My first experience of drinking mead (or medovina in Slovak) was years ago at a small Christmas party organized by the local music school staff. My children were taking piano lessons at the school and I was invited as a member of the teachers-parents board. It was a family-style event; the tables were laid with honey cookies … Continue reading Včelovina – Slovakia’s deluxe mead
The best place to see traditional Slovak cheeses being made is definitely Zázrivá Salash. There are quite a few salashes (or kolibas) around Slovakia, but none of those I have been to provided such a complex experience of our folk culture and cuisine as the salash between Zázrivá and Terchová - two villages well-known for their … Continue reading How traditional oštiepok cheese is made
This year's shepherd's season is drawing to a close with days getting shorter and nights palpably colder. Summer greens are still a prominent colour in our countryside, but they are slowly giving in to a rich array of autumnal hues. It's a wonderful time to be out and about, especially when the weather is as … Continue reading At Zázrivá Salash
Most tourists and visitors to our country will naturally head to Bratislava - the capital of Slovakia. Not only does the city have its own (albeit small) airport, but it's only an hour drive from a larger Vienna airport, which is a convenient gateway to other European cities and holiday destinations. There's a very good … Continue reading What’s cooking in Košice
You'll probably agree that the best way to learn about a country is to explore it through all your senses. Whether it's sightseeing, visiting festivals and listening to local folklore, learning traditional crafts or tasting regional specialities, you're bound to get something new and exciting. The manor house in Bytča and an adjacent wedding palace … Continue reading Bytča Palace – food for the mind, body and soul
I'm planning to include a chapter about Slovak wines in the next cookbook - a daunting task for someone as inexperienced in the field as I am. All I knew about wine until recently was that it came in two colours - red and white. After last weekend's wine tasting event at Červený Kameň Castle (Red … Continue reading Wine tasting at Červený Kameň Castle
Although we are getting more English-speaking visitors to Slovakia than before the Fall of Communism, this little country in the heart of Europe is still largely unknown by a mainstream tourist. Yet those who come and stay long enough to explore and make friends will often return for more. Luke Waterson - a travel writer … Continue reading How ‘A Taste of Slovakia’ was born
I usually survive the Slovak flu season, which peaks at the turn of January and February, with a raspy throat and a headache that normally eases off after taking a paracetamol and drinking plenty of hot lemon tea. But this year my husband had brought home a particularly viscious strain of the virus, which caught … Continue reading Honey – our sweet medicine
There's nothing more rewarding for an author than to see their book on a shelf in a real bookstore. More even, if this is a first-time author who has published the book herself after years of working on it and wondering whether all her efforts ever materialize. I'm quite good at containing my emotions (either … Continue reading Good news!
It was born - at long last! The book I've been struggling to publish for so long has finally seen the light of day. As you can see in the slideshow above, A Taste of Slovakia is much more than a list of our traditional recipes. It's a journey into this small country's culture, the way of … Continue reading A Taste of Slovakia
