Polish Cooking – Zuza Zak https://zuzazak.com/ Author of bestselling cookbooks shares recipes and stories Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:04:19 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 A comforting kasha bake https://zuzazak.com/2026/04/a-comforting-kasha-bake/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-comforting-kasha-bake Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:59:17 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=3117 What’s in a kasha bake? A kasha bake is one of my favourite ways to eat roasted buckwheat these days. It’s an easy meal to make for the family, which brings together the flavours of Poland without them being in your face. It also feels...

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]]> Salted caramel Mazurek with hazelnuts  https://zuzazak.com/2026/04/salted-caramel-mazurek-with-hazelnuts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=salted-caramel-mazurek-with-hazelnuts Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:59:52 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=3102 An easy Polish Easter cake  It wouldn’t be a Polish Easter without Baba and Mazurek cakes. It’s been a busy, joyful holiday so far, filled with walks in the woods, Easter egg hunts, lamb feeding and a generous amount of feasting. In my last post,...

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]]> Easter pierogi in fermented rye soup from Mazury https://zuzazak.com/2026/03/easter-pierogi-in-fermented-rye-soup-from-mazury/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=easter-pierogi-in-fermented-rye-soup-from-mazury Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:48:26 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=3089 Pierogi in żurek Pierogi served inside a żurek soup is not the most typical Polish dish that everyone has heard of. While both are traditional, for the two to actually meet is quite unusual. It’s something that I was introduced to by a New Yorker...

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]]> Welcoming Spring with a sunny salad https://zuzazak.com/2026/03/welcoming-spring-with-a-sunny-salad/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=welcoming-spring-with-a-sunny-salad Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:13:41 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=3071 A spinach salad for now If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m rather partial to a good salad. Now that the sun is appearing on a regular basis here on the south coast of England, the salads are appearing...

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]]> Spring cleaning with sage https://zuzazak.com/2026/03/spring-cleaning-with-sage/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spring-cleaning-with-sage Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:13:54 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=3056 A simplified version of the sage spring cleaning spray from Slavic Kitchen Alchemy Everything is feeling distinctly dirty right now and I can’t wait any longer to start my spring cleaning. Historically, in Poland, the Spring cleaning started at the same time as Lenten fasting....

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]]> The best potato salad with broccoli, tuna and capers, for when strength is needed https://zuzazak.com/2026/03/the-best-potato-salad-with-broccoli-tuna-and-capers-for-when-strength-is-needed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-best-potato-salad-with-broccoli-tuna-and-capers-for-when-strength-is-needed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:31:10 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=3037 Can a potato salad be dinner? Yes, a potato salad can be dinner in my book. If the said potato salad contains ample protein, a combination of vegetables and is served warm, then it works very well actually. We enjoyed it on one of those...

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]]> Coconut-quinoa porridge for a comforting breakfast https://zuzazak.com/2026/02/coconut-quinoa-porridge-for-a-comforting-breakfast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=coconut-quinoa-porridge-for-a-comforting-breakfast Sat, 21 Feb 2026 17:13:30 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=3023 About breakfast In my first cookbook, I boldly stated that breakfast was my favourite meal of the day. I realise that this is still true, eleven years on. Breakfast is the meal that brings me most comfort, especially in the winter time and at times...

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]]> Faworki for a Not so Fat Thursday https://zuzazak.com/2026/02/faworki-angel-wings-chrusty/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=faworki-angel-wings-chrusty Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:40:10 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=3017 Angel wings, faworki, chrusty… Faworki, also known as angel wings, are a Fat Thursday tradition in many Polish families. Fat Thursday is our Shrove Tuesday, a way to use up all our flour and fat before Lent, which starts a week later. Some prefer doughnuts,...

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]]> The path of righteous rage https://zuzazak.com/2026/02/the-path-of-righteous-rage/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-path-of-righteous-rage Thu, 05 Feb 2026 14:41:54 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=3003 An appropriate level of rage for the times Nearly every day these days, I see something that makes me so seething with rage that I have had to find ways to process this emotion. It’s usually something to do with children, whether it’s in Gaza,...

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]]> A wintery, layered ferment of swede, garlic and celery https://zuzazak.com/2026/01/a-wintery-layered-ferment-of-swede-garlic-and-celery/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-wintery-layered-ferment-of-swede-garlic-and-celery Sat, 31 Jan 2026 22:41:08 +0000 https://zuzazak.com/?p=2975 Another white “ćwikła” ferment idea We have been getting some swedes in our winter veg boxes recently. I have been duly roasting them, but then, we realised that we actually prefer them crunchy, so I decided to ferment. I added a lot of garlic (because,...

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