Job Discussion Forums

Robski · Joined: 18 Feb 2007 Posts: 50 Location: Middle Europe

[quote="guangho"]

dynow · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080

i love Knorr Boczek soup. that's right, the junk that comes in the packet. it's one of my favorite things to eat. i miss spicy food, and this stuff has just enough spice to satisfy my spicy cravings from time to time. and it's cheap Wink

YakTamer · Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 86 Location: Warszawa, Polska

caramel · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 57 Location: London

I remember getting hooked on that instant jelly stuff called "kaszel", it was gooooood!

asgerd · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 33

"Zapiekanki were wonderful when I first got to Warsaw in 1990..."

I agree; in 1991 when I was on almost no money they were definitely a treat for payday and seemed fantastic, especially eaten outside (as I guess they always are) on a Sopot railway platform on a crisp autumn day..... but I revisited the concept a few years ago on a visit to Warsaw and it was a colossal disappointment. I've got a vague memory that in the early 90s, Tricity zapiekanki were better anyway.

Barszcz z koldunami does it for me every time though.

Smalec has its charms too. Well, not charms, but it's got something. Perfect with a beer while waiting for proper food.

Nauczyciel · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject:

caramel · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 57 Location: London

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

Judging Polish food by talking about 'zapiekanka' and 'pierogi' is like judging UK food based on your experience of good old fish and chips or U.S. food based on hotdogs, which weren't an American invention anyway as both bread and sausages existed long before America.

Polish home cooking is actually a real treat and you find dishes like roast boar, duck and apple and grilled pike. Bog standard stuff like 'zeberka' and 'golonka' are truly delicious as is 'Bigos', if made by someone's granny. Polish street food however, is dire. As most of the posters on this board are skinflints and /or fresh faced youngsters who've barely travelled outside their own states, it hardly surprises me that the comments on Polish food are somewhat negative. If you live on 50Zl/day, you get 5Zl meals.

As for British food, the same rule applies. Beef Wellington, Beer Battered Cod, Shepherd's Pie, Fish Pie, Toad in the Hole etc are really delicious if you cook them right.

I don't think people who allegedly gave the world mince in a bun (the hamburger), sausages in bread (hotdogs)and cheese on toast (pizza) are in any position to criticize European cuisine. Next they'll be claiming they invented 'Sushi', broke the 'Enigma Code' and can speak English properly.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I can speak only for Czech food, but it's closely related, I think Very Happy

You need a mother-in-law or grannie to cook it properly.

For sure the Holy Grail's not eaten standing on street corners or huddled over dirty ashtrays in dodgy diners. Nor is it in the Tourist Traps.

But, man, just walk down the stairs in any ugly Czech panelak on a Sunday midday, when the kiddies and grandkiddies are home for the weekend...

and, having a talented Czech mother-in-law, I can vouch that it tastes even better than it smells.

dynow · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080

biff wrote:

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

I think Americans are generally great and I'd swap one of them for a million people from the 'planet bloke' if I was stranded on a desert island ,or is that dessert island, Dynow?

It's just that in Europe we poke a lot of fun at the folks from Uncle Sam and they just don't get the humour/humor most of the time.

I've got loads of American friends and am ashamed to say, I've even had one or two American girlfriends, but then then again, I suppose fat girls need love too.

Re the OP and food; someone mentioned Czech food. Now, that's a different ball park. I lived in Decin, the wart up the a-hole at the end of the world in 95 and I can safely say that Czech food is the worst I've come across in Europe. Fried cheese, bread dumplings, fatty goulash...simply dreadful.............. unlike Czech beer, which is truly astounding.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

You're talking Czech pub grub. It's not food. There is another level of cuisine. That was my point... Shocked

dynow · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080

scottie1113 · Joined: 25 Oct 2004 Posts: 375 Location: Gdansk

dynow, nah, it's desert island to me. But what do I know? I'm just an ignorant American who comes from the land of hot dogs and Mickey D's.

I love it when biff disses us. Hey, what is Toad in the Hole?

In late November one of my students approached me after class with a very worried expression on her face. Seems her company was sending her to France for a month and she was very worried that she wouldn't be able to get decent food there and didn't want to have to eat frog legs. The best part is she was serious. I told her just to find a bistro and be a little adventuous and when she returned after a month she raved about the food. Now she's in London, probably enjoying that world famous British food.

Ah, la cuisine dans La Belle France. The most memorable meal I ate there was in L'Auberge de Lil, in Alsace smack on the border with Germany. At the time it was one of only three star restaurants in France. The dinner lasted four hours. Incredible.

Another of my students told me yesterday about a new traditional Polish restaurant that recently opened near where I live. She doesn't like golonka-I do-but her husband does and says it's great. I may try it this weekend.

But now I'm just going to make a sandwich for lunch.

Dang, I miss seafood and lamb and especially Mexican food.