The book's author, Zuza Zak, is a Polish-born cookery writer, food blogger and producer for TV's Food Network in the UK.
In its review of the book in its Wednesday edition, The Financial Times quoted Zak as saying that "pierogi are a symbol of Polishness in and outside of the country ... My aim is to preserve old traditions but also bring things up to date and to make Polish dumplings accessible and enjoyable for all generations.”
Describing Polish pierogi, the Financial Times quoted from Zak’s book: “Soft on the inside, crispy at the edges and loaded with flavour, pierogi have long vied for the title of Poland’s national dish. Not to be confused with the Russian pirozhki, pierogi should almost always be spoken of in the plural because a single pieróg is simply never enough.
"Before cooking they look like miniature Cornish pasties, neatly folded over with a fluted edge and doughy in texture. Packed full of different mixes of flavours, when pulled apart the sticky dumplings release an uplighting puff of steam. They resemble a dim sum and ravioli hybrid, with a bite that ultimately melts in the mouth.”
Born in Poland in 1979, Zak came to Britain with her family at the age of eight.
Her previous book Polska – New Polish Cooking was published in the UK, the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany and her native Poland. It contains recipes that have been passed down by word of mouth from mother to daughter.
(mk/gs)