I'm sure you've noticed it. As you approach someone's home, whether it's a house or a flat, you feel a smell, or more precisely a mix of smells that only belong to that particular place. Plants have their specific aromas and so do animals. We, humans, are not different. Our home is a melange of … Continue reading Smells of our homes
I'm busy working on the third book of A Taste of Slovakia series, which will include lots of Christmas recipes and traditions linked to my country's winter season. It's going to be a very rich volume packed with fascinating photos, folk tales and, of course, timeless dishes - like opekance. Opekance (pronounced as opekantze) are … Continue reading Opekantze with Ground Poppy Seeds and Honey
The last weekend in October is all about remembering the dead. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, All Saints' Day or All Souls Day (Dušičky in Slovak) was the busiest time for travel in Slovakia, with people crossing the country to visit cemeteries, bring flowers and light candles on the graves of their deceased relatives. Back from … Continue reading Comforting Carrot and Yellow Pea Soup
Summer is coming to a close, and with the temperatures dropping down we are more likely to think of a bowl of warm soup than a salad. Our gardens still provide enough fresh ingredients for that nourishing bowl, and there are many more to be found in our forests. With its damp, foggy mornings and … Continue reading Autumn Soup with Wild Chanterelles
Patizón - the Slovak word for summer pattypan squash - is probably derived from the French pâtisson. The vegetable has become quite popular among Slovaks, who like to coat and fry it like these Fried Zucchini Rings. However, there are a few recipes on Slovak cooking websites that use the unpeeled and hollowed out patizón as a … Continue reading Stuffed Pattypan Squash
'Would you like a few zucchinis from our garden?' a friend asked me a few days ago. Of course I would. I know how versatile this vegetable is, and a home-grown organic zucchini is not what I get every day. So there came two large zucchinis, looking so pretty and tempting that I immediately started … Continue reading Fried Zucchini Rings
Simple, yet rich vanilla cream frozen in between two wafers has been a household name in Slovakia for as long as I remember. Yes, Ruská zmrzlina (Russian Ice Cream) sends me back to my childhood when it was the best imported ice cream in the socialistic Czechoslovakia. The Czech Wikipedia tells me that the Russians … Continue reading Russian-Style Ice Cream
I would have never thought as a teenager that I'd want to have my own garden one day. Having had to help my parents on an allotment with plenty of fruit and vegetables wasn't exactly my idea of spending summer holidays at that age. And it wasn't just about digging, weeding the beds and harvesting … Continue reading White Currant Jelly
I know how difficult it is to find bryndza cheese outside of Slovakia. I've been told that Polish shops in the USA and the UK sell a close alternative, but I can't say how close it is to the real thing. Those who have been to Slovakia and tried Slovenská bryndza may be able to … Continue reading Slovak Bryndza Filled Pirohy with Fried Bacon
Metrový koláč is a classic Slovak dessert we like to make at Easter time. The exact translation into English would make it a One-Metre-Long Cake, and although the cake is not quite as long as the name suggests, it does provide enough goodness for a big family, as well as plenty of guests. This Easter, … Continue reading Long Cake
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