It was a balmy Sunday evening at the end of April when I first arrived at Sedliacky dvor Camping & Guesthouse. I had found this little paradise in the heart of Slovakia by chance, or more accurately, it had found me. Monique and Dion, the Dutch couple behind this innovative project, contacted me after they'd bought A … Continue reading Another day in paradise
It always happens after a festive season of Christmas and Easter. Also at the end of a family party or celebration - well, unless you have packed the uneaten food for your guests to take home, as we often do in Slovakia. If you have to deal with leftovers, the easiest way is to put … Continue reading How to use leftovers in cooking
I have to say it straightaway that the title of this post is somewhat misleading. In fact, I'm going to show you how to separate curds from whey in leftover milk, which some people like to call 'old' milk. I, for my part, would never use the term for the milk that is close to, … Continue reading How to make your own cottage cheese
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
I came across the recipe for Sour Cherry Cakes (Višňové koláče) when I was researching beer as an ingredient in Slovak cooking. You might not know, as I hadn't before, that beer can also be used in baking. And you may be surprised, as I was two years ago, just by how tasty these little cherry-filled … Continue reading Sour Cherry Cakes
Sauerkraut is as important an ingredient in Slovak cooking as olive oil is in Italian or tofu in Asian. We grow up eating sauerkraut in both the raw form or cooked in our most typical and oldest dishes, like a sauerkraut soup or strapatchki. Indeed, all these ancient recipes come from the times when sauerkraut, alongside … Continue reading Red Lentil and Mushroom Dip
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
You may have seen similar posts highlighting Slovak specialities on other websites, and surely some of them will suggest a slightly different choice, but there are Slovak dishes that will unfalteringly appear in all 'to try' lists. You're very likely to find these frequent flyers at the top of my selection, while there might be … Continue reading 10 delicacies to try in Slovakia
Although it wasn't my top Christmas present this year, the message that landed in my inbox a couple of days ago made my heart sing with joy. Here is what it said: 'The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards are delighted to announce that A Taste of Slovakia is the winner selected to represent Slovakia in the … Continue reading A Taste of Slovakia shortlisted for 2018 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
