Category Archives: Garlic

Go green with your potatoes!

March 24, 2016 by Food Polka

Ok, so Easter is right around the corner and being Polish I know that all the Polish housewives have been busy in the kitchen for the last two weeks. Probably baking babkas, hard boiling eggs, and maybe even painting them… I am Polish and I don’t paint eggs this year but I painted my mashed potatoes green. And painted my potatoes not because it’s Easter time, but because green potatoes are delicious, healthy and they look really cool. I am […]

Categories: California Cuisine, Cooking Classes, Culinary Writing, Dinner, Food Art, Food Photography, Food Styling, Garlic, Herbs, Lunch, Marta Fowlie, Marta Smolczewska, Olive Oil, Privet Chef Events, Recipe Development, Resourceful Cooking, Salt, Soy milk, Spinach, Vegetables, Vegetarian • Tags: comfort food, cooking for singles, creative cuisine, creative food stylist los angeles, culinary productions, easter, easter meal, edible flowers, edible pepper tree, fast food, food photographer los angeles, food photography, food polka, food styling los angeles, food styling services, food stylist los angeles, foraging, garlic flowers, green food, healthy, healthy potatoes, marta smolczewska, mashed potatoes, pepper tree bloosom, personal chef long beach, personal chef los angeles, polish cooking, polish easter, polish immigrants, privet chef los angeles, published by Marta Fowlie, quick meal idea, resourceful cooking, side dish, sorrel, spinach and potatoes, vegan comfort food, vegan mashed potatoes, wild garlic, wild sorrel, wold herbs, wood sorrel

“Just go for it” portobello-spinach Wontons

March 4, 2016 by Food Polka

Much like a painter who just 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 cabinets and refrigerator and just go for it. This happens because I have good cooking intuition. For example, one day I was feeling very hungry and knew I had to eat before my Pilates class, but […]

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: asian, cooking for singles, creative cuisine, creative food stylist los angeles, Dumplings, fast food, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist los angeles, fotografia kulinarna, healthy, marta smolczewska, pierogi z grzybami, pierogies, polish cooking, polish immigrants, polish pierogi, portobello mushroom, published by Marta Fowlie, quick meal idea, resourceful cooking, staffed dumplings, stylizacja kulinarna, wontons

My miserable youth was filled with this cucumber dish

February 20, 2016 by Food Polka

As I started exploring my Polish food memories, there was a moment when I realized many Polish dish names have pretty negative associations. Let’s take “Mizeria”, a simple dinner side dish, which basically translates to “Misery”. Mizeria consists of two main ingredients. Sour cream and green cucumbers. That’s it. The sour cream was sometimes swapped for similar dairy products like kefir, buttermilk or yogurt, if they were available. Or some people used heavy cream instead. To add a boost of […]

Categories: Apetizer, California Cuisine, Cucumbers, Culinary Writing, Diary Product, Dill, Dinner, Editorial, Food Art, Food Photography, Food Styling, Garlic, Lemon, Lunch, Polish Cuisine, Potatoes, Published by Marta Fowlie, Recipe Development, Resourceful Cooking, Salad, Snack, Vegeterian, Yogurt, Yogurt • Tags: creative food stylist los angeles, dressing made from scratch, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist los angeles, green cucumber recipe, helathy salad, home made dressing, lean cuisine, light food, persian cucumbers, personal chef LA, pickling cucumbers, privet chef in LA, published by Marta Fowlie, refreshement

Split pea soup inspired by Polish military field kitchens

December 29, 2015 by Food Polka

This is the ultimate Polish soup recipe. The soup is called “Grochówka” which means it’s made out of dried split pea and few more typical for Polish soups ingredients. If you drive across Poland you will notice roadside stands and food shacks in the woods inviting you to have a bowl of the “Grochówka Wojskowa” or “Grochówka Polowa” which translates into the “Military Split Pea Soup”. Stop by and you will most likely end up with something really tasty. Something […]

Categories: Carrots, Christmas, Communism, Culinary Writing, Dinner, Food Photography, Garlic, Green Pea, Herbs, Lunch, Marjoram, Polish Cuisine, Pork, Potatoes, Privet Chef Events, Published by Marta Fowlie, Resourceful Cooking, Smoked Bacon • Tags: creative food, creative food stylist los angeles, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist los angeles, fusion food, green pea soup, grochówka po polsku, grochówka polowa, intuitarian, marta smolczewska, military split pea soup, polish soup, polish split pea soup, published by Marta Fowlie, resourceful cooking, sauce, soup, sustainable cooking

Naturally fermented, lightly salty dill pickles

September 3, 2015 by Food Polka

Growing up in Poland, I fell in love with homemade sour pickles – especially ones that were naturally fermented. The pickles sold in America are cucumbers preserved in vinegar. My idea of a pickle is a cucumber that’s been naturally fermented in a brine solution. The most common place to find them in the U.S. is at Jewish delis or overpriced foodie spots, but these places usually only give you one, or even just half of a pickle, so I’m […]

Categories: Apetizer, Black Pepper, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Culinary Writing, Dill, Dinner, Editorial, Food Photography, Food Styling, Garlic, German Cuisine, Herbs, Lunch, Pickles, Polish Cuisine, Privet Chef Events, Resourceful Cooking, Salad, Salt, Snack, Spices, Thai Chili, Vegan, Vegeterian, Yellow mustard seeds • Tags: art director, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, dill pickles, fermented cucumbers, fermented food, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food polka, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, home fermented cucumbers, home food fermentation, home made pickles, home preserves, jemwiecjestem.com, jewish deli style pickles, marta fowlie, marta smolczewska, personal chef LA, Polish Carnival, Polish chef, Polish cuisine, polish cuisine is us, polish pickles, published by Marta Fowlie, sauerkraut and pickles

Everybody pesto. Pesto arugula. Pumpkin pesto arugula.

May 18, 2015 by Food Polka

I am sure you’ve tried pesto. That old, classic, Italian sauce made out of basil, pine nuts and Parmesan. It was delicious, wasn’t it? Some of you probably don’t even realize that it can be easily made at home in about 5 minutes. And so can be this version of pesto that isn’t as classic as the Italian prototype but just as delicious. This one is made out of arugula, pumpkin seeds and Asiago cheese. Similar in texture ingredients completely […]

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 stored in a can or jar, always taste 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, pizza, […]

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

This Carnival treat your date to the sophisticated version of Polish cabbage rolls. This vegetable brings love and sexual potency to your life!

December 13, 2014 by Food Polka

So you are an immigrant. Perhaps Polish, like myself. You landed in a foreign country. You fell in love with the place, culture and people. You decided to stay and settle down. You got a job. You made yourself a cozy home. But something is still missing. You can’t put your finger on it. Perhaps it’s that special someone missing in your life? That person you have always dreamed about but you haven’t had time for? The person you can […]

Categories: Balsamic Vinegar, Black Pepper, Cabbage, Cabbage Rolls, Dill, Dinner, Garlic, Green Onions, Ground Beef, Ground lamb, Holidays, Lunch, Marjoram, Pearl Barley, Polish Cuisine, Salt, Sauce • Tags: art director, art prints, Carnival, christmas dinner, christmas dish, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, date dinner, food art for sale, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food polka, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, gołąbki, jemwiecjestem.com, Karnawał, marta fowlie, marta smolczewska, match.com, new years date dinner, Polish Carnival, Polish chef, polish cuisine is us, polish date dinner, published by Marta Fowlie, sophisticated polish food

Carnitas a’la Food Polka a.k.a slow roasted pork with lots of marjoram

June 5, 2014 by Food Polka

Being Polish means being in love with pork. It feels like a serious offense or a sin in Poland to refuse to eat pork. Seriously, I have never met a person in Poland, other than my vegetarian friends, who wouldn’t eat that meat. So, after I moved to California I had to find some pork! Although it isn’t America’s meat of choice, it wasn’t hard to find because of the “omnipresent” Mexican cuisine. I was quickly introduced to Carnitas and […]

Categories: Black Pepper, Carnitas, Dinner, Garlic, Herbs, Lunch, Marjoram, Mexican, Polish Cuisine, Pork, Pork Butt Shoulder, Salt, Spices, Vegetables, Wheat Flour • Tags: art director, caraway, Carnitas, Coriander, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, cumin, dinner meal, dinner meat, fall apart pork, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, garlicky meat, marjoram, meat, meat for burritos, meat Mexican, Mexican, Mexican cuisine, Mexican food, Mexican meat stuffing, polish cooking, Polish cuisine, Pork, pork butt shoulder, pork Mexican, published by Marta Fowlie, roasted pork, slow roasted pork, taco meat, taco stuffing, tacos