The last few days have felt hotter than satan’s kitchen on the 4th of July. If you find yourself melting under the sun, craving something light and refreshing, consider chłodnik! Chłodnik is a chilled barszcz (aka borscht) that is usually mixed with kefir and/or sour cream, creating a vibrant pink soup! The Polish answer to gazpacho. Does it sort of taste like a salad in soup form? Tak. Does the color remind one of pepto? Mayhaps! But it is yummy and pretty easy to put together, so give it a go! One note in ingredients…get a bunch of beets with the greens still attached. If you can only find ..read more

Ikra is an Eastern European eggplant spread that makes a great starter, but in my opinion, mostly belongs on a piece of nice toasted bread Ingredients 2 medium eggplants 1 red bell pepper 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3 small carrots, grated 4 large cloves garlic, minced 10-15 sprigs flat leaf parsley 3 tbsp tomato paste 1/2 tsp hot red pepper paste such as harissa (or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes) 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1/2 tsp sugar Salt and pepper Directions Poke holes in eggplants using a fork. If you have a gas stove or grill, char the eggplant and red bell pepper over the flame, unti ..read more

There’s already a shredded beet recipe floating around this website somewhere, but that is for a salad. These beets are served hot and are a delicious side dish, though there’s no reason you can’t have these cold as well. The caramelized onions really make a difference here, so be sure to get them nice and golden. To make this vegan, simply omit the sour cream and swap the butter for oil. You can probably make this without the flour and get almost identical results, but this recipe is written exactly as it was provided by the legend herself. Smacznego! Ingredients 4 large beets 1 small onion ..read more

This will be the fourth year I’ve made matzo ball soup for Passover Seder. I will say, if you have a matzo-liquid ratio that works well, STICK WITH IT, and simply add the ingredient that I think made the biggest difference: roasted garlic. I know the list of ingredients looks long, but that’s mostly seasonings, so don’t be alarmed! To to add more flavor to the stock, I made sure to get some color on the onions before adding liquid, and also made the stock one day in advance so that the flavors could develop. The keys to this recipe are: Add lots of roasted garlic to the matzo balls Get ..read more

Mushrooms, again! This sauce uses regular ole mushrooms like cremini or white varieties and goes great with pasta, kopytka, or meat. Using sour cream gives this the Slavic touch If you want to up the mushroom flavor, you can put 2 or 3 dried wild mushrooms in a spice grinder and add that powder while the sauce cooks. Ingredients: 16 oz cremini mushrooms (or white mushrooms) 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper 1/2 tsp dried dill (or about 1 tbsp of chopped fresh dill) 1 tbsp whole grain mustard 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup white wine 1/2 cup vegetable or chic ..read more

Although nobody will be cooking for a crowd this year and celebrations will undoubtedly be different in many ways, maybe reaching for some nostalgic food can bring a comfort this people this Christmas. If you are looking Polish Christmas Eve (Wigilia) or Christmas Day recipes scroll down and see if anything strikes your fancy! Stay safe, stay healthy, and Merry Christmas/Wesołych Świąt! Christmas Eve Pierogi with Potato and Cheese (Ruskie Pierogi) Pierogi are always a good option! These can be served on Christmas Eve or Christmas, or both. Pierogi with Sauerkraut and Mushroom (Pierogi z ..read more

This pickling recipe can work for cucumber pickles, or anything else you might want to pickle! It is a base that you can add to with other seasonings such as mustard seeds (a Polish classic), allspice, chili peppers, or many other things. This recipe is all brine, no vinegar!!! Ingredients: 6–7 medium carrots, washed with skin on 4 cups water 31⁄2 tbsp coarse salt or 21⁄2 tbsp regular salt 10 peppercorns 6 garlic cloves, peeled 6 bay leaves 2oz horseradish root, cut into chunks small handful of dill stems or fronds (or 1/2 tsp dill seeds) Directions: Sterilize 2 16oz canning jars or 1 32 ..read more

Pierogi with fruit fillings are very popular in Poland, Ukraine, Belarus…that whole area. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, sour cherries, and plums are common because those grow so well in the region. Try to make these when blueberries are in season, usually late spring through summer, because they ARE the filling. Out of season, blueberries tend to be, but are not always…flavorless. If you have a craving you can’t beat, you can use frozen blueberries and thaw them before use.  Once pierogi are assembled, your can refrigerate them and cook them the next day, or you c ..read more