It's bryndza time again. The first bryndza cheese of the year comes to our shops in the month of May, a few weeks after the flocks of sheep have been put out on mountain pastures to graze the new grass. Their milk is turned into cheese by shepherds at salashes - wooden cottages close to … Continue reading Gluten-Free Halushki with Bryndza Cheese
Halushki - traditional Slovak pasta - have already been mentioned in a recipe for Strapatchki. A slightly different version of halushki was used to accompany rabbit thighs in this recipe. Halushki are sometimes used in soups instead of noodles, but the most important role of these small, gnocchi-like dumplings is for our national dish, where … Continue reading Halushki with Bryndza Cheese
This recipe is a reminder of the summers we spent at our grandparents' house in the south of Slovakia - a warm, sunny region with rich soil and a long history of farming. There was a farmyard in between the house and a large back garden, where we could watch and help care for pigs, … Continue reading Braised Rabbit Thighs with Bear Garlic and Halushki
It was a week of exploration and discoveries, sublime food and new friendships. At the beginning of September last year my daughter Monika was married to a wonderful man, and they had chosen Villa Medicea di Lilliano in beautiful Tuscany as a location for their wedding. For me and some others from our family it … Continue reading What Slovak and Italian cuisine have in common
Despite the latest trends and fashions, which have put this ingredient on the list of most evil enemies in our diets, Slovaks are not ready yet to have flour removed from their kitchens. Very few of them would think of replacing traditional wheat flour with gluten-free substitutes, unless gluten is a serious health issue. We … Continue reading Choosing the right flour
An English-speaking lady with Slovak roots has contacted me recently asking for two 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 very … Continue reading Shoolantze – Slovak rolled pasta
When the Communist regime was toppled in Central Europe at the turn of 1980s and 1990s, our borders opened both ways, so we could not only travel to the 'western paradise', but also had the first English-speaking tourists coming to Slovakia (part of Czechoslovakia at the time). When asked about our national dish, we found … Continue reading How to make ‘halushki’
This is another variation on halušky (or halushki), the traditional Slovak pasta in the shape of small dumplings. Yes, our halushki can also be served with sauerkraut and topped with fried bacon. In this case the dish is called Strapačky (pronounced as strapatchki), which would loosely translate as 'curly halushki' - the name very likely derived … Continue reading Strapatchki
