Polish Cuisine

1. PolishCuisine Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to become very eclectic due to Poland's history. It shares many similarities with other Central European cuisines, especially German, Austrian and Hungarian cuisines, as welasJewish, Belarussian, Ukrainian, Russian, French and Italian culinary traditions. It is rich in meat, especially pork, chicken and beef and winter vegetables. It is also characteristic in its use of various kinds of noodles the most notable of which are kluski as well as cereals such as kasha (from the Polish word kasza). Generally speaking, Polish cuisine is hearty and uses a lot of cream and eggs. The traditional dishes are often demanding in preparation.

2. ThePolish national dishes ThePolish national dishesare bigos, pierogi, kielbasa, kotlet schabowy (type of breadedcutlet), gołąbki (type of cabbageroll), zrazy (type of roulade), roast, sourcucumber soup, mushroom soup, tomato soup, rosół (variety of meatbroth), żurek (sourrye soup), flaki (variety of tripe soup) and barszcz amongothers.

3. Holiday meals Christmasdishesin Poland TraditionalChristmasEvesuppercalled Wigilia ismeatless, usuallyconsists of barszcz (borscht) with uszka (smalldumplings) – a classicPolishChristmasEve starter, followed by carpfilletor cod withapple & leeksfreshsaladprovides a maincomponent of theChristmasEvemealacross Poland. Other popular dishes, for thenextday, includepickledmatjasherring, rollmops, pierogi withsauerkraut and forestmushrooms. Among popular dessertsaregingerbread, cheesecake, poppyseedcake makowiec (makówki in Silesia), fruitcompote, kluski withpoppyseed, kutia sweet grain pudding intheeastern regions, like (Białystok) and gingerbread. Regionaldishesinclude żurek, siemieniotka(in Silesia), and kołduny - mushroomsormeatstuffeddumplingsintheeastern regions.

4. FatThursday TłustyCzwartek (Fat Thursday) is a Catholic feast celebrated on the last Thursday before the Lent, which is also the last day of carnival. Traditionally it is an occasion to enjoy fair amounts of sweets and cakes which afterwards are not allowed by the Church until Easter. The most popular sweets during Fat Thursday are pączki (Polish donuts) or faworki called also in some regions of Poland "chrust". The traditional donuts are filled with rose petal jam (plum jam or apple) and covered with thin layer of icing or powdered sugar, sprinkled with orange peel.

5. Easterbreakfast A typicalEasterbreakfastoftenconsists of cold-cutsservedwithhorseradishsauce and beetsalads, breads, bigos, żurek, kiełbasa, smokedsalmonorherring, marinatedvegetablesalads, Eastersalad (choppedboiledeggs, greenpeas, cwikła, carrot, apple, potato, parsley and mayonnaise) coffee, tea and cakes, i.e. chocolatecake, makowiec, mazurek, sernik, etc.

6. BIGOS – Hunter's stew • Ingredients: • whitecabbage • sauerkraut • various cuts of meatandsausages • tomatoes • honey • mushrooms

7. Preparation • Simmer the cabbage until soft (1/2 to 1 hour), then drain • Cook thebacon • In the bacon fat, sauté the onions and garlic, and brown the remaining meat except the sausage • Combine all ingredients in a pot and cook (on the stove cook briefly on medium and then simmer 2 to 3 hours)

8. PIEROGI – dumplings Pierogi are the Polish form of a handmade dumpling, made of unleavened dough, usually shaped into a semi-circle. Pierogi may be stuffed (singularly or in various combinations) with mashed potatoes, fried onions, farmer's cheese, cabbage, sauerkraut, meat, mushrooms, spinach, or other ingredients depending on the cook's personal preferences. Mashed potatoes mixed with farmer's cheese and fried onions is a popular filling in Poland.

9. Preparation and ingredients • 6 cups of all purpose flour • 1.5 cups of warm water • 1 tbs of salt • Dissolve 1 tbs of salt in 1.5 cup of warm water • Pour about 3 cups of all purpose flour to a big deep bowl and pour all salted water • Mix flour and water with spatula or fork in circular motions until mixture become homogeneous • Then start adding more flour and keep stirring; continue adding flour until mixture should get less liquid • Pour a bit of flour on big wooden board; pour dough over the flour • Season dough with more flour and start kneading; keep seasoning dough with more flour if it gets sticky • Knead until dough become elastic; then cover it with plastic and leave to settle for 15-20 mins • Then flour dough again and knead it several times – after that dough is ready; pick filling of your choice

10. GOŁĄBKI – cabbageroll Acabbage roll (also known as stuffed cabbage or pigs in a blanket) is a dish consisting of cooked cabbage leaves wrapped around a variety of fillings.

11. Preparation and ingredients • 12 leavescabbage • 1 cup cookedrice • 1 egg, beaten • Ľ cup milk • Ľ cup mincedonion • 1 kg beef • Salt • Black pepper • 1 cantomatosauce • 1 tablespoonlemonjuice • 1 tablespoonbrownsugar • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage leaves 2 minutes; drain. • In a large bowl, combine 1 cup cooked rice, egg, milk, onion, ground beef, salt, and pepper. Place about 1/4 cup of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf, and roll up, tucking in ends. Place rolls in slow cooker. • In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over cabbage rolls. • Cover, and cook on Low 8 to 9 hours.

12. Żurek – sourrye soup The sour rye soup is a soup made of soured rye flour and meat (usually boiled pork sausage or pieces of smoked sausage, bacon or ham). It is specific to Poland, where it is known as żur or żurek, and a variant is known as barszczbiały ("white barszcz") which is made with wheat flour instead of rye. The soup is also found in the cuisines of other western Slavic nations such as Slovakia.

13. Preparation and ingredients • Zakwas • First you need to ferment the flour (make "zakwas"). The ingredients are for 1,5 liter jug of zakwas. • Take a stone pot and add flour and half of water, stir it thoroughly to avoid clots • Addrest of water • Peel the garlic, you may cut in in half, but do not chop. • Add a slice of bread, make certain that bread is totally under water • Cover with dishcloth and leave it in the cool place for a few (3-5) days • 1,5 l boiled and then cooled water • 1/3 cup white rye flour • 1/4 cup whole meat rye flour • 5 garliccloves • 1 slice of whole wheat bread • Raw white sausage (for a 2 liter soup use two to three pieces) • 1 smokedsausage • Potatoes (peeled and in 2-3 cm pieces) • 1 garcilhead • 1 handful of majoram

14. Soup • Cover the white sausages with water and boil • Cut smoked sausage in four the long way and then in thin slices • Add to already boiled white sausages • After 5 minutes of boiling, add potatoes, pressed garlic and marjoram • Boiling, boiling and when potatoes are soft, add zakwas • You can add some butter, salt or more garlic to taste

15. Zrazy – a meatroulade Zrazy is a meat roulade dish popular in Eastern Europe, especially Poland. Classic zrazy have a rolled shape and are made of thin slices of beef, which is flavored with salt and pepper and stuffed with vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, and potato. However, there are numerous stuffing combinations as new ones are encouraged, such as pickles and bacon.

16. Preparation and ingredients • 3 slices top round (see above) • 3 slicesleanbacon • 2-3 garlic dill pickles, sliced • 1/2 onion, sliced • about 2 tbsp. Butter • mustard (optional), salt, pepper • Slices of beef season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Thinly spread mustard on top of each slice (optional) • Divide pickle, bacon and onion slices on one end of each slice • Roll up slices, tucking the ends in and securing with skewers, wooden cocktail picks, or thread • Heat butter in skillet. Brown rouladen well on all sides. Do not crowd rouladen in skillet, or they will not brown nicely. Do in small batches if necessary. You can add extra butter if needed • Once all roulade are well browned, add about 1 cup of hot water, gently stirring up browned bits, return all rouladen to skillet, bring to simmer and cover • Simmer for about 1 hour.