Good Evening Itty Bitty City Kitchen Readers; cheers from Jacky’s cousin Eric Washkewicz, writing to you from Jolly Old England. England? Yes, England. You know, fish, chips, cup o tea, bad food, worse weather, Mary Freaking Poppins, England! If you don’t get it, I highly recommend you watch the movie Snatch.
That being said, the bit about the food is quite true; English food isn’t all that good, unless you know how to cook it and prepare it yourself. Most of the traditional supermarket ingredients expire quickly, taste bland, are quite far away given my lack of a car, and are quite hard to transport, given my lack of a car trunk. That being said, England has a few gold mines that are often neglected in major cities. Those hidden treasures are Grocers, Butchers, Regional Markets, and Hostels. Grocers and Butchers are similar to your typical farmers market, however, the prices are dirt cheap and they are open 16 hours a day, every day. Also, it’s not that hard to find a local Italian, German, Turkish, Greek, or in my case, Polish Market willing to sell you plenty of food for next to nothing. Hostels are essentially dormitory hotels where you get a room for about $15, and have access to a 6 person room, bathroom, and kitchen.
Why do I bring this up? Well, when I was homeless for my first week in England, I stayed in a hostel. After eating out for a few days, at a price of about 12-15 pounds (18-25 dollars) a meal, I realized that I needed to save cash fast, and the easiest way was by cooking for myself (What a concept!)
Trouble was, I didn’t have a huge kitchen; just a cutting board, a knife or two, a frying pan, one other pot, and a few spices. I needed to cook something easy, cheap, flavorful, and hearty enough to support my 3 a day workouts. So, I decided to explore and check out the local market; it was well worth the time invested. Long story short, I picked up a half dozen potatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, two pounds of fresh tomato sauce in a jar (not a can), and garlic from my grocer, half a pound of fresh shrimp from my local butcher/fish monger, and two pounds of Kielbasa (Polish Sausage) from the Zhwermart. Total Cost: $9.50.
So, what was I making? Polish Jambalaya. It’s actually an incredibly simple and tasty dish. Here’s how it’s done:
Ingredients:
- 18 oz Fresh Tomato Sauce (NOT in a can)
- 12-24 oz Kielbasa (or meat of choice)
- ½ lbs Fresh Shrimp, cleaned and peeled
- 4 Small Potatoes (Hackey Sack Size)
- 1 Medium Onion (Baseball Size)
- 1 Bell Pepper (Red Works Best)
- 4 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms
- 2-4 oz Vegetable Oil (or Canola, Sunflower, but not Olive)
- Garlic, Basil, and Oregano to taste
You can really play around with the amount of meat to suit your guests. I know most cookbooks have long and lengthy explanations, but I’m going to keep this simple.
The Sauce:
Pour the sauce into a cooking pan about 6 inches high. Mince the garlic, and dice the onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Add all the vegetables, except the potatoes, to the sauce, and let it cook on low heat for about 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally with a WOODEN spoon and DO NOT BOIL THE SAUCE (I’m still Italian).
Afterward, cut the potatoes into thin chips (about two credit cards thick) and feel free to dice them again if necessary. Add the oil to the potatoes in a frying pan, and let them fry for about 8-10 minutes over medium-high heat. Then, cut the Kielbasa into larger chips (about two quarters [the coin] thick) and add them to the frying pan. Add the Kielbasa to the frying pan, and feel free to splash in another ounce or two of oil if the frying has stopped sizzling. Let this mixture cook for another 8-10 minutes, and then drain the oil.
Finally, in a large bowl, or serving tray, put the meat and potatoes down first, and cover them with the sauce. Feel free to mix them for about 5 minutes to get the flavors mixed up. When you’re finally done, you should have something like this:
This isn’t a meal for presentation, aesthetics, or culinary shows. This is a hearty meal that’s quick and easy to whip up (total time: 40 minutes, total skill level: don’t cut your finger off), and it’s great comfort food. Best part is, that meal above lasted me for 6 meals; breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two days straight. I saved well over $100 for an hour of biking & shopping and about an hour of cooking. If you want to make $50 an hour, or save $300 on your next trip overseas, fly Ryanair, don’t bring a suitcase (a small camping bag works wonders), book a hostel, and cook for yourself.
Cheers!
-Eric Washkewicz