Jabuke u pašti

Rujan i listopad su mjeseci kada se jabuke ubiru u velikim količinama, a njihova slatkoća se na veliko primjenjuje u kuhinji. Drevni narodi su također znali uživati u kvalitetama ovog voća i prepoznali ga kao simbol besmrtnosti. U nordijskoj mitologiji (u Eddama), jabuke su ono što Aesir (jednu od dvaju glavnih skupina božanstava u njihovoj kulturi) čini besmrtnima. U grčkoj mitologiji je poznata priča o hesperidinim zlatnim jabukama koje onom koji ih pojede daju mudrost i besmrtnost. U arturijanskim legendama je poznata priča o otoku Avalon čije se ime redovito prevodi kao "otok jabuka". Prema predaji, kralj Arthur nije umro od smrtnih ozljeda nakon bitke s Mordredom već je otišao na ovaj mitski otok izliječiti svoje rane. Dakle, simbolika Avalona kao otoka besmrtnosti podupire već ustaljenu simboliku jabuka. Paganske vjere, a time i neopaganske, su usvojile ovu simboliku jabuka i našli joj mjesto u folkloru sabata Samhain. Jabuke se stoga na Samhain daju precima kao poklon i znak sjećanja na njih, a njihovim jedenjem se oživljava sva spomenuta simbolika.

Potrebno je:

• 4 veće jabuke
• 4 dcl mlijka
• cca. 16 većih žlica glatkog brašna
• prstohvat soli
• 2 jaja
• 1 vanilin šećer
• 1 žlica šećera
• limunova korica (od 1 limuna)
• 1 žlica ruma
• kristal šećer za posipanje
• suncokretovo ulje

Priprema:

1. Izmutite tijesto pjenjačom miješajući mlijeko, brašno, sol, jaja, vanilin šećer, šećer, rum i limunovu koricu. Tijesto treba biti puno gušće od tijesta za palačinke pa ako vam nedostaje brašna, slobodno još dodajte.
2. Jabuke pripremite tako da ih operete, izgulite sredinu tj. koštice i peteljku (koristeći posebnu spravu koju vidite na slici s desne strane, ili je pažljivo izrežite nožem) i ogulite koru.
3. Jabuke režite na ploške oko 5-6 milimetara debljine.
4. U teču za kuhanje ulijte ulje (oko 2 dcl, ali svakako dovoljno da pokrije jabuke) i stavite ga grijati.
5. Umačite jabuke u tijesto i ubacujte u ulje (pritom pripazite da jabuke plivaju jedna do druge, a ne jedna na drugoj da se ne bi zalijepile). Kada jedna strana porumeni i poprimi zlatno-smeđu boju, okrenite jabuke na drugu stranu. Potom iz izvadite i ostavite na papirnatom ubrusu da se višak ulja ocijedi.
6. Pospite još tople jabuke kristal šećerom i poslužite. :)

Apple Fritters

September and October are months when apples are picked in bulk, and their sweetness is used in the kitchen at large. The ancients also knew how to savor the quality of this fruit and recognized it as a symbol of immortality. In Nordic mythology (in the Eddas), apples are what makes the Aesir (one of the two main groups of gods in their culture) immortal. In Greek mythology, a well-known story is that of the golden apples of the Hesperides which give the gift of wisdom and immortality to the person who eats them. In Arthurian legends there is the story of the island of Avalon whose name is often translated as "the isle of apples". According to legend, king Arthur did not die of mortal wounds after his battle with Mordred. Rather he went to this mythical island to heal his wounds. Therefore, the symbolism of Avalon as the island of immortality supports the already well-established symbolism of apples. Pagan faiths, and therefore Neopagan ones as well, adopted this symbolism and found a place for it in the folklore of the Sabbat Samhain. Apples are therefore given to our ancestors as a gift for Samhain and as a symbol of our memory of them and when we eat them, we revive all of the mentioned symbolism.

You Will Need:

• 4 larger apples
• 4 dl milk
• ca. 16 tbsp plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 vanilla sugar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 1 tbsp rum
• sugar for sprinkling
• sunflower oil

How To Prepare:

1. Prepare the batter using a whisk and blend milk, flour, salt, eggs, vanilla sugar, sugar, rum and lemon zest. The batter should be thicker than pancake batter so if you think it's too watery, feel free to add more flour.
2. Prepare the apples by washing them, taking out the middle (i.e. the core with the seeds and the stem) using a special little utensil which you can see in the picture next to this paragraph. If you don't have it, simply do this using a knife. Then peel of the apple skin.
3. Cut the apples into slices approximately 5-6 mm thick.
4. Pour vegetable oil into a cooking pot (about 2 dl, but definitely enough to cover the apple slices) and heat it up.
5. Dip the apple slices into the prepared batter and gently place them in the oil to fry. Make sure the apples are floating next to each other and not on top of each other otherwise they will stick together. When one side turns golden-brown, turn the slices over onto the other side. When the other side is also done, take the slices out and lave them on a paper napkin (it will soak up the excess oil).
6. While they are still warm, sprinkle the apples with sugar and serve. :)