Ingredients:

2 cups white, dry kidney beans

1 large onion, diced

1 garlic cloves (minced)

3,4 peeled and chopped tomatoes (can of minced tomatoes is optional)

2 medium sausages

1 cup smoked bacon (cut into ½ inch to 1 inch strips)

1 tsp sugar (optional)

Thyme, paprika, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Clean the beans. Place in pot and add 3 times more water than beans. Cover and let stand at least one hour or overnight. Boil for about an hour in the same water.

In separate pot, caramelize the onion and sausages along with the bacon. Add tomatoes, garlic, sugar (optional) and all seasonings. Cook for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

Mix everything with the beans. Allow to cook for another few minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Smacznego!

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

Looking at the menu in different Polish restaurants may be a little confusing sometimes. Sometimes, even with the english menu, you may be surprised what you actually ordered. For example, if you order toast for breakfast…you will get something looking almost like grilled cheese with ham!

Here is a list of some typical dishes you may find on the Polish menu:

Zupy - Soups

Chłodnik Litewski: Yoghurt and beetroot soup usually with a boiled egg

Zupa Grochowa: Pea soup

Barszcz Bialy: Wheat and cream soup ((White Barscht)

Żurek: Sour potato and corn soup

Krupnik: Barley & vegetable soup

Kapuśniak: Sour cabbage soup

Zupa Ogórkowa: Sour gurkin or cucumber soup

Zupa Koperkowa: Dill soup.

Rosół: Clear chicken soup with noodles.

Zupa Pomidorowa: Tomato soup with noodles or rice.

Zupa Grzybowa: Wild mushroom soup.

Przystawki – Starters

Smalec: Lard with onion and spices served with bread and pickled gherkins.

Śledzie: Fried herring in sour cream with onion.

Boczek ze śliwką: Bacon stuffed with prunes

Tatar: Like a raw beefburger with onion

Surówki: a lot of times translated as “mixed salads”, but they are actually more like a mixture of coleslaw, finely chopped green and red cabbage, etc.

Dania główne - Main Courses

Eskalopki z cielęciny: Veal in dough.

Polęndwiczki: Serloin steak usually with sauces.

Sztuka mięsa w sosie: Boiled beef in horseradish (usually) sauce.

Zrazy zawijane: Beef rolls stuffed with bacon, gherkin, onion and res pepper in spicy sauce.

Golonka w piwie: Typical Polish food, pork knuckle in beer sauce with horseradish.

Kotlet Schabowy: Breaded pork cutlet, (ideal if you dont want to be too adventurous)

Kiełbasa: Polish sausage in many varieties

Żeberka: Spare pork ribs in different sauces

Kaczka: Roasted duck

Kurczak de volaille: Chicken in butter filled with mushrooms, sometimes there is cheese instead of mushrooms

Wątróbki drobiowe: Chicken livers

Baranina: Roast lamb

Klopsiki: Meatloaf with tomato sauce.

Bigos: Hunter stew with sour cabbage, meat and sausage

Dziczyzna: Wild meat of some kind.

Fasolka po bretońsku: Bean and sausage stew (usually with tomato sauce)

Gołąbki: Stuffed cabbage (usually with mixed ground beef and pork, rice, onions and spices)

Szaszłyk: Shishkebab

Karp w galarecie: Karp in aspic

Naleśniki: Pancakes filled with anything from cheese to strawberries.

Knedle: Potato dumpling stuffid with plums or other fruit.

Frytki: French fries

Kluski śląskie: Silesian dumpling made from potatoes

Placki: a cross between a potato pancake and rosti, very filling but tasty. The farmers variety is nice.

Deserts

Faworki: Pastry twists

Galaretka: Jelly/Jello.

Makowiec: Poppy seed cake.

Pączki: Doughnuts without holes.

Sernik: Cheesecake.

Szarlotka: Apple pie

Lody: ice cream

Murzynek: brownies/chocolate cake

SMACZNEGO!!!

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

fresh (świeże) – opposite to dried (w przeciwieństwie do suszonych),

organic (organiczne) – opposite to treated with pesticides and fertilized artificially (w przeciwieństwie do traktowanych pestycydami i nawożonych sztucznie),

cheap (tanie) – grown by yourself and in constant supply (uprawiane przez siebie i w stałej dostawie)

You may not want to get all the chores of vegetable garden, but herb garden is easier – can you resist it this season?

 Here is a list of common herbs and their Polish names:

Angelica – dzięgiel

Anise – anyż

Basil – bazylia

Bay – laur

Borage – ogórecznik

Caraway – kminek

Catnip – kocimiętka

Chervil – trybula

Chives – szczypior, szczypiorek

Cilantro/Coriander – cilantro/kolendry

Dill – koper

Fennel – koper włoski

Horehound – szanta zwyczajna

Hyssop – hizop

Lavender – lawenda

Lemon bal – melisa

Lemon verben – cytrynowa verbena

Lovage – lubczyk

Marjoram – majeranek

Myrtle – mirt, barwinek

Oregano – oregano

Parsley – pietruszka

Peppermint – mięta

Rosemary – rozmaryn

Sage – szałwia

Savory – cząber

Tarragon – estragon

Thyme – tymianek

I have to say that dill is one of Poland’s favorite herbs. Finely chopped, the fragrant feathery leaves impart an unforgettable flavor to boiled new potatoes and other vegetables, poultry stuffing, soups, sauces and fish dishes. The mature dill stalks are used to make dill pickles. Even if you don’t have a vegetable garden, dill will grow along a fence, behind the garage or in other such out-of-the-way places. Some apartment-dwellers even grow it in a window or balcony flower-box.

Chives are also popular. These fine, subtly onion-flavored greens add flavor and color to a wide variety of dishes including: white cheese, scrambled eggs, soups, salads, sauces, fish and gravy-type dishes. Available in supermarkets, but it’s more convenient to have them handy, ready to be snipped when needed.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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My mother always used to make her own horseradish and mix it with beets. It gave it a beautiful color and a touch of sweetness. I always loved it and I still make it once in a while.

It is great as a dipping “sauce”. A lot of times I use it on a sandwich as well.Yum!!!

This great mixture is usually called “ćwikła“. It is really easy to make:

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 cups homemade or purchased horseradish

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pound beets, cooked, peeled, cooled and grated or 1 (14-ounce) can prepared beets, drained and grated

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix together vinegar, brown sugar, horseradish and salt until well combined.

Add beets and mix thoroughly.

Pack into clean sterilized jars and store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Definitely try it! It is such a typical Polish condiment, served with roast or any kind of smoked meat, sausage or different cold cuts. It is a must on the holiday table, regardless if it’s Christmas or Easter.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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The following pączki recipe is one that I have come up with by trying different ones in Polish cookbooks. This is the hard part of writing down a yeast recipe. I watched my mom so much that I knew what that dough should be like. If you have never made yeast dough before, just knead and add flour until the dough becomes easy to handle, but not tough.

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It is really frustrating…kids are just kids and some of them behave really well…some of them have little hard time with it. I remember an 8 hour flight to Europe with my then 6 months old daughter. The moment we took our seats, people next to us started giving us dirty looks. Our daughter was so good, she played and laughed a little and within 1 hour she was asleep…for the rest of the flight. At the end of the trip people started smiling and saying”what a good baby”. But we still remembered their faces at the beginning.

Well, the reason I mentioned it, is because I love kid friendly places, when people actually are nice and treat kids like real human beings!

I recently found a place like that on line. I’m planning a little vacation in Poland soon, so hopefully I will be able to visit the place and enjoy it.

It is called Mama Mia Cafe. It is located in Warsaw, pretty close to Natolin subway stop. Website looks great!

Kids friendly cafe, where you can relax, get some snacks, sweets or light, healthy lunch. There is a great place for kids to play and parents can relax drinking coffee at the same time. They have very nice, quiet place for nursing moms. Place looks very clean, with eco friendly toys.

You can also do some shopping there:toys, gifts like: jewelry, arts, books, stationery, handbags…

They organize different nights with music, games and development workshops for kids and parents.

At the cafe there is also a special menu available for nursing moms!

Here is their website (unfortunately right now only in Polish):

http://www.mamamia.com.pl/

They are opened Monday-Friday 10am-8pm and on Saturdays and Sundays 12pm-8pm.

You can also organize your child’s birthday there:)

Can’t wait to see it on my own! Have anyone been there?

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Supper  - that’s usually the order.

Many British business people are caught out by the Polish second breakfast tradition. They decline the first because it’s too early and are ‘faint with lack of nourishment’ by the second. It’s just the Polish way of doing things. After a light breakfast, called śniadanie, before leaving home for work in the early morning, Poles eat a second breakfast any time between 10 am and 1 pm, which replaces the British lunch, and then work straight through until they finish work.

In fact, most people stay at the office during the British lunch hour and are not in the habit of going out to buy something to eat; they bring whatever they fancy eating for ‘second breakfast’ from home. The lunch culture is spreading more widely now, because there are more representatives of foreign businesses, particularly in large cities, where business culture is changing and more people work with foreigners.

Lunch, in fact called “obiad”, is usually eaten at home with family any time between 4 pm and 5.30 pm, and the hours depend on how quickly one gets back home. Some non-Polish business people admit to being caught out by this. The answer, when you know it, is simple. Have a good breakfast and take a piece of fruit or a snack to keep you going. Poles have another meal after their lunch “obiad” meal, called “kolacja”, which means supper. It is a light meal, usually a small sandwich or snack with tea any time in the evening.

So, in fact, if you are invited to a restaurant for a meal it could be either “obiad”, a midday meal ( a substitute for a late lunch) or “kolacja”, supper in the evening , both of which will be very elaborate and rich, as Poles are known for their hospitality not only at their homes but also when inviting guests to restaurants.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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