Polish Cuisine is not a single, unchanging notion. The first Polish cookbook was written in 1682 (before King Sobieski's Vienna campaign!). In its introduction, the author, Stanislaw Czerniecki, defended himself: "one should not feel offended that my first book begins with Polish dishes...". Western ways of cooking were already familiar to the Polish nobles' kitchens. For centuries Polish cuisine had absorbed and adapted French, Italian, Lithuanian and Jewish dishes. Oriental spices were not alien to it; some foreign vegetables and fruits brought by Queen Bona to Poland were widely accepted, competing with the native favorites - cabbage, apples and pears. Polish cuisine still thrives and grows, as it is simply everything Poles eat - in the home country and wherever they live around the world. Polish cuisine is an indispensable element of Polish culture and a marker of cultural and social development. It is spoken of mainly during traditional holidays and the meals associated with them, but every heart cherishes some favorite Polish dishes prepared by grandmother or mother for everyday meals. We come back to them eagerly, whether it be roll-ups, rye meal soup, sauerkraut stew or crepes with farmer cheese and cherry preserves, because in this way we return to the family home of our childhood. We hope that you will find such recipes in this book, that you will refresh your memories of them and will pass their tradition to the next generation. Available in full size or the mini version (same number of recipes and color photo of each dish).