1. TRADITIONAL POLISH FOOD Kacper Rozenberg Krzysztof Falana Class V a

2. Bigos You will need: 1.5 kg (30 lb.) sauerkraut 1 small cabbage different kinds of meat: pork, chicken, beef, sausage (Polish kielbasa will be the best), about 250 g (0,5 lb.) of each meat, it can be freely changed to taste smoked bacon (optional) - about 100 g (3,5 oz.) one or two onions mushrooms - about 50 g (1,75 oz.) salt, pepper, allspice, laurel leaves 1 cup dry red wine oil

3. Bigos Chop the sauerkraut if necessary, add allspice and laurel leaves to it. Boil the sauerkraut in a large pot in a small amount of water for about 1 hour, until it softens. Grate the cabbage, add mushrooms and boil it in a separate pot (it requires about 30-40 min). It's sauerkraut and meat which define Polish bigos, cabbage is optional. If you choose not too use it, add mushrooms to the sauerkraut. It's important to use a few kinds of meat. You should choose good quality meat. It's up to you what exactly the amounts and proportions will be. We suggest about equal amount of each meat. Some smoked bacon can be added too (about half less than any of other meats), but it's not necessary. Cut the meat into small pieces. Brown it in a frying pan on vegetable oil or other kind of fat. Add lots of chopped onion and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and wait until good amount of dripping appears. Put the meat with dripping and onion to the pot with the sauerkraut. It is very important that you add the dripping too, because it determines the taste of the bigos very much. Add the cabbage. Pour in one cup of dry red wine (not indispensible but enhances taste). Simmer it for about 30 minutes. Then your bigos is ready.

4. Gołąbki (Stuffed cabbage rolls) Ingredients: 1 whole head cabbage, about 4 pounds 1 large onion, chopped 2 tablespoons butter 1 pound ground beef 1/2 pound ground pork 1 1/2 cups cooked rice 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1 teaspoon salt

5. Gołąbki Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. You will need about 18 leaves. When leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.paring knife Chop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a casserole dish or Dutch oven. Saute the chopped onion in butter in a large frying pan until tender, and let it cool. Mix cooled onions with beef, pork, rice, garlic, salt and black pepper until well combined. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough. Place about 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll. Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish or Dutch oven, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour beef stock over rolls, cover and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked.stock Serve with pan juices and a drizzle of sour cream, or mix the pan juices with sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls. Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking, and can be made in a slow cooker (see your manufacturer's instructions).

6. Chicken soup Ingredients: Chicken or turkey carcass. or 1 pound wings, necks or backs, roasted until evenly brown 4 carrots, peeled and cut in half 4 ribs celery, trimmed and cut 1/2" inch 1 large onion, cut into 8ths 1 stock sachet (see below) 1 tablespoon chicken base 1 pound kluski, cooked and drained

7. Chicken soup In Dutch oven or stockpot, place bones and water to cover (about 1 gallon). Bring to boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add carrots, celery, onion, sachet and base. Return to a boil, lower heat and simmer 1 hour, uncovered.sachet Remove carrots from pot and reserve. Remove bones and sachet and discard. Pour broth through a sieve, pressing down on the celery and onions with the back of a ladle to capture all that great flavor. Discard the celery and onions. Add carrots back to the soup. If desired, pick over the bones and add any chicken meat to the soup. Adjust seasonings. For a lower-fat soup, refrigerate overnight and skim off accumulated surface fat. Serve in warmed bowls with kluski and carrot, and garnish with parsley.kluski

8. SOUR RYE SOUP Kwas Ingredients: 1/3 cup wholemeal rye flour 2 1/2 cups boiled, cooled water 1 small clove garlic, minced Soup Ingredients: 6 cups stock (vegetable, chicken or beef) 1/4 lb. bacon, diced 1 large onion, chopped 1 1/2 c. kwas 1 c. sour cream 5 medium potatoes, cooked and diced 1/2 lb. smoked sausage, diced 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

9. SOUR RYE SOUP Soup Directions: Heat stock in a large saucepan. Cook bacon in a skillet until some fat is rendered, then add onion and cook until onions are wilted and bacon is cooked through. Add bacon, onions and kwas to stock and simmer for 10 minutes, then add potatoes and smoked sausage and simmer a few minutes more. Add sour cream and heat through (do not boil). Serve in a bread bowl topped with chopped hard-boiled eggs.

10. Barszcz czerwony (borscht) 2 Litres of Chicken stock (fresh or from cube) 10 medium size Beetroots (cooked, peeled and diced; you can use pre-packed beetroot for ease) 2 Carrots – diced 2 Parsnips – diced 1/2 Celery stick – diced 1/4 Leek – cut in half lengthways 1/4 Onion, diced Marjoram, finely chopped (you can use dried) Bay Leaf 2 Allspice Berries Spirit Vinegar, to taste Salt & Pepper, to taste

11. Barszcz czerwony Heat chicken stock in a large pot. Place all vegetables, bay leaf and allspice into the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until vegetables are soft (20 minutes approximately) Dice beetroots and place into the stock, making sure to add any leftover juice (don’t waste any – this really helps the colour) Add spirit vinegar – start with 1tbsp or so, this will prevent the colour from dulling, as well as giving a traditional sour flavour. Heat until beetroot is soft; add the marjoram about 5 minutes before finished. Add salt & pepper to taste, along with more vinegar if needed. Ladle in bowls while hot and enjoy. You could try this accompanied by mashed potato topped with lardons of fried bacon, as illustrated. Delicious!