Best Family Favorite Czech Recipes

I have an overabundance of green peppers in my garden that I am hard pressed to use up before they over-ripen. I have already used up a few as they have been mixed in the last few weeks with the likes ofs omelettes, salads, and Italian beef sandwiches. Peppers are a different sort as they really can’t be frozen for later use as can be done with beans, carrots, etc. I love these vegetables and almost consider them a fruit as they tend to get sweet when subjected to high roasting temperatures. Aside from my tendency to grill peppers or continue using them in skillet dishes, I turned my attention to making a stuffed green pepper soup. The recipe is easy to follow and will yield enough servings of soup for several meals. There are several ways to make this soup though the essentials include the peppers (of course), onion, tomato base, and rice. When preparing the soup, make sure to keep the rice on the side and warm. Serve the soup directly on top of the rice upon serving. Keeping these

I am a big fan of sweet doughs that often resemble donuts and seem very airy. You know, the kind of baked or fried dough that springs back when you press down on it. These doughs are typical of the dunkin donuts long john or boston cream donut or jelly bismarck. I also associate this dough with the infamous polish paczki. My mom used to make what she called Shishky (Slovak) or what is considered Vdolky. The dough started out as flat rounds then raised quite a bit when exposed to heat, often producing almost a partially flattened tennis ball or baseball shape. She would finish them off with putting a little prune or raspberry filling on top with a dollop of whipped cream or dusting of confectioners sugar. Some people like to take the finish batch of Vdolky and shake them up in a paper back with cinnamon sugar. They are really tasty especially if you eat one while it is still relatively warm. Go ahead and make mom some Czech donuts for Mother’s Day. Czech Donuts - Shishky (Vdolky)

As the weather starts to heat up I like to cook out more frequently on the weekends. I like to fire up the grill and enjoy the outdoors as the kids play in the backyard and I can avoid using the stove and oven creating unnecessary heat in the home. Grill food is always a treat especially when accompanied by a tasty side dish and cold beverage. One of my favorite spring and summer side dishes to serve with barbecue is coleslaw. I have had coleslaw prepared so many different ways that you really can’t mess it up. Coleslaw in essence is cabbage salad with your choice of additional vegetables and a dressing to bind the salad together. I have tasted oriental slaw, three-cabbage slaw, broccoli slaw, and many others. For years we have prepared the traditional mayonnaise based coleslaw and it is delicious as always. As with all foods, it is good to prepare and try new alternatives to traditional dishes. My father has created a mayo free coleslaw recipe that goes great with pulled pork sandwich

Spring is finally here ushering in warmer temperatures during this Holy Easter week. This time of year always reminds me of the great Easter feasts we would have at my Grandmother or Teta’s home after church. The meal usually involved a spiral ham with lots of side dishes and tons of desserts. The one dessert we all enjoyed in addition to the poppy seed cake was the annual Easter Lamb Pound Cake my dear Teta made. She and my Grandmother had the old cast iron lamb molds and would prepare several of these pound cakes every Easter. Though my dear grandmother and great aunt have passed on, my mother has fortunately kept the lamb pound cake tradition alive as she gifts all of her children a lamb every Easter Sunday. While our family enjoys these gifts from mom every year, I decided to go out and purchase one of our own lamb molds so we can prepare these for future generations of my own family. My newest acquisition is not the heavy cast iron model, but aluminum. It does a great job and se

While Czechs are known for quality pork and beef dishes, they also have a fine appreciation for seafood. Some of the more common types of fish Czech’s will enjoy include carp, trout, salmon, and occasionally cod. Trout and carp are more prevalent in Bohemian cooking given the large (and very clean) rivers and lakes in the mountains . The carp is very popular in Czech and Polish culture as it is the highlight of the Christmas Eve meal. I personally do not care for carp though I have had it prepared in the U.S and the meat itself possessed an extremely muddy flavor that could not be disguised by any amount of lemon or garlic. Perhaps I would give it a second try if I was to have it prepared “smoked” sitting down in a Bohemian or Polish restaurant. My favorite fish on this list aside from cod would be trout. Trout is a very delicious flaky fresh water fish that can be easily prepared with simply a skillet and some fat for frying. As we are currently into the Lenten season I am excited

Many eastern European pastries are based on a variety of fillings which include fruits, cheeses and nuts. One of the fillings that truly stand out with Czech and Polish baked goods are poppy seeds. As a young child I did not immediately succumb to the taste of poppy seeds when I had the pick of kolacky filled with tasty fruits such as apricot, plum and raspberry. My young taste buds at the time had no desire for any cookie or slice of coffee cake containing this thin black paste containing seeds. Our poppy seed consumers in the home were mainly mom and dad. My spat with poppy seeds did not stop there. While attending college I worked part time in a hospital kitchen. Our particular kitchen (or hospitality) unit prepared the meals for the patients temporarily residing in the substance abuse wing. Working in an institutional kitchen, I actually learned a great deal of cooking and quickly realized hospital foods could actually be quite tasty given the right menus, management and a respe

As Christmas week draws in, I felt the urge to bake some kolacky for the family. I went with the strawberry cream cheese variety this weekend. This kolacky recipe is similar to the other kolacky recipe on this site as the dough consists of simply cream cheese, butter, and flour producing a light flaky puff pastry when baked. The pastry will end up light in color (almost white)when baked. I do not mind the light cream cheese flour tone so I do not add anything to create a golden or yellowing effect such as egg or extra vanilla. Give this recipe a try and remember to pinch the edges shut to avoid the pastry from unraveling. If strawberry cream cheese does not sound like the filling of your choice, you can opt for just about any fruit or nut based pie filling or jam whether apricot, plum, poppy seed or almond. Merry Christmas to all. Strawberry Cream Cheese Kolacky Kolacky Dough 1 cup all purpose flour 3/8 cup cream cheese 1 stick butter Kolacky Filling 1 small jar stra