warsaw and polish-danish love

Warsaw is like a black hole at times. On one hand I am overwhelmed with unexpected health problems and my constant struggle with university bureaucracy. I am stuck with a huge hole after a tooth removal and waiting for a piece of my vain to be cut out. On the other hand I let myself get lost between familiar spots and faces. Finally there's enough time to visit all nice vegan and vegetarian temples and gossip till you drop. I went on a walk round old Jewish ghetto and witnessed the horror of gentrification which I was only reading about till now. Old square, which was the last stop before the concentration camp was turned into a hip, concrete, modern desert. The last piece of rails was saved after some protest. And now one of the last old houses is being transformed into a fancy hotel. Above the square you can see the glass nightmare rising, and pope's monument cheering you nicely. You can never have enough of both down here.





If you continue and walk down John Paul II's street you will pass cheap sex shops. This is "Poland". Leave it behind and you will reach one of the paradises: Hala Mirowska. It's a huge market situated between two buildings, which resembles something between a magazine and a cathedral.



I found those pictures here and there so you know what I am talking about.

I think there's no better art gallery then vegetable stalls, where prices are always "circa" and people tend to chat, even if it complaining. You can also find people who paid the price for Polish transition and are severely punished for every attempt to get by, for example by selling underwear grandam's style on the sidewalk. And here it is, at the last corner: Asian shop, where you can buy a huge cube of fresh tofu for 4 PLN (8DKK, sic!), soya sauce, all kinds of noodles and ingredients that don't have a name in my modest language. So after a terrible diagnosis I tried to cheer myself up with a delicious food. I forgot how it feels to actually buy food, so this taste of oddness is my extra spice tonight. Oh! And of course long time no see friends!

ULTIMATE TOFU!

-2 cubes of tofu
-soya sauce
-fresh ginger
-oil

Pour soya sauce into a little bowl and grate a spoon of fresh ginger. Cut tofu into slices, 1-2 cm width and soak them before frying on the pan. That's it. If it was up to me I would stick to the cheapest oil but I know some people are fond of "olive oil". Let them have it;-)

NEW SAUCE

-one big leak
-green peace in a can
-can of coconut milk
-salt, pepper, curry

Wash the leak and cut its leaves along. Then cut into slices. Once I saw A using also the very green part and I felt in love with this idea! The more leak, the better. Fry it on olive oil (yes). Then add peas and coconut milk. Spice it and then wait till the liquid evaporates. We want it dense!





KOTLETY

I am a burger freak. You gotta learn this wors -> kotlety! This time I used Karola's old recipe, pimped with a little bit of red lentils.

-1 glass of red lentils
-1 glass of oatflakes
-2 glasses of corn flakes
-salt, black pepper, sweet red pepper and curry

Boil the lentils. Usually you need only a few minutes and small amount of water so make sure you won't burn them. Pour boiling water onto the other flakes in a bowl. After 5 minutes mix everything together and fry them all! Just recently I started paying attention to shapes, structure and texture. Tastes better. So I try to form nice, flat and round burgers instead of splashing a big spoon of dough into the oil.







POLISH-DANISH CASSEROLE

Basic dumbsterdiving dish because of the most common findings. Danish memmory, spiced with a little bit of Polish love herb.

-2 or 3 carrots
-2 big beat roots
-4 potatoes
-2 parsleys
- 2 cloves of garlic
-lovage!/ lubczyk!/ løvstikke! This is the reason why I'm constantly in love;-)

You can also use garlic, onion, peppers, parsnip and that other Danish root I don't know a name of...

Peel what needs to be peeled, cut vegetables in slices. Place on a plate with baking paper. Pour a little bit of oil, some salt and of course the lovage! Lots! Bake for around 30 minutes in 200C.



SALAT A.

-red pepper
-fresh cucumber
-lettuce
-sesame seeds
-olive oil
-half of a red grapefruit

Cut pepper, lettuce and cucumber into thin stripes. Add some roasted sesame seeds and a dressing made out of 3-4 spoons of olive oil and squeezed grapefruit juice.

SALAT B

Can you imagine a Polish dinner without salted cucumber pickles? Tastes best with chopped onion! Yey!






I miss you as well and you know it;-)!