Holidays are so important and even when ( perhaps especially then ), we all can assuage the pain of missing family and friends, by making and eating somethings which remind us of the good times and love we shared with them. In rememberance of my beloved great grandmother, grandmother, and mother, here's the family recipe ( which can be traced back another three generations [ at least ] of great cooks ) for Hungarian cucumber salad. This is a Hungarian staple, to be served with all forms of fowl . It goes even better with our Christmas goose; but then, that's just my opinion.
HUNGARIAN CUCUMBER SALAD
Depending on how many this is meant to serve, use the rule of thumb of two very large , firm cucumbers per three/four people.
Peel ( with a potato peeler )the dark green outer layer. With a mandolin or a potato peeler slice rounds as thin as possible and place in a large bowl. Salt cucumber slices every few layers and let sit for at least three hours; over night is best , until the juices have mostly drained out.
Take up small handfulls of cucumber slices and squeeze out ( under cold , running water ) as much moisture/juice as you can and put in a large, clean bowl. Add a mixture of 1/3 white vinigar to 2/3 cold water, so that the cucumbers are covered, stir in about 1/4 cup finely granulated sugar,add a pinch of either black or white pepper, and put in the icebox for several hours before serving. Finely sliced sweet onions may also be added to this mixture, if you like onions.
This is quite similar to Japanese cucumber salad ( suno mono ) and I was quite taken aback, the first time I had Japanese food and their version was served. Perhaps this salad goes back to Attilla the Hun. :-)
Hungarian? I love this stuff, and never knew how or where it came from, you did it again...as usual...;)