Polish food: I'm going to Krakow - what should I eat?

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evan

Well-known member
I'm going to Krakow on Sunday morning and I'm staying there for five days. I have never been to Poland before, but from what I've read, vegetarians will have a hard time there. Oh well, I'm not going to starve, so If I have to eat meat, I'll eat meat (I'm a pragmatic vegetarian smileys/bigsmile.gif )

I do have a couple of Vegetarian restaurants being mentioned in my travel book, but I really want to try some Polish dishes while I'm there too. I know I want to try pierogi. But except from pierogi, I have no knowledge of Polish food whatsoever.

Any tips or ideas to what I should order while there?

 
No kidding, I *love* Polish dill pickle soup and have been trying to find a recipe for it. Not the

one that has cream in it, but a simpler one without the cream or milk. Have googled many times and come up empty. Have you made it lorijean? Got a good recipe?

 
If you like sauerkraut, try Bigos, basically a cabbage stew. I've had it, and made it,

with meat, or it can be made vegetarian. It's delicious, and hearty. Look for pierogi too...they come with a variety of fillings. I've made them with potato and cheese filling, mushroom filling, and sauerkraut mushroom filling. Polish borscht is a tasty beet soup often made with meat but I've had it many times without meat. Kascza, a buckwheat groat, is earthy and hearty and delicious with meats like stews, or with mushrooms....very filling. And Golabki which are stuffed cabbage rolls, and often you can find a type of Golabki soup. Many years ago I had a Polish boyfriend and learned to make quite a few dishes from his mother and Babci (grandmother). Kluski, potato dumpings, are also delicious. And potato pancakes are great too...I think they're called kartoflane.

Off the top of my head, other great items to look for: Nalesniki which are thin pancakes filled with jam or cottage cheese or other fillings; Babka which are delicious breads; and the desserts, oh my...such great desserts, like Polish cheesecakes (I think called Sernik), cookies, and these powdered-sugar-topped twists called Favorki that look like a bow-tie..yummmy. And poppyseeds-filled things are popular too...like poppyseed filled breads, rolls, desserts. Oh, and doughnuts too are terrific, I think they're called paczki...soooo good. Just head to a bakery and let your eyes be your guide.

Enjoy your trip, Eva, and let us know all about it.

 
The one I fell in love with was more of a clear broth with tiny slices or

chunks of pickles, potatoes, teenie bits of carrots (I think), and a little onion. A very simple soup but lovely lovely flavors. It wasn't tomato based but I could maybe start with something like this and adapt it. Thanks, Eva. Ever since I had that simple dill pickle soup I've been on a mission to find a recipe.

 
My husband is a purebred Pole. Try pierogi--I love it!==>

Pierogi (Polish pronunciation: (pjɛˈrɔ¨Àʲi); also spelled pier¨®gi, pyrogy or perogi) are boiled, baked or fried dumplings of unleavened dough traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, or fruit. Of central and eastern European provenance, they are usually semicircular, but are rectangular or triangular in some cuisines.(1)(2)

The Polish word pierogi is plural;(3) the singular form pier¨®g is rarely used, as a typical serving consists of several pierogi.

 
No, I haven't made it. We used to go to a Polish Restaurant and

always had it. There's was thick and sooo good. I don't think it had cream in it. I remember their pickles were julliened. We have a polish friend and I'll ask him if he knows how to make it.

 
Recipe: Polish Dill Pickle Soup (Zupa Ogorkowa)

POLISH DILL PICKLE SOUP (Zupa Ogorkowa)

4 large dill pickles, diced or thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups meat broth, bouillon, or meat stock
2/3 cup liquid from pickles or water
2 1/2 cups boiled cubed potatoes (optional)
1 cup dairy sour cream

Coat pickles with flour.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add pickles and stir fry over medium heat 3 minutes. Stir in beef broth, pickle liquid, and potatoes, if desired. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To serve, mix in sour cream or spoon dollops of sour cream into each bowl before ladling in soup. About 6 servings.

Polish Cookbook

Polish Dill Pickle Soup

This mildly piquant soup, served with black bread, makes a substantial meal.

6 medium size dill pickles, diced and drained on absorbent paper
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter

5 cups chicken stock or 4 (10 1/2 oz.) cans chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups sour cream
salt
1/2 cup fine chopped parsley

In a paper bag, combine the diced pickles and flour. Holding the bag closed, shake it vigorously to dredge the pickle evenly. In a large saucepan, heat the butter and in it cook the pickles, stirring them gently, for 5 minutes.

To the contents of the saucepan, add the stock and pepper. Bring the liquid to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 30 minutes.

To the broth, add the sour cream, using a wired whisk to blend the soup well. Bring the soup to serving temperature. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve the soup garnished with the parsley. Makes about 8 cups.

POLISH DILL PICKLE SOUP AND SOUR CREAM (Zupa Ogorkowa)

Yes it tastes delicious!

3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
5 cups water
1 1/2 cups juice from pickle jar, strained
4 large crisp dill pickles, diced
2 tsp. dried dill or 4 tsp. fresh dill
1/2 cup sour cream
1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning
Salt to taste
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Diced pickle (for garnish)

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and saute until onion is soft. Add wine and continue to cook until almost all liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat to low and stir in flour. Be careful not to let it brown.

In a separate bowl, combine water and pickle juice, then whisk in onion and wine all at once. Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until soup thickens. Add diced pickles and dill. Chill well. Before serving, stir in sour cream. Add poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. If desired, garnish each serving with diced pickle. Serves 8.

http://www.ukrainianclassickitchen.ca/YaBB.pl?board=International-East-Europe

 
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