There are a lot of homemade dishes which, even though they are great, have simply palled and don't taste like they did in the past. The devil is in the detail and it is the same in the kitchen. Today I would like to show you a way to change dull salmon into an excellent dish. The secret is salsa.

This Mexican dish prepared with ground or finely diced fruit and vegetables with seasoning has been known in Poland since year one. The first written mention in the Polish-Latin dictionary comes from the year 1564. In the "Old Polish pictorial encyclopaedia", written in 1900, the historian, archaeologist and ethnographer Zygmunt Gloger described it as "an acidulous seasoning for dishes, usually a sauce prepared with vinegar". So it isn't a new invention but a crunchy sweet-and-sour dish with a slightly piquant taste, which can change ordinary fish into an interesting meal. I discovered it thanks to my sister and due to the Lidl cookery book.

Ingredients:
4 pieces of salmon
4 gherkins
6 dried tomatoes from olive oil
chili pepper
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of minced coriander
1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons of olive oil
lime peel from a half of lime

Almost every young girl dreams of a veil, a long gown, a prince on a white horse and The Most Important Day of her Life, followed by a long and happy life together. The times may be changing, but this idea remains invincible.

The main character of the book "The Miniaturist" by Jessie Burton, young Nella Oortman, stands on the doorstep of her new house one October evening in 17th century Amsterdam. She has a head full of dreams about a rich life with a husband – a peddler called Johannes Brandt. Instead of a loving, languishing husband on the doorstep, she is greeted by her curt, rugged sister-in-law and an exotic servant. The husband appears some time later, but he doesn't devote any time to his young wife. The next few days don't change the situation.

An extraordinary gift is appears as compensation for her husband's lack of attention: A miniature of the house, which to begin with is empty. In the course of time it fills up with elaborate figurines and objects made by a mysterious miniaturist. The replica of the house and its new parts enthral and frighten the young girl. It transpires that they are made so precisely it's as if somebody is watching Nelly's life closely. Through them the girl exposes the dark secrets of the house's residents. She believes they are the reason for the disturbing events which follow. In her head appear more and more nagging questions: How does the miniaturist know so much about her husband's family? Does the miniaturist control the future of the house's residents? And finally: Who is the talented artist?

There are dishes which taste just as great hot as they do served cool. Do you like roast chicken? It is fantastic hot and flavoursome for dinner but tastes excellent cold in a salad. Pork chops with potatoes –the most famous Polish dinner bar none – is liked by everyone. Now imagine it in a crusty "Kaiser" roll with fresh tomato during a picnic. It sounds fantastic, doesn't it?

Another dish you may serve and eat hot or cold is Greek-style fish. Despite its name, it isn't known by the Greeks, but in my opinion they should try it.

Ingredients (for two people):
300g of white fish filets
2 carrots
2 parsley roots
half a celery
2 onions
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of tomato concentrate
2 bay leaves
3 allspices
salt and pepper

Chocolate and nuts is a perfect duet. If we add an orange, we get a feast for the senses. On a grey sad afternoon, make some chocolate-nut cookies with a hint of orange. Now you need only a good book or movie and a cup of hot tea, and you can stand up to the rainy weather beyond the window. I don't recommend putting all of the cookies out at once. It may turn out that you haven't got any left before the end of the first chapter of your book.

In the recipe for cookies there is brown sugar. Don't leave it out. The brown sugar enhances the taste of the chocolate and orange combination.

Ingredients:
300g of wheat flour
75g of graham flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
200g of butter
200g white sugar
100g brown sugar

Until restaurants with different kinds of dumplings appeared in Poland, dumplings for dinner were a feast at my home. I remember when I made dumplings with Mum and put them in rows of ten. For our big family we made a huge amount of these goodies. Now I most often make dumplings with meat and vegetables using the ingredients from broth. I serve them boiled with a browned onion or fried until golden.

The dough is the secret of home-made dumplings. Every housewife has her secret recipe which she uses to make soft and resilient dough. You can prepare the stuffing with everything. Today I have a recipe for dumplings with oyster mushrooms.

Ingredients:
Dough
0.5 kg of flour + flour for sprinkling a pastry board
½ teaspoon of salt
60ml oil
200ml of hot water