My Traveling Joys

Monday, December 15, 2014

Slow Market Shopping in Warsaw

12/15/2014 03:34:00 AM by Joy14 comments

Only in Warsaw would I find a cluster of food trucks at a Christmas Market.

And not that we mind, either.

In the 18+ months we’ve lived here, the food truck scene has become über popular. Burgers overdominate this scene, but thankfully new BBQ and Mexican-ish food trucks are making an appearance. Yesterday, we tried a delicious pulled pork BBQ sandwich and a bowl of curried chicken.

This weekend, the Soho Factory, a revitalized former 19^th-century factory in Praga, hosted a Slow Market featuring local Polish artists, fashion and jewelry designers, food producers and other designers. According to the event’s website: “Slow Market is a place where you can find good fashion, local design, healthy eating and natural cosmetics.”

Since I recently taught two baking classes, I had some of my own spending money to spend as I please. I’m not usually a big shopper or spender, but it just felt nice to have my own money so I could buy something perhaps more frivolous. I ended up buying two dresses from Polish designers SheMore and Kowalski as well as a funky t-shirt from Hero.Esque.

Warsaw has been called an ‘undiscovered fashion hotspot,’ and I have to agree. I love that I can buy locally-made and designed clothes and shoes at a fraction of the price I would pay if I were back in NYC. Last month, I bought a pair of boots I designed myself at FunInDesign for only 450pln (about $140). If you want fashion, come to Warsaw!

Besides apparel, the event featured several local artists selling ceramics, posters and home décor. I added two cute holiday moose to my collection from Cerama Art Studio, which also had several ceramic platters I liked.

While I love going to events like this in Warsaw, my husband is not as keen. He enjoyed the food part and I’ll admit was a good sport throughout this lil shopping adventure. We indulged in a bottle of red wine afterwards.

Next time, we also need a beer truck to keep him occupied while I shop!

Pretty Polish Christmas Ornaments & Where to Buy in Warsaw

12/10/2014 02:30:00 AM by Joy7 comments

It’s hard to believe that this is our second Christmas season here in Warsaw.

Time really does fly by!

This week, I finally put up some Christmas decorations, our tiny, plastic tree and the items we bought from our recent trip to Germany. At least, our apartment looks a little festive now.

Since the Poles celebrate Christmas, it’s very easy to find decorations, particularly handmade ones.

One of the most popular Polish decorations is made from gingerbread (pierniki). You’ll find gingerbread hearts, snowmen, angels, trees, trains, snowflakes and more at the slightly-hidden Tebe shop located along busy Aleja Jerozolimskie. You can even buy edible gingerbread spoons that you can dip into your morning cup of coffee or tea.

Whenever I’ve popped into Tebe, the couple who run the shop are quite friendly and help me find the ornament I want. They use only natural ingredients to make the pierniki dough, which is baked and then decorated with dozens of different types of seeds, dried flowers and fruits. For example, red lentils outline the stars and poppyseeds make up the snowmen’s hat.

While you’re at Tebe, it’s also worth taking the time to visit the famous Fotoplastikon, which is located in the same old courtyard.

Another popular item that most Americans will recognize are colorful, blown-glass ornaments, known as bombki. Following WWII, bombki appeared on the market again and became a major export for Poland. In the U.S., you’ll find these traditional ornaments at large department stores such as Dillards and Macy’s, but they will cost you about 5 times or more than what I’ve paid here in Poland.

I bought my bombki from Bombkarnia, across the street from the Palace of Culture, which is open year-round and also sells pretty Easter egg ornaments in the spring.

Thirdly, I couldn’t resist buying several handmade, crocheted snowflakes at Cepelia’s Centrum location. My grandmother often used to knit and crochet so these Old World items remind me of her and would make lovely Christmas presents too.

Cepelia is a national foundation under the Minister of Culture and Art that promotes Polish folk and artistic handicrafts. Most ornaments are reasonably priced between 10-20 pln (about $3-$6.)

Lastly, you’ll find the ever popular Polish pottery being used in all kinds of Christmas décor from serving plates to cake stands as well as Christmas ornaments and candle holders. I love visiting Anna at Anka Pottery in Mokotow, and I must remember to stop by there soon to buy some presents. However, I can also recommend buying pottery from the Cepelia stores and Bolesławiec Pottery, which is near the Rondo Onz tram stop.

Now is the perfect time to stock up on some festive goodies like the Polish Christmas ornaments I mentioned here.

And years from now, I’ll take out my pierniki and bombki to decorate my Christmas tree and remember that time I lived in Poland.

Our tiny decorated tree - 2014 in Warsaw.

Locations in Warsaw:

Bombkarnia

Emilii Plater 47

Website: http://www.bombkarnia.com

Cepelia

ul. Marszałkowska 99/101, ul. Chmielna 8 and Old Town

Website: http://www.cepelia.pl

Tebe

Al. Jerozolimskie 51
Website: http://www.tebe.waw.pl or http://piernikidekoracyjne.pl

Bolesławiec Pottery

ul. Prosta 2/14

Website: http://www.ceramicboleslawiec.com.pl

Anko Pottery

ul. Modzelewskiego 79

Website: http://www.anko-pottery.com

Expat Life: Our Thanksgiving in Germany

12/08/2014 01:30:00 AM by Joy4 comments

Yes, it’s been 9 days since we celebrated Thanksgiving with our friends in Germany.

However, we spent three extra days visiting the infamous German Christmas markets, so I still have hundreds of photos to edit. Then, I taught a baking class and have basically been trying to catch up on our “normal” life here in Warsaw.

I am happy to report that both the Polish and German airport authorities seemed to have no problem with me transporting my Pumpkin Pie with Gluten-Free Coconut & Almond Crust across the borders. The pie arrived safely!

Our dear friend, JT, whom we stayed with in Düsseldorf, had prepared the majority of our Thanksgiving meal in advance. This, his friend, Tobias, whom we met during our beer weekend in Prague, kindly picked us and ALL our Thanksgiving meal fixings up in his large SUV. We drove to T’s suburbian home because it had more room to host our Thanksgiving meal. T and his wife, Dee, also have a lovely and practically professionally-outfitted kitchen so I had every gadget at hand to help prepare our dinner.

Dee set up a lovely dining table for us.

JT and me in the midst of cooking green bean and sweet potato casseroles.

JT and hubby checking on the turkey, which was closely guarded by the family dog later.

JT was in charge of his bacon-wrapped turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin soup, grandfather’s recipe of sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and stuffing/dressing (made with gluten-free cornbread). I helped here and there and made my classic green bean casserole with a cheesy béchamel sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts and helped finish the pies.

By the time we sat down to dinner, we had already been drinking a bit of bubbly and wine, as one should when they are cooking. The best part was sharing this delicious meal with friends from the U.S., Germany, Turkey, U.K. and Poland, making it a true expat Thanksgiving!

Celebrating Thanksgiving together always makes me reflective on what I’m thankful for in life. This year has been a bit of an emotional one for me personally as I keep hoping and trying (unsuccessfully) for a baby. I’m thankful to have such a wonderful and supportive husband as we’ve gone through these low periods this past year. Secondly, I’m thankful to live abroad and travel as much as we do. I’m also thankful to have a fantastic group of friends from all over the world, and it’s even more special to celebrate these holidays together.

As long as you have good food and friends, you can celebrate an American Thanksgiving anywhere!

A Thanksgiving collage of food photos.

Celebrate Thanksgiving with a Healthier Pumpkin Pie

11/27/2014 02:45:00 AM by Joy3 comments

If you’re celebrating today, Happy Thanksgiving!

We won’t be eating a turkey dinner today because we’re hopping on a plane to visit our friends in Germany. However, we will be helping to cook an expat Thanksgiving meal on Saturday after we’ve seen some of the infamous German Christmas markets for the first time.

Yesterday, I baked a healthier version of my normal pumpkin pie and I’m carrying it on the plane this afternoon. I hope it arrives safely with me!

Since I’ve been trying to do gluten-free baking, the biggest obstacle was how to make a gluten-free crust. I’ve tried an almond flour crust a couple of times, but funny enough, I find it tastes too nutty. So I went back into the kitchen to figure out a recipe that didn’t require xanthum gum or some other strange gluten-free replacements.

The easiest solution was using a combination of almond and coconut flours. Then, I used melted coconut oil instead of butter to make it a bit healthier. The crust did brown faster than others I’ve used, so I would definitely recommend covering the crust with aluminum foil while baking the pumpkin pie.

Now that I’ve got the crust figured out, I’m just hoping I can get through airport security with my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie in tact! I’ll let you know how it goes!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Joy

My previous version of Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie with an almond flour crust.

Gluten-Free Coconut & Almond Crust

Yields: one 9-inch crust

120 g. almond flour

70 g. coconut flour

70 g. melted coconut oil

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

Pinch salt

Using a food processor fitted with a blade, combine the almond and coconut flours and salt.

Slowly, drizzle in the coconut oil and maple syrup, and blend until you have a wet dough.

Press this dough into your pie pan. I use my hands and then a flat-bottomed glass to get the crust pressed down evenly.

Bake at 350 F/175 C until lightly browned, about 7-10 minutes.

While the tart shell is baking, make the pumpkin custard recipe below.

For the Pumpkin Custard:

255 g. homemade pumpkin puree

130 g. organic palm sugar

70 ml. almond milk or cream (36% Smietanka Tortowa)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon powder

¼ tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. ground allspice

¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

¼ tsp. salt

2 ea. organic or free-range large eggs***

60 g. melted coconut oil

In a medium-sized bowl, place all the ingredients together and whisk until smooth. Add the melted coconut oil last as it can seize up into little chunks of solidified fat.

Pour the pumpkin filling into the prepared pie shell.

Place the pumpkin pie onto a flat baking sheet. Bake the tart in a preheated 350 F/175 C for about 25-30 minutes until the center is set or a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool at room temperature. Then refrigerate. Garnish the pie with whipped cream, slightly sweetened either with maple syrup or your choice of sugar substitute.

***Note: I still use eggs in my baking, but if you would prefer an egg-free version, simply blend 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 Tablespoons of hot water. Let rest 5 minutes or so until the mixture has the texture of a raw egg. This ratio = 1 egg.

Christmas Market Season Begins in Warsaw

11/24/2014 02:30:00 AM by Joy8 comments

This weekend, we rang in the Christmas season with Polish mulled wine, grilled Zakopane (oscypek) cheese, Croatian cevapcici and Lithuanian black bread.

The first Christmas Market in Warsaw officially opened on Saturday, and hubby and I made an afternoon of it there. Everyone seemed so cheerful, and many of the stall holders spoke English or at least tolerated my Polish. It seemed like a real Christmas market!

Such a stark contrast from last year when the Christmas markets here sucked so badly that we escaped to Krakow and Copenhagen. (The city had a pitiful market set up in the worst location in front of Warsaw Centralny and a just handful of stalls near St. Anne’s Church in Old Town.) This weekend, we’re visiting our friends in Germany to experience the German Christmas markets for the first time.

But this year, if you’re looking for Christmas spirit in Warsaw, you’ve got plenty of options!

The first place to start is in the Żoliborz neighborhood at the Plac Wilsona metro stop. Here you’ll find more than 20 wooden booths with special exhibitors from Lithuania, Belarus, Croatia and Israel. We had a good time joking with the Croatian guys (in English) since we had visited Croatia just back in September. One of the cooks from Zagreb looks very similar to the chef/owner Duff Goldman of Ace of Cakes, so of course, I had to take a photo with him.

Croatian cevapcici is very similar to Turkish kofte,
even served with a spicy red pepper paste.

I grabbed a second glass of grzane wino, but the awful grzane piwo also was for sale. Hubby settled on a normal Polish beer, and there’s a nearby sklep that sells Lithuanian beers on tap as well.

At the market, besides delicious edible goodies, you’ll find a variety of Christmas gifts, including Polish ceramics, handmade Christmas ornaments and mini trees, sets of Russian nesting dolls from Belarus, olive-wood-carved nativity sets, woolen socks and much more!

Since this market is only one metro stop away from our apartment, I’m sure I’ll be returning again soon! Perhaps, just so I hang out with the jolly Croatian guys again!

Let the holiday season begin!

Since good information (in English) is difficult to find, I’ve compiled a list of the Christmas Markets happening in Warsaw this year.

Christmas Market in Żoliborz

Daily until December 22

Time: 10.00-19.00

Location: Plac Wilsona in Żoliborz

Christmas Market 2014 on the Barbakan

November 28^th to January 6^th

More info: http://barbakanrzemioslemzdobiony.pl

Local Polish vendors selling food and Christmas decorations and gifts will be set up along the Old Town walls from Plac Zamkowy to the Barbikan as well as in the Old Town Square. The ice skating rink in the Old Town opens on December 5^th.

Christmas Fair by National Stadium

December 6th-January 6th

More info: http://www.mazowsze.travel/wydarzenia

Other activities include: 3 skating rinks, ice slide, ice bistro and bar and a great Christmas tree.

Christmas Bazaar in Ursynów

December 12-21

Weekdays 11-19:00; on weekends: 10-19:00

Location: KEN Street 101, next to the Catholic Parish of the Ascension

More info: http://www.jarmarkursynowski.pl

Christmas Market at Blue City

December 15-23

Time: 10-19:00

Location: Centrum Handlowe Blue City Mall, al. Jerozolimskie 179

This Christmas Market will feature more than 30 wooden booths with products from Hungary, Italy, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, and of course, Poland, mainly from the Podlasie, Mazury and Subcarpathian regions. Some of products will include cheese, fish, baked goods, venison and dumplings.

BioBazar: From Farm to Table in Warsaw

11/10/2014 01:30:00 AM by Joy6 comments

If you like organic, local produce, baked goods, and other healthy food items, then head to the BioBazar in Warsaw.

The BioBazar, held every Wednesday and Saturday in a pre-WWII factory building, is one of my favorite markets where I can purchase unique products such as butternut squash, coconut oil, kale, seasonal mushrooms, tomatillos, millet, quinoa, gluten-free noodles and more.

I use all these seasonal ingredients at home to make dinners that feature items like green salads, mushroom risotto, homemade tortillas with a tomatillo salsa or a Cypriot eggplant and lamb casserole.

Every week, you never know what might be available or in season. Right now, the market is full of Polish apples and fresh apple juice.

What I find most interesting about this space is that the BioBazar takes place in a crumbling pre-WWII building that is surrounded by new skyscrapers and the new metro line all in the city center.

The former Norblin and Company, originally started in 1820, produced metal candleholders, table decorations and cooking equipment and later metal prefabrications for more than 100 years. The buildings were badly damaged during WWII; some were torn down, and others were turned into museum spaces and a theater for awhile. Today, you can still wander around and see the old assembly lines and some of the machinery.

There are fewer and fewer spaces like this remaining in Warsaw. To me, this is what makes Warsaw interesting.

A few months ago, I saw some fancy new posters go up touting ArtNorblin, a new development that will turn the old factory buildings into a gigantic retail and office space. It looks like some of the brick façade will be incorporated into the new design. Hopefully! The website says the site still will be home to the BioBazar as well as a new Norblin Factory Museum.

Before these buildings get “destroyed,” why not stop by the BioBazar and see a bit of Warsaw’s pre-WWII history in person. You also can pick up some delicious, organic produce!