KEVIN BROOKER, SWERVE
More from Kevin Brooker, Swerve

I had the good fortune of touring Poland a number of years back, when glasnost was still young. I went expecting austerity, and was shocked to find myself eating some of the best meals of my life. Poland gets called Eastern Europe, but it’s really dead-centre. Consequently, its complex food traditions (and supply lines) span the old world heartland, from Germany to Russia and from the Baltic to the Mediterranean. It’s in no way surprising that ur-foodie Martha Stewart was born Martha Kostyra, full-blooded Pole. And Calgary, it turns out, is unexpectedly rich in this food tradition, thanks to a handful of delicatessens with ties to the motherland—most of which happen to be on the city’s south side at places like Cracovia, Old Fashion Meats and Heritage Bakery.

Acadia’s Polcan is one of the more popular spots, where you can smell the smokehouse the minute you hit the strip-mall parking lot. Polcan does the Euro mini-supermarket thing well, with tiny, packed aisles next to a busy meat counter where the focus is obviously on the many varieties of sausage and cold cuts. Like everything else here, they’re the real deal. Out front, the fresh-bread racks feature a dozen species of rye and as many kinds of poppy-seed pastries. In the cold case there’s twarog, dry curd cheese which is the central ingredient in Poland’s distinct style of cheesecake, and oscypek, smoked sheep’s cheese from Zakopane, the Banff of Poland. There’s even a special cream cheese made specifically for baking—and a refrigerated case of creamy pastries to inspire you. Polcan also has a small steam table for reasonably priced takeout or eat-in, with classics like perogies, cabbage rolls and bigos, the national dish: a hunter’s stew of sauerkraut and mixed meats (but always the house kielbasa).

Don’t ignore the aisles, though, where pantry treasures abound. Most Canadians already know one Polish standard—polski ogorki—or at least, the Canadianized version of the dill pickle. These delis have scores of more authentic pickle variants worth trying, including beets, peppers, carrots and mushrooms. They’re also a condiment paradise, with more approaches to horseradish, mayonnaise and mustard than you could ever imagine. Apple horseradish? Don’t knock it until you try it. You’ll find that many of the products only have Polish labels (unless you count that poorly informative white sticker that satisfies French-English labelling laws), but almost all of them have excellent pictures. By the way, although many of Calgary’s 30,000 or so Poles are recent immigrants, you won’t have a problem dealing in English.

I would also urge you to explore the fruit side. I’ve always found packaged European juices to be somehow richer than ours, and Poland’s are among the best. The nation produces first-class pears, apricots, plums, blueberries, cranberries, currants and, my personal favourite, sour cherries (see sidebar). All of them come in numerous forms, including fruit-only, jams, compotes and syrups.

Fortunately for us left-bankers, there is a Polish treasure north of the Bow. Jan’s Meats and Deli is the dziadek (grand-daddy) on the Calgary scene, with nearly three decades of service. An easy right turn off Crowchild northbound, its convenience is only exceeded by its excellence. Jan offers bespoke charcuterie, of course, but he also provides something pretty rare around here these days: a full-service butchery with high quality and reasonable prices. Order ground beef or pork and it goes through the grinder right on the spot. It’s also my go-to place if I need a custom cut like a crown roast.

Jan sells bulk house-made sauerkraut, herring, dills, smoked mackerel and a variety of prepared foods on the perogie and cabbage-roll spectrum. Its dairy case, too, teems with goodness. Try the supremely rich MC Dairy brand sour cream—for example, in a salad with cucumber, lemon juice and fresh dill—for an instant taste of Polish summer.

Pucker Up

Sour cherries—Prunus cerasus—come in many preserved forms. The jams are tart and wonderful, while the juice makes a great soda splash. Use a jar of them in light syrup as a filling in sweet perogies, the perfect way to celebrate Poland’s independence day, November 11.

By ANDREA TUDHOPE   –   KCUR.ORG

Pickling is a trend picking up all over the country, and Elise Landry, sous chef at Ça Va in Kansas City’s Westport neighborhood, is pickling everything. Turnips, husk cherries, shallots … you name it, she’s pickled it.

“The other day I was called a pickled petunia by a customer, which I’ll always remember,” she laughs.

Initially, Landry started pickling to keep the seasonal produce she got from the Brookside Farmer’s Market fresh. But it’s gone far beyond practicalities.

“I’ve had a lot of great feedback,” she says. “They’re all housemade pickles. People get that, and they love it. They’re like, ‘Did you make all of these pickles?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah! This is my way of preserving summer and spring on a plate for you to enjoy.’”

When pickling, Elise says, first you have to process the produce. Slicing or dicing, slightly roasting or blanching — all of these methods ensure that the flavors of the brine will permeate the fruits and vegetables.

Whether making a traditional pickle with cucumbers, or pickling a fruit or vegetable, the pickling liquid remains standard.

“My general rule of thumb for a really basic pickle is equal parts vinegar and sugar, and half a part water,” Landry says.

Other ingredients and variations are up to preference. You can pair certain spices and various kinds of vinegar depending on what you’re pickling. For peaches, Landry pairs rosemary sprigs. For green tomatoes, she adds a dash of turmeric for a bit of flavor, but mostly to preserve and enhance the natural, lime green hue of the tomatoes. For red onions or red beets, she uses red wine vinegar.

After you bring those ingredients to a slow boil over medium heat, allowing the sugar and spices to dissolve together, you pour the hot liquid right over the produce. Cool it to room temperature, then store it.

Landry’s go-to method is known as quick pickling. It’s just one of various pickling methods that have become popular, including salt brining, vinegar brining and fermentation.

Though her pickling may be fast and, she claims, ‘simple,’ the results are complex and tasty, not to mention well-utilized throughout the menu at Ça Va. Even during brunch on Sundays, you can build your own mimosas using shrubs and syrups crafted from muddled pickles and brines.

“When I break down what makes something taste really good, it’s the perfect balance between fat and acid,” Landry says.

And pickles, she says, are a great way to bring that acid, and a little crunch and bite, to any dish.

Nursing homes do everything they can to create a relaxing and welcoming environment for their residents. In fact, the environment is so relaxing and so welcoming that it’s very likely for them to attract more than just the elderly!

Mr. Pickles was an outdoor cat before he became a permanent member of the Bayview Retirement community. He’d often stop by the home for free treats and to sleep by the fireplace as his previous guardian was in and out of the hospital so much that he could no longer care for Mr. Pickles.

Once Mr. Pickles previous caretaker got wind of where his cat was going, he knew that Bayview was the right place for him. Since then, Mr. Pickles has earned his place as the self-appointed hospitality specialist and greeter at the Bayview Retirement Community. He keeps the residents company and uses his dashing good looks to keep everyone entertained and upbeat.

This kitty is way more than just a mascot, though, at five minutes in, a resident displays one of the many times Mr. Pickles has pulled his own weight and helped out with chores!

While there is no doubt that this particular kitty is special, animals who take on therapeutic roles in retirement homes like Mr. Pickles aren’t uncommon. Having a four-legged friend around does wonders for the physical and mental well-being of residents. At Bayview, there is no question that the residents love Mr. Pickles and it’s pretty obvious that he loves them back. What more can you ask for?

A group of youngsters struggles to eat plates full of pickles in a minute during a pickle eating competition at the Habersham Harvest Festival in Beaufort on Saturday. “It was really sour,” said contestant Kailey Kreiss, 10, second from right. Jay Karr jkarr@islandpacket.com

 BY JAY KARR   –   The Beoufort Gazette

Carnival rides, a pickle-eating contest and petting zoo animals entertained visitors at the 7th annual Habersham Harvest Festival on Saturday in Beaufort.

Families enjoyed a perfect autumn day strolling beneath the overhanging Spanish moss-draped branches at the Habersham Marketplace.

In addition to seasonal activities such as hayrides, the festival featured carnival rides provided by Big Round Wheel of Blacksburg.

New arrivals were met by a 47-foot-tall Ferris wheel with a long line of people stretching nearly back to the scarecrows at the festival entrance. From the air, riders were treated to a bird’s-eye view of the festival.

Down below, crowds of people, some pushing children in strollers or walking dogs on leashes, navigated the street past vendors and craft booths selling a variety of items ranging from pillows to neon-colored fish paintings.

Meanwhile, a pickle-eating contest got underway at the main stage area where groups of youngsters competed to see who could wolf down the most pickles in a minute’s time.

“I shoved them all in my mouth. I think I had nine or 10,” said Kailey Kreiss, 10, of Savannah after competing. “It was really sour.”

Further down the street, at the mini petting zoo, Rhonda Alexion, of Beaufort, showed goddaughter Carley Holmes a pair of turkeys strutting around their cage. “You know when I tell you, ‘you little turkey?’ Well, that’s a turkey,” she said.

A second petting zoo featured farm animals such as goats and exotic creatures like llamas. Next to the petting zoo, a carousel was spinning a few feet from an attraction offering rides on real ponies.

As the lead singer of the band NightTrain sang a country song about a honky tonk angel turning his life around, festival goers bellied up to a variety of food vendors. The Tavino’s wood-fired pizza booth was doing a land-office business, while nearby, the pulled-pork tacos with blue cheese slaw featured at the Downtown Curbside Kitchen food truck were selling like hotcakes.

New to the festival was a collection of whimsical scarecrows adorning the entryway. The scarecrows, which were a popular background for festival goers to take selfies and group photos in front of, were a collaboration between the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern Beaufort County and the Habersham Builders League, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs.