Latvia

1. Wash and dry pork hocks thoroughly. In a large saucepan, cover all meat with cold water and bring to boil. Skim well. Add the rest of ingredients and simmer slowly for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls from the bones.
2. Remove from heat; strain. Return stock to saucepan. Place meat on a large platter and allow to cool completely. Set out a few small or large dishes—round or square, whichever shape you like.
3. Rinse bowls with cold water. Chop cooked carrots together with parsley and sprinkle on the bottom.
4. Dice completely cooled meats into small pieces, including pork skin, but remove excess fat. Place meat into set-out bowls, about 2/3 full.
5. If you have too much stock, reduce it by boiling to the quantity required for covering meat. Dissolve gelatin completely in the stock. Now cover the meat with stock until dishes are full. Store in refrigerator until jellied; then cover dishes with foil or plastic.
6. When ready to present, unmold aspic onto a platter and decorate if you wish. Slice to serve as needed. Serve with a sprinkle of vinegar and a dab of mustard or horseradish.

1. Open 1 of the cans of sauerkraut. Dump the kraut into a colander or some type of large strainer. Rinse under cold water for a minute. Press the water out when done.
2. Melt 1/2 stick butter in a large frying pan on medium heat.
3. Sauté the onions in the melted butter until they soften. Push the onions to one side of the pan.
4. Add the brown sugar to the other side of the pan, and when it starts to get bubbly, blend it with the onions.
5. Add the rinsed kraut and mix with the onions and brown sugar. Blend well.
6. Now open the second can of sauerkraut. Do not rinse this; just press the juice out of it.
7. Add to the sauerkraut that is frying in the pan.
8. When the kraut is mixed well remove it from the heat and transfer it to a baking dish that you can cover. Don’t rinse out the frying pan just yet.
9. Pour 3/4 cup water into the frying pan that you used and bring it to a boil. This catches the leftover juices that are still in the pan. Pour this over the sauerkraut in the baking dish.
10. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon caraway seeds onto the sauerkraut, and mix.
11. Put 2 slices of thick bacon (optional) on top of the kraut. A raw bratwurst also will work.
12. Cover and bake at 350°F. Check it after 20 minutes, and when you hear it boiling, turn the heat down to 300°F. Plan on baking it for 1 1/2 hours. If you sense that it needs moisture, add a little water. Stir it every now and then.
13. About halfway through the baking process remove the bacon or bratwurst and throw it away.

1. Drain herring and rinse in water.
2. Mix everything to combine.
3. Chill.

1. Heat 3 cups apple cider and 2 tablespoons caraway seeds to boiling; pour over 3 cups coarse rye flour and stir. Let mixture cool. Add 1 cup active sourdough starter and mix well. The mixture will resemble heavy porridge as the rye flour absorbs the apple cider.
2. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coarse rye flour over the mixture, but do not stir at this point.
3. Cover your bowl with a dish towel and then wrap the covered bowl with a beach towel or blanket. Put wrapped bowl in a warm spot and allow the mixture to ferment for up to 24 hours.
4. Dissolve 1 tablespoon yeast in 1/2 cup warm apple cider. Let the yeast mixture bubble and then add it to the sourdough mixture. Gradually add 1 teaspoon salt, 2 1/2 cups bread flour, and 2 cups coarse rye flour. Knead with a heavy-duty electric mixer. If the dough seems too wet, add more rye flour. It takes some trial and error to get a feel for the dough. If the dough is too wet, the bread will not turn out; the correct consistency of dough remains rather firm.
5. Spray countertop or a marble pastry board with vegetable cooking spray. Use a small plastic pan scraper to scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the work surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal chunks. Wet your hands with water and keep a bowl of water handy for additional dipping. Form the dough into 2 loaves on the oiled surface, using just your wet hands; do not add flour at this point.
6. Place the loaves into oiled bread pans. Cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place. Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F; then turn heat down to 350°F and continue to bake for an additional hour. Don’t underbake. Remove loaves from pans and allow to cool on a rack.

Possible Flavors:
1 teaspoon orange peel
1/2 cup currants (this is a favorite)
1/2 cup sultana raisins
1/4 cup groundnut meat

1. For this recipe, you need a mold with holes in the bottom for drainage. Traditionally, a pyramid mold is used for this dish, but others can be used as well. Line the mold with damp cheesecloth.
2. To make the basic cheese, combine the first 5 ingredients in a mixer or blender. After thoroughly blending the cheese mixture, any or all of the flavors can be added. Spoon the cheese into the prepared mold, set the mold onto a plate of some sort that will catch drippings, and refrigerate for at least 48 hours. Discard any liquid that drains out of the mold. Take the mold off to serve and surround it with jelly beans or any other festive decorations.