Żubrówka - my favourite polish vodka

Having bartended at cocktail bars in London when someone asks for you to give them the best vodka on offer, Belvedere would be in the top 2 or 3. Many VIP events are marked with magnums of Polish Belvedere being swung around and is known for its purity and quality as a product......but I find that quite boring.

I had a bottle of żubrówka sitting on the shelf and it would never get ordered but I would steer people towards it tempting them with something different and it never failed to get positive reactions. This vodka is unique in that a particular type of grass is used only found in one place and it is infused over a long period of time and can not be imitated. In English it would be called bison grass hence the picture of the bison on the bottle, the Zubr (bison in Polish) imparts strength on those that drink it.

Served cold on its own you can appreciate the special flavour and is quite satisfying. However, when paired with apple juice (szarlotka, polish for apple pie) it becomes dangerously easy to drink a whole bottle without even realising it, truly a match made in heaven. In the UK we would call it a frisky bison.

You may come across other bottles of liquor with the żubrówka name but that is just because the name is not protected. Trust me, you need to get the real deal but I believe there is a part of the bison grass that is a chemical found in tobacco and the original is prohibited in the States.

To go one step further there is an elegant modification to the frisky bison created by Tony Kerr in 1999. I used to offer it as a special cocktail, very female friendly but absolutely delicious.

Recipe for Funky Bison

60ml     Zubrowka

7           Mint leaves

30ml     Apple schnapps

30ml     Cloudy apple juice

15ml     Lime juice

7.5ml    Gomme sugar syrup

Bruise the mint by hand and put in shaker, add the ingredients and shake with ice then double strain into a cold martini glass. Garnish with a slice of apple.

Personally, I prefer drinking a shot of cold zubrowka and then drinking a sip of apple juice. You get to appreciate the vodka on its own but still enjoy the marrying of the two together.

How do you prefer to drink it? Any other mixers or methods?

Interview about living in Poland

Expats are basically people who have uprooted and settled either temporarily or permanently in a different country.
This first influenced me as my parents moved from Ireland to England in the 60's and became expats. I get the impression that when people become expats they become more patriotic in general to keep that bond with home so I grew up in a fiercely Irish household. Similarly, I find myself obsessing about English, Irish subjects more so since moving to Poland.

Check out my interview with a site that revolves around expats and their experiences. I think its fascinating reading about how people integrate in new societies and the effects it has on themselves.

www.expatinterviews.com

Dough recipe for Pierogi

Not a very complicated dough at all, unleavened.

Ingredients:

Flour (14oz)
Egg (1)
lukewarm water (until desired)
salt (pinch)

Method:

On a pastry board mix flour, egg and salt. Slowly add water bit by bit while kneading. Keep adding more until the dough does not stick to the pastry board or hand.

Divide the dough into 4 parts and roll each one out thinly (about 1-2mm).

Using a wine glass with a 2.5 inch diameter (approx), cut circles out of the dough.

Then the filling can be put in the middle (about a teaspoon full) and the edges firmly pressed together when it is folded over to be cooked in boiling water for 5 minutes or so.

This can also be the recipe for uszka dough