Laura & Peter Zeranski

Laura and Peter Zeranski are a husband-and-wife team that have been cooking and eating classic Polish food together for almost forty years.

Peter Zeranski was born in Europe to parents who were born and raised in Poland and emigrated west soon after World War II. His family’s love for Polish cuisine and traditions is showcased in "The Art of Polish Cooking," the critically acclaimed cookbook his late mother Alina Żerańska wrote in 1968. It was Peter’s mother who inspired the couple to undertake this project. Originally, they set out to update her cookbook, "The Art of Polish Cooking," which is not only a foundational work on Polish cuisine, but also has been a best-seller for more than 40 years. Instead, a completely new project was suggested by their publishers, and Polish Classic Recipes-complete with 100 stunning photographs-was soon contracted.

Laura Zeranski married into the family in 1973 and learned to cook Polish dishes from her mother-in-law. As Peter’s parents grew older, Laura took over the preparation of hundreds of Sunday family dinners and special holiday celebrations such as Christmas Eve and Easter. The recipes she prepares today are essentially the same as those prepared in Poland by Peter’s grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents.

Laura has had a distinguished 35-year career in health records administration as an executive and consultant with clients throughout the US, Canada, New Zealand & Australia. She developed programs, policies and procedures across the entire scope of healthcare, from major teaching hospitals to physician practices. Throughout her professional career Laura was a distinguished presenter at many professional meetings and business conferences. Laura has a BS from Carlow University.

Peter Zeranski spent 32 years as a marketing executive with the United States Postal Service with a wide range of marketing responsibilities including ten years as a principal marketing strategist for their Small Business Programs. After retiring, he launched a small consulting practice to help small businesses grow and thrive through sound marketing strategies. Peter has also been a keynote speaker and presenter at business conferences throughout the U.S. and Europe. Peter has a BS from Point Park University and an MBA in Marketing from Northwestern State University of Louisiana.

Currently, Peter and Laura belong to several ballroom dance clubs and are Directors on the Board of The Cotillion Dinner & Dance Club. Peter is a past president of Friday Nighters Dancing Club and currently organizes and promotes ballroom dance cruises. When he is not planning their next trips, Peter looks for new places to dance, promotes ballroom dance cruises and “helps” Laura use big, bold flavors in the kitchen. Laura’s current interests include ballroom dancing, gourmet cooking, flower arranging and traveling. She also serves as the wedding administrator for her church.

Laura and Peter reside in Alexandria, Virginia, near their daughter, son in law, and granddaughter, who were first in line to taste, as the recipes were being tested.