Lovin' the Spuds!

05/13/2012 14:37

 

Just a quick note to tell you of my love for potato cakes. To tell the truth, I never really appreciated this food when we were kids. Mom always used to make it on Fridays, when she rarely made foods containing meat. I usually wanted something like macaroni and cheese, or pizza, so it was a little disappointing to me when she said that we’re going to have potato cakes. After I got older, however, and especially after I started going to Poland, I began to realize how great this food is. There is a real art to making placki (plat - ski), as the Poles call them. In my opinion, a good potato cake should be crispy on the outside but not burnt, and moist but not undercooked on the inside. Also, it should not be too greasy, which can be a little tough considering that you nearly need to float them in a good amount of oil when frying.

While you can eat potato cakes just by themselves, I think the best way to have them is the way that I get them at the Ukrainian Foundation in Kraków. It’s called “placki z gulaszem,” or “potato cakes with goulash.” The potato cakes are served a little bigger than what we’re used to at home. On the bottom are the potato cakes. On top, they put a goulash of beef and brownish-reddish gravy, topped off with a dollop of sour cream. To this, I usually add a side dish of “mizeria,” literally “misery.” Mizeria is basically creamed cucumbers.  I’m going to end this now or else I’ll start to weep. God bless fried potato products topped with gravy and cream!