Kutya

This traditional Christmas Eve dish consists of whole wheat berries and I use half pearl barley. One cup of each grain before cooking will be enough to feed the entire church. Boiling, straining and grinding the poppy seed is an awful chore that will leave you finding poppy seeds in weird places for a long time, so I recommend that you use instead a can of poppy seed filling. Instead of the diluted honey syrup called for, use lots of full strength honey just before serving. A common mistake is to add the honey too early and it draws water out of the wheat, making it tough and the syrup unpleasantly running. A chopped mix of nuts on hand is best served on the side. Before serving add a few whole nuts in a decorative pattern. With the new emphasis on eating whole grains, I think this very different dish would make excellent breakfast fare and should be made more than once a year.