Żubrów-B-Q Sauce

The other day, I made a unique barbecue sauce with a Polish twist. I took a favorite vodka BBQ sauce recipe of mine, but substituted my favorite flavored Polish vodka: Żubrów-B-Q Sauce, made with Żubrówka Vodka (It's pronounced Zhu-BRUFF-ka). Żubrówka  is also called "Bison Grass" vodka because it gets it's flavor from a grass that grows in Poland called "Bison Grass," a favorite food of Polish (European) Bison, a cousin to American Bison (or buffalo). Żubr is the Polish word for Bison. Hopefully it all makes sense to you.

But, with a play on the spiciness of American Buffalo wings, I've made this spicy BBQ sauce and christened it, Żubrów-B-Q Sauce. Here's the recipe:

• 1/2 cup Żubrówka (Polish Vodka--accept no imitations!)
• 1 Pint (16 oz) Ketchup (I prefer Hunts with no HFCS)
• 2/3 Tbsp. freshly roasted and ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. Chili Powder (the hotter the better, I believe)
• 1/2 Tbsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
• Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and let simmer 20+ minutes to meld the flavors. Cool and server. Keeps several months in the fridge--if you can get it to last that long. Recipe is easily doubled. 

Polska Chata

Polska Chata is a Polish and European Delicatessen and Restaurant in Rochester, NY. Thanks to urbanspoon.com for helping me find this gem! We were on vacation and visiting the Rochester area, so we just had to stop in for some good ole Polish food. Smacznego!

I had the Polish Platter which was a bit of everything good about Polish cuisine. The gołąbki was huge and pretty , smothered in a slightly tomato-ey gravy; I think it could have cooked a bit longer as the cabbage leaf outside was just a bit tough, and the filling just a bit dry. The pierogi were Ruskie style: cheese/potato/onion and were boiled and very tasty--but a side of sour cream would have been nice, I think. The real hit of the meal was, I think, the bigos, which was outstanding, just full of the great flavors of sauerkraut, cabbage, kiełbasa, mushrooms, and so much more. The kiełbasa was also good as were the potatoes. Heck, there was nothing I did not like about this meal--except maybe the size--it was a lot of food! 

Tommy had their Fish Fry, and what a feast it was! The portion of fish was huge, absolutely huge. It was served over chip (fries) and with some fried shrimp--also good, and some deep fried pierogi--they were a bit dry and could have benefit from a side of sour cream as well. 

I started out my meal with a bowl of żurek and it, too, was very good. It had a lot more "stuff" in it than i usually find, including some ham, but was full of flavor with just a tinge of the requisite sour/acid flavor from the sour-rye started used as a base. It was very good and went nicely with my Leżaisk beer!

Our service was somewhat slow and disorganized, and it seemed there was only one waitress for the place and she doubled as the deli counter person as well. I heard that some waitress called in or quit or something. But we did get our food and she was nice and pleasant, just very busy with a fairly busy place. My guess about our lone waitress is that she's the owner and maybe her husband the cook, and their  boy the runner and busboy? Well no matter, the food was great and she did a good job and worked hard trying to please everyone--and we were pleased!

The restaurant is upstairs and there was music playing and a few other diners as well, enjoying the evening. Downstairs is the deli and it's quite well stocked, not only with fresh food items, but also with a nice selection of imported Polish good. It's a very nice place and Rochester is fortunate to have such good Polish food and atmosphere. Smacznego!

Kramarczuk East European Deli

If you get to Minneapolis, make double-sure you don't miss a chance to savor the wonderful Ukrainian and Eastern European food being made and served at Kramarczuk's East European Deli! My sister Jean and I were in Minneapolis recently, visiting relatives and exploring the area where our Father and his family lived at one time. We visited a few Polish restaurants in the area, but saved the best for last when we ate lunch at Kramarczuk's. Our great-grandmother was Ukranian and we both remember lots of great Polish food at the table when we were young. And as it turns out, there is a lot in common between Ukrainian and Polish food--in some cases, only the names change, just a bit.

Now, it's true that I was like a kid in a candy store, and I ordered enough food to easily feed a basketball team, but I just had to try a little bit of everything, and I was not at all disappointed, not in the least. Where to begin??

Well, my favorite food in the world is probably pierogi, the Polish version of a ravioli, only much, much better. In Ukraine, pierogi are called varenyky, but they are the same thing: a wonderful filling is stuffed in a noodle-type dough and then boiled. Though sometimes also fried in Poland, in Ukraine, varenyky are traditionally boiled, then served with sour cream. We had the sampler platter and they were indeed outstanding!  We had three varieties, each one better than the other, and all excellent: meat, sauerkraut and mushroom, and potato and cheese. Yum, they were to die for, and the accompanying sour cream had just a touch of horseradish added to it. Wonderful wonderful, wonderful!  

But there's more. I also ordered the Holubtsi (called Gołąbki in Poland), a stuffed cabbage roll. But this cabbage roll was one of the best I've ever had, a close equal to those made by my mother and those made by my cousin Alicja in Poland. A nice meat and rice filling, pleasantly but simply seasoned, was wrapped in a cabbage leaf, then cooked for a good long time until the meat was juicy and flavorful, and the cabbage leaf tender and savory. But the best was the sauce. If I had to do it again, I'd buy a quart of the sauce, take it home, and try over and over again to duplicate the flavor, it was that good. It was creamy and tomato based, but the flavors were all very subtle. I actually used my spoon to eat it like a soup, it was sooooo good!  I'll never forget it and wish I could duplicate it.

But that was not all. We also tried the Borscht (beet soup) and braised red cabbage. Both were very good as well. The borscht (barszcz in Polish) was excellent, with a nice hearty beet flavor, served with a bit of sour cream. I could eat a gallon of that stuff. I washed down my meal with a Polish beer, Żywiec. And, once we were done pigging out on the excellent food, we also tried a pastry from the deli. You see, Kramarczuk's started out as a deli and meat market, then added the cafeteria-style restaurant later (and they still make their own sausage, some 20 or more different types). And we found one of the original Kramarczuk brothers has written a book about how their family emigrated from Ukraine to the United States after World War II. My sister Jean bought the book for me and I read it, it's truly an amazing story about life as it was in Ukraine long ago, and how a poor family came to this country and, with some hard work and surrounded by a loving and supportive family and community, melded into American society and prospered, while never forgetting their roots. It's a great story, and Kramarczuk's Eastern Eurpoean Deli is an amazing place. I highly recommend it!

Polish Fried Green Tomatoes

I don't think anyone in Poland has ever heard of fried green tomatoes. For that matter, they are not very common outside of the US south. However, I made the world's best fried green tomatoes earlier today, and I want to share my tips and techniques. And, because the best tomatoes I've ever eaten (outside of those from my Dad's garden) were from roadside stands in Poland, I've decided to call my recipe Polskie Smażone Zielone Pomidory -- Polish Fried Green Tomatoes! So here's how I did it.


First off, tomato selection is key. I much prefer green tomatoes that have the barest hint of pink to them. But use caution--if you buy them, you must use them the same day or refrigerate immediately--they will go from green to slightly pink to ripe in the blink of an eye. Why not totally green? I find that solid green tomatoes are just a bit too hard when cooked. When you get one that is just at the very earliest stages of ripening and fry it, you'll find the inside is a bit more tender and juicy. But caution, if really starting to turn, the inside will become mush. It's imperative that you get tomatoes with only the very slightest hint of a pink blush--trust me on this.


Preparation and technique are key here, and there are seven distinct things you'll need. Get them ready in advance:

1. Green Tomatoes, sliced thin and evenly, about 1/4 inch--no more! Once sliced, lay on some paper towels to dry them.
2. First dry coat: Mix equal parts of masa harina (corn flour) and cornstarch. Add some cayenne (be generous, very generous) and salt. Mix well.
3. Wet coat: Beat three eggs with a scant quarter cup of milk or buttermilk. Season with salt and pepper and add some tobasco. Then add more tobasco.
4. Breading Coat: Take equal parts of masa harina (corn flour) and find ground cornmeal. Add about a third more fine bread crumbs. Add salt and cayenne. Add more cayenne. Trust me.
5. heat about 1/4 to 3/8 inch of canola or vegetable oil in a heavy skillet to 350 degrees. Monitor the temp--too hot and your breading will burn, too cold and your finished treasures will be oily
6. Remoulade. You need a bit of topping or dipping sauce. My preferred sauce is a quarter cup of mayonnaise, a few tablespoons of sour cream, a tablespoon or two of ketchup, and a few tablespoons of horseradish. Mix well and let sit a bit. You can make it ahead (I usually make it first to give the flavors time to meld).
7. Plates for serving.

How to put it all together:  

• Take your sliced and dried green tomato slices
• Using the wet-hand/dry-hand method, first dip in the first coating. This makes them very dry so the wet coating sticks.
• Then dip in the wet coating.
• Finally, put in the breading coating. pack it on top, make sure it's completely covered. 
• Now set on a rack and let sit. They can sit up to 20 minutes and that's good for them as it lets the dry ingredients hydrate a bit
• Gently lay in the hot, 350-degree oil. 
• Fry about 2 minutes on the first side, then turn with a tongs and fry another minute or two until golden.
• Transfer to a wire rack that's been placed on some newspaper or paper towel--this allows any excess oil to wick away and keeps them from getting soggy or oily. Do not salt at this time, unless you've been stingy with the salt in all the other layers. If you were generous enough, they'll be perfect, trust me!
• Fry in small batches. You can keep warm in a warm oven. They really need to sit about 3-5 minutes before they're cool enough to eat.
• Now, plate and enjoy. You will be amazed at the great flavor--you'll taste the corn a bit.

Now, as they say in Polish: Smacznego! Enjoy! Good Eats!

Gaufres & Goods

Interesting name, great food! We were wandering historic St. Augustine recently and stumbled upon Gaufres & Goods, proclaiming that they serve Greek and Polish food. Since I'm of Polish ancestory and have visited there several times, we just had to eat here. We were not disappointed! It was great!

I started off with the barszcz--beet soup. I've had many, many varieties, and this one was top notch. A clear beet broth had tons of flavor. It also had some diced beets and, best of all, was served with uszki (literally "little ears)--miniature pierogi stuffed mushrooms. The soup was hot and tasty and had a nice hint of acid. The uszki were the perfect compliment and added balance. This was great.

For my main course I ordered the Taste of Poland. I am of polish heritage and know Polish food. I've even eaten Polish food in Poland. And this place serves Polish food. The Taste of Poland included four pierogi, fried with a bit of onion, each one better than the previous one. I had three different "flavors," the meat, potatoes and cheese, and sauerkraut and mushrooms. They were all excellent. My favorite, if i had to name one, would be the meat, simply because they are the hardest to make and flavor properly, but these were. Suspecting that they were hand made in house, I asked our waitress. Indeed, they make their own. It shows. My dinner also came with the "national dish" of Poland--bigos--often called "hunter stew." It was awesome. Cabbage and sauerkraut form the backbone of the dish, onions and mushrooms and a bit of tomato provide flavoring, and kielbasa and other meats provide the protein. In Poland, everyone has their own favorite (and highly guarded) recipe for bigos. This one was right up there. I loved the way it was served, almost like a salad on a whole grain bun--itself very delicious. This added a definite European and Polish note to the meal. 

My friend Tommy opted for soup and salad for his lunch. The soup was Beef Barley and I had a taste--it was delicious wiht a nice meaty broth and rich barley, seasoned with carrots and onions--wonderful.

His salad was a greek style salad and that makes perfect sense, since Gaufres & Goods bills itself as a Greek and Polish restaurant. The salad was very good too, with olives and feta cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers--nice and light and refreshing.

I am always excited to find a restaurant that serves Polish food. With Gaufres & Goods, I found one that serves excellent Polish food. I sure wish I lived closer to St. Augustine, I'd be a regular. Give it a try, I highly recommend it!

Polonia Polish Restaurant

One of my favorite places to eat good Polish food--for lunch or dinner, is Polonia Polish Restaurant in Longwood. And, since my parents were in town to visit, we went there on a recent weekday for lunch. We were not disappointed and had a wonderful lunch.

For my lunch I ordered the Polish platter so I'd have a nice sampling of Polish food, and I shareda  good 1/4 of it with my Mom. This was a sampling of four traditional Polish foods, all equally wonderful. The sausage was a "white sausage (bialy kielbasa), a sausage that is not smoked. It was fantastic, spicy, fully of flavor, and quite meaty, not overly fatty. The bigos, hunter's stew, was tangy and tender, with bits of meat and mushrooms, truly a delight. The golabek--a cabbage roll--was served with the requested tomato sauge. Ground meat and rice were wrapped in a cabbage leave, then slowly cooked until very tender. The cabbage leave and the tang of the tomato sauce combined to make this dance in the mouth! Yumm. And finally, there were the pieorgi. I've never had a pierogi I didn't love (unless it came from the mega-market's frozen foods section), and these were great as well. I had the potato and cheese, lightly pan fried, served with some caramelized onions. They were wonderful, nice and creamy.

I started out my meal with Zurek, a flavorful Polish sour rye soup--also known variously as Easter Soup or White Barszcz--though there are no beets in it. Zurek is make from a sour rye, so it's a tangy soup, It's served with kielbasa and some boiled egg, and also may contain potatoes and carrots. The zurek I had a Polonia was wonderful, about the best I've ever had, both here and in Poland.

For their starters, both my folks had the special soup of the day, Navy bean with ham. It was excellent. For his lunch, Dad had a special sandwich, roast beef with mushrooms, onions, and provolone cheese. It was wonderful. Both Mom and Dad had some, and both liked it a lot. As a matter of fact, it was a large sandwich and Dad brought some back to eat at a later time--which he did, and said it was just as good as the first time.

I've eaten at Polonia a number of times and will continue to return, time and again. On our way out, Rob, the owner, tried to entice us with some fresh made paczki, a Polish yeast-dough donut, traditionally made just before lent. They looked awesome and so I snapped a picture. But, having just eaten and mindful of the calories, we declined. Now I'm having second thoughts.... Lent is still a week or so away, I could swing on by there one day....

Anna's Polish Restaurant

My parents were in town visiting and so we took them to Anna's Polish Restaurant recently. It was a smart choice as we had an outstanding meal there. I have been to Anna's a few times in the past, and the food this time was as good or better than any of those previous visits. I'll certainly be back, again and again, to enjoy the wonderful food, atmosphere, and service.

We had a reservation and arrived promptly on time at 6:30 PM on a Saturday night. The dining room, which is rather small, was pretty empty, but by the time we'd finished there were people waiting outside for our table, a nice testament to the great food at Anna's.

I started out with the Dill Pickle Soup. It was excellent! Basically a beef or chickent stock is thickened and cooked with some potatoes and carrots and cream, and also some dill pickle brine; then near the end of the process, ground dill pickles are added. The soup, though it may sound "odd" to some, is a delight, the tang of the brine and the creaminess of the broth, the crunch of the pickles, the softness of the potatoes--all add to make this a real treat. I loved this and will certainly try to imitate it some time.

  

I was the only one to have the soup, so quickly it was on to our main courses. Both my Mom and my friend Tommy had the Pork Schnitzel. A tender piece of pork loin had been pounded then, then breaded and fred to perfection. For a side, they had the potato pancake accompanied with applesauce and sour cream. Every element of this dish was perfect. The pork was oh so tender and only very lightly seasoned to let the flavor of the pork shine through. I'm not sure how they got it so tender, but it was cooked perfectly. The potato pancakes were not greasy at all, the potatoes were tender and they were very tasty. We all had a bite or two, and all agreed that it was about the best schnitzel ever.

I had the meat stuffed pyży, a dish I've had here before. It was truly outstanding. To make it, potatoes are cooked and made into a type of dumpling and then stuffed with a seasoned ground meat mixture. The whole thing is then boiled and served steaming hot with what I think was the world's most flavorful mushroom sauce/gravy. We all had a sample and everyone agreed that they were wonderful. The potato dumpling outside is soft and creamy, the meat inside adds some nice texture and flavor from the seasoning, and the gravy--oh, what can I say, it was awesome, nice and earthy and meaty with mushrooms, silky from the creamy sauce, a true delight!   

My Dad had the Pierogi Platter. Thankfully we enticed him into getting the large size so we all could have a piergi or two. I am not sure if they make their own, but no matter, they were wonderful, everything a pierogi should be. They were lightly pan-fried and served with some bits of caramelized onion as well as sour cream on the side. I had one of the meat pierogi, and it was fantastic, the meat was lightly seasoned, cooked meat (not ground), and tasted as good as any I've had in Poland (well, perhaps the ones my cousin Alicja made were a tad better, but these were darned close to as good as hers!). We all loved the pierogi. Of course, who doesn't love pierogi, right? 

Most of our meals also came with side items (besided the aforementioned potato pancakes), and they are worth of comments as well, because they were all so good. I'll list them in order from my most favorite on down, but all were very good. My favorite was a warm cabbage salad that had lots of dill and, I believe, some ground dill pickles in it. It was warm and had a very nice tang to it, perhaps they used some sauerkraut as well. It had a very nice heavy handed dill flavor to it, but the dill did not overpower. It was absolutely delicious.

Another tasty side was the Wazanki (Americanized spelling for łazanki, a traditional Polish and Lithuanian dish). It is a very tasty dish made with square pasta, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, and bacon, and sometimes also kielbasa. It was wonderful, a nice compliment to the meal. The pasta brought an element of smooth, the cabbage a bit of tart, the bacon a bit of savory and salty, as well as a bit of smoky flavor. This is another dish I will make one day, it was wonderful.

The last side was the Red Cabbage, pictured above behind my pyży.This was a cold salad of red cabbage, nicely cookeb but still a bit crunchy. It was also tender and tangy and quite enjoyable.

We could not get away without a few desserts, and so I ordered two, along with 4 forks and plates, so we all could sample them. The first was makowic, a tradtional Polish poppy seed roll. It was awesome, the poppy seed was flavored with honey and finely ground, and the dough itself also was rather sweet. It had a wonderful flavor, I'd buy this by the loaf and eat it all up!

The second dessert was something new to me, called pychotka, a walnut torte/cake. This was another "score," just like all of our meal was. There were several layers of whipped cream, a bit of a cake bottom, and a wonderful flavor of walnuts running through the dish. It was a delight in both flavor and texture. I will definitely have to search for the recipe on the Internet, it's worth trying to make myself.

Our service through the course of the evenign was great, the food outstanding, and the atmosphere friendly, inviting, and "Polish"--of course. I'd highly recommend Anna's to anyone wanting some fine Polish cuisine--they certainly deliver, and deliver well. Great job!

Krupnik

"What is Krupnik," you may ask? I would reply "nectar of the gods...."

I've heard and read about Krupnik before, and when I was in Poland this past Fall, I had some. I knew then that I had to make some. Krupnik is a honey and grain alcohol based liqueur, popular in Poland and Lithuania (where it's called Krupnikas). I've searched the Internet and found many, many recipes, each with its own variation. And so after careful thought and research, I came up with my own. I made it last night. It is wonderful.

And now, you can make it too. here it is:

Mix 1 cup water and 1 cup honey and bring just to a boil.

Add all of the following (mix or match as is your pleasure!):

• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 12 allspice berries
• 1 whole vanilla bean, split
• the peel of one Orange (use a peeler to get just the peel without the white pith)
• 12 peppercorns
• 12 juniper berries
• once chunk of nutmeg (about 1/4 of a whole one)
• 12 cloves

Bring the above just to a simmer and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.

Cover and let steep for 30 minutes so the flavors meld.

Warm back up to near boiling and slowly add 2 1/2 cups of good quality Polish Vodka (I used Sobieski). Be careful, alcohol and flames to not mix! Do not boil!

Once very warm, strain through a very fine strainer, or though six layers of cheesecloth, or through a coffee filter.

Krupnik is traditionally served warm, but may also be served cold. Bottle it and store it in a cool place. You'll notice some sediment may settle to the bottom, that's fine. When ready to serve, warm gently and pour carefully so as not to disturb the sediment.

That's all there is to it. You'll have about 750 ml of one of the world's most delicious drinks. Drink responsibly! Bardzo Smaczne!

Stuffed Round Steak, Pyzy, and Mushroom Gravy

Based on my recent trip to Poland and some of the wonderful food I had there, I decided to try to make my own Polish meal, from scratch, with not much for recipies. I made three different things:

1. Mushroom Stuffed Round Steak
2. Pyzy (potato dumplings)
3. Mushroom Gravy

My first challenge was the gravy. I had some excellent mushrooms and mushroom sauces in Poland, but those used fresh Polish mushrooms, something you can't really find here. I tried to find chanterelles, but alas, no on seemed to have any. So I settled for baby bellas. I chopped about three medium onions and softened them in 2 or so Tablespoons of butter with a dash or two of salt, and cooked until most of the moisture was released and the mixture was starting to caramelize a bit. I added a bit more butter, then two Tablespoons of flour, cooking for a minute to make a roux. Then I added 12 oz of O'Doul's non-alcoholic beer, about a quarter cup of cream, a half cup or red wine, and a half cup of beef broth, stirring to make a sauce. To this I added about 12 ounces of quartered baby bella mushrooms. I let this cook slowly at low heat for a good half hour until the mushrooms were tender but still recongnizable. Finally I seasoned with a bit more salt and pepper. Smacznego!

I could not find a larger round steak, so settled for two pieces each about 5 inches by 10 inches. I lightly salted and peppered them, then set aside for a bit. For the stuffing I took about two large onions, halved and sliced, and sauteed them in a few Tablespoons of butter until softened, then added about 12 ounces of sliced baby bella mushrooms and cooked the mixture until tender. To this I added the crumbs of four slices of white bread (processed in a food processor) and some beef broth just to moisten a bit. It made a fairly dry dressing. To form the roulade-like "loaf," I basically made a sandwich of the two pieces of round steak with the stuffing in the middle, closing up the sides well. I tied it with butcher twine. Now to cook it.

I got a heavy pan good and hot, medium high, then added a few teaspoons of oil and seared the "roll" on all sides, top first. Once it was good and seared I left it in the pan, added a bit of beef broth, and baked in a medium hot oven (375) until done but not overdone, about 150 in the center of the dressing. I let it rest a bit on the cutting board, then removed the butcher string and sliced in half on the bias. You can see the result in the picture.

The pyzy were fairly easy as well. I took about three mediums size russet potatoes, peeled then and cut into chunks, then boiled in salted water until tender. When they were done, I drained them, then let them dry out a bit in the hot pan. Finally, I pressed them through a ricer into a bowl. To this I added about a half cup of flour, a quarter cup of mashed potato flakes, and one beaten egg, as well as a half teaspoon of salt. I took two more slightly larger russets, peeled them, then grated them on the fine setting of the grater. I drained them in a strainer and pressed to remove as much moisture as possible, then added to the other mixture. I added this all to the food processor and processed a number of pulses to combine, then added more flour until the dough was somewhat thick. I used a portioning disher to make small balls, rolled them with a little flour, then boiled them in salted water. Once they floated, I waited another 3-5 minutes to ensure they were cooked through.

Finally, I put this all together on a plate, the lices of mushroom stuffed round steak, the pyzy, and the mushroom gravy. My friend Tommy was the lucky recipient of this wonderful meal. If he spoke Polish, I know he'd have proclaimed it bardzo smaczne!

Bigos

What is Bigos, you may ask?  Well, it's a Polish dish, sometimes called "hunter stew" and often considered to be the national dish of Poland. It is not for vegetarians, meat rules in this dish along with other traditional Polish fare such as cabbage, sauerkraut, and mushrooms.

I'd had Bigos a few times at some restaurants in the area and liked it. When I saw a recipe posted online on the About.com Eastern European Foog blog, I decided it was time to give it a try. I'm glad I did.

To see the recipe you can go here. Of course, in good "Lake Mary Food Critic" fashion, it did not follow it that closely. But still it turned out good. I would not call Bigos a "pretty dish" although a few friends said it looked good. But here, you be teh judgte:

So what did I do differently and what would I do different next time? I had some leftover kielbasa in the freezer, so I cut that into about 1/2 inch slices, then quartered those. For the other meat, I had some leftover frozen smoked pulled pork in the freezer and I used that. I'll tell you, the aroma of the hickory smoked pulled pork added a wonderful note to this dish. The tomatoes I used were a bit underripe and next time I'd use a healthy dose of tomato paste in addition to fresh tomatoes, I think that would have given it a nice note. Also, I'd use fresh mushrooms next time, and more of them. The reconsitituted dried mushrooms had a bit of a spongy texture, that's all.

Overall, this turned out to be a very successful dish. I gave some to some unsuspecting friends. They thought it looked weird, but figured if I cooked it, it must be good. They absolutely raved about it, they loved it so much. And when my Polish friend Ewa tasted it, she thought I must have had her recipe--and she loved it as well. So, my word to you is, give it a try! Definitely Bardzo Smacznego--very good eats!  

Polonia Polish Restaurant

I love Polish food, and Polonia Polish Restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants. I went there for lunch the other day with my friends Ewa and Joe. We had a great lunch and each left with enough for another meal later.

Joe and Ewa had the Easter Soup, żurek. They said it was very good. I started out with the barszcz or beet soup. It was also very good though I did notice some cabbage in it, something I'm not used to. Still, it was very good.

I had the Polish Combo which was two pierogi (one potato and cheese, one sauerkraut and mushroon, a gołubki with mushroom sauce, and a biała kiełbasa--white (fresh, not smoked) Polish sausage. It was all very good. And after starting with the barszcz, I had plenty to take home to enjoy another time.

Ewa had the Wazanki, a dish made of kluski (polish egg noodles similar to German spaetzle), bacon, cabbage, garlic, and onion, all cooked together in the pan. I had a sample, and it was very good. Of course, with bacon in it, how can you go wrong. Ewa, a native of Poland, pronounced it very good as well, high praise indeed!

Joe had the pork cutlet, very similar to a schnitzel. A cut of pork loin was pounded thin, breaded and fried to perfection. For his sides, he chose the red cabbage (one of my favorite sides at polonia) and teh saukerkraut (another of my favorite sides because it is more than just sauerkraut, it has a ton of flavor). He, too, loved his dish.  

 Though we were all very full, our waitress managed to tempt us with a slice of Chocolate torte. She wisely brought three forks. It was rich and creamy and very chocolaty. Though we were all full, it was hard to resist the goodness of this dessert--and we gave in to the temptation. It was wonderful.

Always a good meal at Polonia, always a good time. It's why I keep coming back time after time. Bardzo Smaczne! (Good Eats!)

Polish Easter Soup

For Easter this year we had a real treat, my friend Ewa made żurek, also known as Polish Easter Soup, and sometimes called white barszcz. It's basically a thin white soup and uses a sour rye started as a base, with polish sausage and hard boiled eggs in it, among other things. At first thought, you may think to yourself "this does not sound that good." But let me tell you from experience, when done right it's wonderful, and my friend Ewa did it to perfection. It was so good that one of my friends who's not very adventurous in the food department and more of a "meat and potatoes" type of guy, after he tried a taste, he had a whole bowl, and then came back for seconds. Yes, it was that good. 

So, without further ado, and with Ewa's permission, here is her recipe for this wonderful soup:

• 1 LB Polish sausage – skinless/skinned – cut into thick half slices
• 1 large onion - chopped fine
• 5-6 baby Bella mushrooms - chopped
• 2 QT Chicken bullion
• ~ 2C Kwas (Rye sour) – see recipe below *
• 5 Potatoes – med/small chunks
• 1 large turnip - grated
• 2 carrots – grated
• 2-3 TBS marjoram
• 5-6 cloves of garlic – finely chopped/minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ C sourcream

 To garnish:

• ~1/2 LB bacon- fried, chopped
• Fresh parsley or dill – chopped
• Hard boiled eggs – quartered (1/2 – 1 egg per person)  

1. Sauté sausage, onion and mushrooms together
2. Add to combined bullion and kwas
3. Add all vegetables and spices
4. Bring to a boil and cook till the potatoes are tender
5. Add sour cream (gradually, mixing with liquid)
6. Garnish in individual bowls

*Kwas

• ¾ C rye flour
• 2 C water
• 1 garlic clove – chopped

Mix ¾ C rye flour with 2 C pre-boiled warm water. Pour into a jar or crockery bowl. Add garlic. Cover with cheesecloth and let stand in a warm place for 4-5 days. Strain before using 

That's it! That's all their is to it. Now you have Ewa's secret and can make a żurek nearly as good as hers! Bardzo smaczne! 

   

Anna's Polish Restaurant

Excellent Polish food--again--in central Florida: that sums up my first--but certainly not last--visit to Anna's Polish Restaurant.

I'd heard that a second Polish restaurant was opening in the Orlando area, and I was very excited. When I found the information about Anna's Polish Restaurant on urbanspoon.com, I knew it was only a matter of time before I got there. That time happened today!

I am not going to compare Anna's to the other Polish restaurant in the Orlando area, Polonia. Both are great, and both are places I highly recommend. But Anna's can stand on it's own--after being open only four days!

We'd been to the Winter Park Arts Festival. Since we were in that area of town, I suggested we seek out this new Polish restaurant I'd heard of and see if it was open yet. So we ventured to the east side of Winter Park to see. Sure enough, we found a "now open" sign at the location occupied several years ago by Polonia--before they closed, then reopened at their current Longwood location. But walking into Anna's, i knew I was in a different place. The location has been totally remodeled and looks like somethign I'd expect to find in Poland. Dark wood and waitresses dressed in Polish traditional attire, I felt I was in a different world. At some point in time, we noticed Chopin as background music--that was a very nice touch.  

We were quickly greeted and offered our choice of seats. Anna's is not a large place, but is cozy and intimate. We were quickly offered drinks and given time to study the menu. I was amazed by the variety of the menu. Lots of various dishes that I'd consider traditional Polish food graced the menu. Eventually , we settled on our order. We decided to begin with an order of pierogi--one of each: potato and cheese, sauerkraut and mushroom, and meat. I due time our appetizer arrived, garnished with the traditional caramelized onions. We asked for and promptly recieved some sour cream. Oh, and the pierogi? They were very good. No, actually, they were great. But then again, I've never met a pierog that I didn't love. The meat one was especially wonderful and had an exquisite seasoning like none I've ever tasted. Very good.

I ordered the barszcz (beet soup) to go with my meal. I found it very good but it was lacking in a bit of acid. No problem, I took some of the lemon out of my iced tea and squeezed that into my barszcz--that was exactly what it needed and now it was perfect. The barszcz was rich and hearty and had lots of beet in it along with some other things. I detected a bit of potato and also beet tops and stems. It was served with a dollop of sour cream and some dill--a traditional and nice touch. If you read my blog regularly, you know I made my own barsczch for Wigilia this past Christmas. This barszcz was, once I added the squirt of lemon, equally good--a success for sure!

Neither my friend Tommy nor I was all that hungry, but yet I persisted, because I sensed great food was happening. I was right! Tommy--being much more sensible than me--ordered the Potato Pancake appetizer for his lunch. Three crisp, warm, fried potato pancakes were served with a side of apples. They were very good. there was a hint of onion but not overpowering, and the pleasant taste of potatoes. Along with the applesauce and a bit of sour cream, they were absolutely delicious. I'd have them again in a heartbeat.

But I was not so much hungry as I was gluttinous--I wanted it all. So I ordered a dinner. I really wanted to try one of everything--it all looked so good. But eventually I settled on the Pyzy. Yep, Pyzy. Our waitress did not know what I was referring to until I pointed to it on the menu (but I'll give her a break--she admitted to being German and this was Anna's 4th day of being open). Pyzy are little bits of heaven... I had mine with the mushroom sauce.... a good choice. Small round bits of shredded or ground meat (pork in this case) are encased in a potato dumpling/dough and steamed or boiled. The were exquisite! You'll notice in the picture that I've cut one in half, to show what's inside. The mushroom gravy that accompanied them was bursting with a hearty mushroon flavor, as good as any I've ever had. This was truly a very good dish. The plainness of the dumpling was complimented by the spicy flavor of the meat filling, and all tied together by the mushroom gravy. It was truly heaven.

For a go-with I settled on a Cabbage salad, after questioning just what it was. It was served warm and was cabbage cooked with some bacon and dill. The flavors were very good. The cabbage was not overpowering, but the dill was pronounced. I liked this side dish--it was unlike anything I've ever had before but I'd certainly have it again. It was quite unique and quite tasty.

Our waitress was very attentive and fairly knowledgeable about the food--pronounciation notwithstanding. There were several other tables of diners there, and we gathered that one was a table of repeat visitors--impressive for a place that's only been open 4 days. Another was a table of Polish-speaking people--I believe in some way related to or friends of Anna and the owers. A young man that was about the area is apparently the front of the house manager, though he never really greeted or spoke to us until we were leaving. Nonetheless, our experience at Anna's was great and I know that, if they keep doing what they were doing on this visit, I'll be back time and time again. It was excellent and I highly recommend you try it out.

Polonia Polish Restaurant

Good Polish Food is here in Central Florida, thanks to Polonia. I have not been to Poland--yet (on my short list) but all of my ancestors came to the US from Poland between 1886 and 1907, and I know good Polish food when I have it. I had it again at Polonia on a recent evening.

I was fortunate to eat at Polonia wiht both my parents, two of my cousins, the husband of one--all from out of town, and a friend of mine on a recent Sunday evening. When we first arrived around 4 or so, the restaurant was not busy, but by the time we left, there were no available tables, a good sign and a testament to the good food. I've eaten here a good half dozen times and never been disappointed. Our dinner party of seven had a variety of tastes and a variety of dietary needs, and overall, we did a great sample of their menu, ordering everything from pierogi to gołubki to blintzes and potato pancakes, not to mention żurek, barszcz, and more. Everyone raved about their meals--none of us were disappointed at all.

Our waiter--a young guy with no discernable Polish accent at all--promptly took our drink and appetizer orders, then our dinner orders. He got it all right and had an amazing knowledge of the menu. I was impressed. I can't possibly comment on all the food we had, but I'll mention a few hightlights.

My friend Tommy ordered the soup of the day, a hearty Chicken soup. It was indeed excellent. A rich and creamy broth had nice chunks of chicken and vegetable in it as well as what I can only describe as mini-dumplings. The flavor was awesome, some of the best chicken soup I've ever tasted. I don't know if this was authentic Polish food, but I do know that it was very good food. 

For an entree, Tommy ordered the Chicken Cutlet--a tender piece of chicken breast that had been pounded thin, breaded and fried, and was topped with a garlic butter. It was absolutely delicious, tender and juicy with a nice crisp coating. For go-withs he had the Red Potatoes--sliced thin and pan fried--and the applesauce. This was not traditional applesauce as you may think of it, though. The apples had been grated and so had a lot of texture, not at all overcooked, and served cold. It was very, very good.

For her meal, my mother ordered a blintz. Being the great mother she is, she shared a piece with me. The crepe was nicely cooked and the filling was a delicious but not overly sweet cheese filling. There were strawberries to go-with as well, and a bit of sour cream to add to the flavor. This was very good. Someone else in our party had a blintz, too, and loved it. My mother also started dinner with a bowl of żurek, a white soup make with rye sour started and containing some sausage and a boiled egg. I had a taste and have had it before, it is excellent. I'd never heard of żurek until I ate at Polonia, but it is indeed quite a treat.

Several in our party had the gołubki and all enjoyed them. I got to sample some a day or two later as leftovers, and I agree, it was very good. A very healthy portion of meat and rice was cooked in a cabbage leaf and topped with a mushroom gravy. Another person had the potato pancakes, also a success story.

I started my dinner with a bowl of barszcz--it was excellent as always. Tender beets were grated and served in a delicious broth with a hint of lemon and a bit of dill and a dollop of sour cream. This was an excellent soup. For my main course this time I tried the Chicken Paprikash--boneless pieces of chicken thigh were served in a paprika-laced gravy/sauce atop a bed of kopytki, small potato dumplings. It was marvelous and i not only finished it all, but used my bread to sop up every last drop. Fantastic dinner. 

We had a great experience here, as I've had time and time before. Polonia is a real gem of a restaurant, very good authentic Polish food. I highly recommend Polonia to you. If you've never had Polish food before, try the sampler, it's divine and will give you a good idea of what good Polish food is like. There's a reason that Polonia has such a high rating on urbanspoon.com--great food!

Polaco Tacos

Taco Polaco or Polaco Tacos are Polish Tacos. The appear to have originated in Texas in the 1970s. You can read more about that here. I first became aware of them via a blog I subscribe to on Twitter, Eastern European Foods. The basic "recipe" I followed is located here.

Before attempting to assemble my Polaco Tacos, I did a bit of Internet research. Yes, these are an American invention. So what? It turns out they are very tasty. After reading a lot of recipies, I found that there were endless variations. I decided to go with the recipe i found on Barbara's Eastern Eurpoean Food Blog on about.com. Here's what I did.

First, the key was good kiełbasa. To that end I made a special trip to the Polish store in Orlando--Europol Polish Deli. They carry Polish Sausage from Bobak's in Chicago--those people know how to  make good kiełbasa! I got the wedding sausage. I took one stick and cut it into about 4 inch lengths, then split each lenghtwise. I grilled each for a good five minutes on a side until slightly browned and some of the fat had rendered out. I put the sausage on a warm flour tortilla--taco size. Then i began the toppings. I gave a generous coating of Kośćiusko Polish brown mustard to the kiełbasa, then added a portion of well caramelized onions. Next was some drained sauerkraut--Polish, of course. Finally, I topped this with cwikla, a mixture of ground beets and horseradish (chrzan, in Polish)--very heavy on the horseradish! I did not put any cheese on these....the chosen ingredients seemed to be enough.

I served these to my guests and to a person, they all loved them. I have to say, I was very surprised at the great taste and flavor. The spiciness and fat of the sausage was balanced by the sweetness of the caramelized onions. The mustard and cwikla gave a good spicy sharpness and the sauerkraut added a great texture, a good mouth-feel, to this delight. The tortilla was only the delivery vehicle, attempting to keep all the components somewhat together.

In retrospect, I'm sure I'll make these again--but the variations are endless. Refried beans? How about sauteed mushrooms? perhaps topped with potatoes and onion? Who knows, the sky's the limit...my imagination could run wild. These were very, very good. Bardzo Smaczne (good eats!).

Barszcz Wigilijny

What is this thing with the funny title? It is also known as borscht, or beet soup. Barszcz Wigilijny refers to the type of barszcz served at the Polish traditional Christmas Eve meal, known as Wigilia (from the Latin "Vigil"). This is a vegetarian meal--no meat allowed. So this barszcz does not use a meat stock as a base like most barszcz recipes do. We celebrated Wigilia on Christmas Eve with friends, and here's how I made my barszcz wigilijny.

First I made a vegetable stock. I took two quarts of cold water and added the following, each cut up into 1/2 inch chunks:

• 3 medium onions
• 3 stalks of celery
• 1 celery root, trimmed
• 2 parsnips
• 3 medium carrots

To this I added about a dozen peppercorns, a teaspoon of salt, several parsley sprigs, and a bay leaf. I brought this mixture just up to a light simmer, then simmered on the stove for one hour. At the end of the hour, I allowed it to cool slightly, then strained it, pressing on the vegetables to get as much of the precious liquid out as I could. I then strained it again through a very fine sieve and allowed it to cool. You can make this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for several days, or freeze for several weeks.

Beets are the basis of this soup, so I took two bunches of small to medium sized beets, washed them and trimmed them, leaving about an inch of stems attached. I put them in a foil packet that was tightly sealed and roasted them in a 375 degree oven for about an hour, until tender. Once roasted, i allowed them to cool until i could handle them. Then, donning rubber gloves (not wanting beet-red hands for the holidays), i peeled them. The skins will easily slip off. Once peeled, I used a box grater to grate them on the coarse side. Rubber gloves really are a must for this messy task!

Two additional ingredients were prepared in advance, however: mushroom juice and uszka. A day or so earlier I had made uszka. See my earlier blog post for that recipe. When making the uszka, I had soaked dried mushrooms in warm water to rehydrate them. I saved this "mushroom juice" for later use--in my barszcz.

Now I was ready to make the barszcz. Here's how I did it. I put the grated beets into a small stockpot and added one quart of the prepared vegetable stock and about one cup or so of the mushroom juice. Over medium heat, i brought this mixture just to a simmer and simmered for about a half hour (you can simmer longer if desired). To this I added one teaspoon of sugar and two tablepoons of lemon juice, and a bit of salt and pepper to taste. I was now ready to assemble and serve the soup.

To each bowl, I added four of the previously prepared and warmed uszka (you can warm them separately or in the barszcz). Then I added about 3/4 to 1 cup of broth, along with just a few of the grated beets (you can also strain them out to serve in a more traditional clear broth, if desired). Finally, i garnished with about a half teaspoon (or so) of fresh chopped dill.

This was my first-ever attempt to make barszcz and it was a big success. All of my guests actually loved it and would definitly eat it again--and so would I. And the highest praise was from my Polish friend, Ewa. Ewa was born and raised in Warsawa and knows what good barszcz is. Her seal of approval made my day. I hope you'll try it some day too. Bardzo Smaczne! (That's "Good Eats" in Polish.)

Uszka

Uszka is a Polish word that, literally translated, mean "little ears." Uszka are small, pierogi-like (or ravioli-like) bits of a pasta dough that are stuffed with mushrooms, shaped sort of like a Bishop's hat, boiled, and traditionally served in barszcz (beet soup) on Christmas Eve for the Polish Wigilia celebration. Since I was having a traditional Polish Christmas Eve Wigilia at my home, I decided that this year I'd try my hands at barszcz, and as a result, need to make uszka. I read a lot of various recipes and finally combined them all and came up with my own interpretation. I used about two ounces of dried assorted Polish mushroom from the Polish store (EuroPol Polish Deli) in Winter Park, added about half ounce of dried shiitake mushrooms, and about an ounce of Wisconsin wild mushrooms that had been hand-picked and dried by my mother's cousin. I combined them all, added about 2 cups of warm water, weighted them down, and let they rehydrate for a good fifteen minutes or so. Once reconsitituted, I skimmed them off being careful to to disturb any sediment, and drained them. The "juice" i carefully strained and refrigerated for use later to flavor the barszcz. I chopped the mushrooms very fine.

In a non-stick skillet, i melted about a Tablespoon of butter, then added one finely chopped onion and sauteed that about 5-10 minutes, until the onion was soft but not browned. To this I added the mushrooms and cooked till the mixture was very dry. Removing it to a bowl, i added chopped parsley, a Tablespoon or two of bread crumb, and salt and pepper to taste. Finally, added one beaten egg.

For the dough I made my standard pierogi dough recipe. I've posted it here on my blog previously. I rolled the dough out pretty thin, and cut it into 2 inch squares. But then i realized i needed it to be even thinner, so I rerolled, again cutting into scant 2" squares. Smaller fingers would help.  On each square I put a scant half-teaspoon of filling, then folded it over corner-to-corner, making a "stuffe" triangle shape, and sealed the edges. Lastly, i pulle the two outside points toghther and pressed to seal, make what looks sort of like a bishop's hat--I had made some uszka! I made 36 of them--it is a very time consuming process. I had leftover mushroom filling and lots of dough, so I also made 9 regular pierogi out of them. But this is about uszka.

Once assembled, I boiled and salted some water, then boiled the uszka in batches just until they floated. I coated with melted butter and stored in the refrigerator, ready to add to my Barszcz Wigilijny, Christmas Eve. There, I did it. And, as evidenced by all the comments Christmas eve, they were wonderful.

Uszka have a wonderful flavor and are a very pleasant addition to the savory goodness of a fine barszcz. The woodsy flavor of the mushrooms is the perfect accent for the root-vegetableness (if that is a word) of the soup. The fact that they take time to make just increases their charm. It is well worthwhile to take the time to make them. Bardzo Smaczne!