PFLers Share the Experience of Holiday Traditions, Recipes
With the holiday season well underway, companies of all shapes and sizes have sought fresh ways to drive employee engagement amid the realities of hybrid and remote work. Although we may not be together physically, it’s more important than ever to foster a sense of connection and belonging for all employees during this time of the year.
Over the past several weeks, our team began a new tradition of sharing their favorite family holiday recipes. Whether it’s a new recipe or one that has been passed down for generations, these recipes allowed our team to meaningfully learn more about our coworkers’ cultures and holiday traditions.
We welcome you to join in our holiday festivities by following the recipes below, shared by members of the PFL team.
Polish Kielbasa (Shared by Jedediah)
“This comes from a Polish community cookbook from the Ladies of St. Isidore Home and School Association and was given to me by my grandfather Frank. As you can see by the pictures, these are some serious recipes from a time when that community spoke fluent Polish. And as the Polish are so well known for, boiling sausage, this is a recipe for Polish Kielbasa. You might want to cut the ingredients in half unless you need 30lbs of sausage.”
Ingredients
15 lbs. veal
15 lbs. pork
Steps
Grind the meat on medium in the food grinder. Add 2 quarts of water, 25 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons pepper, 1 box mustard seed (optional), 1/2 jar of garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons of celery seed.
Mix all together and let stand overnight in the refrigerator. Next day pack in casings.
Kruppkaka (Shared by Nancy)
“My grandmother and her siblings were first-generation Americans in northern Minnesota and kept all the traditions of their Swedish parents – Kruppkaka, Lefsa, Lutefisk, and Swedish meatballs.
“I make Kruppkaka for Christmas Eve. It’s a potato dumpling stuffed with pork and onions. When I was a kid, it was served with warm milk to pour over it, or melted butter if you didn’t want the milk.
“The magic of Kruppkaka is the day after you make it, you pan fry the leftover dumplings and make gravy out of the pan scrapings. Throw an egg on it and it’s a dream.
“It’s super easy to make; any hunk of pork or salt pork cut into pieces and fried with onions, then stick inside the potato dumpling and boil. I’ve attached my grandma’s recipe card from the 1940s – when I asked where the meat and assembly part was she said, ‘If you can’t figure out how to fry pork and onions, you won’t be able to make the dumplings anyway…’”
Hong Shao Rou (Shared by Elia)
“The precious moment I remember growing up in my Chinese descent family was during Chinese New Year celebration time.
“My mom used to cook a lot of food during the celebration … all of us gathered together at our dining table and we had a feast.
“One of the dishes that stuck in my head was this dish called Hong Shao Rou (which means Red Braised Pork Belly). You must be patient when you cook this dish. It takes time, but it’s worth it! Serve it with a bowl of warm white rice.”
If you are interested in joining this great PFL team, please see our Careers page for current opportunities.
