Ania

Rosehip Vodka

October 30, 2019 by Ania 4 Comments

One of my favourite ingredients to forage are the rosehips of the wild dog-rose bush. They grow in abundance all around where we are and they have an excellent flavour.

As with sloes, they say that rosehips should traditionally be harvested after the first frost but you never know when frost is going to hit, it’s either too early or too late. The best way to mimic frost is to pick your rosehips when they are nice, red and fat, even if they appear hard, then take them home and put them in your freezer for 24 hours. Then defrost and use in your rosehip recipes. This will allow for maximum flavour.

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THE IRRESISTIBLE BILBERRY BUNS (JAGODZIANKI) WITH CRUMBLE

July 10, 2019 by Ania Leave a Comment

What’s not to love about these sweet, fluffy buns filled traditionally with wild blueberries and covered with a crumbly topping?

‘Jagodzianki’ are the ultimate summer treat in Poland, when it comes to baked goods, at least. They are like little bites of summer, childhood and happiness combined – soft, warm and sweet.

As you can imagine, the season for these small, slightly tangy and tiny berries is much awaited for in Poland by both children and adults alike. It is something I’ve been looking forward to all year round. I could jump on the plane and fly for two thousand miles only to be able to have some!

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POLISH YOUNG CABBAGE STEW (BIGOS) WITH FRESH DILL AND PANCETTA

June 11, 2019 by Ania Leave a Comment

Remember that soggy and green pulp that they served at school for lunch? I do. It’s like that scene from the ‘Horrid Henry’ movie when Greasy Greta (Jo Brand) is pushing a trolley of the most unappetising looking bubbling vegetable stew in the school canteen.

I’m sure we all had some sort of unpleasant experience with cabbage at some point of our lives but you should leave it all behind you now because the truth is cabbage, if prepared with love and care, can be the star of the show.

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PISTACHIO, ALMOND AND DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

March 15, 2019 by Ania Leave a Comment

The plan was to make a cardamom, pistachio and marmalade drizzle loaf from Sarah Randell’s book “Marmalade: A bittersweet cookbook.” I had my very precious pot of homemade Seville orange marmalade next to me, ready to be used. I immediately fell in love with the picture of the cake which looked so appetising. Besides, anything that has pistachios or Seville orange marmalade written on it already has my undivided attention. And then I ended up making quite a different cake!

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CINNAMON, CARDAMON AND PECAN BUNS

March 7, 2019 by Ania Leave a Comment

If I were to name just one food that stands out from my childhood it would be all sorts of sweet buns and rolls that my mum was making for us. Years and years later, I have to say I still have a bit of a soft spot for these pillowy buns. I associate them so much with my childhood and the way they smelled every time I walked into the kitchen. I have very vivid memories of my sister and I glued to the oven and impatiently watching the dough rise and turn golden. We thought it was taking forever! There would hardly be any leftovers left, all gone within minutes distributed within family members and friends.

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APPLE AND MIXED BERRIES MINI PIES

February 21, 2019 by Ania 2 Comments

Going through the freezer late last night, I realized I hardly used the berries that I’d meticulously frozen at the end of summer. Too good and precious to be wasted, I decided to put them to good use!
With the abundance of fruit and all sorts of berries and currants, pie makes for a perfect summer treat but I have to say it’s even better on a cold winter day. Nothing pleases more than digging into a juicy berry pie to reveal its hidden purple treasure and the deep scent of summer. It will immediately make you long for a hot summer day.

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Salted Caramel, Apple and Pecan Cake

September 30, 2018 by Ania 1 Comment

A new recent addition at Gail’s, my local artisanal bakery, has recently caught my attention. A sea salt caramel banana and pecan cake. I know! It tastes like a delicious piece of spiced banana bread but with a salty caramel difference and topped with sticky and crunchy pecans. I had to try my own version, of course, but with apples. I used my sister’s recipe for a spiced apple loaf and made an upgraded version thanks to the addition of pecans and salted caramel. All I can say is these flavours are just meant to be together. When you’re in need of an easy but delicious piece of cake with a cup of tea this will do the trick.

Of course, you can buy caramel sauce from the shop but homemade version tastes so much better and trust me when I say this – it is easy to make. Don’t be intimidated by frightening warnings to absolutely not stir and to use the thermometer. You just simply have to trust your judgement and the sugar will melt.

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Plum and ricotta cake with warming spices

September 6, 2018 by Ania 2 Comments

This fluffy, tender, cardamon and cinnamon-scented cake is a great way of using abundance of fresh and juicy plums when in season. Plus, it tastes fantastic. What more do you want?

I love the warm, bold and floral aroma of freshly ground cardamon but if you’re not a big cardamon fan, just leave it out – the cake will still be delicious. Also, other juicy stone fruits (peaches, apricots, nectarines or cherries) work well in this versatile recipe.

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Irresistibly delicious tomato and ricotta tart

August 14, 2018 by Ania Leave a Comment

There is no substitute for a ripe, sweet, juicy summer tomato, the one that’s still warm from the sun and when the season is over it’s over. This summer’s scorching sun has been just what the tomatoes needed. I’ve never had such wonderfully sweet tomatoes before!

When tomatoes are at their most delicious, I think they should not be tampered with much. Simple presentation, like this fresh tart which is topped with colourful, juicy and glorious tomatoes does them the most justice. It doesn’t get any better.

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Rhubarb and almond cake

June 24, 2018 by Ania Leave a Comment

When a cake combines beauty, simplicity and taste, all with only a few ingredients, it is the best you could want from home baking. This cake is incredibly delicious and is one of my best-loved desserts. Not only because it’s very tasty, but because it’s easy to make and versatile – you can use whichever fruit is in season.

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Ania

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