Books-gifts that smell and taste!

Ryszard Kozik (): Jamie Oliver has been at the top of the list of “most read” culinary authors for years. New this year is “5 ingredients Mediterranean style” (Insignis). In the book you will find over 125 accessible recipes for delicious dishes. In the chapters: “Salads”, “Soups and sandwiches”, “Pastas”, “Vegetables”, “Casseroles”, “Seafood”, “Fish”, “Chicken and duck”, “Meat” and “Sweets” you will find ideas for dishes for every day of the week and for every occasion. The assumption is written in the title: few (max. five) ingredients and simple preparation rules. And just to be clear, 65 percent presented dishes do not contain meat or there is little of it, but all of them guarantee “a wonderful, expressive, unforgettable taste”.

Anna Kowal (): My favorite is Michał Korkosz, better known as Rozkoszny, author of the blog dziennikny.pl, who returns with a new portion of recipes: “New Delightful. Polish recipes that excite” (Buchmann). On the one hand, we will find modernized versions of classics, such as dumplings with baked celery and smoked cottage cheese, and on the other hand, proposals that pay homage to flavors and ingredients that appeared in Poland relatively recently, along with globalization and mass migration. In in the book you will find, among others, recipes for spinach dumplings in an aromatic sauce based on mushrooms, miso and soy sauce, seasoned with poppy seed furikake, pampuchy – steamed buns (our Zuzia loves them), which Rozkoszny stuffs with fried oyster mushrooms and broad beans, and then pours sauce based on Middle Eastern tahini, young cabbage with harissa glaze, served on sour cream with turmeric olive oil and dill. Yum, click, yum!

Marta Korycka (): I’m not as frequent a user of cookbooks as you are, but this year I came across “Dinner with breakfast” Volodymyr Testrardi (Literanova Sign) and I read it with pleasure. The Ukrainian-Italian chef theoretically offers readers dishes for dates, but I think they will work in many situations. Most of them are not very time-consuming recipes, I was enchanted by, for example, linguine with tomatoes and cottage cheese. This Testardi’s stepfather’s recipe, which – as he writes – was probably created by accident! I’m seriously considering trying it.

The book I highly recommend to all of you is “Oh, the smell!” by Katarzyna Białousz and Anna Budyńska (Buchmann). I admit that I am not the target group of guides, but as soon as I reached for this book, I realized that it is much more. If you want to give someone a beautifully published, interesting book, and you don’t necessarily know whether is interested in crime fiction or poetry, there is a great chance that he will be delighted with this title anyway! The authors travel here and talk to, among others, Christophe Cottereau, who distills lavender in the French Maritime Alps, Ernesto Collado, who had phantosmia, and today distills, among others, the smell of the sea, but also about coffee, cheese, roses, perfumes and the smell of a cathedral! Pleasant reading and a lot of knowledge – .

Ryszard: We very much envy Bartek Kieżun, aka Krakowski Makaroniarz. Because how can it be that he only travels and eats? And sometimes he will write a book. We would like that too! His latest book “Jerusalem to eat” (Buchmann) is a continuation of the wonderful Mediterranean series, combining the author’s culinary journeys with stories about history and culture. Kieżun leads us through narrow streets, invites us to markets and parks, to churches, mosques and synagogues, galleries and museums. He takes us to Jewish bakeries and Arabic cafes. Sour herrings, sweet date cookies, aromatic shakshuka, crispy burek – the taste of Jerusalem cannot be easily defined. In the book you will also find a playlist prepared by the author – Hebrew and Arabic hits from different eras, perfect for listening while cooking and eating. . The only thing missing from the series is “Portugal to Eat” – we will definitely buy more.

Anna: But he has pace. Tomasz Strzelczyk, participant of the 4th edition of MasterChef Polka, host of the YT channel “Oddasz aproncha”, has just published another book “You will give back Apron 3. How good is this!” (Sign). “When I started working on the first book, my goal was to create a collection of recipes that would allow everyone to enjoy cooking without unnecessary stress and complicated techniques. After the great enthusiasm and enormous support I received from you after the two previous volumes, I decided continue this tasty journey. There are many new and unique recipes waiting for you that will not let you forget about Polish tradition and unique taste. There will be meat and without meat. There will be sweet pastries and home-made preserves. And TOP 10 grilled dishes!” – the author tempts.

Ryszard: “Although I know very well that we live in a country of potatoes, cabbage and apples, I know that we should eat primarily what the land produces, I also know that on a gloomy November Polish day, Thai curry is the best remedy for the pain of existence. “It gives hope, caresses the brain and promises sunshine,” writes Robert Makłowicz (years ago called Bobek in the Krakow editorial office of “GW”), author of the book “A fusion of flavors. Southeast Asia” (High Castle). You will find over 80 recipes from countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Cambodia, divided into sections: Salads and snacks, Soups, Pasta and rice, Meat, Fish and fruit sea, Vegetables and Desserts. For meat dishes, the author provides plant substitutes, so that these dishes can also be prepared by vegetarians and vegans. The book is illustrated with beautiful photos of dishes and photographs from Robert Makłowicz’s journey to this corner of the world, which – as fans of the “Robert” profile Makłowicz is the most beautiful” on FB – we appreciate it very much. The author assures that he personally prepared all the dishes, also in Poland, so he is sure that all the ingredients can be obtained from us (although it will not always be easy).

Anna: Cookbook “Delicious or delicious” Monika Molecka smells – as the publisher (Znak Horyzont) claims – of “freshly baked bread with a crispy crust, delicate apple pancakes with plum jam, vitamin-rich pumpkin cream, rustic tomato tart and light-as-a-cloud meringue nests”. You will find 120 simple and quick recipes that do not require advanced culinary skills. The author presents interesting options for original breakfasts, lunches and dinners that will please household members and guests. A separate chapter is devoted to small and large desserts and preserves. It tells readers how to cook tasty meals every day without spending long hours.

Richard: “Dukkah, cumin and Italian” Khanafer Samar (Margins) is a treasure trove of inspiration for lovers of vegetarian and vegan cuisine and the aromas of the Middle East. Samar Khanafer, finalist of the third edition of MasterChef and author of two best-selling culinary books, returns with a book that takes us to Lebanon, scented with cardamom and orange blossom water . The book contains over 130 vegetarian and vegan recipes for both traditional Middle Eastern dishes, such as creamy humus or crispy falafel, as well as modern interpretations of Arab classics, such as lentil kafta or a plant-based version of kibbeh nayeh. The author combines seasonal ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store and at the market, with Middle Eastern spices, thanks to which you can easily conjure up oriental manouche, mkhabasa, sweet potato harra, foul, harira, makloubeh in your kitchen…

Anna: There were culinary books about potato and egg dishes, and now Beata Śniechowska suggests the title “Tomato. Recipes for every season” (Sign). Seemingly ordinary, but everything with it tastes great: a slice of bread with butter, an aromatic sauce or a shakshuka full of oriental aromas. It can be eaten raw, boiled, stewed, confit, smoked, fried, baked and grilled. In the book Beata Śniechowska, winner of the 2nd edition of the MasterChef Polska program, contains nearly 100 recipes for tomato-based dishes. The book shares its love for tomatoes with outstanding chefs and cultural figures: Małgosia Minta, Michał Rusinek, Tomek Czechowski, Paco Roncero, Izabela Iskierka, Piotr Dark, Mati Pichci, Przemysław Klima, Olga Tokarczuk, Hans Neuner, Zizi Hattab, Kuba Karaś, Adrian Bogdan Bęben, Diego Rossi, Anda Rottenberg, James Lowe and Darek Barański.

Ryszard: Marc Grossman is a descendant of Ashkenazi Jews. He grew up in Manhattan and currently lives in Paris, where he runs a chain of original restaurants. In his recipes, he combines tradition with modernity: kosher cuisine with world cuisines. In the book “Shabbat recipes. 100 recipes for Jewish dishes” (Sign) we will find 100 recipes for traditional Shabbat dishes, New York classics and modernity immersed in kosher. “Bagels, banana bread, bob bowl bring to mind the bustle of New York streets. Crispy challah, kugel, cholent, holishkes, tzimes, gefilte fish, strudel “they subtly convey the idea of ​​Shabbat, a time of rest, closeness and renewing bonds with family. Taking care of yourself and your loved ones,” the publisher encourages. “On Purim, bake hamantashes as sweet as the taste of victory, on Hanukkah, fry latkes, and on Passover, prepare a wonderful Seder plate. Discover the wealth of flavors and smells born at the meeting point of multicolored cultures.

Marta: Sapkowski’s fans who are still waiting for his new book can make the waiting more pleasant by reading “The Witcher. The official cookbook” (Sign). You will find a recipe there, e.g. for MiszMash, i.e. Boris the troll’s soup, but not only recipes.

Anna: Finally, two books that can kill you 😉Italy on a plate” Francois-Regis Gaudry is – as the publisher, Znak Koncept, assures us – “the only book on Italian cuisine you need.” This truly large book, full of photos, illustrations, maps, charts, anecdotes and portraits of outstanding figures, “the first such encyclopedia of Italian cuisine”. You will find recipes for classic and modern dishes from all regions of Italy. We will get to know the best Italian products: pasta, meat, cheese, spices, wine, beer, liqueurs, coffee. We will find out: Was Leonardo da Vinci a vegetarian? What is the difference between cappuccino, macchiato and mocaccino? Can you make tiramisu without alcohol? Why is cream added to carbonara a real crime? And can gnocchi also be eaten for dessert? In the book “France on a plate” (Francois-Regis Gaudry, Znak Koncept) – according to the publisher – we will find everything we need to know about culinary France. How many bubbles are in one bottle of champagne? Who lives in casgiu merz cheese? Is French toast do they really come from France? How much does tuition at Le Cordon Bleu cost? What kind of candy did Asterix buy in Gaul? How many baguettes do French bakers sell every day? – these are just some of the questions you will find answers to while reading. And a bit of statistics: 350 issues to answer to figure out, 1,250 delicacies to try, 375 recipes to test, 260 personalities from the world of French cuisine, hundreds of maps, tasty addresses, spicy anecdotes… It’s a really huge volume!