The dining table is so much more than a surface dressed in eclectic decor, vibrant runners, or floral arrangements; it is a place that - through the communal experience of sharing a meal - opens the realm of human connections. Similarly, food is more than its primary function of nourishing the body; it is a sensory experience and a palatable fusion of flavors, textures, and smells, each dish a unique sensation—a reminder of where individuals come from. For the 8.8 million Polish-Americans , especially those living in Chicago, Alexandra Foods serves as that reminder. Within the walls of this business, customers can indulge in Eastern European culinary mastery, choose between 18 scrumptious flavors of pierogi, and find a kaleidoscope of other Polish dishes, including uszka, ‘little ears’ best paired with Christmas Eve red borsch; a Silesian classic - kluski śląskie; and meat- or cheese-filled pyzy. Often garnished with fried onion, crispy bacon, or sour cream, these homemade, authentic recipes are created with one purpose: to evoke the cherished memories of family homes and traditions. Lovingly handcrafted in small batches by a team of mostly 1st-generation Eastern Europeans, every package contains wholesome, made-from-scratch Polish classics that taste like a slice of home away from home. This dedication to maintaining authenticity within every bite is personal, stemming from Alexandra Foods’ founding story. Just like many Polish people in the 1980s, Mark and Alexandra Dembicki left their homeland in search of a better life, immigrating to the US in 1989. While for most, political changes meant newly opened doors to exploring the world’s diverse cultures, for Mark and Alexandra, it symbolized the opportunity to share their heritage with others. Ready to live the American Dream, the couple - who had always aspired to become business owners - made the bold decision to invest in a small property, opening a small deli in 1992. Located in Portage Park, home to a large Polish community, one item resonated with the locals the most, quickly becoming the deli’s bestseller: pierogi. The rising demand inspired Mark and Alexandra to focus solely on authentic ‘babcia-style’ cooking, changing the deli’s name to Alexandra Foods Company in 1995. From there, an inspirational story of a small-town couple making it in the big city unfolded; from traversing Chicago in search of retail and marketing partners to designing its first commercial package, Alexandra Foods entrenched its impact across the local community, soon appearing in delis and markets throughout the Chicagoland area. As the company expanded from one to three buildings - all in the same location - Alexandra and Mark enriched their offering with other Polish dishes in demand, introducing Silesian dumplings in 1997, followed by kopytka (finger dumplings) and naleśniki (sweet, soft cheese crepes) in 1998, and more products in the years after. In 2003, Alexandra Foods earned a ‘USDA-inspected’ status, a testament to its high quality and authenticity. Over time, Alexandra Foods’ goods began selling in 30 states, making their mark across a nation that Mark and Alexandra made home decades before. In 2021, to fuel its growth and success, the founders bestowed the honor of accelerating the company to Rich Berry, a business school graduate with extensive experience in brand management specializing in the frozen foods industry. With a mission of not changing but elevating, Rich ensured Alexandra Foods’ values, quality, and recipes remained the same, continuing Mark and Alexandra's legacy of authentic culinary craft. To honor the founders’ original recipes, he resorted to what he believes is the best way to enhance the flavor: better quality ingredients. “Alexandra Foods started with processing whole heads of onion or cabbage,” adds Rich. “We have always been clean, not hiding any chemicals in our ingredient lists. This remains the same; only now, we use premium cuts of meat, richer cheddar, and more organic products.” Since then, the enterprise has enlarged its product range to 32 items and expanded to other US areas with a prominent Polish-American population. These changes were informed by 3-language surveys analyzing the preferences of more than 40 Eastern Europeans. “This is not me saying, ‘That’s what pierogi should taste like,’” he stresses. “This is Polish people saying, ‘This food is something I want to serve to my family.’” Now, as it paves the way toward Pennsylvania and New York, Alexandra Foods promises to bring the delectable and unique flavor of Eastern Europe to all those looking for wholesome meals that are easy to prepare and delicious. The company is also offering its Polish classics on a stand at the Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, redefining the conventional perception of stadium bites with mouth-watering and nutritious dumplings, like pierogi and uszka. Rich comments, reflecting on his 3-year-long journey: “I have led many companies before, but Alexandra Foods is different from any other place I have stepped into. Employees here have been making pierogi for over a decade. Since I took over, the original production team has remained the same. Mark and Alexandra brought these recipes from Poland, and we continue to rely on the expertise of Polish people and tradition.” A country’s cuisine is often considered its national treasure, delectably encapsulating every region’s distinct history. In Poland, dishes made of cereals, humble vegetables, and hearty countryside produce are a true reflection of the nation’s spirit of resilience. In the culinary world, that spirit reveals itself in simple ingredients turning into delicious symphonies inclusive to this Eastern European land, igniting the nation’s residents, the Polish diaspora, and those keen to discover new, authentic tastes to unite over the Alexandra Foods dining table.
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How to Watch Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Games – Wednesday, December 11 Published 4:28 pm Tuesday, December 10, 2024 By Data Skrive Top-25 teams will hit the court in six games on Wednesday’s college basketball slate. That includes the Iowa State Cyclones taking on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up. Today’s Top 25 Games Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, Pat Verhaeghe didn’t think highly of Donald Trump as a leader. Then Verhaeghe began seeing more of Trump’s campaign speeches online and his appearances at sporting events. There was even the former president’s pairing with Bryson DeChambeau as part of the pro golfer’s YouTube channel series to shoot an under-50 round of golf while engaging in chitchat with his partner. “I regret saying this, but a while ago I thought he was an idiot and that he wouldn’t be a good president,” said the 18-year-old first-time voter. “I think he’s a great guy now.” Verhaeghe isn't alone among his friends in suburban Detroit or young men across America. Although much of the electorate shifted right to varying degrees in 2024, young men were one of the groups that swung sharply toward Trump. More than half of men under 30 supported Trump, according to AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, while Democrat Joe Biden had won a similar share of this group four years earlier. White men under 30 were solidly in Trump’s camp this year — about 6 in 10 voted for Trump — while young Latino men were split between the two candidates. Most Black men under 30 supported Democrat Kamala Harris, but about one-third were behind Trump. Young Latino men’s views of the Democratic Party were much more negative than in 2020, while young Black men’s views of the party didn’t really move. About 6 in 10 Latino men under 30 had a somewhat or very favorable view of the Democrats in 2020, which fell to about 4 in 10 this year. On the other hand, about two-thirds of young Black men had a favorable view of the Democrats this year, which was almost identical to how they saw the party four years ago. “Young Hispanic men, and really young men in general, they want to feel valued," said Rafael Struve, deputy communications director for Bienvenido, a conservative group that focused on reaching young Hispanic voters for Republicans this year. “They're looking for someone who fights for them, who sees their potential and not just their struggles.” Struve cited the attempted assassination of Trump during a July rally in Pennsylvania as one of the catalyzing moments for Trump’s image among many young men. Trump, Struve said, was also able to reach young men more effectively by focusing on nontraditional platforms like podcasts and digital media outlets. “Getting to hear from Trump directly, I think, really made all the difference," Struve said of the former president's appearances on digital media platforms and media catering to Latino communities, like town halls and business roundtables Trump attended in Las Vegas and Miami. Not only did Trump spend three hours on Joe Rogan's chart-topping podcast, but he took up DeChambeau's “Break 50” challenge for the golfer's more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers. Trump already had an edge among young white men four years ago, although he widened the gap this year. About half of white men under 30 supported Trump in 2020, and slightly less than half supported Biden. Trump's gains among young Latino and Black men were bigger. His support among both groups increased by about 20 percentage points, according to AP VoteCast — and their feelings toward Trump got warmer, too. It wasn’t just Trump. The share of young men who identified as Republicans in 2024 rose as well, mostly aligning with support for Trump across all three groups. “What is most alarming to me is that the election is clear that America has shifted right by a lot,” said William He, founder of Dream For America, a liberal group that works to turn out young voters and supported Harris’ presidential bid. With his bombastic demeanor and a policy agenda centered on a more macho understanding of culture , Trump framed much of his campaign as a pitch to men who felt scorned by the country’s economy, culture and political system. Young women also slightly swung toward the former president, though not to the degree of their male counterparts. It's unclear how many men simply did not vote this year. But there's no doubt the last four years brought changes in youth culture and how political campaigns set out to reach younger voters. Democrat Kamala Harris' campaign rolled out policy agendas tailored to Black and Latino men, and the campaign enlisted a range of leaders in Black and Hispanic communities to make the case for the vice president. Her campaign began with a flurry of enthusiasm from many young voters, epitomized in memes and the campaign's embrace of pop culture trends like the pop star Charli XCX's “brat” aesthetic . Democrats hoped to channel that energy into their youth voter mobilization efforts. “I think most young voters just didn’t hear the message,” said Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, a liberal group that engages younger voters. Mayer said the Harris campaign’s pitch to the country was “largely convoluted” and centered on economic messaging that he said wasn’t easily conveyed to younger voters who were not already coming to political media. “And I think that the policies themselves were also very narrow and targeted when what we really needed was a simple, bold economic vision,” said Mayer. Trump also embraced pop culture by appearing at UFC fights, football games and appearing alongside comedians, music stars and social media influencers. His strategists believed that the former president’s ability to grab attention and make his remarks go viral did more for the campaign than paid advertisements or traditional media appearances. Trump's campaign also heavily cultivated networks of online conservative platforms and personalities supportive of him while also engaging a broader universe of podcasts, streaming sites, digital media channels and meme pages open to hearing him. “The right has been wildly successful in infiltrating youth political culture online and on campus in the last couple of years, thus radicalizing young people towards extremism,” said He, who cited conservative activist groups like Turning Point USA as having an outsize impact in online discourse. “And Democrats have been running campaigns in a very old fashioned way. The battleground these days is cultural and increasingly on the internet.” Republicans may lose their broad support if they don't deliver on improving Americans' lives, Struve cautioned. Young men, especially, may drift from the party in a post-Trump era if the party loses the president-elect's authenticity and bravado. Bienvenido, for one group, will double down in the coming years to solidify and accelerate the voting pattern shifts seen this year, Struve said. “We don’t want this to be a one and done thing,” he said. Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, and AP polling editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this report.