10 december 2009 - In Poland there are lots of nice tidbits laid out on the table on Christmas Eve. Even though Old Father Time has not yet progressed that far, Cursor was allowed to sample the atmosphere with Agata Bartkowsa (25, a postgraduate student in the User System Interaction program). “I love cooking and sharing this love of food with people.”

Tonight it is Cursor’s turn. We are eating together with Agata and her close friend Wojtek Kusmierek, who is visiting. An appetizer of vodka with apple juice sets the tone. “This is the only real vodka. With bison grass. When you drink it with fresh apple juice, it tastes like apple cake”, Agata laughs. Nice and sweet, according to Cursor. Which also goes for the beetroot soup with cabbage and mushrooms. “According to Polish tradition you pick them yourself in the woods. Then you allow them to dry before using them in the Christmas dinner.” The main dish also includes mushrooms: filled dough scallops (dumplings) served with baked bacon. “At Christmas we make sweet as well as spicy dumplings.”

In October Agata came to Eindhoven and she has now found a place to live as well. Agata is not homesick: “I like it in Eindhoven. People are friendly, they laugh a lot and all speak English.” She does miss Polish cooking, though. So she has set about preparing a Polish meal herself. Thus, she has made Polish cottage cheese. “This is a typically Polish recipe. However, according to my landlord, who is of Indian descent, it is just like Indian cheese. This time Agata bought the cheese to be used in the dessert: crêpes with vanilla sugar and cottage cheese and crêpes with apple sauce.

In addition to cooking and dining, Agata likes to travel. It is a passion which has taken her through many countries, and which has resulted in her speaking no less than seven languages. Who knows - it may soon be eight, once she has familiarized herself with Dutch. She shares the love of traveling with her boyfriend; he has just departed for Venezuela. Agata does not find the distance any problem: “Poland is a sixteen-hour train trip. Venezuela is only a nine-hour flight away!” That’s why she will board a plane for Chrismas.

The recipe may be found on www.tuemeetingplace.nl.
Would you like us to savor your culinary prowess? Mail to engcursor@tue.nl.