Pienas

Lithuanians eat sweet and sour milk. Milk is used to whiten soups, make cheese, cottage cheese and churn butter. Milk products have been popular since ancient times. However, in some regions milk products are more popular. Dishes prepared with cottage cheese are favored among the Highlanders, Aukštaiciai. The Samogitians, žemaiciai, prepare an ancient, original butter, kastinis, with butter, sour cream and a variety of seasonings.

Most popular is Lithuanian cheese, fresh or dried, which can be sour, sweet or flavored with caraway seed.

Kastinys

1 l (4 cups) sour cream

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup caraway seed

salt to taste

Float an earthenware bowl in a hot water bath, add butter and 1 tablespoon of sour cream at a time. Blend with wooden spoon until all sour cream has been added and a white, solid mass is formed. Then add caraway seed and a pinch of salt. Blend the last 2 ingredients well. Place kastinis into small bowls and refrigerate 2-3 hours.

Kastinys is somewhat salty, with a delicate sourness. Its taste depends on the seasonings used. Samogitian cooks use a variety of seasonings, mint, allspice, garlic, poppy seed and onion greens.

Sour cream butter is served with hot boiled potatoes, black bread and cake.

Sviestas su prieskoniais

200 g (3/4 cup) butter

1 onion, finely grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated horseradish root

2-3 sprigs dill, finely chopped

pepper and salt to taste

Add all ingredients to butter and blend well.

This butter is eaten with black bread and with hot potatoes.

Varške su grietine

200 g (3/4 cup) dry cottage cheese

1 cup heavy cream

salt to taste

Blend cottage cheese with cream until smooth. Season with salt.

This is eaten with bread or cooked potatoes, also as a sauce with pancakes.

Varške su sviestu

200 g (3/4 cup) dry cottage cheese

100 g (6 tablespoons) butter, room temperature

salt to taste

Blend cottage cheese with butter and salt.

This spread is eaten with bread as a late afternoon snack.

Varške su cesnaku

200 g (3/4 cup) dry cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt to taste

Add garlic and salt to cottage cheese and blend well. Add sour cream and mix well.

This is eaten with hot potatoes as an afternoon snack or for supper.

Kežas su kmynais

200 g (3/4 cup) dry cottage cheese

1/2 cup caraway seed

salt to taste

Cook caraway seed for 5 minutes, drain. Mix cottage cheese with sour cream and beat well, mix in caraway seed and salt.

There is a variety of cottage cheese sauces, each Samogitian cook has her favorite seasonings. After caraway seed comes poppy seed, French tarragon, different mints and parsley.

Kepti varškeciai

400 g (1 1/2 cups) dry cottage cheese

1 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

100 g (6 tablespoons) butter

100 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream

salt to taste

Blend eggs into cottage cheese, add flour, salt and mix well. Knead into a pliable dough. Shape dough into finger thick rolls, 2 in. long pieces. Bake in preheated oven at 250F/120C, until rolls are lightly browned. Melt butter in frying pan, add sour cream and salt. Heat on low flame until a smooth sauce is blended.

Serve hot dumplings covered with butter-sour cream sauce.

Virti varškeciai

400 g (1 1/2 cups) dry cottage cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup flour

100 g (6 tablespoons) butter

salt to taste

Add eggs, flour and salt to cottage cheese and blend well. Shape dumplings into finger thick rolls, 2 in. long. Cook dumplings in salted water for 5-10 minutes. These dumplings can also be fried in hot oil, until golden brown.

Water cooked dumplings are served hot with butter-sour cream sauce.

Oil fried dumplings are served dusted with sugar and eaten hot or cold.

Lietuviškas varškes suris

8 l (8 quarts) naturally soured milk

1/2 cup caraway seed

salt to taste

Place container with sour milk in warm water bath, 95F/30-35C, heat until milk curdles and curds rise to the surface. Pour curds into strainer, lined with double cheese cloth. When all whey has drained, add caraway seed and salt, mix well. Pour seasoned curd into a moist, linen cheese bag, place between two boards and place weights on top.

Such cheese is eaten fresh. This cheese is dried for longer keeping.

Keptas džiovintas suris

1 dried curd cheese

100 g (6 tablespoons) butter

1/2 teaspoon pepper or allspice

1 teaspoon caraway seed

Cover cheese with melted butter on all sides. Sprinkle with pepper or caraway seed and bake in preheated oven at 325F/165C, until cheese has softened and is nicely browned.

Cut into thin slices, this cheese is a delicious accompaniment to beer.

Kiaušinyje apkeptas suris

200 g (6 oz) curd cheese, thinly sliced

1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt

100 g (6 tablespoons) butter

Soak cheese slices in egg and fry in hot butter until both sides are nicely browned.

This makes a good breakfast.

Pakepintas varškes suris

500 g (1 lb) curd cheese

100 g (6 tablespoons) butter

Cut fresh, salted curd cheese into thick, 1 in. slices, put single layer in shallow baking dish. Dot cheese slices with butter and bake in preheated oven at 300F/150C, about 10 minutes.