In 2017, Michał Korkosz became the first Polish winner of a Saveur award. And now Korkosz has created a gorgeous paean to the cooking of his home country in Fresh from Poland: New Vegetarian Cooking from the Old Country. When the average person thinks "Polish cuisine," traditional, heavy, meat-based meals like kielbasa and schnitzel probably come to mind. But Korkosz showcases a different side. Korkosz's Polish food brims with vegetables and fresh flavors (although there is still a fair amount of butter and flour in the recipes that he's adapted from his mother and grandmother). As Korkosz himself says, "I do not avoid butter, honey, gluten, or techniques that enhance taste and sensation."
Gorgeously photographed and well-laid out, Fresh from Poland is a truly beautiful cookbook. The sections include Breads and Baked Goods, Main Dishes, and Preserves, Jams, and Pickles, and dishes that will surprise even the most jaded of palates.
Concoctions range from simple kanapka, sweet and savory open-faced sandwiches, to more elaborate meals like Pierogi z kaszą gryczaną, bryndzą i mięta (pierogi with buckwheat, sheep's milk cheese and mint). Fresh From Poland is full of recipes that will engage everyone from beginning home cooks to experienced chefs. The dessert section is particularly mouthwatering, and will leave readers dreaming of Heaven Cake and Angel Wings. Fresh from Poland is a welcome addition to the cookbook library of anyone looking to expand their recipe repertoire, not just vegetarians. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.