Feasting on Memories of My Mother’s Polish Cooking
Rediscovering family dinners
I don’t have a childhood memory that doesn’t include the fragrant aroma of my mother’s home-cooked meals. Our family of five sat down for dinner at a small kitchen table every night, precisely at six, when my father came home from work. My Polish mother prepared dinner, and maybe it is just nostalgia, but they were all delicious.
The meal always started with homemade soup — krupnik a barley soup with diced potatoes, carrots and meat — chicken broth simmered on the stove for several hours with kluski made from cornmeal and egg— clear beet soup called barszcz with an additional dollop of sour cream — my mother’s soup repertoire was endless. The main course was often a perfect roast chicken or veal cutlets with vegetables. Occasionally, we were treated to gołąbki, her cabbage rolls. Dessert never followed, at least not for regular weeknight dinners.
Family dinners have returned to my life
The change in my life these last few pandemic months is being homebound. A busy life surrounded by friends, family events, social obligations, and activities ground to a halt.
For the first time in many years, my husband and I, often joined by one or both of our children, have sat down for dinner…
