This recipe is a reminder of the summers we spent at our grandparents' house in the south of Slovakia - a warm, sunny region with rich soil and a long history of farming. There was a farmyard in between the house and a large back garden, where we could watch and help care for pigs, … Continue reading Braised Rabbit Thighs with Bear Garlic and Halushki
This is one of the vegetarian recipes that's still in my cooking repertoire. I first tried it years ago when, right after the Fall of Communism in my country, we were exposed to new, alternative ways of cooking. Even though my family didn't always share my excitement over new food, this particular dish has always … Continue reading Oatflake Patties with Mashed Potatoes
It's snowing right now. The real winter has arrived at last, and while we could do with a little sunshine, we certainly can't complain about the lack of snow this year. Good for children and skiers, not so good for drivers. Windswept after a cross-country run or tired after frolicking in the snow, it's always … Continue reading Smoked Pork with Sauerkraut
Buckwheat is another ancient food staple returning to our cuisine. It used to be a common ingredient of our ancestors, as Ján Babilon - the author of the first cookbook in the Slovak language says. He was a chef and the owner of a restaurant in Pest (today's Budapest), where he published Prvá kuchárka v slovenskej … Continue reading Buckwheat Groats with Braised Cauliflower and Carrots
When I was doing research on lečo - a dish that landed in our cuisine while we were under Hungarian rule between 1000 and 1918 - I came across various recipes ranging from a meatless option to an eggy one to a letcho with a spicy, Hungarian-style sausage. What all these recipes had in common was green … Continue reading Letcho
Inspired by a visitor to Cookslovak Facebook page who asked about 'a baked green bean egg dish that my mother used to make', I thought back to my time as a university student. I remember eating something similar at my aunt's house in the south of Slovakia, where they still grow their own yellow runner beans … Continue reading Yellow Runner Bean Soufflé
The Carpathian Mountains - a long mountain range running across Central and Eastern Europe, including Slovakia - have always been home to rich fauna. Brown bears, wolves, martens and wild boars, foxes, mouflons, or deer are only a few game species that populate the Carpathians in Slovakia. Some of them are still hunted for food … Continue reading Carpathian Fallow Deer Fillets with Mushrooms
My earliest memories of Steamed Buns with Cocoa and Jam come from the time when I first became aware of what was put on the table. Buchty na pare, as these delicious buns are called in Slovak, is a classic dish that will probably never lose its appeal for children and sweet-toothed adults. At least here … Continue reading Steamed Buns with Cocoa and Jam
There is a host of traditions and beliefs linked to Slovak Easter. Some are Christian with traces of Jewish mythology, others have pagan roots. It seems to me though that they all celebrate Easter as a spring festival that brings new life. The Slovak name for the Thursday before Easter is Zelený štvrtok, which literally translates … Continue reading Potato Kugel
Unlike in most western countries where Shrove Tuesday is celebrated as a Pancake Day, in Slovakia Fašiangový utorok is associated with doughnuts or šišky (pronounced as shishki), as we call our little doughnuts in Slovak. Shrove Tuesday is a religious name for the last day before Lent, a fasting season that starts on Ash Wednesday and lasts until Easter. Shrove … Continue reading Valentine’s Shishki
