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Posts by zagadka314  

Joined: 26 Apr 2017 / Male ♂
Last Post: 27 Apr 2017
Threads: 2
Posts: 6
From: Poland, Warszawa
Speaks Polish?: pre-B1
Interests: Electric vehicles, scientific environmentalism, energy, science

Displayed posts: 8
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zagadka314   
27 Apr 2017
Food / Making American cheeses (Polish and EU ones are terrible!) [100]

@peterweg
If you define cheese in such a way that modifying it after it is in a cheese wheel, then American cheese isn't "real" cheese. But that is honestly a stupid argument just used by snobs to attack high-quality American cheese.
zagadka314   
27 Apr 2017
Real Estate / Moving to the Katowice area soon! Safe neighborhood for an Irish man? [38]

All I have to say is, get a HEPA filter. If you are in Germany or the UK, get one there because they are very hard to find in Poland. The air is so bad in Katowice that it is often worse than in Beijing and other Chinese cities. Kraków looks like it is foggy all winter because of the pollution and Katowice is even worse. I would only go to Southern Poland during the summer.
zagadka314   
27 Apr 2017
Food / American baking products (bread, shortening, etc) [19]

I don't know why American products are so often sold as British products, but every product on that page is American! Maybe I can get some Crisco. I bought some "tłuszcz do pieczenia" at Carrefour yesterday and I'll see how that works for biscuits (American bread, not cookies).
zagadka314   
27 Apr 2017
Law / Resignation/Cancelling Karta Pobytu - Poland's resident card [2]

In my experience, the only way to get anything done is to go to the office. They might respond to a phone call or email in Polish if you try to contact them enough times. Report it "lost" and they should cancel the card and you'll be required to go there within a few days. If you don't, you have to do it again, so it would be canceled. That would probably be the easiest way.
zagadka314   
27 Apr 2017
Food / Making American cheeses (Polish and EU ones are terrible!) [100]

From what I have read, cheeses are often different even with the same name. I read that Monetery Jack in the UK isn't actually the real deal but it is similar. I guess I'll try this though. I really hope it is because this is my favorite kind of cheese.

I usually got high-quality American cheese from the deli. Just because it is reprocessed cheese doesn't make it somehow worse than "normal" cheese. I hate the myth that all American cheeses are terrible "fake cheeses" or somehow loaded with dangerous chemicals. The anti-American cheese crowd is very ignorant of the reality of American cheeses It is like Europeans think American cheeses are inferior just because they aren't from Europe. Which I guess would be a very American attitude to have? The typical Brit is just as arrogant as the typical American, so I'm not surprised by the view in the UK. I guess "father like son." The same over-processed "fake" stuff is made in Europe too, just usually isn't as tasty...

delphiandomine, I guess you are British...

@jon357
Thanks for the advice! I don't have a cool room, but maybe the basement would work...

@delphiandomine
haha the funny thing is, is that the mature cheddar at Biedronka is the ONLY cheese I regularly buy, except for renamed parmesan! It is great but it isn't good for cheese dips and some other uses.

@DominicB
I am from Chillicothe, OH. I used to even use Crisco for grilled cheeses. I hate the lack of peppers and hot sauces, but at least I have jalapenos. I wish I could find cilantro too though.

What makes them poverty food? I never heard it called that. Beans are kind of expensive. We had beans at every major family gathering (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc). Many family members have unique recipes to make homemade baked beans. I bought a can at Carrefour yesterday and just ate the whole can. I really miss American baked beans. They are better than the British flavors I can get here. I want to find all the ingredients for them too.

@Lyzko
I definitely agree that 95% of fresh foods, like apples, are MUCH better in Europe. Yet Poles still can't figure out that corn comes in this fancy, green pacakging and doesn't need to be shucked and put in plastic. Poles have some great foods, like pierogi, krokiety, placki z gulaszem, and more. I'd still say good American food is more flavorful than good European foods. Why? Well, we have people from all over the world bringing the best foods to America! In the US, you can get low quality, cheap garbage of everything, even pierogi. This might be a big reason as to why Europeans look down on American food so much.

@TheOther
Every "special" cheese from Carrefour or even Tesco has been a bland piece of rubber. I don't know why European cheeses are so bland and rubbery. I gave up trying to get anything from the deli, except cheddars.

@johnny reb
You've got that right! Europeans are missing out ;)
zagadka314   
26 Apr 2017
Food / Making American cheeses (Polish and EU ones are terrible!) [100]

I'm guessing many others here miss the amazing cheeses from America. European cheeses are TERRIBLE! I miss the cheese from the Americas: Monterey Jack (especially Pepper Jack), Colby, American cheese, queso, and everything else. The only good cheese in Europe is cheddar and I cannot find nearly as many varieties of cheddars as in the US. I need certain cheddars to make some American and Mexican style cheese dips and American cheese. I'm so tired of the terrible cheeses here that I am planning to make my own Monterey Jack cheese wheels at home... If I ever figure out how to keep it at the right temperature. If someone has a wine cooler, maybe we could make a deal xD

Has anyone else made homemade cheeses?
zagadka314   
26 Apr 2017
Food / American baking products (bread, shortening, etc) [19]

Hello everyone! I am new here, though I have read a lot of posts over the last few years. I finally decided to make my own account because of the challenges I am having in the kitchen. I miss many American foods.

I read the only possibly related thread about shortening and it wasn't very helpful. That post is here:
https://polishforums.com/food/shortening-used-baking-stuff-50492/

I really want to make biscuits. Not cookies (those aren't biscuits!!), but the most delicious bread on the planet. I crave these delicious little things! But I need shortening to make them. I always want to make American cakes. I'm sorry, but I just don't like Polish cake at all. I wish I could start an American bakery xD

I also can't find masa harina. I want to make homemade tortillas and tortilla chips. I am so happy I finally found pinto beans. I'm going to start making homemade refried beans and bring back my favorite foods! I might be from the US, by my stomach is Mexican!

EDIT: By the way, I made some delicious cornbread a few days ago and I ate WAY too much! Today I plan to make banana nut bread. I have only recently started cooking these things. Does anyone else have any suggestions or advice?