Anna Hurning is a dedicated food blogger for Polish Your Kitchen and a home cook with a passion for the cuisine of the country that has defined her since childhood. Growing up in Poland not only ignited her devotion to its cuisine but has inspired her to take its unique flavors and incorporate them with flavors from around the world. No matter where she travels, Hurning maintains a strong connection with her youth.

Q: What is your earliest food memory?
A: I think I must’ve been 3 or so, maybe younger…my mom would cut apples in half and with a spoon scrape out the meat of the apple and feed it to me. World’s best apple sauce.

Q: What is your favorite memory from childhood?
A: My favorite memory is one of my brother and I playing in my grandparent’s garden all summer long. We would help with weeds (by digging in the dirt with sticks), pick plums off the tree and eat them without washing them, pick through apples on the ground for those without worms, and enjoy long summer days. I also remember spending time with my cousins on my dad’s side. There was seven or eight or us playing behind the house while our parents were indulging in a picnic of roasted meats, fresh veggies from the garden and late conversations full of laughs.

 

While it is evident food is a large part of Hurning’s life, this may be attributed to her Babcia Stasia (her grandmother). According to the “About Me” section on her website, Polish Your Kitchen, she watched her Babcia Stasia create art with the various ingredients within the walls of their large kitchen. Hurning’s grandmother the secrets and skills to master the kitchen leaving a lasting impact on her to this day.
Q: How much influence did your Babcia Stasia have on you and your cooking style?
A: Monumental. She, unknowingly instilled the value of family and importance of being close together while sharing food. It extended far beyond the kitchen. As far as the cooking style goes, I too cook to get the most out of all my ingredients, I do taste and adjust as I go, and I also care to make sure sharing food is time important.

 

Hurning grew up in Poland during one of its most influential periods, the 80s and the 90s. Communism reigned over Poland from 1945-1989. Hurning lived through the fall of communism and the effort exerted by the Poles after the fact to recover and revive the true spirit of Polish cuisine.
Q: Did you recognize any effects of communism on Polish cuisine as a child?
A: As a child, no. Now, yes. Polish kitchen evolved and changed depending on the political and economic situation. It greatly relies on extending all ingredients, dishes often made from cheap and easily accessible ingredients like potatoes, cabbage, beets, farmer’s cheese. You will also however find dishes that are a sign of wealthier times, like roasted duck. Generations of Poles were forced to get by with what they could get their hands on. That is definitely reflected in our cuisine.

 

Despite currently residing in the United States, her Polish heritage still takes up a large part of her heart and mind.
Q: What is your all-time favorite Polish dish?
A: Pierogi did not get its fame for nothing. Love a plate of sauerkraut and mushroom filled pierogi with a garnish of sautéed onion.

 

Since moving to the United States, Hurning has taken advantage of the vast flavors different parts of the country have to offer. At times, she becomes extremely creative with these flavors creating a delicious fusion between the cuisine of Poland and that of say Japan or Hawaii.

Q: How has your cooking changed, if it has, since you moved to the United States?
A: My cooking changes all the time. We move a lot, so I’m fortunate to be exposed to different regional influences and ingredients. I often stay true to the dishes I know and love, but I also try to experiment by updating the classics and bringing them to the new era. I like to think up new dishes that combine Polish cuisine with other flavors I’ve come to taste or mix flavors that are not traditionally mixed in Polish cooking

Q: You mentioned that you like to combine Polish cuisine with new flavors from new cultures you have been exposed to. Can you give me an example of a dish?
A: A fusion example is pumpkin kopytka. Fusion, to me also means taking leftover barbecued ribs and making them into a pork rib stew or taking leftover Japanese food and making it into a sauce to go with my potato dumplings.

 

Today, Anna Hurning is a passionate food blogger dedicated to sharing the recipes she holds near and dear with her readers.

Q: Do people have misconceptions about Polish cuisine?
A: I think people undervalue Polish cuisine a bit by limiting their knowledge to a few basics like pierogi and gołąbki. There is a lot more to our cooking than the few obvious dishes. With access to information and people’s curiosity however, I’m seeing it change. This is one of the reasons I’ve started my food blog, to share the beauty of all Polish food and help people connect with dishes that may have gotten lost with the passing of the older generation. Over and over again I hear from my readers: “My mom/grandma/dad used to make this, and the recipe is lost forever”. I’m glad to be able to fill the gap.

Q: If there was one thing you could share with anyone about Poland, what would it be?
A: For most people who I talk to about Poland, it’s not what they think it is. Poland went through some rough times but has come out as not only the fastest growing economy in the European Union, but it is also becoming a nation of modern and future minded people. Poles are hungry to see what comes next, and to do their best to be at the vanguard.