Easter Celebrations In Years Past! Easter is fast approaching and I am sure your plans for family gatherings are well underway.  Your family may have dinner or brunch reservations as a way to celebrate without all the fuss of cooking a huge home dinner.  Or you may be continuing a long standing tradition of a huge dinner at home with family and friends after a week of Easter and Lenten activities.  The table will be set with the good china and crystal and beautiful flowers.  There will, of course, be the bowl of dyed Easter eggs and a chocolate bunny or two. No matter h ..read more

 Witamy! Polish cuisine is comprised of a very wide variety of dishes and flavors.  They come from the influences 14th century French and Italian royalty, from the worldly wives of 18th and 19th century Polish gentry, and from the flavors left behind by the invading armies of neighboring lands. Among the most original Polish dishes are the soups, such as Sour Soup, Dried Mushroom Soup, Dill Soup, or Pickle Soup.  And among the best of Polish soups are the chilled fruit soups.  Served cold on a hot summer day, they are refreshing, full of flavor, and always enjoyed by enti ..read more

 Really?  Sour Milk?  Oh yeah, for sure and for real!   Keep reading:  One of my favorite childhood food memories was a summer delicacy called Zsiadłe Mleko or in English, Sour Milk.  Now before you scroll away or hit the delete key, just hang in there with me because there is nothing spoiled or sour about it and it is a genuine Polish delicacy.  I just devoured a bowl of it and it was an absolutely refreshing and tangy summer lunch. Close your eyes and think slightly thin or loose yogurt…with a similar tang of buttermilk and ..read more

 Witamy! Poles love fruit tarts.  They’re nothing like American grocery store style fruit tarts with huge chunks of fruit in a yellow custard, and drenched in a shiny sweet glaze.  Those are pretty to look at but I prefer other European pastries that are less sweet.    The classic Polish berry tarts we grew up with have fewer ingredients, they are simpler to make, less sweet and focus more on the natural flavors of the fruit.  This one is a favorite because it combines the flavors of berries and rhubarb for a wonderful contrast of sweet and tart. Have your ..read more

 Wesołych Świąt (Happy Easter)!  Our Easter menu will remain pretty much the same this year - as it has through four generations and over 70 years since the Zeranski’s emigrated from Europe.  For 2021 it will be again be a blend of Polish traditional delicacies with some American favorites – all intended to please our family’s diverse palates. The Polish sweets, such as this Gypsy Mazurka,  are in our Polish Classic Desserts, and the savory classics are all in our Polish Classic Recipes book,  both of which make great Easter gifts. The c ..read more

 Witamy! In these crazy times, we're all spending more time in the kitchen and often crave basic comfort food, especially now that it's colder  (unless you live "down under").   But we've been spending soo much time in the kitchen that lately we're on the hunt for meals that are easier to prepare without sacrificing great and classic flavors. Pork is one way to go that has worked for us - especially pork cutlets.      Have you noticed how store-bought pork has changed over the last few years?  Center-cut boneless pork chops are lean and devoid of fl ..read more

 Wesołych Świąt     This year Christmas celebrations will be vastly different from previous years.  Covid 19 restrictions are curtailing large family get-togethers so our Wigilia menu will be simpler than in years past.  Yet, it is important that we do not forget the traditions and celebrations of  previous generations.  Its up to all of us to preserve our heritage and bring back all the great foods and holiday traditions just as soon as it is safe.   Christmas in Poland was simpler back in the day.  Carols were not sung for weeks ahead ..read more

 Witamy ! Winter is upon most of us and to celebrate the cold weather, while staying indoors, there's no better way than to cook up a big pot of Hunter's Stew - or better known in Polish circles as Bigos - the national comfort food of Poland.  As Peter is working on this post, Chef Laura has a big pot of Bigos simmering on the stove.  We are sharing this recipe again from previous posts, because it is so popular the world over.    This is classic and traditional comfort food at its very best. The base is sauerkraut to which we add kielbasa, bacon, pieces ..read more

 Witamy!  And Happy Thanksgiving! American Thanksgiving is just a few days away.  In this crazy year of dealing with the Pandemic, customary plans for traditional big feasts must be put aside, in favor of safety and prudence.  Never the less, with a little creativity and an abundance of caution,  a lot of good can happen. Most of us understand that Thanksgiving is not a classic Polish tradition.  But for the ten million Americans of Polish origin living in the U.S. that’s no reason why we can’t have a fusion of both cuisines – traditional American Holiday&n ..read more

  Did you know that Poland is one of the largest exporters of apples in the world?  Poles love apples and Polish apple desserts are famous all around the globe.  Here is a recipe that was passed down from Peter’s Grandmother who received it from a friend back in Warsaw, probably around the turn of the century.  This is a heritage wonder that features a slight back note of lemon to make the apple sing!  Laura just made this cake a couple of days ago for this picture, and the cut-out sample piece disappeared as soon as we put the camera down.  When we shared the p ..read more