UnitedSky w tygodniku Poland Weekly - 19.05.2022 - 01.06.2022

22 business • people • culture polandweekly 19.05.2022 - 01.06.2022
Katarzyna Braiter
Editor in Chief
You lived in Canada
for many years. However, you
have decided to come back to
Poland. What was driving you?
In the 30 years I spent in Canada,
not a single day did not make
me think about returning to Poland,
from which I was expelled
in 1960. I tried to return to the
country twice, but each time
communist Poland rejected my
applications. After the changes
in 1990, after the change of the
political system into a democratic
one, I received a message
that I would now be allowed to
return to Poland together with
my whole family.
I tried to return to the
country twice, but each time
communist Poland rejected
my applications.
Q&A with a friend
Albert Czetwertyński - businessman,
philanthropist, bridge player.
Founder of the Prometeusz for Seniors
Foundation, which helps over 200 elderly
people in and around Warsaw.
Your family is with you in
Poland? How did they take the
decision to change their place
of residence? How did they
find themselves here?
The most important thing for
me was the positive decision
of my wife Elizabeth, who supported
me during my talks with
the children. My three daughters
were old enough to decide
for themselves and everyone, except
the eldest, Kinga, came and
settled in Warsaw.
We met thanks to bridge. You
are a great player and I love
bridge too. Where did this
passion come from ?
I am not a great player, but I like
social bridge a lot. I can't get
used to sports bridge.
Two of my friends who often
played bridge lived in our neighbors'
house 70 years ago. During
my studies, I was drawn into the
group of bridge enthusiasts by
older students and members of
the teaching group.
In addition to your company,
you have created something
special. I mean Prometheus for
Seniors. Tell us about it.
After returning to Poland, I realized
that a large number of Seniors
live in extreme poverty. And
foundations to help them are almost
non-existent, and the Polish
state has not fulfilled its obligation
to provide health and a comfortable
retirement for seniors.
It seems like a big part of your
life is helping others. Now you
have become very involved in
helping the needy in Ukraine.
How are you helping? And
where do you get the time and
energy for this?
We help Ukrainians by sending
medicines necessary under war
We help Ukrainians
by sending medicines
necessary under war
conditions. I have been
retired for a long time,
so I have plenty of free
time.
conditions. I have been retired
for a long time, so I have plenty
of free time.
I know that volunteers are also
involved in your activities.
Our small group of volunteers
works very hard and with great
enthusiasm to cope with all projects
related to aid for Ukraine,
not forgetting to help the 220 people
under our care on a daily basis.
Here, I would like to mention the
hundreds of people who responded
to my appeal by sending very
generous funds to purchase drugs
and surgical products. We got the
most from family, friends and ordinary
Canadians. We have got
a lot from Poles and Spaniards,
then Belgians and Dutch. On behalf
of the Ukrainians, I would
like to thank all the donors.
What are your plans for the
future?
To write a book about my parents
and travel with my grandchildren
to the Grand Canyon
and visit my family and friends
in Canada.
Hope to come back to our charity
bridge tournaments soon.
We are planning one charity
tournament in June and one in
October this year, which I cordially
invite you to.
Spring is about taste,
joy and health
All who want to eat healthily should eat seasonal
products. Why? …
Jarosław Uściński, Chef and owner
of the MOONSFERA restaurant;
President of the Polish Association
of Chefs and Confectioners
Each climate zone in the
world has its own seasons and indigenous
products harvested in
a given period. The methods of
preserving and storing food are
also specific to the area in which
we live every day.
For Poland and the countries of
our zone, spring is not the season
for strawberries, young cabbages
or new potatoes. But asparagus,
native and from Poland’s neighbors,
yes, for example.
Beetroot, thick and fragrant,
can be served in a different version
than the classic. Buy a few
bunches of beetroot, fresh cucumber,
a lot of dill, garlic,
thick yogurt and, interestingly,
a bit of apple or spirit vinegar
and good quality rapeseed oil.
Wash the beetroot and chop it.
Brew in a saucepan for 2 minutes
and then drain. Chop all
ingredients finely (grate the
cucumber on a coarse grater)
and add in. Finally, a little vinegar
and oil. Salt it and wash,
and add smoked cottage cheese,
which one can buy almost everywhere
today, and our favorite
smoked fish.
Important information - this
beetroot doesn’t need a lot of yogurt,
so it should be very thick -
even a mushy structure. If a plate
is served with deliciously seasoned
beetroot and on top we put
a bit of smoked curd and a piece
of warm smoked fish, such as halibut,
whitefish or catfish, we will
experience a new taste experience,
one which I have been infecting
many of my guests with for years.
Bon Appetit