Book: Polska – New Polish Cooking

I call myself a “Storyteller Cook”, because everything I do is to do with cooking and telling stories through the medium of food. I want to inspire the world to cook and eat more Polish food.

I have written a cookbook “Polska” – a love letter to the country where I was born – that has been published in the UK, America, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland.

A Storyteller Cook

Zuza Zak

“Capturing the spirit of the nation”

The Independent

“The antidote to Brexit”

The Food Programme, BBC Radio 4

Featured Blog Posts

Where to eat in the Baltic States - My Top 10

Where to eat in the Baltic States - My Top 10

This was meant to be “my top 5” list but there are so many great places to eat all over the Baltic States right now that it turned into “my top 10”. This list is sort of in order of favourites…

My Top 3 Polish Christmas Recipes

My Top 3 Polish Christmas Recipes

Christmas is my favourite holiday of the year, and it’s not because I was born just a few days before the big day (and my daughter also) on Winter Solstice. Actually, as far as birthdays go, it’s not ideal. It gets hurried…

Spiced Pumpkin Pierogi

Spiced Pumpkin Pierogi

The time has come to reflect and review… this year has been all about home for me… and so many things in my life to be grateful for – my daughter, my family, my home, my friendships…

Social

PARSNIP DUMPLINGS: I couldn’t make it to the sho

PARSNIP DUMPLINGS: I couldn’t make it to the shop today (the simplest things can feel quite complicated these days), so I made #dumplings from the bag of #parsnips I had in the fridge. The vegetable broth is made from all the bits leftover in the fridge along with some frozen peas. It was absolutely delicious and Nusi ate so many dumplings! She is over the moon about going back to school by the way. I hope that her generation actually appreciates their free education, that would be a win.
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#leftovers #kluski #nowastedfood #leftoversfordinner

RED CABBAGE: One of my favourite vegetables prepar

RED CABBAGE: One of my favourite vegetables prepared in my favourite way - fermented red cabbage (though we call it purple cabbage at home since Nusia pointed out that it’s not red) for @thegfw #instagramchallenge #thegfw22
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#redcabbage #fermentedfoods #fermenting #foodwriter #kiszonki

WEEKEND WAFFLES: I defy anyone to not be in a good

WEEKEND WAFFLES: I defy anyone to not be in a good mood after these fluffy, pink waffles! I used a tablespoon of beetroot powder to colour them and vanilla essence with grated orange skin for flavour. Both self raising flour and baking powder for extra fluffiness #weekendbrunch
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#wafflesforbreakfast #śniadanie #pinkfood #brunchideas #sniadaniemistrzow #deliciousbreakfast

RAW BEETROOT AND RED CABBAGE SlAW: I often find si

RAW BEETROOT AND RED CABBAGE SlAW: I often find similarities between East European and Middle Eastern food - our shared love of slaws is one of those similarities. This one is from @yasminkhanstories #thesaffrontales - I love the addition of chopped dates and the bright jewel colours - see next pic #forgottenrecipescookbookclub
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#middleeasternfood #surówka #slaw #middleeasterncuisine #foodiesofinsta

PEARL COUSCOUS BREAKFAST: The typical East Europea

PEARL COUSCOUS BREAKFAST: The typical East European style breakfast, milk soup is perfectly suited to #pearlcouscous - I like to finish it off with some coconut sugar #breakfastofchamps
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#breakfastideas #śniadanko #souper #breakfastbowl #pyszneśniadanie

PANCAKE RECIPES: I thought I’d get in there quic

PANCAKE RECIPES: I thought I’d get in there quickly before Instagram gets overloaded with #pancakes🥞 - I have put a couple of my favourite recipes up on the blog - it’s these sweet (but sugar free) pear, twarog and hemp seed pancakes inspired by my travels in the Baltic countries and quick and easy, savoury buckwheat blini #happypancakeday
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#pancakerecipe #recipeontheblog #pancakeday2021 #blini #buckwheatpancakes

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY: I hope your day is filled wi

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY: I hope your day is filled with love and joy. Today was my uncle Valentine’s birthday, who died about a month ago, so remembering him today 💕
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#happyvalentinesday❤️ #pierogi #dumplinglove #pierogies #valentine #walentynki

HARIRA SOUP: This Moroccan soup is from the cookbo

HARIRA SOUP: This Moroccan soup is from the cookbook that got me interested in food as a means of understanding history and culture - Claudia Roden’s New Book of Middle Eastern cooking. You may think that Morocco isn’t a part of Middle East yet Rodin points out that the cooking of all the countries in the book is inextricably linked through the people who live there and that the term “Middle East” is a fluid one. I’ve wanted to make this nourishing soup with chickpeas, lentil and beans for ages - it’s very popular the world over now, yet I’ve never tried it before! Finally, I made it for @piastromexicankitchen #forgottenrecipescookbookclub - February is all about female voices in Middle Eastern cooking.
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#middleeasternfood #claudiaroden #harira #souper #zupka #soupseason