Poland

Warsaw, Poland - Lindsay Shapiro, friends mom, Dorota Szarlej- 4/30/13
 * What is the name of your home town?**

The food I made for my family everyday was recipes I learned from my older sister and aunt when we moved from Poland to America. Unlike many American families my kids and husband never ate from a can. We always had matzo ball soup before lunch and dinner. Zoe Matza- My Grandmother, Betty Breitstein- 4/10/08
 * How does your heritage affect the food that you consume in your home?**

It doesn't, but sometimes on holidays we will eat traditional foods. - Caprice -Ms.Dawson -4/10/08

"My family loves pierogis, we eat them everyday. Most of the food I eat is Polish. I am proud to be Polish and I love eating food that is Polish. Besides pierogis my second favorite Polish food is flaczki. " Anders Lauersen, 4/10/08, Thaddeus Przybyszewski

"All the food we eat is based on the foods consumed in Poland. Our Polish heritage has a great influence on our meals. We eat a lot of boiled potatoes and traditional Polish dishes such as pierogis." -Elana Sears, Monika Zaleska (friend), 4/10/08

Food isn't very different from everyday meals that others family's eat. Matt does admit to missing Pierogis on occasion, but since he typically visits old relatives in Poland every year or so it doesn't bum him out at all. (Chance Ferris April 10th Matt Heinriech)

" The food we eat at home doesn't necessarily reflect our heritage, but we make efforts to buy products like latkes and chalupshas."(Adam Hoch 4/11/08- Ellis Hoch)

The food you eat when you are a child is always going to be your comfort food as you grow up. That being said, I like to eat food that reminds me of my childhood. Also, I like for my children to eat food so they can be a part of the same heritage. - Lindsay Shapiro, friends mom, Dorota Szarlej- 4/30/13

My grandparents go to a Kosher butcher and buy all the native ingredients of Poland. -Adam Hoch 4/11/08- grandfather
 * What marketing practices does your family use in order to obtain the supplies needed to prepare food from your native country ?**

I go to a kosher butcher to get meat for brisket and to get chicken. Other than brisket I don't get much red meat, and never any pork. Every Friday morning I walk to the nearby Orthodox Jewish neighborhood to get the best egg yolk challah for shabbat (the weekly Jewish holiday from Friday night until Saturday night focused around rest and family) that night. Also, every Friday morning I go out to the local marina to get fresh pike to grind up for Kafiltah fish (a Jewish ground fish patty).- Zoe Matza- My Grandmother, Betty Breitstein- 4/10/08

The foods we need in order to prepare dinners that follow our heritage are able to be bought at local markets. We really don't because we don't really eat food from my country. Caprice - Ms.Dawson - 4/10/08

"We go to the Polish Quarter in Philadelphia, which consists of little grocery stores that sell traditional Polish food products. We usually go there before big holidays such as Christmas and Easter. My parents like to shop there because a lot of the products are homemade." Elana Sears- Monika Zaleska (friend)- 4/10/08

Matt will bring home a few ingredients every now and then when returning from Poland but apart from that he does not go out of his way to purchase Polish foods. (Chance Ferris April 10th Matt Heinriech)

"My brother owns a farm, and every weekend we go to their farm to pick up fresh meat that they just slaughtered that morning, it is the most tender meat you will ever taste." Anders Lauersen, 4/10/08, Thaddeus Przybyszewski

Both of my children are involved in many polish community activities that take place in Port Richmond, Philadelphia and Bridesburg, Philadelphia, which are mainly polish communities. In these areas there are many stores that provide authentic polish supplies and ingredients. I also own 2 polish cookbooks (The Art of Polish Cooking, By Alina Zeranska and Polish Cooking, By Marianna Olszewska Heberle) That I use very often on numerous occaisions. And of course there is always the internet! - Lindsay Shapiro, friends mom, Dorota Szarlej- 4/30/13

As a Jew, one of the most important parts of holidays is the food. Starting two weeks before a major holiday like Passover, I start making a menu for what we will be eating for the Seder (the special holiday dinner where the story of how the Jews left Egypt is told). Then I go and spend my time finding the best quality ingredients for the Kafiltah fish, brisket, and charoset (a sweet dip of normally nuts, wine, apples, and other spices/ingredients). I also have to clean the house of all the chametz (anything that is not kosher for Passover, like things with grain). I also make special eggs for Passover. Instead of hard boiling them I bake them in the oven until they are brown for 20 hours at a very low heat.- Zoe Matza- My Grandmother, Betty Breitstein- 4/10/08
 * Give an example of a holiday tradition in your home that incorporates food into the celebration.**

On Passover my grandmother makes some of my favorite things, including Latkes (potato pancakes) and Chalupshas (stuffed cabbage) and brisket. Adam Hoch 4/11/08

On Christmas eve we eat the traditional X-mas eve feast, which includes lots of fried foods , and no meat. - Caprice, Ms.Dawson 4/10/08

"Holidays are all about the family, about 40 of us get together and feast on many different things depending on the holiday." Anders Lauersen, 4/10/08, Thaddeus Przybyszewski

Matt's family will on occasion make a few dishes such as Pierogis for Christmas but apart from that he has a fairly standard meal of Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and corn. (Chance Ferris April 10th Matt Heinriech)

"On Easter we slice a hard boiled egg, and we feed each of our family members a piece of the egg to symbolize our family's love for one another and the re-birth brought by spring time and Easter." -Elana Sears, Monika Zaleska (friend), 4/15/08

The polish people celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve, called Wigilia. On Wigilia, we have a great dinner. It begins with the breaking and sharing of a wafer with your loved ones and wishing them great things for the upcoming year. During the dinner, no meat is eaten and two soups are always served, Red Barscz and Mushroom Soup (grzybowa zupa).-Lindsay Shapiro 4/30/13

The polish easter (called Wielkanoc, meaning the great night), has a few big traditions involving food. It is always a great feast marking the end of lent. Before anyone begins to eat, a hardboiled egg is cut up and shared among everyone as a blessing. There is a lamb made completely out of sugar standing in the middle of the dinner table carrying a Resurrection banner as a typical easter symbol for the polish.Typical easter foods involve a cake called Babka, that is rich and bread like, often shaped in a bundt shape. There is a soup called Zurek that is garnished with the hard-boiled eggs and kielbasa that has been blessed. Many salads and vegetables fill the meal. It is always a great family time - Callie Clibanoff, friends mom, Dorota Szarlej


 * Provide a family recipe related to your culture. Click to link

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