Cool Summer Borscht (Barszcz) from "Polish Classic Recipes"

I fell in love with Polish food when I visited Krakow a few years ago. While there, I ate my weight in sausages, wild boar, Hunter's Stew, zapiekanka (Polish pizza), and, of course, pierogies.

So when I was offered review copies of two new books - Polish Classic Recipes and Polish Classic Desserts, by Laura & Peter Zeranski - of course I accepted. There aren't a ton of good Polish cookbooks on the market - particularly ones with photos of the dishes - and I thought it would be fun to recreate some of my favorite meals from my trip to Poland.

To Poland, Mexico, & Austria ... in Just Two Days: Getting International at the Summer Fancy Foods Show

Meat!!!

As soon as you're granted press credentials for the Fancy Food Show, the offers start rolling in: Come visit booth X! Please make sure to sample [insert cracker company here] when you are at the show! Whatever you do, don't miss the [newest, hottest, trendiest] chocolate innovation! And then there are the invitations to the after show events: dinners, cocktail parties, tastings. It's a bit overwhelming.

I am not complaining, mind you, but there is a strategy to the whole thing. You don't want to say "yes" too soon, because what if something better comes along and you're already committed to something else? I know - such problems to have. Fortunately, my decision this year was pretty easy: I was invited to events pertinent to three countries I have recently visited, and loved: Poland, Mexico, and Austria. Done, done, and done.

Polish Prażonka: A Bon Voyage Post

It's that time of year again - Poppa Trix and I are about to embark on an adventure! Last year, you may recall, we ate our way through Vienna, with a brief detour in Budapest. This year we'll be traveling to  Prague and Krakow, with a short stop in Vienna to see Mother-in-Law-Trix (and to satisfy our craving for heuriger food  and tiny sandwiches ).

For my bon voyage post, I've made a version of a traditional Polish dish, prażonka, which I read about in the course of my trip research, in Old Polish Traditions in the Kitchen and at the Table. In many instances, the book doesn't really give amounts, but rather gives a bit of the dish's history and general guidance as far as ingredients and methodology.