Polish Dinner

Sunday we had dinner at  the Senator Restaurant in the Old City of Warsaw. We were invited by our friends Renata, Marek, and Michal, after a day at the new Jewish Museum and a splendid castle. (I'll be writing about them on <a href="http://maetravels.blogspot.com/">Maetravels</a>.)<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxwQYuMT14rArYKQF49OmFdhw3UftEbIfS0KvlpF5Wif4j5vm0KuZzH4EBiD4k9SL6OIQ0S2a2AXEyTd4JkkFyZ5z7bLv_b12SWb6bH_rrAqsNSNMKZzD4eGrK7XHQDYRpbjIKT1eY3iX/s1600/oldwarsaw4641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxwQYuMT14rArYKQF49OmFdhw3UftEbIfS0KvlpF5Wif4j5vm0KuZzH4EBiD4k9SL6OIQ0S2a2AXEyTd4JkkFyZ5z7bLv_b12SWb6bH_rrAqsNSNMKZzD4eGrK7XHQDYRpbjIKT1eY3iX/s400/oldwarsaw4641.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First we walked through the Old City at sunset.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtBTTRtYxfB74a-kwb076WYFP7uPzD5pO0_8_aj21N7-_pzovKp347y_3C9gnLh6Vn70BoRecH_paQHmNzVNw7tPnQGLdHQD0FBhNZY1oBy8i-_b2AhR1q0gtw5kydzLlgHJPSFhXR_Ov/s1600/senator-restaurant4641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtBTTRtYxfB74a-kwb076WYFP7uPzD5pO0_8_aj21N7-_pzovKp347y_3C9gnLh6Vn70BoRecH_paQHmNzVNw7tPnQGLdHQD0FBhNZY1oBy8i-_b2AhR1q0gtw5kydzLlgHJPSFhXR_Ov/s640/senator-restaurant4641.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inviting restaurant doorway was a bit past the main square ... </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudBIro9WscPRMcTxdsAv0t34qcAnqAfDIWRjyUVMzUWMXq3ffnd9zZOCHvPDNLInIJrtPs3BQbuTpCs2xptiLvlrSHDec8xd5uASRoROMYOqM6xtCHMHkdz9zdg-vEEqj0OIFbd1PM-5l/s1600/senator-restaurant4647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudBIro9WscPRMcTxdsAv0t34qcAnqAfDIWRjyUVMzUWMXq3ffnd9zZOCHvPDNLInIJrtPs3BQbuTpCs2xptiLvlrSHDec8xd5uASRoROMYOqM6xtCHMHkdz9zdg-vEEqj0OIFbd1PM-5l/s400/senator-restaurant4647.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And inside the entrance: collections of decorative items<br />(you can see Renata and Michael just barely reflected in the mirror).</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The traditional style of the restaurant's decor and furnishings is in keeping with the very traditional Polish menu.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RBltrBySZEcFc8eqeuTegS4Cl4rS_AU7El5zTLCXfjRi_wk9UysXSWVHGdiJ7VppkkzWxa42lurXNugAkMlb-majbM6a_XSoR1oWXrzLDgkrfnfoLPrqaGTAjQl216Aw_xVI3m-vSWkg/s1600/senator-restaurant4648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RBltrBySZEcFc8eqeuTegS4Cl4rS_AU7El5zTLCXfjRi_wk9UysXSWVHGdiJ7VppkkzWxa42lurXNugAkMlb-majbM6a_XSoR1oWXrzLDgkrfnfoLPrqaGTAjQl216Aw_xVI3m-vSWkg/s400/senator-restaurant4648.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renata behind the Belle-Epoch-style lamp</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9f7rz6Po8ZX303_m23yC-6LN8SUWCiBrhKCJxDm6KiubYwcUEWX4d0YSU_o59z9a83l4DvqfcWavvbwaXm7lgQcz5kOMP-3UuqcX4P3mi8rJzPZILxtD5-4Wz-Qye7mo8HifcjJZ11fJ/s1600/senator-restaurant4654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9f7rz6Po8ZX303_m23yC-6LN8SUWCiBrhKCJxDm6KiubYwcUEWX4d0YSU_o59z9a83l4DvqfcWavvbwaXm7lgQcz5kOMP-3UuqcX4P3mi8rJzPZILxtD5-4Wz-Qye7mo8HifcjJZ11fJ/s400/senator-restaurant4654.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pickles and a meat spread preceded our first course </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDnp-Jola7UNk86YedY6D6_L3bIr7u1M_4uCr2cPndrDCNEJuX-ayBamF2rlaBQ35F3kTmoUfB4VGgClaNds1EPHeeADNiEh8EBqhoCrrzhSYuOk31ZlfYrv06QCMwg9X3lEcpvBoWh4p/s1600/senator-restaurant4657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDnp-Jola7UNk86YedY6D6_L3bIr7u1M_4uCr2cPndrDCNEJuX-ayBamF2rlaBQ35F3kTmoUfB4VGgClaNds1EPHeeADNiEh8EBqhoCrrzhSYuOk31ZlfYrv06QCMwg9X3lEcpvBoWh4p/s400/senator-restaurant4657.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We chose two appetizers to share: potato pancakes with smoked salmon<br />and pirogis garnished with onions, both served on large platters. Above: my plate.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AiPIF1qeiuviIyadW-dNARU2YCdevaUbijbtKmiUZD-nZybK-u8pi7zlUEY4QKLTjsdN-v33RaIrWAy6qu2H74O3ZdE0R8LclAGs5SSA4zrMY_uWvD9hawmV6Wjxvd5oVY9y63-mHZDU/s1600/senator-restaurant4658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AiPIF1qeiuviIyadW-dNARU2YCdevaUbijbtKmiUZD-nZybK-u8pi7zlUEY4QKLTjsdN-v33RaIrWAy6qu2H74O3ZdE0R8LclAGs5SSA4zrMY_uWvD9hawmV6Wjxvd5oVY9y63-mHZDU/s400/senator-restaurant4658.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of us had roast duck with apples, cranberries, and roasted potatoes.<br />You can see that Renata's beer has a deeper color than mine: she chose the option of having<br />a small glass of raspberry juice to pour into it.<br />I was interested in the choice of cranberries, which are one of the few widely-used foods native to North America. </td></tr></tbody></table>There were several similarities between the Senator Restaurant, where we ate on Sunday, and the <a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2013/10/jewish-style-polish-food-krakow.html">Jewish-style restaurant where we ate in Krakow Saturday</a>. For example, both served duck in a similar style, but their pirogis and several other dishes were subtly different.<br /><br />The historic food styles of Jewish and non-Jewish Poles had many similarities and mutual influences, as well as influence on the evolution of American Jewish food in the early 20th century. The excellent, crisply-fried potato pancakes at this old-style restaurant, for example, were totally familiar to me -- similar to those I make but I think they were better than mine. In America today, chicken is far more common than duck or goose, but both were frequently raised and eaten in former times in Eastern Europe, so they still appear on traditional menus, both Jewish and not. I don't know if they are also common in modern Polish home cooking.<br /><br />Naturally, one wonders about how faithfully these flavors and recipes reflect the cuisine of a by-gone era when most of the Jewish population lived in poverty. Most importantly, cooks in the Jewish restaurants of Krakow obviously are reconstructing the world of a people that was annihilated. They are cooking for tourists from a variety of places, not for locals who experienced an unbroken tradition. Some of the restaurants are even frankly Israeli, advertising such specialities as hummus. Certain dishes, one suspects, are more in a Polish than in a Jewish tradition. The nature of the restoration of "Jewish culture" in Krakow leads to lots of questions.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SxenJcAQXKDfp1X9UiYo3eTbixgzz438-4uTYhwXGlifm8MD8MZhxvJ_VlshpsBC3hEmPiMXIm1sCQ3XLzb1AZgFZ_zEr22ArncCMdenBbB32TtMY19Z-oBstEQWZ4WjmEyCucBFJn1D/s1600/Royal_Castle_Warsaw_1945WIKI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SxenJcAQXKDfp1X9UiYo3eTbixgzz438-4uTYhwXGlifm8MD8MZhxvJ_VlshpsBC3hEmPiMXIm1sCQ3XLzb1AZgFZ_zEr22ArncCMdenBbB32TtMY19Z-oBstEQWZ4WjmEyCucBFJn1D/s320/Royal_Castle_Warsaw_1945WIKI.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Castle Warsaw, 1945 (Wiki Media)<br />The entire city was reduced to rubble.</td></tr></tbody></table>The issue isn't limited to Jewish cultural restoration, however. In the past century the entire Polish population, including the vanishingly small number of Jewish survivors, have experienced several ruptures with their past. World War I, the reverberations of the Russian Revolution, and the independent Fascist years until 1939 when the Nazis invaded repeatedly shook up the country. World War II was incredibly destructive to Warsaw -- the entire old city where the Senator Restaurant stands was nothing but rubble in 1945, and had to be rebuilt based on photos, memories, and a few paintings by the Italian artist Canaletto.<br /><br />Under communism, the Poles experienced severe shortages of all basic foods and commodities. These conditions obviously affected the types of recipes that people could make at home as well as what could appear on the menus of restaurants during those years up to 1989. Perhaps some traditions survived in the cuisine of the privileged communist authorities. But to a large extent, the cuisine and the restaurant interiors of today are restorations, based on memories and records -- perhaps with input from some of the Polish cooks who lived outside of Poland, especially in the US, during the 20th century.<br /><br />All that said, I'm reluctant to make any judgements about authenticity of the food. It tasted very good to me -- in Krakow, the cooking met my expectations for Jewish food as I know it. (I've written a lot about it, but especially see <a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/04/pomiane-and-jewish-cooking.html">this blog post about a pre-war book on Polish-Jewish cuisine.</a>) Polish people including our hosts find this old-style cuisine, both Jewish and non-Jewish, appealing and perhaps nostalgic of some time that they remember or have heard about. And that's what counts, I think.<br /><br />

Polish Dinner

Sunday we had dinner at  the Senator Restaurant in the Old City of Warsaw. We were invited by our friends Renata, Marek, and Michal, after a...

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Jewish-Style Polish Food, Krakow

We have now returned home from Poland, bringing memories and many photos, material for several follow-up blog posts. I'm starting with my most fascinating food experience, eating at the Ariel restaurant in the former Jewish quarter of Krakow. We traveled to Krakow from Warsaw Saturday morning on a very early train, and returned Saturday night.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqkF_hTKhAhyeAkWk_a3p_Z8Ewj-Qlo0xeAaxbi-IfnRAYNAGiqpWQniSYCJp0YeLNHb0n3Mttck5Xlw09w04CcGBIx7er_q9FzThQZRB9lc5jJxoE1uX6OLPB1XNRj0nNbBzt06vQY4x/s1600/ariel-restaurant7546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqkF_hTKhAhyeAkWk_a3p_Z8Ewj-Qlo0xeAaxbi-IfnRAYNAGiqpWQniSYCJp0YeLNHb0n3Mttck5Xlw09w04CcGBIx7er_q9FzThQZRB9lc5jJxoE1uX6OLPB1XNRj0nNbBzt06vQY4x/s640/ariel-restaurant7546.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhql2-kP9W6KeXUknPeGTsj4d_v4bITeA3rkKnbkiCvkM0GQynVDE_bt6OdZ8oM2-ukUf3_l2y6HcCXNI2tNGV1mZsPziplwpxo_kR7WWSSGm1akh2kGKDUCVG8sQZl7YhqBsjZ5TAtFAvu/s1600/ariel-restaurant4471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhql2-kP9W6KeXUknPeGTsj4d_v4bITeA3rkKnbkiCvkM0GQynVDE_bt6OdZ8oM2-ukUf3_l2y6HcCXNI2tNGV1mZsPziplwpxo_kR7WWSSGm1akh2kGKDUCVG8sQZl7YhqBsjZ5TAtFAvu/s400/ariel-restaurant4471.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beetroot soup with dumplings</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmOWahoJsOWEH4r6zARMH_O09RsYZUcwBzX3yQ6X5C6MavEf22xTXX1xic5Jc4ojA2yrOBxtcnwAclb-UkMocSKo4AdMqtGn7jfx7Rgth9d6kxC1q0_hdSP6nVTsDwxXTiB5tllIhDbr1/s1600/ariel-restaurant7542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmOWahoJsOWEH4r6zARMH_O09RsYZUcwBzX3yQ6X5C6MavEf22xTXX1xic5Jc4ojA2yrOBxtcnwAclb-UkMocSKo4AdMqtGn7jfx7Rgth9d6kxC1q0_hdSP6nVTsDwxXTiB5tllIhDbr1/s400/ariel-restaurant7542.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Len's photo of me taking a photo of Sara's soup</td></tr></tbody></table>The food was all delicious, and we were delighted to have a beautiful sunny day to sit outside. In a neighboring restaurant a band was playing a variety of music to set the mood for eating old-style Polish Jewish food. Of course there are very few Jews left in Krakow, and I think the cooks, servers, and singers are all non-Jews. The music is selected for the American and Israeli tourists, so they play a lot of selections from "Fiddler on the Roof," and old Jazz hits like "Bei Mir Bist Du Shoen."<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH0NWX8YsheruiXUXlAyKojjdN81Aq4oRYI99kidxNN2bzw8jlLrIEcGYLbFUYy1S36QaFjVnG7FOsjFwoKPlR3TYjkJvRTjt9uQ88eJ4CDTWGpprXXg7Bqr_xdNM5U0g2Iv1GLa00coC/s1600/ariel-neck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH0NWX8YsheruiXUXlAyKojjdN81Aq4oRYI99kidxNN2bzw8jlLrIEcGYLbFUYy1S36QaFjVnG7FOsjFwoKPlR3TYjkJvRTjt9uQ88eJ4CDTWGpprXXg7Bqr_xdNM5U0g2Iv1GLa00coC/s640/ariel-neck.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goose neck stuffed with liver. Side dish: kugel. <br />I have often read of this dish, a delicacy in prewar Eastern European Jewish cooking.<br />I had never tasted it before, and I loved every delicious bite! </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ki8bp6wu_ikKkQhkgPuu56IzwOmdPGl6EHv1-OkRC2tg7zThIKT7CXV-ykVRJwvSAjRA7DaNxTOtC1uPn-CBxgYZK5R2XPdZDbE7rmDWSL3T4jhQy64DfuaU1uGI89Yw8EYKN82K3B_d/s1600/ariel-restaurant4474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ki8bp6wu_ikKkQhkgPuu56IzwOmdPGl6EHv1-OkRC2tg7zThIKT7CXV-ykVRJwvSAjRA7DaNxTOtC1uPn-CBxgYZK5R2XPdZDbE7rmDWSL3T4jhQy64DfuaU1uGI89Yw8EYKN82K3B_d/s400/ariel-restaurant4474.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were with a group of seven friends who had<br />been at the same conference as Len.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_CbMxXRbLgW3ZaR78miWz3N0KCYDS3mSU3rL4p5R7BAVZf0r-BNbPDyfTVH9Ko-7GXRCqfDnsPi6fP2AtOKirDHhSZjQhKt9YCa20bDQMB-gVTfaZWC41cQFGPuae-vSwwuDLKFnZKM_U/s1600/ariel-restaurant4478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_CbMxXRbLgW3ZaR78miWz3N0KCYDS3mSU3rL4p5R7BAVZf0r-BNbPDyfTVH9Ko-7GXRCqfDnsPi6fP2AtOKirDHhSZjQhKt9YCa20bDQMB-gVTfaZWC41cQFGPuae-vSwwuDLKFnZKM_U/s400/ariel-restaurant4478.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we enjoyed both the sunshine and animated conversation.<br />In green shirt: our host Michal.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicybFZ6lltWTl-JzXl-rKGMPcnMtX1vtIix_r2hypvcQUYWMhW78Wrqdgvx_3QrN1pmmRFF-BtrwW8x51oOemA61snGG0secdYj2oznswozL_EoVCdbG57or9EYDvGu0qD8eWNpzm3H_tS/s1600/ariel-dishes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicybFZ6lltWTl-JzXl-rKGMPcnMtX1vtIix_r2hypvcQUYWMhW78Wrqdgvx_3QrN1pmmRFF-BtrwW8x51oOemA61snGG0secdYj2oznswozL_EoVCdbG57or9EYDvGu0qD8eWNpzm3H_tS/s640/ariel-dishes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each of us picked a different dish and we shared a few bites all around. Clockwise from upper left:<br />"Jewish" pirogis stuffed with mashed potatoes, chicken livers, duck with potatoes and cranberries,<br /> "Jewish" style roast beef with kugel, more pirogis and kugel, stuffed cabbage.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIVOP1QbcOdpzcx35DsbYCKs3rT8JmkJE5MqTGOtqJCkVMStsTlVAO6X4gs7pFWCxx2MMORINXv1xHs7j0EckF3a0dVS4Aoo3mAptfdabUj2yFLtd1Ip0m8UezSOdRivWUhJld1YIU8Li/s1600/ariel-restaurant4491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIVOP1QbcOdpzcx35DsbYCKs3rT8JmkJE5MqTGOtqJCkVMStsTlVAO6X4gs7pFWCxx2MMORINXv1xHs7j0EckF3a0dVS4Aoo3mAptfdabUj2yFLtd1Ip0m8UezSOdRivWUhJld1YIU8Li/s400/ariel-restaurant4491.jpg" width="358" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the restaurant is also quite beautiful. Here: the courtyard.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />

Jewish-Style Polish Food, Krakow

We have now returned home from Poland, bringing memories and many photos, material for several follow-up blog posts. I'm starting with m...

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Aromas of the day

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOaTS7y4LLt50Xv6RRtiZ66fAsSbulKCpDz9x07_lsPnKBnCfchPEA2cQ7v9QhFiySKkLpM28w1Cbgg4hc1eNjsk0sJ5ghHZrBLJjSmnDmqWICGf6q_9r7lPfWEmZnTMQ6QyiTl17xyEG/s1600/herbs4261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOaTS7y4LLt50Xv6RRtiZ66fAsSbulKCpDz9x07_lsPnKBnCfchPEA2cQ7v9QhFiySKkLpM28w1Cbgg4hc1eNjsk0sJ5ghHZrBLJjSmnDmqWICGf6q_9r7lPfWEmZnTMQ6QyiTl17xyEG/s640/herbs4261.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warsaw Farmers Market: Herbs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEDNw7xygTqwe-Uq_lAkRVUEbMVkx2KtfhWaySRdMFjlPiRYBNYDeiRVDSmN5Ty04w9jIBnI5TV2ltEfzovObo7eGE7C9MaIcWSU4GyYArJrRYOBodxRnF9QTaVgE1b3AytRbBQPCMqNS/s1600/herbs4305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEDNw7xygTqwe-Uq_lAkRVUEbMVkx2KtfhWaySRdMFjlPiRYBNYDeiRVDSmN5Ty04w9jIBnI5TV2ltEfzovObo7eGE7C9MaIcWSU4GyYArJrRYOBodxRnF9QTaVgE1b3AytRbBQPCMqNS/s640/herbs4305.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dill: the whole farmer's market smelled like dill, and it flavors much of the food we have eaten<span id="goog_1043604986"></span><span id="goog_1043604987"></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3ytc5J-fwWqnJ66Ji31Y7qYcOsx7JpXSY1FLlxqWynYD-oBWGGGXUojcePm9As7lEgnBG7gncpo0tl6HDoLJz62z3Ykck3dCpFXVo_dUA5LpyO5qa2PQYd5tFjfd9zW2cp6d5pJyOiRY/s1600/pickle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3ytc5J-fwWqnJ66Ji31Y7qYcOsx7JpXSY1FLlxqWynYD-oBWGGGXUojcePm9As7lEgnBG7gncpo0tl6HDoLJz62z3Ykck3dCpFXVo_dUA5LpyO5qa2PQYd5tFjfd9zW2cp6d5pJyOiRY/s400/pickle1.jpg" width="357" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other main smell was dill and garlic from pickles -- just like at the delicatessens of my childhood</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kLQSg5OgK7QvV_KAGWClUKjivnkyPZtNP7uLJzL5JDPncZppvUVCs-oi2YWonUXpHsNEX_vEVZ_BRrt58f7mTQkcJ6Z4WPuMxlXxuSwWAEBXc_hl_Vb7a_wNNsc3biH_a2avqrDQRl6Z/s1600/pickles2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kLQSg5OgK7QvV_KAGWClUKjivnkyPZtNP7uLJzL5JDPncZppvUVCs-oi2YWonUXpHsNEX_vEVZ_BRrt58f7mTQkcJ6Z4WPuMxlXxuSwWAEBXc_hl_Vb7a_wNNsc3biH_a2avqrDQRl6Z/s640/pickles2.jpg" width="484" /></a></div><br />

Aromas of the day

Warsaw Farmers Market: Herbs Dill: the whole farmer's market smelled like dill, and it flavors much of the food we have eaten The other ...

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Lunch in Old Warsaw

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSy8MfrpBflZisLovrJKuK2e802WuetvH0Z_LsiTOXU2HFNfiWAbdExqJ4EpfzHQ25StR1l81revoV_j0iVCFb_XCspSZ7cz5bmTDqTY8zSdZKvnTl4tBP6969h7QZkBQkZ7-g0eH4HRP/s1600/soupdumplings4132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSy8MfrpBflZisLovrJKuK2e802WuetvH0Z_LsiTOXU2HFNfiWAbdExqJ4EpfzHQ25StR1l81revoV_j0iVCFb_XCspSZ7cz5bmTDqTY8zSdZKvnTl4tBP6969h7QZkBQkZ7-g0eH4HRP/s640/soupdumplings4132.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Yesterday I walked around Old Warsaw (<a href="http://maetravels.blogspot.com/2013/10/old-warsaw.html">see this</a>) and ate lunch in a very picturesque restaurant. I tried the beetroot soup with "ravioli" -- I would have called them dumplings. Also a salad. Very delicious. I have also eaten pirogies. Last night, Len's small conference hosted dinner at a castle owned by the Polish Academy of Science -- one of the several courses was a broth with dumplings -- so lots of dumplings here. It may be several days before I manage to post photos from that.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumWH-kMp8IK5YbjTehE3Y4kAm9x73iHjs_NaTG2GB-ocSK4pYiFO-7Q3Nnh5KAAsn63KoS6YuOunM2gRi8FRfbZ4WzhwE7MLcd_m6gtk9Lwr7pCzCg5SWdFty-Igbe4ijvFWpt7p5swrC/s1600/soupdumplings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumWH-kMp8IK5YbjTehE3Y4kAm9x73iHjs_NaTG2GB-ocSK4pYiFO-7Q3Nnh5KAAsn63KoS6YuOunM2gRi8FRfbZ4WzhwE7MLcd_m6gtk9Lwr7pCzCg5SWdFty-Igbe4ijvFWpt7p5swrC/s320/soupdumplings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beetroot soup with "ravioli"</td></tr></tbody></table><br />

Lunch in Old Warsaw

Yesterday I walked around Old Warsaw ( see this ) and ate lunch in a very picturesque restaurant. I tried the beetroot soup with "ravio...

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Appetizing Slide Show

I'm done with my recent little reading project on the history of Latin American and especially Mexican food -- but I loved this slide show on the <i><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2013/10/02/dining/20131002-HUNGRY.html">New York Times: Seeking Tacos in their Purest Form</a>. </i>Doesn't this look good?<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTVQaPytaAnF9N15eEu9pcsDPBnfpg5Hqs_qofHiBz60kvAjTXaV2ZpIpT1m6dgH-QtMSPRP52KkskcrYAWtORSAeCR8ynWIPUuy20UD_k6TBMsVOgy5wFr9GbhzX3hdtz9oH5OZ7KRUU/s1600/tacos-NYT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTVQaPytaAnF9N15eEu9pcsDPBnfpg5Hqs_qofHiBz60kvAjTXaV2ZpIpT1m6dgH-QtMSPRP52KkskcrYAWtORSAeCR8ynWIPUuy20UD_k6TBMsVOgy5wFr9GbhzX3hdtz9oH5OZ7KRUU/s400/tacos-NYT.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the slide show--<br />"Tacos from Reyes Deli: left, the chorizo taco,<br />subtle but with steadily mounting heat; right, the carnitas taco."</td></tr></tbody></table>My own experience eating in little taco places like this is mostly in California, but I can just taste those tortillas and the "mounting heat."

Appetizing Slide Show

I'm done with my recent little reading project on the history of Latin American and especially Mexican food -- but I loved this slide sh...

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My blogs will no longer accept anonymous comments as I have been receiving many offensive efforts to post spam comments. If you are a friend...

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Cuisine without Food: Addendum

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiytB9Cjgztkvf7o1A_BjiMmRLZ6G9IVKSlTV4GmpXFBTmOQL4VXeXDcGLppGa8Dt9GPKw7cGrmdg5gSC_-orVCj7ZqdwBA-JtIlVvDC5iLUDBYEusd4SodQRpjl2EUc1K5C8arM5nFMSQ/s1600/soviet+tasty+food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiytB9Cjgztkvf7o1A_BjiMmRLZ6G9IVKSlTV4GmpXFBTmOQL4VXeXDcGLppGa8Dt9GPKw7cGrmdg5gSC_-orVCj7ZqdwBA-JtIlVvDC5iLUDBYEusd4SodQRpjl2EUc1K5C8arM5nFMSQ/s640/soviet+tasty+food.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Book of Tasty and Healthy Food</i> by Anastas Mikoyan, translation pub. 2012</td></tr></tbody></table>Anya Von Bremzen, in her memoir <i>Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking</i> (<a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2013/09/cuisine-without-food.html">see my post from yesterday</a>) described the Soviet cookbook for good communist homemakers, first published in 1939. Its attributed author, Anastas Mikoyan, was commissar of food of the USSR. Of course the book's directives about how much to eat, what foods were healthy, and how to serve the food (and beverages like vodka, wine, juice which belonged at every meal) were examples of the myth making and wishful thinking of Soviet officials. Von Bremzen also explains  how new editions constantly had to be produced in order to remove references to disgraced and disappeared leaders like Stalin.<br /><br />I was amused to find that this book was translated into English recently -- see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Tasty-Healthy-Food-ebook/dp/B00957AYR8/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380467800&sr=1-3&keywords=soviet+cooking">Book of Tasty and Healthy Food</a>.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16aytnMTfGkzxijp9uIucha2nm1jKwaxJMY2BfUpxEXtRhBHdpAqoBrty84fpvOLlqDK1tPS8usrbLCku13Ab4zVsClHtMQpDc7mKj-JoENsFprO-kP8ElPlMAfM9yMUOWcmVc37h9cLF/s1600/soviet-peas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16aytnMTfGkzxijp9uIucha2nm1jKwaxJMY2BfUpxEXtRhBHdpAqoBrty84fpvOLlqDK1tPS8usrbLCku13Ab4zVsClHtMQpDc7mKj-JoENsFprO-kP8ElPlMAfM9yMUOWcmVc37h9cLF/s320/soviet-peas.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soviet peas from <i>Book of Tasty and Healthy Food</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />

Cuisine without Food: Addendum

Book of Tasty and Healthy Food by Anastas Mikoyan, translation pub. 2012 Anya Von Bremzen, in her memoir Mastering the Art of Soviet Cookin...

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