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
My latest culinary fascination is… German cuisine. Yes, the very same German cuisine I regularly bash. More precisely, something I consider to be a true German specialty. And no, it’s not Bratwurst or oatmeal. It’s Brotaufstrich! Which means all kinds of spreads and pastes for bread. INGREDIENTS: 200 g canned or cooked chickpeas 50 g capers 50 g … Read more
The subject of pâté is fascinating — surely worthy of a treatise… That’s how it might begin. Imagine a cookbook penned by Czesław Miłosz. If “The Year of the Hunter” had a culinary appendix. What cuisine would he have described? Most likely Lithuanian, naturally — perhaps specifically the dishes from the manor in Šeteniai, where he grew up. A … Read more
This soup has a bit of an Advent feel — it’s something quick, made with what’s on hand and what you know you won’t use otherwise. For example, I didn’t end up using the sweet potato for a salad. I originally bought it with soup in mind, but I also had leftover kaffir lime leaves and yuba. … Read more
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
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 instance, I eat what’s left over … Read more
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
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
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
