Category Archives: Resourceful Cooking

Everybody Pesto! Pumpkin-Arugula Pesto 🎃

May 18, 2015 by Food Polka

I’m sure you’ve tried pesto before. That classic Italian sauce made with basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan is delicious, isn’t it? But did you know that you can easily make it at home in about 5 minutes? Well, you can, and so can this version of pesto, which may not be as classic as the Italian prototype but is just as delicious. This new pesto recipe is made with arugula, pumpkin seeds, and Asiago cheese. While the ingredients may differ […]

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Categories: Apetizer, Arugula, Asiago cheese, California Cuisine, Dinner, Food Photography, Food Styling, Garlic, Lemon, Lunch, Olive Oil, Privet Chef Events, Published by Marta Fowlie, Pumpkin seeds, Recipe Development, Resourceful Cooking, Snack, Vegeterian • Tags: art director, arugula pesto, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, different pesto, easy sauce, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food photography, food styling, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, personal chef LA, pesto, published by Marta Fowlie, quick sauce, sauce for red meat

Black is the new green in this black olive appetizer ⚫️🫒

March 5, 2015 by Food Polka

I’m not a big fanatic of olives, but I always have a jar or a can of this popular delicacy in my kitchen. Why? For several reasons: 1) Almost every person I know likes olives. 2) They are cheap. 3) Don’t go bad fast and store in a can or jar; it always tastes just as good. 4) They do not need a long time to process or cook. 5) They are the perfect accompaniment to other dishes like meat, […]

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Categories: Apetizer, Balsamic Vinegar, California Cuisine, Cucumbers, Food Photography, Food Styling, Garlic, Lemon, Lunch, Mint, Olive Oil, Privet Chef Events, Published by Marta Fowlie, Recipe Development, Resourceful Cooking, Snack, Tomatoes, Vegan, Vegeterian • Tags: art director, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food photography, food styling, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, healthy snack, party dish, party snack, perfect potluck dish, personal chef LA, potluck appetizer, privet chef in LA, published by Marta Fowlie, quick appetizer, quick olive recipe, refreshement, vegan snack

Oranges + Carrots. A Match Made in Heaven

April 16, 2014 by Food Polka

In December, I mentioned in my Navel Orange Pancakes post, that I always try to use seasonal fruits as creatively as possible for a variety of purposes. I thought that by April Navels would be gone but because of the dry and warm winter we had here in California this year, they are still available. So today, I am going to be using Navel oranges once again, and this time the oranges will be used to make a super aromatic […]

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Categories: Almond Milk, Carrots, Cilantro, Dinner, Fruits, Herbs, Oranges, Resourceful Cooking, Sauce, Soup, Tarragon, Vegetarian • Tags: art director, creative director, creative food, creative food stylist los angeles, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, fusion food, intuitarian, marta smolczewska, published by Marta Fowlie, resourceful cooking, sauce, soup, sustainable cooking

“Just go for it” portabella-spinach Wontons

February 26, 2014 by Food Polka

Much like a painter who starts to paint and creates a unique piece of art, a good cook can whip up something by just starting to cook. I tend to make the best meals when I look at what’s lying around in my cupboards and refrigerator and just go for it. This happens because I have good cooking intuition. For example, yesterday I was feeling super hungry and knew I had to eat before my Pilates class, but I wasn’t […]

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Categories: Almond Milk, Apetizer, Black Pepper, California Cuisine, Chives, Cornstarch, Dinner, Dumplings, Eggs, Flours, Garlic, Green Onions, Herbs, Lunch, Mushroom, Olive Oil, Portobello, Resourceful Cooking, Salt, Spices, Spinach, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Wheat Flour • Tags: art director, asian, cooking for singles, creative cuisine, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, fast food, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, fotografia kulinarna, healthy, marta smolczewska, polish cooking, polish immigrants, published by Marta Fowlie, quick meal idea, resourceful cooking, stylizacja kulinarna, wontons

Polish cabbage rolls, food polka, polish recipe, recipe developer los angeles, polish chef los angeles

The nostalgic mystery of the Polish cabbage rolls.

January 5, 2014 by Food Polka

I’ve been living in California for 13 years now, and I can honestly say I never really encountered homesickness. When you move to a new country you’re so excited at first. You take every opportunity to experience a new culture, environment, and people. For some, that initial excitement might die down and they might start to miss their homeland. This usually results in two things happening: they eventually wait out that feeling and come to accept the new country as […]

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Categories: Cabbage, Cabbage Rolls, Chives, Cooking Classes, Dill, Dinner, Eggs, Green Onions, Ground Beef, Herbs, Lunch, Marjoram, Polish Cuisine, Resourceful Cooking, Rice, Sauce, Spices, Tomatoes, Vegetables • Tags: art director, cabbage rolls, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, golumpki, gołąbki, greenpoint, lata 70, marta smolczewska, polish, polish 70's, Polish chef, polish cooking, polish immigrants, published by Marta Fowlie

Navel Oranges + 81 Fahrenheit = Pancakes and Christmas in SoCal

December 27, 2013 by Food Polka

So, it’s a day after Christmas. While a lot of the world is suffering in the miserable cold, I am hanging out on my terrace drinking coffee, wearing a tank top and shorts. Sure I have Jack burrowing into my lap. Sometimes I really can’t believe where I live. Back in Warsaw, it’s 38 degrees. Here in Signal Hill it never gets that cold, it never snows. The worse we get is a little rain and a slight chill. And […]

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Categories: American Cuisine, Breakfast, Butter, California Cuisine, Christmas, Communism, Cottage Cheese, Dessert, Eggs, Farmer's Cheese, Flax, Food Styling, Fruits, Grains, Herbs, Holidays, Lunch, Mint, Oatmeal, Oranges, Pancakes, Pancakes, Polish Cuisine, Queso Fresco, Resourceful Cooking, Tarragon, Vegetarian, Yogurt • Tags: art director, breakfast, Christmas, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, holiday, marta fowlie, marta smolczewska, navel, oranges, pancakes, Polish chef, polish christmas story, polish cooking, polish immigrants, published by Marta Fowlie, resourceful cooking, socal

How Lack of Confidence in my English Created a Blog Full of Food Stories

December 21, 2013 by Food Polka

What is Food Polka? The word “Polka”, as some of you may or may not know, is the Polish word for a Polish woman. I am Polish, I am a woman, and I love to cook, so I am the Food Polka. How did it all start? Well, in February of 2013 I started a culinary blog in Polish: JemWiecJestem.com. It got a really good response from friends and family. When I would tell my American friends about it, they […]