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Polish Housewife

Polish recipes served up with tidbits of folklore, customs, and history

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Babka Ziemniaczana (Polish Potato Cake)

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This delicious recipe for Babka Ziemniaczana (Polish Potato Cake) is inspired by a Polish cookbook I bought from a book seller at Poznan Glowny, the main train station, Regionalalna Kuchnia Polska (Regional Polish Cuisine). According to the book, Babka Ziemniaczana (Polish Potato Cake) is from the Podlaskie Voivodeship section. Podlaskie northeast of Warsaw. I’ve made this a couple of times testing it. I’ve made some changes in that I’ve added more bacon, and onion and included sausage.

After my first effort, I’ve also become a mad woman about processing the potatoes quickly to keep them becoming discolored from oxidation. I’ve found in making potato pancakes that they darkened potatoes lighten up as they cook, but that wasn’t the cake with my first potato babka, maybe because the mass was bigger or the heat was slower. If your potatoes might sit for a bit before you pop them in the oven, often the case if you’re grating or blending several, you can put them in ice water with a teaspoon of lemon juice (or vinegar) to keep them white. Just dry them well as you add them to the recipe.

Babka Ziemniaczana (Polish Potato Cake)

As I make my potato bakba confessions, let me also say that I’ve tried this with grated potatoes (the small holes) and shredded potatoes (the big side of the box grater), and grated is better. You can also closely approximate grated potatoes in a blender and that’s so much quicker and easier.

I made a smaller batch the second time around, so I’m writing up my small recipe and you can multiply depending on the number of servings you need.

  • 1 pound potatoes, 3 – 4 servings, 2 cup baking dish (ceramic bowl)
  • 2 pounds potatoes, 6 – 8 servings, loaf pan
  • 3 pounds potatoes, 9 – 12 servings, 8 inch square pan
  • 4 pounds potatoes, 12 – 15 servings, 9 x 13 pan

As you look at this, keep in mind that leftovers are a good thing. I love to have a meal ready to go on a workday evening that just needs heating, or fry up a slice with bacon and eggs the following morning.

Enjoy your Babka Ziemniaczana (Polish Potato Cake).

Smacznego!

Lois

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Babka Ziemniaczana (Polish Potato Cake)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 45 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 3 - 4 servings
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Description

Potatoes spiked with onions, garlic, bacon and sausage!

Ingredients

Amounts per pound of potatoes:

  • 2 slices bacon, diced
  • 1/8 pound kielbasa, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (optional)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tablespoon flour
  • 1 tablespooon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
  • 1/2 teaspooon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 pound potatoes

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Brown bacon, add kielbasa and onion, cooking until onion is translucent, add garlic and cook a few more minutes, cool
  3. Add egg, flour, and spices to meat mixture, stir to combine
  4. Peel potatoes (or potato, 1 large baking potato is about 1 pound), cut into 1 inch cubes, add to a blender with ice water, process just for a second two times, just enough to be sure you don’t have large chunks, pour the potato slurry through a fine colander, press with paper towels, and add to meat, stirring to combine, this just seems quicker and easier than grating on the small side of a box grater
  5. Quickly add to greased 2 cup baking dish, bake for about 60 minutes (when baking larger batches baking time may be as much as 80 – 90 minutes, babka should be firm and crust light brown

Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream)

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I have an important piece of foodie advice for you. When you visit Poland, you must eat ice cream, eat the ice cream at every opportunity. It’s just wonderful. While I’m trying to recreate a Polish ice cream, not too sweet, I can only get so close with this Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream) because I’m using American dairy products. I have nothing against Americnan dairy, but it’s just better in Poland. I’m not sure why. Smaller farms, less commercial production process? Different grass? Happier cows? I can’t say, but I found everything from ice cream to yogurt to cream cheese to just have more flavor.

Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream)

You’ll notice a theme here, the other main ingredient is peaches, in this case from our little Desert Gold peach tree. After peach cocktails, peach barbecue sauce, and peach cake, this batch of peach ice cream finished off the harvest.

Find some yummy peaches and try Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream).

Smacznego!

Lois

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Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 3 hours
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 10 servings
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Description

Smooth and creamy with a light peach flavor

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoonflour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 4 cups ripe peaches, peeled and diced
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon or rum (optional)

Instructions

  1. Whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt until well combined
  2. Over medium heat, warm milk until it begins to steam, very slowly, add hot mixture to the eggs a tablespoon at a time, blending after each addition, as the cold egg mixute begins to warm, you can add a little more with each addition, but don’t rush it, you don’t want scrambled eggs
  3. Once it’s all combined, return to the saucepan, and over medium heat, stirring (from the bottom of the pot) constantly, cook for 15 – 20 minutes, it will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and you should be able to leave a clean trail by tracing your finger over the back of the spoon
  4. Remove from heat, cool, chill at least a couple of hours or overnight
  5. Puree peaches and add to custard, pour into ice cream freeze and process according to manufacturer instructions until firm, add bourbon or rum just before finished (don’t add too much, the alcohol will keep it from freezing)
  6. Move to the freezer for another hour or two before serving

Ciasto Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Cake)

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Ciasto Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Cake) is just one of the many peach recipes I’ve made this week after picking about 5 pounds of peaches from our Desert Gold peach tree last Sunday. This variety ripens early and does well in the desert. The peaches are on the small side, but thet are so juicy and absolutely delicious. I’ve whipped up a peach cocktail and a peach barbecue sauce, and I’m not out of peaches yet!

I don’t know about you, may it depends on where one lives, but I’d gotten to the point where I’d stopped buying fresh peaches. I was just so tired of getting home with fruit that was so far from ripe and had no flavor at all. It seemed like baking with canned or frozen peaches was just more of a sure thing. You can imagine how happy I was to find I could grow peaches in Zone 9. I’ve taken to tieing paper lunch bags around the peaches about the time the birds become interested. It protects them for the last week or two while they ripen on the tree. I’m happy to share, but this seems to be the only way to insure that we get a few. I’m sure the birds went through more than an equal amount.

This is a pound cake like recipe, buttery but with a fluffly light texture, topped with sliced peaches. I made sort of a lattice pattern, but you can do whatever you like. Circles, lines, concentric squares. Like most Polish desserts, it’s not too sweet and emphasizes natural flavors, a nice treat after a meal or with a cup of tea or coffee. If you find some yummy ripe peaches, try making Ciasto Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Cake). You won’t be disappointed!

Smacznego!

Lois

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Ciasto Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Cake)

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 40 min
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 - 16 servings
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Description

A simple, delicious cake topped with sliced peaches

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2  cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, (or 1 teaspoon vinegar and milk to make 1/2 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups peeled and sliced peaches
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Beat butter, add sugar and bear for a couple of minutes, add eggs one and a time and beat until light and fluffy, another 3 – 5 minutes
  3. Combine dry ingredients and add to batter alternating with buttermilk and vanilla
  4. Pour into prepared (greased and dusted with flour or use baking spray) 9 x 13 inch pan
  5. Top with sliced peaches and bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and top springs back when touched lightly
  6. Cool, lighty dust with powdered sugar before serving

Kulebiak z Kapusta i Grzybami (Cabbage & Mushroom Pie)

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A request from a reader survey was “more cabbage recipes.” In response, I give you Kulebiak z Kapusta i Grzybami (Polish Cabbage & Mushroom Pie), affectionately dubbed, fancy cabbage. This is my take on a recipe from Polish Cookery by Marja Ochorowicz-Montowa, (if you buy via this affiliate link, Amazon sends me a few cents).

Kulebiak z Kapusta i Grzybami (Cabbage & Mushroom Pie)

I’ve sauteed everything, dressing up the cabbage with mushrooms, onion, hard boiled egg, and a bit of dill. Wrap it all up in the pastry of your choice. I’ve used frozen puff pastry, because I had some left over from a recent batch of sausage rolls.

I can picture using this filling in a number of ways. As is, the elegant puffed pastry could be the centerpiece of a meal, slicing it at the table. You might fill puff pastry shells with the filling or use your favorite pie crust recipe and bake it with a double crust in a pie pan. You could fill little turnovers made from pie crust or canned cresent rolls. Line mini-muffin pans with a crust and the filling for a bite sized cabbage appetizer. If you’re thinking this has too many carbs or is too complicted, just serve the filling — go straight from the frying pan to a serving bowl. It will be semi-fancy cabbage.

We love the flavor combination in Kulebiak z Kapusta i Grzybami (Cabbage & Mushroom Pie), and I think you will too.

Smacznego!

Lois

 

PS – Know someone who would enjoy Polish heritage memoralbilia? I’ happy to be affilated with My Polish Heritage; click on the photo on the left to save 5% and I earn a small commission.

 

 

 

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Kulebiak z Kapusta i Grzybami (Polish Cabbage & Mushroom Pie)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 1 hr
  • Total Time: -25573458.866667 minute
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A delicious vegetable filling in a puff pastry crust

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 small head cabbage
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill (3-4 times more if using fresh)
  • 1 egg, hard boiled and diced
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed, but still chilled
  • 1 egg, for egg wash

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F
  2. Cook mushrooms and onion in 2 tablespoons butter until onion is translucent, set aside
  3. Remove outer layer of cabbage leaves, quarter and remove core, slice 1/2 inch thick and cook in 2 tablespoons butter until tender, season with salt and pepper
  4. Return the musrooms and onions to the pan, add dill and hard boiled egg, remove from heat and cool to room temperature
  5. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, approximately 14 inches x 18 inches, slice into two pieces, 14 x 6 (bottom crust) and 14 x 12 (top crust), cut small decorate shapes into the top crust to release steam (or just make a slit with a knife after the pie is assembled)
  6. Leaving 3/4 inch clear around the edge of the bottom crust, place the cabbage filling on the crust, mounding it up as you do, shape the loaf by compacting with your hands, brush outside edge with water, and place top crust over filling and seal with bottom crust by pressing together with your fingertips or a fork
  7. Bake 15 – 20 minutes, until crust is golden brown, serve warm or at room temp

Notes

When rolled out, the puff pastry will be thin and stretches easily, it may work better to make cutouts after assembling but I haven’t tried it

A pizza cutter is great for cutting and trimming the puff pastry

Keywords: Cabbage

Kotlety Wolowe Siekane (Polish Ground Beef Cutlets)

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Looking for something different to do with ground beef, I found a recipe for Kotlety Wolowe Siekane (Polish Ground Beef Cutlets) in Polish Cookery by Marja Ochorowicz-Montowa. My one complaint with this cookbook is that the instructions often refer to another recipe, leaving the reader flipping back and forth, trying to meld the two recipes.

Other than being inconvenient, I didn’t realize it had led to a problem until I began this write-up. Kotlety Wolowe Siekane (Polish Ground Beef Cutlets) are recipe #41. It starts off, “Prepare meat as in #40, omitting the fish.” The recipes are on different pages, and apparently, as I flipped back and forth, I glommed onto #36, which also has similar ingredients. We loved the way they turned out, so it wasn’t really a problem!

I’m writing this up the way I actually did it, so given the above, it may be different from the way other people make these ground beef cutlets. What I actually did, differs a bit from the given, more typically Polish, instructions. I didn’t have fresh rolls, so I used dried bread crumbs. I always have dried breads crumbs since my time in PL. Stale bread? Dry it out and blitz it in the food processor, or use that favorite Polish kitchen tool, the box grater.

The recipe calls for running the meat, milk soaked rolls, and bacon through a meat grinder twice. I do have a meat grinder attachment for my mixer, something not common in American kitchens, but it just seemed like to much trouble, and I was getting a late start in preparing this.

So here, my friends, it the round about version of Kotlety Wolowe Siekane (Polish Ground Beef Cutlets). They were delicious, reminiscent of Salisbury Steak. As we were finishing our late dinner, Ed suggested that he take one for his lunch the next day. Very delicious, with a steak-like texture; I hope you’ll enjoy them and share this with all of your beef loving friends!

Smacznego!

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Kotlety Wolowe Siekane (Polish Ground Beef Cutlets)

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 80 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Stove top
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A delicous Polish steak-like cutlet made with ground beef

Ingredients

  • 1/2 large onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 pounds ground beef (or mix of beef and pork)
  • 4 slices bacon, finely diced (easier if they’re lightly frozen)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • dash of ground marjoram
  • flour for dredging
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup beef stock

Instructions

  1. Cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter until just beginning to brown, cool
  2. Add bread crumbs and milk to a bowl, stir, add egg, ground meat, bacon, salt, pepper, marjoram, and cooked onions
  3. Mix until well combined, form into 6 oblong patties about an inch thick, lightly dredge in flour
  4. Brown meat patties (on both sides) in 2 tablespoons melted butter, add beef broth, cover and simmer for 1 hour

Notes

Add extra delicousness by serving topped with sauted mushrooms and a bit of the cooking broth, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. In this case, garlic chives.

Keywords: Kotlety Wolowe Siekane (Polish Ground Beef Cutlets)

Cytrynówka Polish Lemon Liqueur

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When a friend gives you a big bag of lemons from their tree, there just aren’t enough lemon recipes. Cytrynówka Polish Lemon Liqueur has always been a favorite, so we’ve made several batches, one for me, one for Ed without sugar (it’s burns a lot more), one for my mom’s birthday, one for the lemon grower.

Cytrynówka Polish Lemon Liqueur

I still have a lot of lemons to use. There may be lemon curd, lemon brine chicken, or lots of lemonade in our future.

As usual, my inspiration comes from our book the Great Book of Tinctures which is in Polish. If you’d like your own copy, it’s usually available on Amazon via my affiliate link. (That means if you buy it via this link, amazon pays me a few cents.) There are a lot of variations to make this lemon liqueur. Some recipes will use lemon juice. Some will use a higher proof liquor, but I can say that this is delicous and quick and easy to assemble, and ready to drink in just a few days. It makes for great sipping after dinner or can be used in cocktails.

Na zdrowie!

Lois

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Cytrynówka Polish Lemon Liqueur

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
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Description

Homemade Lemon Liqueur in the Polish tradition

Ingredients

4 lemons

1 liter vodka

sugar, 1/4 – 3/4 cup

Instructions

Wash the lemons and submerge in boiling water (I wish I could explain the benefits of the boiling water, but I’m just following directions)

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemons, add to a large jar or divide among multiple jars

Add vodka and sugar (to taste), and top with a lid

Shake or swirl the mixture occasionally over the next couple of days, until the sugar dissolves

Remove the lemon zest after 24 to 48 hours

Refrigerate and serve chilled

Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake

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A reader asked if I had a good recipe for Pope’s Cake, something that was new to me. I hope this, Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake, will fit the bill. A little research told me that kremówka (cream cookie), pastry cream sandwiched between two layers of puff pastry, very similar to the French Napoleaon, became famous when Pope John Paul II reminisced about the pastry from a bakery in his hometown of Wadowice.

All of my research and my own experience leads to me make a couple of recommendations regarding the top and bottom crust of the pastry. Poke the puff pastry many times with a fork before it goes in the oven, to let out steam as it’s baking, and hopefully keeping it somewhat flatter. In addition, you might after “forking” the crust, cover with parchment and a cooling rack, a little something to hold it down. You want the light crisp layers, but you don’t want a lot of airy space in between the layers. Or maybe consider making a rough puff pastry, which should give you a flaky crust but with a little less volume, but let’s face it, what could be easier than using frozen puff pastry?

Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake

 

The first batch I baked, I did nothing to, other than roll it a tiny bit, The height, out of the box, was just right for my baking sheets, so I rolled it to be about 1.5 – 2 inches wider. I put it in the oven an didn’t check it for 15 minutes. By that time, it was already puffed up at least 4 inches high, a ridiculous amount for a top and bottom crust. . . insert quick trip to the grocery store. . . the second time I baked puffed pastry, I decided to bake only one sheet, cutting it in half for the top and bottom crusts. Using half a sheet was ideal because it gave me the desired thickness of pastry cream.

I poked the sheets with a fork every inch or so, I put parchment paper and an upside-down cooling rack on top of the poked pastry, removing the “toppers” for the last two minutes to baking to be sure the pastry could dry out. This time, my frozen puff pastry only got to be about an inch thick, a marked improvement, but still a little thick for my purposes. I split it in half crosswise, giving me top and bottom crusts of about 1/2 an inch in thickness. Perfect! Finally!

I’ll tell you that I lost my nerve and didn’t cook the pastry cream quite long enough. When chilled, it wasn’t setting up firm enough to use as a filling in this recipe. So in order to save it, I first added some gelatin by softening a bit of unflavored gelatin in water and then heating until it dissolved, and cooling to room temp. This is the process I use to stabilize whipped cream. I chilled again for a few hours, but it was still too runny. Next, I put it back on the heat and stirred in a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch into about 1/4 cup of water and I whisked this slurry into the custard, cooking it until it was steaming and just beginning to bubble. It cooled over night, and it was finally enough. Whether it was the addition time or the corn starch that made the difference, I can’t say, but I was very relieved.

I hope your Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake turns out perfectly!

Smacznego!

Lois

The Amazona links below are affiliate links, meaning Amazon sends me a few cents if you make a purchase

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Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake

  • Author: Polish Housewife
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Description

A rich vanilla pastry cream sandwiched between crisp puff pastry, a favorite with Saint John Paul II

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 vanilla bean or 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • 1 cup butter
  • powdered sugar for decorating

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F, divide frozen puff pastry into two equal pieces, poke at 1 inch intervals with a fork, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, top with parchment, and an upside down cooling rack, bake for 15 minutes, remove top parchment and cooling rack, bake at least 2 minutes more or until golden brown, cool
  2. Pour milk into saucepan, slice vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds and add to milk (or vanilla extract) heat almost to boil
  3. In a bowl beat egg yolks and sugar until light yellow and fluffy, add corn starch and mix until well combined, very slowly (a spoonful at a time in the beginning) add hot milk, stirring constantly
  4. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until very thick, some say it should coat the back of a spoon and running your finger through it should leave a clear path, cool to room temp covered with plastic wrap, pushed down on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming
  5. When completely cool, whisk in softened butter
  6. Depending on the height of the puff pastry, either use one piece as the bottom crust or spilt one and use the bottom half, spread with pastry cream, cover with the second, top half and press gently, use a spatula to smooth out the sides, refrigerate overnight
  7. The next day cut into rectangles with a light sawing motion, not with pressure
  8.  Before serving, generously dust with powdered sugar.

 

 

Chałka or Challah, a braided egg bread

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Chałka or Challah is the bread used in Sabbath and holiday rituals for Jews in particular the Ashkenazi. They originally formed a community in the Holy Roman Empire (Central Europe) around the end of the first millennium settling along the Rhine River is western German and northern France creating a unique way of life that included traditions from their old home and their new home. Challah was the name given to a German bread when it was adopted as the Sabbath bread.

Chałka or Challah

 

Chałka or Challah

In the 15th century, most Ashkenazi moved east to the multi-ethnic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth which gives us the Polish connection and Chałka. Challah is usually topped with poppy or sesame seeds, Chałka, the Polish version can be a little sweeter, using more sugar in the dough itself, and sometimes is even topped with sweet strusel like crumble as PrzyslijPrzepis.pl has done.

 

Chałka or Challah

The recipe I’ve made over the years and adapted here is from a book my grandmother gave me over 30 years ago, Heritage Cook Book by Better Homes and Gardens. It was published in 1975, but you might find it in a used book store or on Amazon (I earn a small commission of you purchase via this link). It’s interesting reading, as it tells about how American cuisine has change over the years and the influence of the melting pot on what we eat. I’ve used so many of the recipes; it was where I first learned about Polish basics such as stuffed cabbage leaves and bigos!

This makes one large loaf and uses two packets of yeast. I have sometimes two three-packs of yeast and made a triple recipe, making either three large loaves of six to eight small loaves (I put them crosswise on two sheet pans to proof, the final rise, and bake). It’s a nice size to give as gifts. However you make your Chałka or Challah, I think you’ll enjoy the wonderful smell and taste of this homemade bread.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Chalka or Challah

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 150 min
  • Cook Time: 40 min
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf
  • Category: Bread
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A beautiful braided egg bread

Ingredients

  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 – 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on your taste)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 eggs
  • for topping:
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon poppyseeds or sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup warm water (110 F) to soften, stir until dissolved
  2. Heat milk, butter, sugar, and salt until sugar dissolves, cool to lukewarm and stir in 2 cups of flour
  3. Add yeast and 2 eggs, combine, and add enough flour to make a soft dough (anouther cup to 1 1/2 cups)
  4. Knead on a floured surfaces, continuing to add flour for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth
  5. Form into a ball, and place in an oiled bowl, turn the dough over (this oils the top), and cover the bowl, leave in a warm place unti doubled in size about 90 minutes
  6. Punch down the dough, divide into thirds, roll each third into an 18 inch strand, braid, securing the ends by tucking under
  7. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet, cover, let rise, about 30 minutes
  8. Whisk together the egg yolk and water, gently brush the loaf with this egg wash and sprinkle with seeds
  9. Bake at 375 F for 35 – 45 minutes, the bread should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped (mine is a little too brown, it should have come out a few minutes earlier)

Notes

If you want to make the sweetened topping like przyslijprzepis.pl, combine 4 teaspoons butter, with 3 tablespoons of sugar, work in up to 1/2 cup of flour until you have a nice crumble, sprinkle this over the egg wash rather then poppy or sesame seeds

Smok Wawelski, the Wawel Dragon

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No trip to Krakow is complete without a visit to see Smok Wawelski, the Wawel Dragon, or more accurately, a visit to see the bronze statue which commemorates the dragon of Polish mythology. Along the Vistula River, Smok is located in front of his cave at the foot of Wawel (pronounced VAH-vehl) Hill, home to Wawel Cathedreal and Wawel Castle. The statue which stands on a limestone boulder  is 6 meters high or over 20 feet. Designed by Polish sculptor, Bronislaw Chromy, it was installed in 1972.

Smok Wawelski, the Wawel Dragon

When I first saw Smok, it appeared to be waving six arms. Since then, I’ve read that the statue actually has seven heads. Those arms are actually long necks holding the six smaller heads.

To make it especially interesting, this is a fire-breathing statue of a dragon. Once every 5 minutes, flames, made possible by a natural gas nozzle, shoot out of the dragon’s mouth. A recently added feature allows visitors to call up the flame by sending “SMOK” via SMS (text message) to 7168.

The Legend of Smok Wawelski, the Wawel Dragon

What led to the propensity of dragons in mythology? Whether is was giant crocodiles roaming far more of the earth or the frightening discovery of dinosaur skeletons, it seems like everyone has a dragon, and Poland is no exception.

The mythilcal dragon required weekly offerings of livestock because without them, it terrorized the locals, ransacked their homes and devoured their animals and their daughters. Most versions of this story have King Krakus who lived in the 8th century (or possibly his sons) slaying the dragon by offering it a lamb or a calf stuffed with sulfur.

The sulfur burned the dragon’s insides so that it drank too much water from the Vistula River and exploded. One of the earliest tellings of this story is credited to Wincenty Kadlubek, Bishop of Krakow from 1208 – 1218. He was a noted historian and prolific writer. Scholars try to offer explanation for the legend. Simply a war against evil, or possibly the dragon was representative of hostile people living on the hill? In any case, there are giant bones hanging at the entrance to the cathedral, originally thought to be dragon bones. Scientists have since identified them as belonging to a whale, wooly mammoth, etc.

Another common theme (similar to one associated with San Xavier del Bac in my home area) when the bones drop, it will signify the end of the earth. On that solemn note, I’ll wish you well until next time.

Do zobaczenia!

Lois

Ziemniaki po Mysliwsku (Polish Potatoes Hunter-Style)

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Occasionally, I like to thumb through my cookbooks, looking for new recipes to try. I did that recently and this recipe for Ziemniaki po Mysliwsku (Polish Potatoes Hunter-Style) caught my eye. It was appealing for two reasons.

  1. Fried potatoes 🙂
  2. It called for anchovies

Unlike some, I’m kind of neutral about anchovies. In small doses, they add a nice flavor. Let’s face it you can’t make a proper Caesar Salad without them. I don’t crave them; I don’t hate them, and for some strange reason, I discover when I tidied up the pantry last weekend, that we had two tins of anchovies. I’m sure we bought them for a reason, I just can’t remember what!

Ziemniaki po Mysliwsku (Polish Potatoes Hunter-Style)

So Polish Cookery by Marj Ochorowicz-Monatowa to the rescue, and we’re trying out Ziemniaki po Mysliwsku (Polish Potatoes Hunter-Style). The recipe calls for capers, so keep it in mind if you find yourself with capers in the fridge.  (The link to the cookbook is an affiliate link. This means if you use that link to buy a copy, Amazon will send me a few cents; your price remains the same.)

In Polish Cookery, the dish is called Kartofle po Mysliwsku. I’d never heard the word kartofle. A quick ask on Facebook, and I learned that many people grew up with the word kartofle, but that it was probably more German than Polish, so I’m using ziemniaki, a fun word to say that I learned in Poznan, in addition to pyra.

As we sampled the potatoes, I asked Ed how he liked them. Would he want to have them with game meat after a day out in the field hunting? He thought they were good, and with our luck hunting and fishing, the potatoes might be the only thing on the menu.

Whatever you decide to call them, Ziemniaki po Mysliwsku (Polish Potatoes Hunter-Style) add an intereting twist to everyone’s favorite fried potatoes.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Ziemniaki po Mysliwsku (Polish Potatoes Hunter-Style)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 50 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Category: Side dish
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

An interesting twist to fried potatoes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds potatoes, cooked in their skins
  • butter, for frying
  • 4 – 6 anchovies chopped
  • 1 heaping tablespoon chopped capers
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill and parsley
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup broth and liquid from capers

Instructions

Peel and slice the potatoes, pan fry until golden brown on both sides

Mix other ingredients, add to potatoes, stir gently to avoid breaking potatoes

Heat and serve