Yes, this is a communist dessert. I first saw this recipe on East Germany museum's restaurant's menu, and my then-dining companion recognized it from his childhood. When candy and chocolate was scarce, it made an easy dessert for kids, in a pinch. For my birthday, I asked him to make it for me, as I love noodles—... Continue Reading →
Despite being a kiełbasa-loving country, Christmas dinner in Poland is basically vegetarian, a tradition with roots in the Catholic church. It’s also traditional to leave an extra plate setting on the table for an unexpected guest or people who don’t have family nearby. (Think of an inn keeper offering a manger to a certain family.)... Continue Reading →
All my flatmates have colds, so I’ve been asking my students about Polish home remedies for coughs. One of my students mentioned garlic mixed with hot milk. Which sounded gross at first, but then I realized it reminded me of a childhood cold remedy: milk soup. While it’s very simple— just warm milk and a... Continue Reading →
Cumin is a key spice in one of my favorite dishes— red lentil köfte. But it’s a bit trickier to translate, unlike sol and pieprz, the Polish words for salt and pepper. When cooking red lentils recently, I’d bought what Google Translate said cumin was in Polish: kumin. Hooray for easy to remember Polish words!... Continue Reading →
So I got dumped shortly before I moved to Poland, the closest gluten-free pizza is 4 hours away in Berlin, and it’s my birthday. What’s a girl to do? Discover Schär’s gluten-free pizza in the freezer section at the local Piotr i Paweł grocery store, that’s what. I’ve been on the hunt for gluten-free pizza... Continue Reading →
After seeing Halloween displays in Poland, I wondered: is the American tradition of candy and costumes compatible with the solemn day of collective mourning, All Soul’s Day? Curious about both this, and how the Day of the Dead is celebrated here, I decided to find out. And I was unprepared for how beautifully the local... Continue Reading →
A question about Halloween being celebrated in Poland devolved into a heated discussion about “a devil’s holiday” between my Polish students in an English class this week. I defused the discussion by bringing up El Dia de los Muertos, the Hispanic holiday that seems between both Halloween and All Saint’s Day, spiritually— where mourning and... Continue Reading →
So, confession time: while my move to Poland went pretty smooth, my new job is not quite working out the way I envisioned. My boss has been fumbling with my schedule, with work-permit related paperwork, and even with addresses of the businesses I’m supposed to teach English at. What’s a writer to do? Well, go... Continue Reading →
While I had all these great plans of homecooked meals together when I was in New Mexico, that didn’t quite happen. Like my last post said, I find an element of comfort and relaxation in Albuquerque— due in part, no doubt, of my having living there for two years. (Outside of Detroit, one of the... Continue Reading →
Not just hot air balloons, green chile and Georgia O’Keefe landscapes— but also hot springs, bike rides along the Rio Grande and great Thai food. Which is why I chose to spend my last week in the United States in New Mexico, to soak in some of that warmth. For me, Albuquerque has always been... Continue Reading →
Detroiter in Poland 