Who's Cooking: Barbara Mish of Huntington

A research scientist at Pall Corp. in Port Washington, she lives in Huntington with her husband, Bob Butz, and their daughter, Leah.

What do you like to cook? I was born in Poland, but I love to cook all kinds of Asian food. My daughter says I should have been Asian.

Who were your cooking teachers? Mostly co-workers. The wonderful thing about doing scientific research is the people you work with. Lately I've been working with a lot of Koreans, and Korean cooking has become one of my favorites.

What attracted you to Korean cuisine? Initially it was the kimchee [fermented vegetables] because in Polish cooking we also have a lot of pickled vegetables -- sauerkraut for example. I remember one time giving a Korean grad student a ride home, and she invited me in for dinner. Walking in the door I smelled something -- it was unmistakably fermented cabbage. She looked a little embarrassed. I said, "You don't have to explain. My father keeps his under the sink." She said, "My father keeps his in the linen closet."

Do you cook Polish food? Yes, lately I've been going back to my roots, cooking traditional Polish things like pierogies, stuffed cabbage, bigos. My father was a wonderful cook. He regularly made his own kielbasa. I've done that a few times too. But usually I shop at one of the Polish grocers in Copiague, Kabano's or Euro Deli. 

BIGOS (POLISH “HUNTER’S STEW”)

Traditionally served with boiled potatoes, a cucumber salad and roasted, grated beets with horseradish

11/2 white cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 (16-ounce) bag sauerkraut, drained
Vegetable oil or clarified butter
2 large onions, chopped
1 ounce dried mushrooms (see note)
3 allspice berries
2 bay leaves
1 cup beer or dry white wine
1 cup chicken or beef broth
1 ham hock or smoked pork chop
1 smoked turkey thigh or wing
1 pound kielbasa, cut into 1-inch chunks
Black pepper

1. Toss cabbage with salt. Leave in bowl a few hours until it begins to wilt. Rinse, drain and combine with sauerkraut.
2. Place mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak 15 minutes, drain and chop. Strain soaking liquid and set aside.
3. Film the bottom of a Dutch oven with oil. Saute onions over low heat until golden brown, about an hour. Add cabbage, sauerkraut and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Add allspice, bay leaves, beer or wine and bring to boil, turn down and simmer until most of liquid evaporates. Nestle ham hock, turkey and kielbasa into cabbage and add enough mushroom liquid and broth to come halfway up cabbage. Bring to a simmer and place in a 300-degree oven. Bake until meat is tender, about 3 hours. If cabbage gets too dry, add broth or water.
4. When bigos is done, pull meat off ham hock and turkey thigh in large chunks and return to cabbage. Season with lots of black pepper. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Borowiki mushrooms are available at Polish grocers. Dried porcini are a good substitute; shiitakes, acceptable.