I have always associated lavender with the Provence region in France. The iconic photos showing drifts of purple flowers were something I could only see in display windows of chic perfumeries or on labels of expensive cosmetic creams. When I got a sheaf of dried lavender from my friend recently, I was quite surprised to … Continue reading Lavender Cookies
It is called rice pudding or rice cake in English-speaking countries, although it would most likely be plain, with no fruit included. In Slovakia, it goes under the name of Ryžový nákyp, which translates as Rice Soufflé, and it always has some fruit inside. The most popular fruits are apricots, cherries, peaches, apples or plums. … Continue reading Rice Soufflé with Blue Plums
I have been planning to make zemiakový posúch for quite a while. The idea came from Kathy - an American lady whose Slovak grandma used to make it with extra bread dough. Kathy gave a more detailed description of the cake, and it immediately reminded me of the potato posúch my mother-in-law had sent me … Continue reading Potato Bread Cakes
The season of fresh, locally grown vegetables is here again, and with it a penchant for a good summer salad. Although you can make one all through the year these days, I'm sure you know the difference between vegetables imported from far-away countries or grown in artificial conditions of big indoor farms, and those that … Continue reading Slovak-Style Salad with Parenitza Cheese
What comes to your mind when you think of your kindergarten or school breakfasts? My daughter and I reminisced on these and other childhood related things during the lockdown imposed by our goverment after the first coronavirus cases had been reported in Slovakia. Despite the relatively mild course of the disease in my country, we … Continue reading My childhood breakfasts
Another year is coming to a close and with it the day of Silvester. It is a male name that falls on 31st December in the Slovak calendar. Although not Slovak in origin, and certainly not used as a given name by the Slovaks, Silvester has probably been kept in our calendar in the memory … Continue reading New Year’s Eve canapés
When I was experimenting with various apple cake recipes for the autumnal book of A Taste of Slovakia series, I made this simple pie filled with apples from my friend's garden. They didn't look as impeccable and glossy as those polished apples you buy in supermarkets, but their scent and taste was so pleasant that the … Continue reading Criss-crossed Apple Pie
Bábovka, babka, bundt cake or fluted cake - this classic cake can be found in many European cuisines and has quite a few variations around the world as well. What all these cakes have in common is the fluted ring shape with a hollow space in the centre. To make a Slovak bábovka, I use an … Continue reading Fountain Cake
The Slovak word for a bilberry is one of those funny words we like to teach foreigners when they're curious about our language. Why? Because Slovak is ranked among the most difficult languages in the world, and if we wanted to assess your linguistic calibre, then čučoriedka would be one of the testing words. Čučoriedky (tchou-tcho-ryiedki) … Continue reading Quick-and-easy Bilberry Cake
This recipe was inspired by an overload of zucchini a few weeks ago, and a newsletter from Once upon a chef that landed in my inbox at about the same time. The zucchini came together with hand-picked black and red currants from my friend parents' garden, so I picked this recipe from Jenn's zucchini menu to put … Continue reading Fluted Zucchini Cake
