It's been far from a relaxed summer this year. It started as usual with a slow-down at the beginning of July. Then, a couple of weeks later, life took an unexpected turn. I'd been busy working in a children's summer camp. It was hard but rewarding and I enjoyed the work. There were quite a … Continue reading Water is life
Known as Čachtická pani (Čachtice Lady) to Slovaks, Alžbeta Báthory was a powerful 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman (1560 - 1614) who owned a large swath of land in the Csejte region of Upper Hungary (now Čachtice in Slovakia). Though never tried for her crimes, Alžbeta Báthory (referred to as Elizabeth Báthory in English) is said to … Continue reading Notoriously linked to the infamous Blood Countess, the village of Čachtice is now building a more appetizing reputation
At nine o'clock in the morning the roads are surprisingly quiet. It's Good Friday - a public holiday, and most Slovaks have either moved to their holiday destinations, or are getting their homes ready for Easter. We should be officially welcoming spring at this time of year, but the weather has decided to play a … Continue reading A sweet delicacy from a hundred years ago brought to life in the historical town of Kremnica
Three volumes of A Taste of Slovakia series have been published to this date. The Summer Book, which came out at the end of 2016, is already sold out. The Autumn/Fall Book followed three years later and the new Winter Book has just come out. If you want to know where the books can be … Continue reading Where to buy A Taste of Slovakia books
Have you heard about witches' days and do you know what happens at this time of year in Slovakia? Have you tasted the beautifully crafted medovníky and would you like to know how these honey cookies are made? Or do you want to see what our Christmas dinner looks like? This and much more is … Continue reading Winter tastes of Slovakia are coming to bookshops
It's between September and November when the main cabbage harvest takes place in Slovakia. Although we grow spring and midsummer varieties that are harvested earlier in the year, autumn is the prime season for collecting firm storage cultivars and those that go in sauerkraut. It is also the best time to visit Slovakia if you … Continue reading The season of cabbage festivals has begun
Putting together a cookbook during a global pandemic wasn't as easy as you might think. True, I had enough time for writing and testing recipes. I spent hours in the kitchen, and I didn't complain. Quite the oppostite, it was relaxing, sort of therapeautic. Doing online research was less fun, because we were all overloaded … Continue reading The Winter Book is already at the printers
First things first - you wouldn't hear about a starter or a dessert a hundred years ago, when kashas were part of each and every Slovak wedding. There was no wedding menu as we know it today, neither was there a written seating plan or candles or confetti. Yet there were quite a few norms, … Continue reading An old-style Slovak wedding kasha – was it a starter or a dessert?
Just six kilometres north of the historical town of Bardejov - one of the Slovak UNESCO sights - lies a spa resort of Bardejovské kúpele. Set amid rolling hills and lush woodlands, it is a place of exceptional beauty, peace and calm. No wonder that some historical documents list it as 'the spa of tranquility'. … Continue reading Life and delicious smells have returned to the spa town of Bardejov
It's been a while since I last posted here, but the reasons were sound and many. First, I've been working on the third book of A Taste of Slovakia series and wanted to get the first chapter ready for Jana - the graphic designer. I'm planning to publish the Winter Book towards the end of … Continue reading Natasha’s Borscht
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