Fresh From Poland: New Vegetarian Cooking from the Old Country

Born and raised in Poland, food blogger and food photographer Korkosz shares his favorite dishes from his home country in this impressive debut collection of vegetarian fare. Korkosz covers well-known favorites such as pierogi, a dumpling here stuffed with such combinations as sauerkraut, mushrooms, and orange zest; spinach, goat cheese and salted almonds; or lentils and sun-dried tomatoes. Korkosz shares plenty of inventive dishes, such as a creamy sauerkraut soup; dill pickle soup with buttered potatoes; and barley risotto with asparagus, cider, and goat cheese. Other recipes include a can’t-miss buttermilk honey french toast; and a salad of baked beets, apple, and feta with a walnut vinaigrette. Desserts are a highlight, with a riff on the classic mazurek, a flat short-crust pastry that’s filled with raspberry jam, mascarpone, and rose petal preserves, then topped with slivered almonds; the traditional Polish cheesecake, made lighter with cottage or farmer cheese in lieu of cream cheese; and the Polish doughnuts known as paczi. Home cooks, whether vegetarian or not, will appreciate this creative take on what is traditionally meat-heavy fare. (Mar.)