1
A warm welcome
We start with a cup of something and a few stories about Polish and Kraków food, where it comes from, and why it tastes like home.
Come make pierogi in my little Kraków kitchen.
What’s cooking, good looking?
happy & full 🥰
that’s me! 👋
miam 😋
that’s Wladek!
I'm Hanna, a native Krakowian. For three cosy hours, we'll make pierogi (Polish dumplings) by hand, the way my mum taught me. Then sit down to traditional soup, our pierogi + homemade cake, and good stories, with Kraków's history and art along the way.
Hej, come in, the coffee is brewing!
For fifteen years, I’ve cooked for the people I love. Eight years ago, I started opening my home to guests from all over the world, and it’s become a real joy. As a born Krakowian I get to share stories about the city's history, especially when it comes to art and architecture, another passion of mine. And I love hearing from everyone who joins me from all over the world, this is what it's all about!
The Pierogi will be made following authentic recipes handed down generations in my family. They can be made with many different fillings, we will concentrate on traditional ones, that are devoured by many visitors. I will also happily tell you about many variations and share recipes for them. I hope to welcome you in my home soon!
Hannayour host & home cook
Where you’ll cook
A kitchen with a view
My home sits right by the Wisła (Vistula), on the green edge of the city where the local Polish live. From here you look out over Las Wolski, Kraków’s largest forest, the Camaldolese Monastery (Klasztor Kamedułów), and Zinar Castle on the hill. It’s peaceful, beautiful, and about 15 minutes by taxi or 20 minutes by bike along the river from the Old Town.
🌊 Next to Vistula🏰 Zinar Castle🌳 Las Wolski forest⛪ Camaldolese Monastery
On the menu
The homemade pierogi we'll make together
Pierogi are the stars! But a proper Polish table is never just one thing. Here’s how the workshop will look like:
2
Pierogi, by hand
The main event! We make the dough, mix the fillings, and fold many together, with my little tricks and variations.★ the star of the show
3
A pot of homemade soup
Poland is a kingdom of soup, so there’s always a pot on the stove, usually red beetroot barszcz to start us off.
4
Something sweet
No Polish table ends without dessert. We’ll finish with a classic homemade fruit cake.
5
Sit, eat & chat
Finally, we sit down together and enjoy everything we made, swapping stories and tasting our labour.
Take the recipe home
Every guest leaves with my pierogi recipe, and the confidence to make them again.
See the recipeStories from my table
The tales I tell while we fold
Cooking together always loosens the tongue. Here’s some of the topics that tend to come up:
💗
My mum’s kitchen
gdzie się zaczęłoIt all began at my mum’s side. I’ll tell you about the little kitchen where I learned that food is really about love. Barszcz, bigos, żurek, obwarzanki, oscypek, Polish food is a whole world.
⚒️
Grandfather’s iron hands
kuty w żelazieMy grandfather, Władek, was a celebrated metal-craft artist. His ironwork still lives in Kraków’s churches everywhere, specifically at the Wawel Castle, and he forged a door for St. Mary’s (Mariacki) Basilica. Artistry runs in the family.
🎨
Kraków, city of artists
Młoda Polska & moreFrom Wyspiański’s glowing stained glass to the bohemian cafés, Gothic spires, and Renaissance castle. This city has always made art. I love sharing the stories of the painters and architects of my beloved city.
☕
Life in Kraków
od rana do nocyMilk bars, flower stalls, riverside walks and late coffees, the small, real rhythms of living here. I will happily share authentic parts of life here.
🐉
Dragons, trumpets & legends
stare opowieściThe Wawel dragon, the trumpet that stops mid-tune, the friar who (sort of) invented pierogi, the old tales that make Kraków, Kraków.
🧭
Where to wander next
my local tipsAs I have hosted many guests around the world, I am always keen to share things to see and do that are out of the ordinary. Many sights are missed because the presented itineraries often focus on the obvious.
…and wherever the chatter wanders. That’s the fun of it. ↯
that’s me! 👋
Meet your host
Hi, I’m Hanna 💛
“Nobody leaves my kitchen hungry, or as a stranger.”
I’ve been cooking for the people I love for fifteen years, and a cooking mum for seven of them. I learned at the side of the best amateur cook in Poland, my own mum :) , and for the last eight years I’ve welcomed guests from all over the world into my home for dinners and cooking workshops. I was born and raised in Kraków, just as my parents and grandparents were before me.
Art and craft run deep in my family: my grandfather (Władek) was a renowned metalwork artist whose pieces still grace Kraków’s churches and Wawel Castle, and who forged a door for St. Mary’s Basilica. I like to think a little of that love for handmade, beautiful things ends up in every pierogi. I graduated from Arts & Curating, and this passion lives on through my workshops and Slow Walking tours.
For me, cooking has always been about the table: who’s gathered round it, what we talk about, and how full and happy everyone is when they leave. That’s the afternoon I want to give you, warm, hands-on, and what feels like being invited into a Polish home.
What’s included
You bring the appetite. I bring everything else.
- ✓All ingredients, aprons & tools
- ✓Hands-on pierogi making, from dough to plate
- ✓A full table: soup, your pierogi & a sweet Polish finish
- ✓Tea, coffee & water
- ✓My pierogi recipe to take home
- ✓Warm stories about Kraków, its art, food & history
- ✓Stunning views right from my dinner table
Take it home
My pierogi ruskie recipe
Not in Kraków yet? Start in your own kitchen. This is the real thing, potato & farmer’s-cheese pierogi.
🥟 Pierogi Ruskie
For the dough
- 500 g plain flour (+ extra for dusting)
- 250 ml hot (not boiling) water
- 1 tbsp butter or 3 tbsp oil of your choice3 tbsp oil of your choice
- ½ tsp salt
For the filling
- 250 g floury potatoes
- 250 g twaróg (Polish farmer’s cheese)250 g of tofu & 120 ml sauerkraut brine
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 40 g butter3 tbsp oil of your choice
- Salt & freshly ground pepper
To serve
- Extra caramelised onion
- Melted butter (or oil) & smoked shepherd cheeseOil of your choice
Let’s make them
- Cook the potatoes. Peel, halve, and boil until tender, drain well, and dry them off over low heat. Mash smooth and let cool, never a blender, it turns to glue.
- Fry the onions. Fry the chopped onions gently in butter until deep golden and sweet, 15–20 min. Stir half into the potato, keep half for serving.Fry the onions. Fry the chopped onions gently in oil until deep golden and sweet, 15–20 min. Stir half into the potato, keep half for serving.
- Finish the filling. Mix the mashed potato with the twaróg and the fried onion. Season well with salt and pepper, taste it, it should be punchy.Finish the filling. Mix the mashed potato with the tofu, sauerkraut brine, and the fried onion. Season well with salt and pepper, taste it, it should be punchy.
- Make the dough. Rub the butter or oil into the flour, add salt, and the hot water. Knead 8–10 min until soft and silky. Cover and rest 30 min.Make the dough. Rub the oil into the flour, add salt, and the hot water. Knead 8–10 min until soft and silky. Cover and rest 30 min.
- Roll & cut. Roll thin (2–3 mm) on a floured surface and cut out circles with a glass, about 8 cm across.
- Fill & seal. A teaspoon of filling on each circle, fold into a half-moon, and pinch the edges tightly. Crimp if you’re feeling fancy.
- Boil. Drop into a big pot of salted, gently boiling water. Stir once. They’re ready about 2–3 min after they float up.
- Serve. Top with the reserved caramelised onion and a drizzle of melted butter and grated smoked cheese. Smacznego!Serve. Top with the reserved caramelised onion and the oil. Smacznego!
↳ Pssst, in my kitchen you’ll also learn the fillings I didn’t write down here. 😉
50+ reviews
Elena
★★★★★
Hanna was an amazing hostess and chef. Her home was clean, warm, and welcoming! My family of four (two adults, two teens) had the nicest time getting to know her and learning all about Krakow while we made our perogies. What a delightful morning and delicious lunch away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Chan
★★★★★
Thanks Hannah for giving me a true, heartwarming glimpse into Polish culture and daily life through your highly-rated, home-based cooking workshop. Skipping the commercial tours in the city was the best choice, as learning the traditional art of pierogi from scratch while listening to polish history, culture, and your personal life story made my solo travels incredibly special. Your amazing Christmas pierogi completely melted my heart upon the first bite, delivering an authentic local flavor that far surpassed any dumplings I have ever tasted in Chinese cuisine!
B
Beth
★★★★★
We did the pierogi workshop as a family of 5 with kids 8, 11, and 13. Everyone had a wonderful time and were able to participate. We thoroughly enjoyed the private experience in Hanna’s home. Everything we made was delicious and our kids are excited to go home and try to remake some of the dishes.
Good to know
Questions? I’ve got answers
What are pierogi?
Pierogi are traditional Polish dumplings: thin, unleavened dough folded around a filling, then boiled and often pan-fried for a crispy finish. Fillings range from savory, potato and cheese, sauerkraut and mushroom, minced meat, to sweet, like fresh fruit or farmer's cheese with sugar. Typically served with melted butter, fried onions, or sour cream, they are a fixture at family dinners and holiday tables across Poland.
Do I need any cooking experience?
Total beginners are more than welcome, and confident cooks still pick up proper technique. It’s about the experience and the chatter, not perfection.
Can you make vegetarian or vegan pierogi?
Absolutely, we can also make vegetarian and vegan pierogi. Many traditional pierogi are meat-free anyway, and I happily adapt the menu. Just let me know when you book so everything’s ready before you arrive.