Anna Hurning

Ever since Anna came to the U.S. for the first time in 1993 as an exchange student, she was asked for recipes for the food she cooked or dishes that friends knew from when they were kids that their grandma made. She landed in Wisconsin, an area saturated with 2nd, 3rd or even later generations of Polish and Eastern European immigrants. Conversations about food were always prominent.

Growing up, she was mostly influenced by her grandma (Babcia) Stasia’s cooking. She spent a lot of time with her and was a primary cook in her home. She curiously watched and “recorded” everything grandma did in her head. Anna's family had a large kitchen with a huge island in the middle, enough room to spread pasta to dry, pierogi lined up for boiling, or rows and rows of jars waiting for pickles in preparation for the winter. Babcia let her “help”, while patiently explaining the exact measurements of “a little bit”. Cooking became art in her hands. No written recipe, no cookbooks, no professional training, and yet somehow it always came out exactly the same.

Anna's dearest Babcia Stasia passed away at the age of 89 in 2016. With her guidance in her heart, she's been perfecting her recipes for years. She's recreated many and simplified and adjusted to the ingredients that were available in the U.S. Anna says that her cooking may not compare to Babcia’s, but since she's craved flavors of home ever since she left Poland, she says she had to keep trying to get it right.

In 2018, after 23 years in the service, Anna's husband retired and they decided to move their Polish-American family to Poland. "It was the best decision for us" - they say. They love being close to Anna's family again, her husband is appreciating the European way of living.

Recipes that you see in her book come from her family’s table or are renditions on new dishes Anna tastes around the country. All photography is also done by her. She says she will continue to learn from her mom and dad and explore Polish regional cooking while traveling through Poland.

"My idea is to include traditional Polish recipes that most of Polish immigrants know and love but also and present a modern take on Polish kitchen". - Anna states.

In 2019, 3 years after the birth of my blog, Anna published her first mini cookbook: “Polish Your Kitchen; A Book of Memories: Christmas Edition.” The book contains 30 recipes of dishes served during Christmas in my family home. The book is available for purchase here.

You can see more recipes on her website polishyourkitchen.com and videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK59LbpAiMl2ZWsNeimgORg