Gryfny Shalad for Advent. That’s about the extent of my Silesian, which is barely better than my German. These languages are very much relevant here because *Hekele* is a Silesian Advent salad, sometimes also served on Christmas Eve. And Silesia is one of the most fascinating corners of Europe. Situated between Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany, it has created a unique blend of these three cultures, languages, and cuisines, while maintaining its own distinct Silesian character, specific culture, and language.  

For five and a half years, I have been living and working in a Buddhist center in Germany. It’s 1.5 km to the nearest village, 600 m to the closest neighbor, and 300 m to the nearest nature reserve.
 I’m a bit like a dog living off altar scraps — almost literally.

For dessert, dumplings will make their way to the Christmas Eve menu in addition to almond soup, but they are also excellent as a dessert. 
Served with a carob sauce or cream. 
And it is this mysterious carob that I am here to talk about.

TVP: texture vegetable protein. Until recently, only TSP, or “textured soy protein,” was available on the market. These are all those products like dry soy cutlets (affectionately called “sawdust cutlets”), pieces, granules, steaks — large, rectangular cutlets with a fibrous texture. 

Have you ever cooked a classic dish you had no idea how it was supposed to taste? Recently, I was tasked with exactly that.

We were expecting a visit, postponed since the pandemic, from a high-ranking teacher.

A culinary creation is also an open work, dependent on context. Different people will taste different dishes from the same pot, shaped by the context of their experiences. And it’s not only about culinary experience — often, cultural context is even more influential. 

A century-old classic of Polish zero-waste cuisine: the not-quite-Bajadera balls. 
The base of this dessert is dates or another sweet dried fruit like figs. Soak dates in minimal hot water, enough for the fruit to absorb and soften. Once cooled, blend to get date cream, a fantastic natural sweetener for desserts, spreads like Nutella, or even as a jam replacement.

Do you check labels when shopping?

Regulations clearly define what must be included on labels: ingredients listed in order of quantity, and nutritional values. Most people don’t dispute this, and many — whether avoiding sugar, allergens, or counting calories — are glad that lawmakers have made it mandatory.

Baking cakes, cookies, desserts, and sweets isn’t exactly my culinary specialty. Probably because for most of my life, when it came to sweets, I liked them all — as long as they had a lot of chili.

This cake has no chili, but it’s still good.

INGREDIENTS:
- 250 ml cooked millet
- 100 g raisins
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 can of coconut milk
- 150 g hazelnut flour
- Sugar or other sweetener (optional)