You all seem to be such proficient chefs. Well here is a place to share some of that cooking knowledge. Or do you have a cooking problem? Ask away. Jams and chutneys go here too.
Aww gigglybug - I hope she gave you a big a-Pole-ogy!
Oh well - at least you are forearmed for next time!
Let us be lovely
And let us be kind
Let us be silly and free
It won't make us famous
It won't make us rich
But damn it how happy we'll be!
Edward Monkton
Member of the Ish Weight Loss Club since 10/1/11 Started at 12st 8 and have lost 8lb so far!
I know this is too late but thought that I would answer anyway....
We were invited to friends when I was over in Getrmany a week or two ago, He is german and she is polish.
She made a mixed salad, a potato salad ( with oil rather than mayonaise) and she cooked mushrooms stuffed with minced lamb or beef (cant remember which as I dont eat meat) she then breadcrumbed them and deep fried them.
For the awkward vegetarian (me!) she made some deep fried mushrooms.
ah. Easy. Parsnip pierogies with red cabbage pickled in red wine vinegar and sauteed apples. While your at it make a double batch of pierogies with tatty and cheese to freeze for another time.
I'm gonna copy and paste a recipe we use A LOT. Along with my own take on the recipe, substitutions etc.
GOLABKI-POLISH STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS
1 lg. head cabbage, (what I'd call a 6 incher; efers to diameter) savoy is nicest but it works with red or white too.
1/2 c. rice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 med. onion, chopped finely
2 tbsp. butter or dairy free spread, or oil
1 lb. ground round I never found out what this actually is, so I made a tactical substitution and used sausage meat. hubby's none too keen on sosmix but if you are veggie, use it. good quality sausages with the skins off also work
1/2 lb. ground pork or for veggies grated carrot- believe me of all the things you can stick grated carrot in, this one actually works lol!
1 egg (for non egg eaters: 1tsp arrowroot, slaked in a little cold water with 50mls boiling water poured on slowly as the mix is fork whisked until jellyfied)
5 slices bacon, crumbled think of your own substitution lol!
Spaghetti sauce or mushroom sauce or sour cream - hubby likes arrabiatta style spghetti sauce which is 1 finely chopped onion,1 clove garlic, 1/2 tin tomatoes, squirt of tom paste, little tiny bit of sugar and mucho mucho fresh red chilli all heated together until hot. I like sour cream sauce.
Core cabbage; scald in boiling water.
Remove leaves one at a time as they wilt.
Cool before using.
Cook rice until al dente.
fry onion until transparent.
Mix all ingredients well.
Spread cool cabbage leaves with mixture.
Roll and place in baking dish (9 x 13in, or whatever you have to hand). Cook uncovered for 2 hours at 300 degrees F. that's about 150 C."slow" oven.
Baste occasionally with juices.
Add spaghetti sauce, mushroom sauce or sour cream just before serving.
oh how I love my tea, tea in the afternoon. I can't do without it, and I think I'll have another cup very
ve-he-he-he-heryyyyyyy soooooooooooon!!!!
as a Pole I have to say that I prefer 'English' cooking to most Polish dishes (most not all). What I consider to be my English staples are more highly spiced with a greater variety of ingredients to Polish dishes, things like curry and lasagne and pizza, which are only finding their way into Polish kitchens of the younger generations (I talking of in Poland itself as opposed to Poles living in the UK).
I grew up with quite basic straightfoward dishes that involved a cut of meat usually boiled with some veg and most flavouring was pepper based.
Imagine spare ribs, boiled then seasoned with pepper and salt, served on a bed of mash made up with some lard and seasoned.
But a great deal of variety in breads, pastries and cakes - much more so than I encountered in the UK - not counting the bakery sections of huge supermarkets - I am talking of the average kitchen.
I like pierogi, very simple to make the dough is just seasoned flour and water, and you can put any filling you like in them, from savoury to sweet, and serve with any kind of sauce - very flexible yet easy and quick to prepare.
The stuffed cabbage recipe kindly supplied by someone else is again a very traditional dish, usually served with a peppery tomato sauce. But again the ingredients are very adaptable for a seasonal garden. It should be made with a stiff head of white cabbage - each leaf slightly wilted before filling and rolling - then a favourite method of cooking - pressure cooked. This leaves all the flavour of the cabbage but lovely and tender and moist.
Baked cheesecakes are a very common pudding, served just with a light spinkling of powdered sugar.
Beetroot soup has become over complicated by recent chefs - traditionally it was the water that you boiled your beets in before conserving or chutneying then flavoured with a bit of vinegar and seasoned. It should be a clear, very red liquid - no lumps or bumps in it at all. We like it served with little pasta dough shapes, filled with a veg or meat filling - like miniature ravioli. And it is usually served as a pre-starter a small dish before a fish starter.
Ooh I love Polish food, I lived there a year and loved lots of their food
pyzy (like italian gnocci)
pierogi
Barszcz, both sorts
Gołąbki (pronounced go-wom-ki, meaning little pigeons, aka suffed cabbage leaves)
Sauerkraut
Sauered gerkins
Polish cheesecake (to die for)
and of course Bigos
sauerkraut soup
and the odd sauerkraut stuffed doughnut I had once
if amyone sends me their email address I have a file I can send of loads of Polish recipes I have collected