Silesian Advent Salad

Silesian Advent Salad

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, … Read more

How Eat It: Carob

How Eat It: Carob

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. Carob is a flour made from the carob tree’s fruit, commonly known … Read more

Texture Vegetable Protein-How Eat It

Texture Vegetable Protein-How Eat It

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.  TSP products had their time, at least in Poland, in the 1990s, when they were pretty … Read more

Thukpa - A Soup from the Space of the Mind

Thukpa - A Soup from the Space of the Mind

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. You’re not required to know what kind of teacher, so let me explain. I cook at a Tibetan … Read more

The Cuisine of Life and Death

The Cuisine of Life and Death

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.  This becomes clear when, like me, you cook from within one culture for people … Read more

A century-old classic of Polish zero-waste cuisine

A century-old classic of Polish zero-waste cuisine

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 … Read more

Onion and Bread Soup

Onion and Bread Soup

I reached for one of the cookbooks on my shelf, looking for inspiration, and after a few minutes, I stumbled upon an onion soup recipe. This reminded me of the first soup I ever made as a teenager — onion soup with chunks of bread and grated cheese. Onion soup is a typical “poor man’s” … Read more

Obesity and gastronomy

Obesity and gastronomy

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. But what about at a restaurant? How often do you see … Read more

Nut and Millet Cake

Nut and Millet Cake

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 … Read more