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
This is a classic dish that has a strong affiliation to Czech cuisine, and reflects the long history we shared as peoples of one republic - the former Czechoslovakia. Despite living in two independent states now, the Czechs have remained faithful to our Halushki with Bryndza Cheese or traditional Slovak cheeses, and we, in turn, can't live … Continue reading Roast Pork with Steamed Dumpling & Red Cabbage
We have an abundance of forests, woods and meadows in Slovakia that are not only a home to flowers, berries, bears, wolves and other wildlife, but they also fill with a great variety of mushrooms every year. It's fair to say that Slovakia is a mushroom paradise. Mushroom picking has become a national sport, so … Continue reading Wild Mushroom & Tomato Risotto
When I was preserving cucumbers a few weeks ago, some of the vegetables were not suitable for pickling, mainly because of their size. So I had to put them away in the fridge, and use them either in salads, or cooking. Here's an example of what I did with the last one left in stock. … Continue reading Cucumber Patties with Parenitza Cheese
Have you ever heard of buckwheat? Did you know this long-forgotten food plant is more than 6000 years old? It was first cultivated in Southeast Asia, from where it slowly spread all over the world. As an inexpensive source of valuable proteins, buckwheat had played an important role in Eastern European cuisines before it was … Continue reading Buckwheat Groats with Sautéed Vegetables
An English-speaking lady with Slovak roots has contacted me recently asking for two 'very Slovak' recipes her Grandma used to make. Although I didn't recognize them by the names given, they sounded like some sort of pasta dishes, so I asked for their description. It turned out that the first one was, in fact, a … Continue reading Shoolantze – Slovak rolled pasta
This is a special bonus for Cookslovak fans and followers, as well as those who have already bought the cookbook. Each recipe in 'A Taste of Slovakia' had been tested at least twice, so we had a good choice of photos from different shoots when my graphic designer was laying out the book pages. Sometimes a … Continue reading Chicken Braised in Beer
Most of you will probably associate cranberries with turkey and Thanksgiving, but in Slovakia, we prefer to serve them with game and, quite often, they will also garnish grilled or roasted cheese. It should be said though that only certain types of cheese are suited to pan-roasting, and for this recipe in particular, the choice … Continue reading Roasted ‘Encian’ with Cranberries
I introduced our famed cheese in the post on Bryndza Cheese Sticks last year. With this year's sheep farming season in full spate and some fine weather over the last month, our mountain meadows have turned into luscious pastures, so we are getting fresh supplies of bryndza cheese again. The May bryndza, as we in Slovakia call it, … Continue reading Bryndza Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
