Polish Touches: Recipes and Traditions

Rating:
Summary: --A reference book for Americans of Polish ancestry--
Review: I took a chance of purchasing this book through the mail, hungry for information about anything to do with being Polish. It was a very nice surprise. It's written for the American of Polish descent and is filled with a lot of interesting data. Growing up in Virginia, my family were a long way away from any Polish American districts, and this book highlights the sense of ethnic community that I wanted to experience.

POLISH TOUCHES is a quick way to get the feeling of Polish culture. Starting with a brief history of Poland, the book covers early immigration, Our Lady of Czestochowa, Polish folk arts, traditions, music, Polish heroes, achievements of American Poles, cooking, recipes and other general information. In fact, I was amazed to learn that Chicago has "more than 100,000 Polish immigrants," who arrived in the 1980's. We're told that "Chicago also has approximately 40 blocks of Polish-American businesses."

Being a history buff, I was pleased to find two of my favorite American Revolutionary War heroes mentioned. Brigadier General Count Kazimierz (Casimir) Pulaski was a cavalry and guerrilla warfare expert. His corps, the Pulaski Legion included Light Horse Harry Lee, the father of General Robert E. Lee. Pulaski was wounded in the Battle of Savannah and died aboard the Wasp, an American ship. He was thirty-one years old.

The other short, but concise biography is of Brigadier General Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a brillant military engineer and an aide to George Washington. He's known for his engineering feats which include the fortifications at West Point. Washington presented his own sword to Kosciuszko, who was also awarded American citizenship.

A book that provides what it offers, a touch of Poland.

Rating:
Summary: --A reference book for Americans of Polish ancestry--
Review: I took a chance of purchasing this book through the mail, hungry for information about anything to do with being Polish. It was a very nice surprise. It's written for the American of Polish descent and is filled with a lot of interesting data. Growing up in Virginia, my family were a long way away from any Polish American districts, and this book highlights the sense of ethnic community that I wanted to experience.

POLISH TOUCHES is a quick way to get the feeling of Polish culture. Starting with a brief history of Poland, the book covers early immigration, Our Lady of Czestochowa, Polish folk arts, traditions, music, Polish heroes, achievements of American Poles, cooking, recipes and other general information. In fact, I was amazed to learn that Chicago has "more than 100,000 Polish immigrants," who arrived in the 1980's. We're told that "Chicago also has approximately 40 blocks of Polish-American businesses."

Being a history buff, I was pleased to find two of my favorite American Revolutionary War heroes mentioned. Brigadier General Count Kazimierz (Casimir) Pulaski was a cavalry and guerrilla warfare expert. His corps, the Pulaski Legion included Light Horse Harry Lee, the father of General Robert E. Lee. Pulaski was wounded in the Battle of Savannah and died aboard the Wasp, an American ship. He was thirty-one years old.

The other short, but concise biography is of Brigadier General Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a brillant military engineer and an aide to George Washington. He's known for his engineering feats which include the fortifications at West Point. Washington presented his own sword to Kosciuszko, who was also awarded American citizenship.

A book that provides what it offers, a touch of Poland.