Polish'd: Modern Vegetarian Cooking from Global Poland by Michal Korkosz (Fresh from Poland), a compendium of vegetable-centric culinary and visual delights, presents 100 new recipes, full-page photographs, and bright graphics sure to entice home cooks. Polish cuisine is a "patchwork of regional recipes," thanks to a melting pot of immigrant cultures. Poland, Korkosz writes, was once a "mosaic of nations" with diverse culinary influences, including Turkish, Jewish, and Italian. Though Polish food is stereotypically meat-heavy, Warsaw is "one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the world." Korkosz notes the Poles' awareness of animal rights, climate change, and healthy fare.
Creatively arranged by 12 "cooking methods," including raw, steamed, smashed and blended, and deep-fried, these 100 recipes feature unexpected ingredients. Korkosz incorporates Japanese miso and Middle Eastern tahini into these recipes as easily as he does Polish farmer cheese and beets. As the creator of the Polish food blog Rozkoszny (which means "delightful"), Korkosz urges readers: "Liberate yourself with creativity," modeling his philosophy that cooking "is a playground." Each two-page recipe presentation includes anecdotes, tips, mouth-watering photos (note the iconic Polish ceramics) and intriguing names, such as "All the Leaves with vinaigrette, blackberries, and so many herbs" and "Salted Szarlotka (Apple Pie) with no-churn brown butter ice cream." The international flavors of Korkosz's recipes never slight his unabashed love of his homeland. He notes seasonal and traditional ingredients (mushrooms, potatoes, the famous Wieliczka and Kłodawa salts). And the two pierogi recipes will delight cooks hungry for iconic Polish fare. --Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.