On my last visit to the Tekov region in the south of Slovakia, I went to see my late grandparents' house. It is now the home of my widowed aunt, and my cousins live close by with their families, so it was a good opportunity to meet them all after a long time. It was … Continue reading What kitchens of our grandmas looked like
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
A recent email from an American lady with Slovak roots reminded me of another dish my paternal grandma used to make. She lived in the south of Slovakia, in a small settlement close to the Hungarian border where people still spoke a local Hungarian dialect. Her cooking, too, was Hungarian-oriented and I remember that a … Continue reading Chicken Paprikash
Would you say that you can actually learn a lot of history while researching old recipes and exploring traditional ingredients? When I was setting about writing my first cookbook, I didn't know what a fascinating journey it would be, and how much I would learn along the way. History was never my choice at school. … Continue reading What food can teach us about our history
It took longer than expected, but the second book of A Taste of Slovakia series is finally at the printers. Last week we went to see how the work was progressing and if it was up to the standards we'd set. Jana Kollárová, the graphic designer and a photographer, took a few pictures of the raw … Continue reading A Taste of Slovakia 2 is being born
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 A day in paradise
There are events in our calendar that will repeat themselves with unfailing regularity year after year, though no two of them will ever feel the same. Silvester, which is what 31st December is named in the Slovak calendar, is no exception. No matter how many Silvesters I've lived through, the end of year never ceases to … Continue reading Looking back at 2016
It was born - at long last! The book I've been struggling to publish for so long has finally seen the light of day. I'm quite good at containing my emotions (either positive or negative), and I'm certainly not the one that would dance with her book around the flat taking selfies and posting them … Continue reading A Taste of Slovakia
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