Easter in the mountains – what I cook for Guests at Villa Izydor

What do I cook for Easter?

Easter in Kościelisko is for me more than just holidays in the mountains. At Villa Izydor, I prepare it like it used to be done – unhurried, with good food and true tradition. Every year I cook sour rye soup on whey for Guests, bake cakes on Holy Saturday, and make sure our Easter table has a homely warmth.

What does Easter look like in Kościelisko? I tell you what I cook for Guests at Villa Izydor and which traditions we nurture in the mountains.

There are no random dishes here. Each has its place, its history, and its meaning. And each must taste as I remember from childhood.

Sour rye soup on whey. Only on whey.

I make Easter sour rye soup exclusively on whey.

Not on broth.
Not "half and half".
Not for compromise.

Only on whey.

Because it is what gives the real sourness – slightly sharp, distinct, deep. Without it, the soup is polite. And an Easter sour rye soup cannot be polite.

But there is more.

For our sour rye soup, we use a lot of freshly grated horseradish.

Really a lot.

Not from a jar. Not ready-made. Only fresh root, grated just before serving. It gives the sharpness that slightly stings the nose and makes the soup wake you up after winter better than coffee.

And here our little Easter tradition begins.

We always draw lots to see who will grate the horseradish.

Because everyone knows this task is for the brave.

Eyes water, nose stings, the kitchen gets intense… but there’s plenty of laughter. Sometimes it’s Jan, sometimes me, sometimes someone tries to escape.

Guests often ask if it really makes such a difference.

It does.

Because fresh horseradish not only sharpens the taste. It gives the soup character. It makes it not a delicate holiday soup but a true Highland Easter in a bowl.

And when I later see a Guest asking for seconds, I know the tears from grating were worth it ????

White sausage with apple and onion

I don’t cook it in water.

I bake it with apple and onion slowly, until the apple juice slightly caramelizes and the onion becomes soft and sweet.

This combination is simple but incredibly festive. Sour rye soup, delicate white sausage, and sweetness of apple – everything balances out.

I don’t like overcomplicated dishes. Easter should taste like tradition.

Scrambled eggs with blessed food – and Jan rules here

On Easter Sunday, only one person makes the scrambled eggs.

My husband Jan.

No one else.

It’s a tradition we haven’t changed for years. Jan cuts the blessed food – sausage, eggs, a piece of bread, sometimes a bit of horseradish – and slowly fries everything without rush.

Guests already know that when Jan is in the kitchen, it’s better not to enter and disturb.

This scrambled eggs has more than just taste. It has family in it. It has ritual in it. It has holidays in it.

And I think the Guest can feel it.

Holy Saturday – a day of baking and blessed food

We bake cakes on Holy Saturday.

The kitchen is then noisy, it smells of butter, vanilla, and yeast. Babas rise quietly, cheesecakes cool by the window. I like this moment – it contains anticipation.

But Holy Saturday is not only about the kitchen.

It is also about the blessed food in our beautiful wooden church
Saint Casimir the Prince Church in Kościelisko.

This place has a unique atmosphere. Wood, light, silence. Every time I enter there with a basket, I feel calm.

Changing of the guard at the Grave – a special moment

In our church, there is something that attracts people not only from Kościelisko.

Changing of the guard at the Grave.

It is so representative and solemn that residents of nearby towns come to see it – and not only them. Costumes, focus, seriousness of this moment… it really makes an impression.

Every time I get chills.

And when I then return to the villa, I know the holidays have already begun.

Why is all this important to me?

Because Easter is not a package.

It’s not an attraction.

It’s a ritual. Taste. Smell. People at one table.

At Villa Izydor I don’t want to organize “hotel holidays.” I want the Guest to feel what a true Highland Easter looks like.

With sour rye soup on whey.
With Jan’s scrambled eggs.
With the wooden church and changing of the guard at the Grave.

Because I believe that such moments stay in memory the longest.

Basia.