Lentils, Sunflower Seeds, and Tomatoes

Continuing the kitchen inventory series: Lentils, sunflower seeds, and tomatoes. Still no onions, but when you live in the forest, going to the store is a whole expedition. INGREDIENTS:– 2 bell peppers of different colors (about 150–200 g)– 100 g sunflower seeds– 50 g red lentils– 30 g olive oil (3 tablespoons)– 30 g hoisin … Read more

Leftover Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed vegetables are my comfort food and a traditional folk Polish dish.Poland and Germany are countries with allotment gardens. Small plots of land, originally on the outskirts of cities and usually belonging to working-class families, were an important supplement to the diets of many households in Poland until the 1990s. INGREDIENTS:– 500 g cooked white … Read more

The Most Folksy Onion Soup

I reached for one of my cookbooks, looking for inspiration, and after a few minutes, I came across an onion soup recipe. This reminded me of the first soup I ever cooked as a teenager: onion soup with pieces of bread and grated cheese. Onion soup is a typical poor man’s dish across almost all … Read more

“Curd-Like” Ice Cream without Curd

Ice cream is chilled fat with sugar and protein. If you want to make good plant-based ice cream, remember these three components. The first records of chilled, icy desserts date back 2,500 years to Persia, where they prepared desserts resembling today’s sorbets. Icy desserts appear in a Roman cookbook from the 1st century and in … Read more

Pesto with wild garlic

The cuisine of northern Germany is not among the most refined in the world. Bratwurst with potato salad and red millet allow for a different perspective on World War II. If you were fed like this every day, you’d also prefer to hop into a tank and invade Poland. And eat Polish dumplings and soups. … Read more

Traditionally roasted Soymeat

I like the name “Traditionally roasted Soymeat” The fact that something is traditionally roasted  (especially if it’s wood-fired…) nobilizes what ends up on the plate.What’s funny is that it’s part of the mythology of the Golden Age, present in human cultures forever. INGREDIENTS:10 previously soaked soy cutlets (see Notes)2 onions (about 150 g)1 bell pepper … Read more

Wild Garlic and the Simulacrum of Ideology

Wild garlic, which is the best thing about living in Lower Saxony (besides being close to Hamburg). Here, it’s a local seasonal delicacy. Not as ubiquitous as asparagus, but available in every grocery store. INGREDIENTS:1 onion (about 100 g net)3 tablespoons of oil (30 ml)2 bell peppers (about 250 g net)150 g peanuts (see notes)150 … Read more

Easter flavors and what does ready-made pasta have to do with women’s emancipation. And horseradish too.

Easter, somewhat in opposition to the Polish Christmas Eve tradition, is a difficult topic to tackle in a plant-based kitchen, with meats, cold cuts, and eggs dominating the table.Creating a plant-based menu for Easter is much more challenging and requires more creativity than for Christmas Eve, where in many dishes there is no need for … Read more

Chef’s breakfast: protein pancakes

I try to manage the products during events in a way that produces as little waste as possible. Reducing food waste was one of my goals last year and still remains high on the priority list. Of course, there’s always something left, and for a few days after the event, I build my menu largely … Read more

Umami Bean

“I won’t eat without meat,” “Vegetarian cuisine is tasteless.” I’ve heard it hundreds of times, and nothing is surprising about it because it often is. I’ve written about it many times. A common mistake is somewhat removing meat from a dish and assuming that’s enough. No. Meat must be replaced with an ingredient that provides … Read more