Monthly Archives: September 2013

a path that leads from the forest to the sea

Sopot, Gdansk. Poland. The hotel receptionist was lamenting her sister’s pierogi restaurants closing. the list of her offerings was huge–i’m going to have help translating it later today and will post. meanwhile, sigh, “it was just that pierogi you can find everywhere”.

Sopot is a mittel europa style seaside resort–the sort of place that would be the backdrop to an atmospheric artsy film; probably the misty drizzly weather contributed to the feeling. In anticipation of pierogi I spent the day walking from one end of the town to the other, along the path that runs next to the beach, through a sort of forest area, studded with parks. people are out walking, walking their dogs, walking their children, walking their lovers; along the way there are bars an cafes, restaurants, all in little shacks or sort of chalets, on the beach. stalls sell trinkets, bicyclists roll down the bike trail, the sound of the waves i just on the other side of the greenery, paths lead through only a few yards of forest to the water every so often, and i’m thinking that if it were a film, it would probably be in black and white and  utterly charming.

the path through the forest

young woman selling beer on the beach

and then there are the pierogi. but wait: there are also herring. here is my herring starter: madjes herring: so plump, so chewy, so umami, on a bed of chopped lightly pickled cucumbers. Apparently, this region is the capital of herring and to be honest: its possible i was convinced to come here when I saw a foto of a herring and smoked fish stall in the marketplace.

baltic herring with pickled cucumber salad, local bread, Polish beer

now, on to the pierogi. my FIRST pierogi in Poland (this trip): venison pierogi with wild mushroom sauce, and a dab of red onion marmalade right in the middle, to dab onto big fat bites of pierogi.

venison-filled pierogi in wild mushroom sauce, red onion marmalade

Tomorrow I’m meeting Sarna and her group from Poland Culinary Vacations. Its because of Sarna that I’ve fallen in love with Poland; she first invited me to Wroclaw and lower Silesia several years ago. This year when she said she was doing tours of the Pomeranian coast, I said: “I’m in!”.

In part because i remembered the pierogi.

But then pierogi and i go way back. Its just that its so delightful to eat them in their own home territory, because they are so friggin good! and because the attitude towards them is…..affectionate. and because they are considered proper every day food. its good to eat pierogies!