Fresh from Poland

March 1, 2020

Polish food has a reputation for being meat-heavy, but food journalist and photographer Korkosz shows its vegetable-centric side. This charming collection offers both traditional vegetable dishes of Poland, such as creamy cucumber salad and chilled beet soup, and vegetarian versions of the Polish canon such as bigos with smoked plums and lentils and potato-buckwheat goblaki (stuffed cabbage). In addition, there are modern flavors such as buckwheat stir-fry with kale, beans, and goat cheese, as well as a whole chapter on pierogi and dumplings. The desserts and baked goods sections intrigue with cherry liqueur baba and sweet blueberry buns with streusel. Note that while some recipes are vegan, most are not. Throughout, Korkosz elucidates the flavors and customs of Polish cuisine, including the Polish pantry; holiday dishes; and podwieczirek, a sweet meal between lunch and supper. VERDICT A light and delicious take on a cuisine often underrepresented in cooking collections. Vegetarian or not, most cooks will find something to savor.--Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 6, 2020
Born and raised in Poland, food blogger and food photographer Korkosz shares his favorite dishes from his home country in this impressive debut collection of vegetarian fare. Korkosz covers well-known favorites such as pierogi, a dumpling here stuffed with such combinations as sauerkraut, mushrooms, and orange zest; spinach, goat cheese and salted almonds; or lentils and sun-dried tomatoes. Korkosz shares plenty of inventive dishes, such as a creamy sauerkraut soup; dill pickle soup with buttered potatoes; and barley risotto with asparagus, cider, and goat cheese. Other recipes include a can’t-miss buttermilk honey french toast; and a salad of baked beets, apple, and feta with a walnut vinaigrette. Desserts are a highlight, with a riff on the classic mazurek, a flat short-crust pastry that’s filled with raspberry jam, mascarpone, and rose petal preserves, then topped with slivered almonds; the traditional Polish cheesecake, made lighter with cottage or farmer cheese in lieu of cream cheese; and the Polish doughnuts known as paczi. Home cooks, whether vegetarian or not, will appreciate this creative take on what is traditionally meat-heavy fare.

Starred review from March 1, 2020
Korkosz's photographic talent and his inventive ways with Polish cuisine make his first book (he's just 22!) a real standout. For starters, he carefully pivots from traditionally heavy, meat-laden dishes to feature all vegetarian recipes: pierogis stuffed with lentils and dried tomatoes or buckwheat, bryndza (sheep's milk), and mint; exotic cherry liqueur babas, sauerkraut fritters. He offers helpful knowledge about the breadth of U.S. supermarkets, and readers' potential lack of proximity to Polish foodstuffs like candied orange zest and Polish farmer cheese. For the most part, recipes (which are grouped in categories like soups and breads, mains and side dishes) require some expertise in cooking skills, such as handling yeast and braiding challah. Rounding out the 87 recipes are Korkosz's very personal introductions to each chapter and each dish, which, for instance, share the memory of his Grandmother Zosia's breakfasts, or help cooks find substitutes for kajmak (dulce de leche) and Polish farmer cheese. And that top-notch photography, of course, evokes all thoughts of home and ties together his emphasis on family and food.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)