There is no better way to explore a country by actually eating your way through it. Why not discovering Polish cuisine during cooking class in Warsaw? Local cuisine is not only delicious but also usually tells you a lot about the country’s history and traditions. When we travel, we always try to find good restaurants filled with locals but lately we went one step further when it comes to foodie experiences. We discovered that in many cities you may actually attend cooking classes! Absolutely fantastic idea. Thanks to it we had the opportunity to get to know local products in Rome or learn how to make a real Italian pizza. Let’s make pierogi then!

COOKING CLASS IN WARSAW @ POLISH YOUR COOKING

I was extremely happy when we got invited to the cooking class at Polish Your Cooking. I’ve been keeping fingers crossed for Michal (the founder) and his team for a very long time. I remember when they started their workshops, cooking in the restaurant after hours, located in the building where I used to work 🙂 Currently they have their own, fully professional studio in the center of Warsaw, on Dluga Street, next to the Old Town. They offer not only Polish cooking classes aimed at foreigners, but you may also attend also e.g. Thai, Mexican, Brazilian workshops. We decided to improve skills in our native dishes – it’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I’ve never made pierogi before!

US vs. POLISH CUISINE

As the Polish cooking classes are focused on foreign tourists, they are of course in English. Magda, who was our Chef during classes, speaks very good English and is a super-positive and easy-going person, making everyone laugh all the time. She patiently explained and looked after our pots and pans, telling us not only technical details of cooking but also many fun stories from Poland. I participated in the other cooking class in Warsaw in the past, but… These were probably the first ones where I felt 100% commitment of the Chef. So what did we cook eventually?

PIEROGI & THE REST

We started with traditional apple pancakes called racuchy, served with apple cider. We got also big plates of Polish meats & cheeses to share, along with different dips, I felt like at the Polish wedding 🙂 During the workshops, you are also offered different types of Polish vodka to taste like cherry vodka or famous Zubrowka (bison grass vodka), mixed with apple juice. Yum!

Obviously, pierogi are always the most-awaited meal during the workshops. This most-famous Polish dish looks like ordinary dumplings, but the stuffing is essential. You can put literally everything inside, Magda told us that once she had come across pierogi with spaghetti inside… However, during classes, we focused on most traditional ones: with meat, ruskie (in Polish: Russian, with potatoes and cottage cheese inside) and with blueberries. Despite my initial fears (my manual skills are zero), everything went so smooth! I think our self-made pierogi were even better than those served in my beloved Zapiecek restaurant in Warsaw.  The dough was so thin and not like “rubber” (thanks to the lack of eggs, which are added to eg. ravioli), and ruskie stuffing is so mouth-watering…

Magda has also shown us many fantastic culinary tricks, my favorite is instant garlic peeling hack. All you have to do is smash a clove of garlic with a hand on the flat knife and the peel is gone! 

HOW DID WE LIKE IT?

Very much! Workshops are really professional but first of all – funny and engaging. In the end, each participant got a certificate and a small gift 🙂 Although it may be a bit hard to surprise two Poles eating pierogi for 30 years, Polish Your Cooking totally succeeded in this. We actually have learned a lot of curiosities about Polish cuisine. Such workshop is also a great gift idea, or just grab a bunch of friends and polish your cooking together 🙂 Cooking class in Warsaw is just a must when visiting our beautiful country!

PRACTICAL HINTS

Website: Polish Your Cooking

Fee: 199 PLN per person

Location: Długa 44/50, Warsaw but also in Cracow (check website for details)

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