There’s no point stressing out. I mean: a few extra kilos. Or clenching your ass, thinking that from January you’ll start exercising.That’s what holidays are for — to indulge a bit.What is worth doing is ensuring that this indulgence doesn’t, sooner or later, lead to obesity, diabetes, or similar health issues. Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or … Read more
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 from … Read more
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 … Read more
Often, after a several-day party when guests leave, I experience nervous breakdowns and a terrible aversion to cooking and eating. I go hungry all day because I don’t feel like cooking anything. Or I spend the whole day looking into cabinets and the fridge, wondering what I’d like to eat. And nothing appeals to me. … Read more
Today, lunch for three people, largely from the leftover ingredients of a 10-day event for 22 people. So there’s always something left, and minimizing food waste is one of my two most important professional challenges for this year. Cooking like this has the advantage that I have more time to experiment with new things, not … Read more
First shake was made, or at least described, in 1885, but it was different from today’s shakes. It was a sweetened alcoholic drink made with whisky, eggs, and milk, somewhat similar to eggnog (and here’s my “coconogg”). INGREDIENTS:1 ripe mango1 ripe banana1 tablespoon of ground nettle300 ml of oat milk (or any other milk)1 teaspoon … Read more
Punch, punch, mulled wine, and similar beverages. Somehow in Poland, drinks like these, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, are not really a part of the Christmas tradition. It’s completely different from Anglo-Saxon countries, from Canada, through the USA, England, to Germany, where all kinds of punches, mulled wines, and eggnogs are a mandatory part of the Christmas … Read more
Actually, it’s not hummus. But it’s an example of how dishes change and evolve. Hummus is probably something that everyone knows today. I suspect that if studies were done, hummus would definitely be one of those dishes that, as a result of globalization, spread from its culinary refuge to the whole world. And it’s something … Read more
