Cooking, recipes, technique.
Born and raised in Poland, I’ve only been living in Germany for a few years now. Nothing illustrates the phenomenon of Polish Christmas Eve (Wigilia) better than the reactions of my German friends when I tell them about the traditional and widely practiced Polish Christmas Eve. The most unique and shocking tradition for other nations … Read more
I have the feeling that traditional Polish cuisine—our classic dishes and ingredients—is often being neglected and replaced by foreign culinary influences. Not that I have anything against outside influences: I love Asian, Mexican, or even African cuisines (don’t know what fufu is? You’ll find out soon, because there’s a packet of it waiting for its … Read more
Stuffed vegetables are my personal comfort food — not just for the taste itself, but for the memories they bring back of the best thing from my INGREDIENTS 50 g TVP (soy protein granules)Marinade for the TVP: 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp Crema di Balsamico Filling: 100 g millet … Read more
The vegetable most closely associated today with the celebration of Dziady, Samhain, Halloween — call it what you will — is the pumpkin. INGREDIENTS Filling: 300 g pumpkin purée 100 g sunflower seeds 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp ground coriander seeds 3 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 clove garlic salt Dough: … Read more
What’s the worst thing about vacations? Especially when you live alone. In the middle of the forest. The contents of the fridge when you get back. It’s a good idea to get rid of everything in the fridge before you leave, so you don’t get greeted by a newly evolved civilization when you return. And when you come … Read more
Sandwiches built Germany. Actually, not just Germany. All of Europe and North America. Sandwiches that workers took with them to work. And these weren’t sandwiches with fancy cold cuts — workers couldn’t afford that. But, for example, with various spreads, because those were easy to make tasty out of scraps, leftovers, and the cheapest ingredients. Here’s another … Read more
Parsley is an excellent source of iron if you’re on a plant-based or vegetarian diet, or if you eat little meat. The best source, incidentally, is… young nettle — but only in spring, when the shoots are fresh. It makes excellent pesto.However, this is non-heme iron, Fe³⁺ (remember that from middle school chemistry?), which must be reduced … Read more
The Belgian-Swiss chocolate giant Barry Callebaut is working on cell-based cocoa. This is probably the first case of this technology being applied to a plant-based product. The effects of climate-change-driven weather anomalies are already being felt by all lovers of the two pillars of our culture and civilization: coffee and chocolate. Coffee and cocoa prices have been … Read more
I’m not a dessert guy. Nor am I a baker or pastry chef. Though in reality — and not just in my current job — you often have to be a one-man army and do everything. Lately, for added fun, it’s been my eating disorder that’s been pushing me toward experimenting with sweets of all kinds. INGREDIENTS: 30 g thick … Read more
1. You’re on your feet all the time. Your legs and spine feel it.During a workday, depending on the nature of your position, you might easily walk 10 to 20 kilometers. Often carrying heavy loads — in my case, it’s usually up to 20 kg, but hauling 50 kg bags of vegetables is nothing unusual … Read more
