A special book promoting unique Polish recipes marks the launch of the Poland’s EU Presidency.
Shoulderof lamb ‘sous-vide’ served with apple sauce and roast celery, frozen walnut nougat on a bed of Sandomierz apples or strawberry gazpacho with yoghurt. This is the Polish cuisine menu being promoted by the official publication of the Polish Presidency addressed to gourmets.
Let’s cast away the obvious (dumplings, hunter’s stew, pork cutlets …), immersing ourselves for a bit in the mysterious world of our national dishes! We will be guided by sixteen chefs from top Polish restaurants, including three foreign ones bewitched by our recipes.
Food is one of the most enjoyable aspects of life. And national cuisine is an integral element of cultural identity. We often judge countries on the basis of their culinary offerings. The Presidency is not only an opportunity to contribute to the formulation of European policy but also to broaden the culinary horizons of European citizens. In addition to such well-known classics as hunter’s stew or dumplings, Poland has much more to offer to foreign gourmets.
Sixteen celebrated chefs have chosen dishes based on traditional all-Polish ingredients. It should be stressed that they have generously shared their knowledge to promote Poland and its cuisine throughout Europe. The recipes they have crafted feature all the staples of the Polish diet, including brined cucumbers, strawberries, poppy seeds, apples and different types of meat – duck, game, lamb and fish. The book would not be complete without the potato, reigning supreme on the Polish table, and oscypek, a traditional cheese from the Polish highlands, our flagship regional product protected under the EU law.
Entitled ‘Cuisine PL’, the book is an element of the information materials prepared for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. To date, ministries and Polish diplomatic missions worldwide have ordered over 20,000 printed copies of this cutting-edge guide to the Polish cuisine.
The book may be downloaded free of charge at the official website www.pl2011.eu in two language versions (Polish and English). Its design has been inspired by old cookery notebooks richly illustrated with original drawings.
The publication presents the cultural context of featured dishes and ingredients which may be particularly useful to foreign guests. As an additional advantage, this universal book may help to continue promoting of our country after our six-month EU Presidency comes to an end.
Now is as good a time as any to sample all the featured dishes. Bon appétit and Smacznego!
