holiday food
Another holiday has been survived. The Thursday before Christmas I helped my mom make a batch of houska (HOE-skuh), aka vanocka (vuh-NOACH-kuh) in some places. It's a traditional Czech holiday bread, rather like challah or brioche. It's a rich, braided eggy yeast dough, with slivered almonds, golden raisins, candied cherries, a bit of lemon peel and mace worked in, topped with more almonds and cherries and a confectioner's sugar glaze.
Houska is an all-day project; 6-7 hours from proofing the yeast to glazing the cooled loaves. I suspect that's one reason it's a Christmas-only dish.
I brought a loaf over to Mrs P's for her gift, as she shares my Czech heritage. Her eyes lit up with a mixture of nostalgia and avarice when she unwrapped it. (Houska had much the same effect on my late Grandpa, who caused a family rift when he declared my Dutch mother's houska better than my Czech grandmother's. All he wanted for Xmas from then on was a loaf of his own, which he cradled more tenderly than a grandchild.)
My ex loves houska, and declared his wish to make some at our house. ("After Christmas?!?" I thought. "It's practically heresy!") It's delicious, but part of its charm is the fact that you only get to eat it for a limited time each year, much like eggnog or McRibs.
What do you only eat or make at certain times of the year?
Mom's Houska Recipe