This week is a sweet book. Sweet for providing a sugary treat but also, I found it truly a sweet little book. It will be nostalgic and will attract many for the heritage memories. It’s called ‘The Sweet Polish Kitchen’ by Ren Belhan. Many of you know I don’t have a massively sweet tooth, but I do enjoy cooking sweets, cakes and puddings. This is a good purchase for something exciting and a bit different, with 80 recipes from cakes, classic home bakes and nostalgic treats too. There is a lovely introduction about family and cafe culture, which is a great read in itself. I obviously struggle with the pronunciation of the dishes here, but I get the food. And I adore that they have a sourdough starter here too.

Polish food is often overlooked and it shouldn’t be. There is a huge repertoire I don’t know about and dishes I didn’t know existed but will be normal for many. Cheesecakes look particularly good, with the classic Polish version made with raisins, which I like the sound of. The use of fruit, candied peel, apples, lemon, pear, cherries, bilberries, plums is a big deal. There are too many recipes to choose from, but one that I am drawn to is the Carpathian Mountain cake: a choux pastry with pastry cream, fruit and toasted almonds. Sounds blooming lovely. Modern twists but with classic recipes and bold folkloric styling.