Inverness mom keeps Polish traditions alive
Seven-year-old Daniel Jania doesn't know how lucky he is.
First of all it's very nice that his mother is there when he gets home from school. Secondly, when most kids sit down to an after-school snack, they gobble up Goldfish or store-bought chocolate chip cookies, but Daniel finds a piece of homemade plum cake, or a fruit-filled blintz on the table (not that he doesn't enjoy the occasional Goldfish).
Daniel's mother, Marzena is just doing for her son what her mother did for her.
Born and raised in Poland, Marzena's family came to the United States when she was 12, just about the time she began to spend time in the kitchen learning how to cook with her mother.
“My mom is a very good cook and most of what I know I learned from her,” said Marzena, whose parents have since returned to Poland. “When they left, whatever else I needed to learn I had to figure out on my own and I had to learn, because I had three boys and a husband,” she laughs.
About eight years ago the Janias moved from Chicago to Inverness, lured by the trees, spacious yards and peace and quiet.
Marzena's husband, a construction contractor, built their house. He also designed her dream kitchen, which includes a large stove, two ovens and a huge island that gets lots of use when the family entertains family and friends.
Marzena often uses Polish recipes passed down from her family, but she also enjoys searching online for recipe inspiration.
“I like to add my own ingredients and change them up a little,” she says.
As she sees it, “there is a difference between Polish and American recipes. Traditional Polish cooking has a lot of cabbage, and we use different kinds of cabbages. We use it in soups and stews, or we stuff it.”
Years ago it was difficult to find the variety of produce or products she wanted to use, but today traditional stores have expanded their selection requiring fewer trips to her Polish market.
Polish traditions come on strong particularly around the holidays. “There are some foods we always have to have, like red borscht at Christmas.” This is a thick soup made with little dumplings filled with mushrooms.
It is also the Polish way to eat what the seasons provide.
“In the winter I make more soups and stews, things that will warm us up. In the summer we grill a lot and eat a little bit lighter.”
Today Marzena shares a light spring salad with a refreshing mix of chicken, pickles, radishes and scallions. For dessert, she suggests a not-too-sweet yogurt-based cake that works well with either blueberries or raspberries.
Even her perogies change with the seasons. “In the winter they are filled with meat or potatoes, but in the summer I fill them with fruit. Daniel really likes those,” she says.
Lucky kid!