Category: Polish Food

Back from Gdańsk

Just back from a short stay in Gdańsk. Views from our appartment are in the photos.

We ate at our favourite places – Gdański Bowke, Lookier and Gvara(sic) and had our usual dishes – duck pierogi, bread pork and ribs amonst others.

The old market hall – Hala Taragowa, which had been closed for renovation is now open and is all FOOD. The top floor has a lovely Polish restaurant – Polana. there we had pierogi with zander – pike and shrimp tails. (See my recipe for fish pierogi for similar). These are in the photos.

I also bought some magazines and books so I have lots of inspiration for new recipes.

Rhubarb Revisited

  • Rheum rhabarbarum is the Latin name for rhubarb   –  in Polish  it is rabarbar.
  • It is a plant that has its origins in China, Mongolia & Siberia – its roots survive the cold!
  • Rhubarb roots have been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
  • The plant arrived in Europe via Venice in the 14th century  having been brought  from China  along the Silk Road.
  • The leaves are poisonous  to humans as they contain large quantities of oxalic acid and other toxins.
  • The stems however can be eaten safely, although they do contain a little oxalic acid but their tartness is due mainly  to malic acid which is also found in sour green apples.
  • Rhubarb stems were first eaten in England in the 17th century.
  • In 1820 the rhubarb plant was taken over to the USA.
  • I live in West Yorkshire –  just outside what is called the Rhubarb Triangle  of Wakefield, Leeds & Morley   – where rhubarb is grown in forcing sheds (in darkness) on a commercial scale.
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  • I have rhubarb growing in my garden.
  • The rhubarb is springing up and I have been looking for new recipes for it.
  • So far I have found several new recipes, which I will be trying out soon.
  • I thought I would look at recipes I have already posted and there are quite a few.
  • This post show links to recipes I have already posted.
  • It will save you searching.
  • Cake with Rhubarb
  • Cheesecake with Rhubarb
  • Easy Rhubarb Cake
  • Meringue Cake with Rhubarb
  • Placek with Rhubarb & Meringue
  • Pleśniak with RhubarPork with Rhuba
  • Pork with Rhubarb
  • Rhubarb Cake
  • Rhubarb & Custard Cake
  • Rhubarb & Date Cake
  • Rhubarb Soup – 1
  • Rhubarb Soup – 2
  • Rhubarb Yeast Buns

Maggi Seasoning

  • Did you know that Maggi seasoning is named after its inventor –  Julius Maggi (1846-1912) from Switzerland?
  • He started off making proucts from legumes to improve the diet of working people.
  • Buillion cubes were made from 1908.
  • Liquid seasoning was made later and is now available nearly all over the world.
  • Did you know that Polish Maggi is slightly different than other varieties? – 
  • It contains loveage – lubczyk.
  • My cousins in Poland use it quite often in casseroles or somethimes as few drop over a cooked dish.
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  • Do you use it?

 

New Recipes

  • Just back from a short trip to  Gdańsk.
  • It has been the coldest year there for 16 years.
  • The river Motlawa, which flows to the sea, has been frozen.
  • It was hard getting around as many of the pavements had not been cleared.
  • We went to 3 of our favourite restaurants: Gdański Bowkie, Gvara(sic) and Lookier, 
  • As well as going to some lovely bakeries.
  • I have a couple of new ideas for recipes to try out very soon.
  • I managed to buy 5 recipe magazines so have lots of recipes and ideas to try out so I am very excited.

Marcypan Budyń – chilled

  • I came across a recipe for budyń which had marcypan – marzipan melted into it.
  • I used bought golden marzipan from Marks & Spencer’s to test it out.
  • There is enough to make this three times.
  • It was delicious.
  • I used it in two diferent ways.
  • This is the first one in which the budyń is chilled.
  • The original recipe used apples with the budyń, but although I have lots of apples left in the garden; I think it is better with dark red fruits such as sour cherries.

Ingredients

  • 250ml milk
  • 1½ tablespoons of potato flour
  • 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
  • 150g of made marzipan
  • 2 egg yolks

Method

  • Mix a little of  the milk with the potato flour and the sugar.
  • Heat the rest of the milk in a saucepan.
  • Add the rest of the milk mixture to this and heat till it is thick.
  • Chop the mazipan into little pieces.
  • Add the mazipan to the milk mixture and stir till it is melted and you have a thick sauce.
  • Leave till slightly cool.
  • Add the egg yolks and mix till it is thick.
  • Leave till cool.
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  • Use this over thickened fruit dark fruits such as soured cherries.
  • Leave to chill.

 

New Magazines

  • I am back from a trip to Poland.
  • I stayed in Głogȯw & Wrocław with one of my friends.
  • I bought a couple of food magazines to add to my collection.
  • There are several recipes I am going to try soon both savoury and sweet.
  • These include soups and serniki  – cheesecakes.
  • Look out for these in the near future.
  • I need to go out and buy some of the ingredients to get started …. 

“Our Food is Our Identity”

  • Claudia Roden was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1936.
  • She moved to Paris in 1951.
  • Then to London in 1954.
  • Her family was Jewish.
  • She collected recipes from family, friends and anyone else who would contribute.
  • She has written many cookery books.
  •  I recently bought a second hand copy of ‘Jewish Cookery from Samarkand to Vilna’- mainly because of the Polish connections, especially Vilna (Wilno), the nearest large town my father identified with.
  • A few years ago I heard a programme on the radio in which Claudia said
  • “Our Food is Our Identity”.
  • I so agree with this statement.
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  • Polish Cookery is influenced by food from other countries  – in the past from France, Italy & Germany as well as – Lithuania, Finland & Sweden.
  • Jewish cookery has also influenced some of the dishes served in Poland.
  • Many people say  that when they made a recipe they always remember the person that gave then this recipe.
  • Do you have such recipes?
  • Here are just a few of my Mama’s recipes, which will always remind me of her.
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  • Bigos
  • Pierogi
  • Polish Apple Cake
  • Polish Potato Pancakes

Lithuanian Book

  • I have been buying lots of Polish cookery books lately, some new and some second hand.
  • In Gdańsk, I bought “Wilno”, which is written in Polish.
  • In England, I then came across “Lithuanian Tradition Food”
  • The original was written in Lithuanian.
  • This version has been translated into English.
  • As Poland & Lithuania were joined together for centuries it is not surprising that there are many similar recipes to Polish ones.
  • As ingredients do not have borders, there is a long list of them that you will find in both traditions.
  • Rye, curd cheese (twaróg), poppy seeds, caraway, dill, mushrooms, dried fruits and fruits of the forest to name just a few.
  • In the next few months I will be trying out some of the recipes especially those that are a bit different.

Finnish Cookbook

I am always amazed at what gems you can find in Charity shops.

  • This book on Finnish Cookery is my latest find.
  • The ‘Finnish Cookbook’ by Beatrice A. Ojakangas.
  • First published in 1964 and this edition in 1989.
  • It is aimed at the American market so the recipes are in cups etc.
  • I will go with cups and tablespoons for liquids but for ingredients such as flour, sugar and butter I will convert these to grams when I try them.
  • I have learnt a lot about Finland from this book.
  • Because of its closeness to Russia it is not surprising that some of these recipes are similar to ones found in Russia.
  • It then follows that some of the recipes are also similar to ones found in Eastern Poland and to ones which I have posted.
  • Lingonberries, Rye, Cabbage  & Herrings are just some of the similar ingredients.
  • The ‘Cabbage Pasty’, which is served as a’ ‘Soup Accompaniment’  is one example, which is very similar.
  • Look out for recipes from this book as the New Year (2024) goes on.

Do you know any Finnish Recipes?

Kartoflane Placki – 2

  • Kartoflane placki are super Polish potato pancakes.
  • I wrote a post about them many years ago.
  • We always had them with savoury items such as fried eggs.
  • Mama never served them with sweet options.
  • Having seen these in various blogs and Instagram – 
  • I decided to give them a go.
  • I  tried two options –
  • – With plum jam and
  • – With yoghurt cheese and granulated sugar.
  • They were delicious.
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  • I have given the instructions again. 

Ingredients

  • 4 large starchy potatoes such as King Edward or Maris Piper
  • 1 medium or large onion
  • 1 egg or just the egg yolk
  • Plain flour
  • Salt & pepper
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  • Oil for frying

Method

    • Peel the potatoes then grate them using the fine size of the grater into a large bowl, this is the part that takes time – I have tried using the coarse grate but they are not as good.
    • Leave to stand for a few minutes and the water from the potatoes will rise to the surface.
    • If the potatoes are very watery pour of some of the water. The easiest way is to tip up the bowl slightly over the sink and hold down the potatoes with the palm of your hand.
    IMG_20150811_165238337
    Grating the potatoes

     

    • Peel the onion and also fine grate it and add to the potatoes.
    • This is the part that would often result in the grating of my knuckles  as I tried to use every last bit of onion.
    • I now often use some form of electrical mini-chopper to get a pulp of onion.
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    Onion Pulp
    • Add the egg, salt & pepper.
    • Add enough plain flour so that the mixture is thick.

    IMG_20150811_170357625

    • Heat some oil in a frying pan, a thick cast iron one is ideal, place large spoonfuls of the mixture onto the hot oil and flatten them out with the spoon or spatula.
    • A pan should be able to hold 3 or 4. Fry till golden on both sides.
    • They should be thin and  slightly crispy at the edges.

    IMG_20150811_170538654_HDR

    • Do not have the pan too hot or they will burn on the outside and be raw in the centre.
    • Do not have the pan too cool or they will end up too greasy and not crispy.

    IMG_20150811_171517471

    • Serve immediately or keep them warm in the oven on a low heat whilst you make more.

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  • With yoghurt cheese and granulated sugar.
  • With plum jam made by my friend in Leeds.