Monday 1 August 2011

The weather has turned humid and thundery!

The weather is hot and humid and I feel really lethargic. What a good excuse to sit around reading or posting.
The book above is possibly one of the most beautiful cookery books I have found. Rose Petal Jam is by Beata Zatorska and her husband Simon Target and follows their return to her native Poland after some years in exile. It is a special book, so much love and sentiment are inside this visually enchanting volume. Beata speaks of her beloved Polish Grandmother and her farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of the Karkonsze mountains. Her Grandmother fed her wonderful food and taught her to make  pierogi , the rose petal jam of the title and many more polish dishes.
 This is the sort of food that brings the tastes and smells of Beata's childhood to life for her and for us.You feel her emotion very strongly as she visits relatives and places she has not seen since childhood.
I love the photography  and the inclusion of  Polish poetry both translated and in the original.   Her book will  do so much for the Polish tourist industry , now I would just love to wander in the scenery  shown there  so lovingly. I am enchanted by the wooden painted buildings,white net curtains and the gardens where flowers tumble around  vegetable plots.  Beata's book is in the great tradition of  really special cookery books that bring  together love, life, memories and family food! The most important things in life I think.  The great thing is that there is a follow up coming out sometime next year about her winter in Poland entitled Sugared Orange Zest.
Follow this link to find out more
 Think I will be trying to make pierniki, ginger biscuits and knedle ze sliwkami translated plum filled potato dumplings!
Some other books on the go, of course  they are
 on the bed where I do most of my reading!

11 comments:

  1. Hi Angela, this book looks and sounds delicious! I love the way you've photographed it against the faded vintage quilts. One of my daughters bought me a little jar of rose petal jam for my birthday, and it was heavenly. Yes, the weather has turned rather sultry and sulky up here in Yorkshire too! Jane Gray

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  2. Yes it's been the same here today, when I took a walk down into town for a few errands. I bought 2 books in the charity shop for £1 each and there is some blue sky behind the Tor now, so a good day in all :-D
    Lammas blessings xx

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  3. The title alone, "rose Petal Jam" sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.

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  4. How wonderful~ Rose Petal Jam sounds so light and delish! I'll take some on a scone with my tea! :)

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  5. Ok I will send some over! The lovely thing about this book is that is a real inspiration not just to cook but to examine memory and nostalgia too.All the best Angela

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  6. That book seems so beautiful, I love the picture you have showed us, I love roses so much, all kind of roses. I live in a flat without garden but I try to buy roses from time to time to enjoy them even a little bit! Hugs,

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  7. Thanks for visiting my post. You have a beautiful blog. Nice pics.
    and paintings. This is making me hungry. :)

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  8. WHat better place to read than in ones bed, a haven indeed. I spy a book about one of my favourite folk, William Morris!

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  9. Hello dear Angela - what a lovely post to return to after my summer absence.;)
    I am very familiar with the Krkonose mountains, that we share with Poland.;) And I can just imagine how lovely the book must be.;)
    Thnak you for all your kind messages and notes on FB, it is good to be back.;) Hope you are well,
    xoxo

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  10. This looks like an interesting book. I like that it has more than just recipes. It is fun to learn about people and customs from far away lands.

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