Polska: New Polish Cooking

Product Information

Something that I noticed, as with the other Zuza Zak book that I read, is that some of her ingredients are going to be a little more expensive or difficult to find depending on where the reader is from. She’s using a lot of local ingredients from places in the Slavic world, particularly Poland, which is great. However, some of them may be more difficult to find in say the U.S. or China. In Amber & Rye, there was a list of places that you could source these materials from. I may have just overlooked it in this book, but I think there was one. Most of the recipes are pretty friendly to a reader from the Western world though. There were, however, extra resources on the mythology aspects to this book.

My new cookbook, Amber&Rye, is a culinary journey across the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In my first cookbook, Polska, I delved into Polish culture through the language of food and I am also doing the same in Amber&Rye, which is why you will find snippets of poetry, literature and folk songs nestled among the recipes. While in Polska I was exploring my childhood home, in Amber&Rye I am exploring my ancestral home. Poland shares much culinary heritage with Ukraine and pierogi are a big part of this overlap (in Ukraine, they are called vareniki). Pierogi ruskie are the most loved pierogi filling, both in Poland and beyond I think this is because the filling is so adaptable – traditionally it would be curd cheese, potato and caramelised onion. The curd cheese we use in Poland is called twaróg, similar to ricotta but more sour – you’ll find it in every supermarket. This filling is said to have originated in Ukraine and therefore they are called 'ruskie', which means Ruthenian rather than Russian. However, to make things complicated, some say they used to be called 'pierogi polskie' when Poland and Ukraine were a part of the same country. This is something we will never get to the bottom of, yet the filling of caramelised onion, 'twaróg' curd cheese and potato remains the one people cook and put their own spin on the world over, where they adapt the ingredients to what is locally available. In practise, this means varying the cheese, the dough and the pinching technique. I like to make these circular in shape to fit in more of this delicious filling." What are the different shapes? The book’s subtitle is “Nourishing Herbal Remedies, Magical Recipes & Folk Wisdom,” and that is exactly what is contained therein. Zak’s introduction calls to something in all of us, at one time or another, that yearns for a connection. Using the wisdom passed down to her by her grandmothers, the author shows us how to reconnect with earth and its rhythms. The author invites you to treat this as a notebook given to you by your grandmother, ready for your personalized annotations, reflections and clippings.Are you ready to embark on a journey into the enchanting world of Slavic wisdom and folk healing? Look no further than Zuza Zak’s magnificent creation, Slavic Kitchen Alchemy. This beautifully illustrated book is a true gem, offering a delightful blend of ancient remedies, natural beauty and cleaning products, healing recipes, and wellbeing rituals that will captivate both modern witches and natural healing enthusiasts.

Add a little oil to a frying pan and fry the onion until soft, remove from the pan and fry the mushrooms until golden. Combine the two and add the thyme and garlic too. Season. Remove from heat and allow to cool. The book is filled with things to create in your kitchen, such as natural remedies, foods for wellness, and even beauty products. However, it also includes seasonal crafts, rituals, and folktales and mythology. While the author’s focus is on folk-healing rather than magic, she does include rituals that might be seen as a type of magic. She’s also very clear that folk medicines are meant to complement and not replace modern medicine.The oldest pierogi dough recipe is very simple – just plain flour, oil, salt and hot water. A lot of babushkas still use this recipe today. Perogi are traditionally half-moon shaped, either boiled with butter and soured cream on top or boiled, then fried, with some crispy fried onions (and sometimes bacon bits). Sweet dumplings can have honey, toasted almonds and soured cream. Nowadays, we are becoming more creative with pierogi and experimenting with various fillings and toppings, often including eggs which enrich the dough and is probably a culinary influence that has come from Italy." This is my second book by Zuza Zak and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. She has a way of bringing together interesting ideas and recipes, history, and traditions that make me very happy as a reader and this one was no different. It has just what it promises on the cover: nourishing herbal remedies, magical recipes, and folk wisdom. It also has gorgeous pictures and illustrations, which I feel like should be promoted a bit more. It’s seems very simple but it does not come naturally for me. Introducing structure into every area of my life requires a change in the way I perceive myself. I have always thought of myself as a flighty, creative, bohemian type, so I’m going to have to change my story and allow myself to be “an organised person”. I’ve realised that when I am organized, for example when I run my supper clubs, I can relax and enjoy the process more. In a way, the structure allows for more creativity, because I don’t need to stress about the details. So how do I go about it? I’ve started the year by just thinking about structure – about what it means to me. I will never be one of those super organized people who will structure every hour of every day, every meal, every post… for some, this is normal, but I need some spontaneity and flexibility, otherwise my soul feels stilted. From experience, I know that if I take it too far with structure, I will rebel and go the other way. I need to do this carefully.

Make the vinaigrette by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and salt and white pepper. Whisk in the mayonnaise and, when the mixture is smooth, add the dill and the garlic salt, then stir to combine. Cover the dough in a wet cloth and allow to stand at room temperature for a further 20min. This step is not absolutely necessary but it does increase elasticity, and since we are waiting for the mushroom and sauerkraut mixture to cook, we may as well do it. My own story began in a land and time very removed and different from the one I inhabit today. I was born in Communist Poland in 1979 and spent the first 8 years of my life in an oppressive regime that I remember with a strange mixture of fear and nostalgia. There was often nothing to be found in the shops. Sometimes people would queue for 8 hours or more to buy one random ingredient that happened to be available that day, yet somehow the Polish people always found a way to eat and to enjoy themselves. Families, friends and communities would work together to find, grow, forage and obtain everything that was needed to create amazing feasts. The book is divided into seasons, with the recipes tailored to what was available during that time of the year and/or what people were experiencing and how nature could help them. For the most part, the recipes are for remedies and “medicines”, only a few are true food recipes. Just about all of the ingredients can be found in nature, although those of us living in urban areas or other continents might have to make do with shopping over the internet. Zuza Zak has written an incredibly special book here, and she has taken the pierogi passed being thought of as “just dumplings.” Pierogi is full of accessible and delicious recipes which highlight both traditional and modern doughs and fillings. I’ve already started to make them with my daughter – we’re both excited to give more of the recipes a try.Cover the millet in 2cm of cold water, add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed. Add the butter and leave to steam, then cool. Set the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. A little treasure of a book, “Slavic Kitchen Alchemy” by Zuza Zak provides exactly what its subtitle promises: Nourishing Herbal Remedies, Magical Recipes & Folk Wisdom.

Every household has their own version of Little Pigeons. Some very meat heavy, others entirely vegetarian. This is a recipe I have cooked many a time for vegetarian friends and is always well received. Wild mushrooms are always preferable in my eyes, yet they can easily be replaced with a combination of chestnut and shitake mushrooms in this recipe. This recipe makes a whole casserole dish full of gołąmbki, enough for 4 or 5 people.

Cook the rest of the vegetables for 1 hour along with a bay leaf, peppercorns and the allspice berries in about a litre and a half of water. Rhubarb and rose: Always an amazing combo – add rosewater to the semolina while it’s cooking, and put honey sweetened stewed rhubarb on top once it has set. Strain the broths through a sieve and into one pan (you would add the soured beet juice at this point), season well with salt, pepper and marjoram and simmer for another 15min or so. The first recipe I tried was for the Sauerkraut and Mushroom Christmas Eve Pierogi. This recipe used the more traditional way of making dough: to rub the oil into the flour before adding any water. The filling consisted of mushrooms, onion, and sauerkraut with flavour boosts coming from bay leaf, allspice berries, and white wine. While making the filling I committed the cardinal sin of home cooking – I didn’t read through the recipe before hand. The ingredient list asks for twenty medium-sized mushrooms (I assumed they were fresh) but when I went to prepare the filling the first step is to cover them with boiling water to allow them to “open up.” This is where I realized I should be using dried mushrooms. Since I didn’t have dried mushrooms, I went ahead and used the fresh ones, skipping the hot water soak. I really loved this combination for the filling – sweet and tangy with a bit of umami. Once boiled I tossed them in butter and fried onions. Polish parties are family-orientated and inclusive. There’s always a spare seat at our Christmas table for an unexpected guest. And this is the true spirit of zakąski, whether the party is crowded and riotous or quiet and intimate. You can prolong any occasion for a very long time while trying new dishes, drinking vodka or champagne, and talking.