Fried __(You fill in the blank here)__

While in Poland, I was able to eat some of the Eastern European foods that I miss - namely cheese and light rye bread. I was also able to try several new things. Here are a few things that I learned:

• Never ever even look at, much less contemplate eating, the gelatin-like congealed meat "salads."
• I really miss celery - they had a celery salad that was phenomenal. It's not that I can't buy it here, it's that I don't because I don't want to eat an entire plant.
• I really miss non-cheddar cheese. Europe has a wealth of mild cheeses - England should embrace more of them at prices I like :)
• Beet-root soup is really potato soup in disguise - and quite tasty!

All-inclusive hotels tend to have slightly different fare that you would typically find in a Polish household. Our hotel dining room included a "fried fresh here" section. They fried things I never even dreamed people would contemplate frying - it was like being at the county fair with an Eastern European twist!

• Fried fish - that's normal - I can handle this one. We did have a different fish for each meal I think, so that kept it from getting boring. And they didn't even include the head or skin!
• Fried zucchini (or courgettes as we call them) - I can get on board with this too - since yellow squash can't be found, this is a pretty good stand-in.
• Fried crab - not a fan. It's just a bit odd for my taste buds.
• Fried brussel sprouts - I felt obligated to try this one since the Brits love it - even batter and grease don't improve the taste of this veggie.
• Fried cauliflower - I had already reached the end of my fried food tolerance and didn't even try this one, although I did make sure to take note that it existed.
• Fried champagnes. You would never guess that these were fried mushrooms, didn't involve champagne at all, and were quite tasty.
• Fried oranges - lightly "sauteed" in butter and oil. Pretty good!
• Fried Orange pancakes - pancakes (remember European pancakes are more like crepes) fried and served with a mandarin orange compote-type topping. Quite fabulous.
• Fried strawberries - yep, you read it right. These were fantastic as my British friends would say. Basically it was a strawberry dipped in funnel cake batter and then deep fried. Topped with a little icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar) it was beyond phenomenal. I may have to try this one at home - you should too. It will change your view of fried foods forever.

I really do like to try new things, so it was great while it lasted, but now I'm back and trying to detox from all of the grease. Believe me though, that absolutely will not stop me from participating in fried strawberries again should the opportunity present itself.