boiled, chilled water

4 cups vodka

4 tablespoons caraway seeds

3  1/2 cups water, boiled

1 cup sugar

Combine the first 3 ingredients in sterilized bottle; cork it and let set for 4 days. Combine water and sugar and heat until syrupy. Filter the caraway-vodka mixture through cheesecloth, add to the hot syrup, and pour into another clean bottle. Cap it. Chill and serve. Keep refrigerated.

Caraway seeds are reputed to aid in the digestion of starchy food such as potatoes or cabbage. Possibly its delightful flavour isn`t the only reason caraway is such a popular ingredient in Polish recipes.

VODKA WITH ORANGE

wodka pomaranczowa

1  fifth vodka

orange rind, cut into slivers, membrane removed

1 teaspoon sugar

Combine ingredients; allow to blend for 3 days in a fridge. Remove rind and serve chilled. Straining through a cheesecloth creates the most clear beverage.

TANGERINE VODKA

mandarynkowa wodka

4 tangerines

1 quart vodka

4 cups water

4 cups sugar

Peel tangerines, removing white membrane. Slice peelings into slim strips. Squeeze out the juice; discard seeds and pulp. Combine juice; peelings,and vodka.Pour into a sterilized bottle; seal, and let flavours blend overnight. Boil the water and sugar to form a syrup, cool slightly, then combine slowly with the vodka mixture. Strain and pour into sterilized bottles, seal, and store for several months in a dark, cool place to age.

VODKA WITH LEMON

cytrynowka

Put the peelings of 1 lemon ( white membranes removed) into a pint of vodka. Remove the peelings after 5 hours.

or

1 fifth vodka

lemon rind,cut into thin slivers, membrane removed

1 teaspoon sugar

Combine ingredients; allow to blend in a fridge for 3 days. Remove rind and serve chilled.

VODKA WITH PRUNES

sliwowica

2 cups chopped, pitted prunes

1 cup boiling water

1 fifth vodka

Combine the prunes and boiling water in a sterilized jar. Add the vodka, seal, allow to blend for 2 months in a cool place. Turn the bottle every other day. At the end of 2 months, strain, and serve chilled.

EASY TEA FLAVOURED VODKA
lekka wodka herbaciana

Place a pint of vodka and an ordinary tea bag in a large-mouthed vessel. After 2 or 3 hours remove tea bag.


FAST CHERRY VODKA
lekka wisniowka

Combine 1 cup of cherries (halved and pitted) with a pint of vodka for 3 to 4 hours. Strain through cheesecloth and serve.


QUICK CHERRY PIT VODKA
wodka z pestek czeresniowych


Crush  1/4 cup cherry stones and combine with a pint of vodka. Allow flavours to blend overnight before straining through cheesecloth.


WILD STRAWBERRY CORDIAL
likier poziomkowy

2  1/2 pounds cleaned, stemmed strawberries
1 quart vodka
2 cups sugar

combine strawberries and vodka in a large, sterilized container. Seal and set in a dark, cool place for a week. At that time, pour the strawberry-flavoured vodka into sterilized bottles, and seal. To the remaining strawberries, add the sugar. Mix well then seal and place the vodkka bottles and the berry-mix container in a cool, dark place for a month.
After a month has elapsed, combine the berry mixture with the vodka, strain, and pour into fresh, sterilized bottles. Seal and allow to age for several months in a cool, dark place. It`s worth the wait.
Fresh raspberries may be substituted for the strawberries, in which case, the Polish name would be LIKIER MALINOWY. A substitution of peaches  ( 2  1/2 pounds peeled, sliced and pitted) would be LIKIER BRZOSKWINIOWY. Pitted Apricot Cordial, using 2  1/2 pounds of peeled, sliced and pitted apricots, would be called, LIKIER Z DRELOWANYCH MORELI.


BUFFALO-GRASS VODKA
zubrowka

Place several blades of the buffalo grass into a pint of vodka. After 6 hours remove the grass.


ANISE FLAVOURED VODKA
anyzowka


Combine 1 pint vodka with 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds. Allow flavours to blend for about 3 hours, then strain through cheesecloth.


PEPPERY VODKA
pieprzowka

To a pint of vodka add 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns. after 2 or 3 hours through cheesecloth.