Polish Eating Impressions

[rdywenur]

What is hash browns and homefries?

SomehowI knew you would ask that question ;D

Homefries and Hash browns are both fried potatoes. Homefries are cold boiled potaotes that are cut into small cubes and fried. Hash browns are cut into sticks and then fried.

these are hashbrowns

[rdywenur]

Now here is a post note...to find the foto I did a Google and it brought me to a blog where of all things they were going to have breakfast at a Polish Deli in the Bay area (SF) Ans talked about pierogis...is that serendipity or just plain spooky. (this happens to me all the time)
tinyurl.com/2lssvs

[Pawian]

rdywenur said:

Homefries and Hash browns are both fried potatoes. Homefries are cold boiled potaotes that are cut into small cubes and fried. Hash browns are cut into sticks and then fried.

Strange names hahahaha.

In this photo I can see hash browns. Next to them there is some ham put on cheese and all this is covered with two toppings: mayonnaise and mustard. On a small plate strawberries and pieces of honeydew.
Yes?

PS. Do American women cut potatoes on their own or they prefer to buy ready-to-cook packaged hash browns?

I will never forget a scene from the movie "Three Women" by Altman which I saw when I was about 10 in late 70s (we were on holidays in some small town and we were very bored so we frequented the local cinema). In this scene one of women went shopping as she wanted to prepare nice dinner. One of the things she bought was onion powder or onion shreds, something like that. I was shocked at her laziness - is it really so difficult to buy fresh onion and cut it into pieces? hahahahahahahaha

[leslie]

This just shows the differences between UK and USA. Homefries here (although it's a term we rarely use) are French Fries (in UK chips); hash browns are more like small hamburgers - not sure what's in them but I think they are potato, deep fried with a batter round them. I bet there are terms in this posting that are not used in USA! What do you say about them Ian?
Leslie

[rdywenur]

Mustard and mayonaise...no,no,no!!!! !!!!!!

It is called eggs benedict. You have your muffin, ham, then egg, and covered over with a hollandaise sauce. Too rich for my blood ;D

American women cut their own potaoes .......well at least I do. Maybe the younger generation buys prepared food more than others and that would include most foods. We usually cook just like you do from scratch and the better the cook the fresher the ingredients. Onions included and fresh herbs when possible. I would never think of using non fresh except maybe once in awhile a recipe may call for garlic powder. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing people use grated cheese out of the can instead of fresh when cooking pasta. Here you make a nice pasta dish and then ruin it with the topping.

[Pawian]

rdywenur said:

Mustard and mayonaise...no,no,no!!!! !!!!!!

It is called eggs benedict. You have your muffin, ham, then egg, and covered over with a hollandaise sauce.

ooops, there is still a muffin hidden under these toppings?

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing people use grated cheese out of the can instead of fresh when cooking pasta. Here you make a nice pasta dish and then ruin it with the topping.

Yes, in Reader`s Digest which I once used to learn English (it was such an easy language in the magazine! hahahaha) I saw multiple ads of cheese toppings from a jar, just put in the microwave and pour onto your broccoli. Yuk. hahahahahaha

[Pawian]

rdywenur said:

Maybe the younger generation buys prepared food more than others and that would include most foods. We usually cook just like you do from scratch and the better the cook the fresher the ingredients. Onions included and fresh herbs when possible. I would never think of using non fresh except maybe once in awhile a recipe may call for garlic powder.

We also use fresh ingredients but what can still be called fresh today? Preparing pancakes one should use freshly pressed farmer cheese or milk straight from the cow hahahahaha.

Instead, we use cheese and milk from the supermarket.

An experienced cook is able to make a plateful of pancakes in one hour.

[rdywenur]

Now you've gone and done it. Teasing me with these yummy pancakes (nalesnicki) yum yum. I have not had these in ages since my mom stopped making them. Can you email me a few of those........thank you very much .
I should try to make my own...nie. I miss her potato pancakes too. ;D

[jeanne]

rdywenur said:

American women cut their own potaoes .......well at least I do. Maybe the younger generation buys prepared food more than others and that would include most foods. We usually cook just like you do from scratch and the better the cook the fresher the ingredients. Onions included and fresh herbs when possible. I would never think of using non fresh except maybe once in awhile a recipe may call for garlic powder. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing people use grated cheese out of the can instead of fresh when cooking pasta. Here you make a nice pasta dish and then ruin it with the topping.

Rdywenur,

I too try to make everything from fresh ingredients, however,
when I go to the supermarket, I see that ninety-percent of the merchandise there is pre-prepared and processed. That leads me to believe that we are in the minority as far as food preparation goes here in the USA.

Interestingly, there is a prominent movement among the younger generation back to buying "locally". My daughter is very much involved in this way of life now. She will be married next week (!) to a young man from Vermont and they will be making their living by owning an organic dairy farm. All the young people they know are involved in the "buy locally" movement which extends not only to food, but also to services. They feel Americans need to support the businesses in their own area to reclaim the sense of community which has dissipated in many areas of our country. I have learned a lot from them and now make a conscious effort to support businesses in my local area. I think it's a great thing and makes me optimistic for the future.

Jeanne

[rdywenur]

Jeanne, I believe in supporting our local businesses also. Our supermarket here has been practicing this for some time now. They are very innovative in their way of doing business.
www.wegmans.com/ My only complaint with them is that they push down my throat their brand and make popular brands scarce. Some are okay but I much rather make my own choices and having them to make.

People usually bring out of town visitors to the Pittsford store which is a food experience in itself and unbelievable.

[Pawian]

rdywenur said:

Jeanne, I believe in supporting our local businesses also. Our supermarket here has been practicing this for some time now. They are very innovative in their way of doing business.

Our supermarket too. They do business with some local lady who produces home-made pierogis. They are so tasty we can eat them day by day. It saves a lot of time and effort.

With meat


With farmer cheese

[bescheid]

rdywenur said:

Jeanne, I believe in supporting our local businesses also. Our supermarket here has been practicing this for some time now. They are very innovative in their way of doing business.
www.wegmans.com/ My only complaint with them is that they push down my throat their brand and make popular brands scarce. Some are okay but I much rather make my own choices and having them to make.

People usually bring out of town visitors to the Pittsford store which is a food experience in itself and unbelievable.

Chris

For only with a short comment. Your descriptions are very revealing of the general public consumer habits in your area. I do like these descriptions, for it is a description of the people, their habits, their manner of living.

The {Wegmans} url, was highly excellent, for inself, is revealing of the high quality of American food retail business in America. Very consumer oriented with quality of service and vast availability of a high selection of consumer products. At a very attractive price.

In the area here. It is very similar as to be the same. For there is a vast retail choice of high quality food out lets affording a choice to consumers. Fresh vegetables are readily available in both the out door markets {seasonal} as within the various out let chains as of {Safeway/Top Food/Albertson/Farmers Market/Peoples Market/QFC Chains/}.

Observations:

The area is populated primarily of Scandinavian origin. Increasing minority population of Ukrainian and Russian. In this respect, and increasing population of Korean with related Korean based retail outlets specializing in the specific purchasing needs of this Asian population.

Purchasing habits as observed:

The American home maker is the chief purchaser of house whole requirements. An observation of purchase push basket products reveals a high mix of {tin vegetables/ cooking ingredients-depending upon ethnic choice-varieties of frozen foods of both vegetable and meat products/ready made or quick meal preparations/convenience products of labour-time saving}

Observed payment medium:

Primary use of credit card {both of debit bank issued and added credit monthly bill bank cards,cheque} very seldom display of cash payment}.

Observed payment charge:

Between US $80 to $200 + as average charge run up

All above observations accomplished with casual in line waiting in non-obtrusive sight/sound and casual conversation exchange.

Charles

[scatts]

Pawian, what's the topping on the Pajda? I see the bread and the ogorki but the brown stuff I don't recognise. Is it a kind of smalec?

[jeanne]

rdywenur said:

Jeanne, I believe in supporting our local businesses also. Our supermarket here has been practicing this for some time now. They are very innovative in their way of doing business.
www.wegmans.com/ My only complaint with them is that they push down my throat their brand and make popular brands scarce. Some are okay but I much rather make my own choices and having them to make.

People usually bring out of town visitors to the Pittsford store which is a food experience in itself and unbelievable.

Rdywenur,

Yes, Wegman's has the right idea! Very interesting. Also, in many places where stores do not buy local, many people are forming cooperatives to support local farms. I have another daughter who lives in a city and she belongs to a food co-op which buys from farms just outside the city. Members of the co-op also commit to spending a certain amount of time helping out on the farms they get their produce from; they help with the harvest, etc. Definitely makes sense economically and health-wise! And of course, the more local the produce is, the fresher, and certainly the better tasting it is!

Jeanne

[Pawian]

scatts said:

Pawian, what's the topping on the Pajda? I see the bread and the ogorki but the brown stuff I don't recognise. Is it a kind of smalec?

Well, I forgot to ask the assistants about it.
This stuff looked like minced meat to me, but on the price board, smalec was written as one of ingredients.

I didn`t buy it because the food looked too junk in my opinion.

And I don`t like when a stranger touches my bread with bare hands !