Best Family Favorite Czech Recipes

A few weeks back, I had a desire to make a sour dough starter to initiate my own homemade bohemian rye bread.   As mentioned in previous posts, this experiment has failed for a few reasons, so I went to option number two – using dry yeast. I scoured the internet in pursuit of Bohemian rye bread recipes and found one here at cooks.com. I was disheartened that there weren’t any pictures nor testimonials next to this recipe, but the recipe appeared to be easy to follow and used a combination of rye flour and all purpose flour.   Since I was a young child, I enjoyed a good Czech or German rye bread at restaurants and have been in pursuit of trying to imitate some of those good table breads. I like Bohemian rye bread because it is lighter in appearance and density (not too heavy on the rye grains) and it works well as pre-meal offering and partners well with soups or with assorted meats and cheeses.   This rye bread recipe I found adds in the European accent of caraway and...

One of my latest endeavors currently is preparing a Czech rye bread. There are so many variations of how to make a rye bread that it gets really confusing on which one is the appropriate method. One common theme I am realizing while I research via the web is that the rye flour in the states is much different than those sold in Europe. The rye flour here in the states is much coarser and produces a tougher texture than the smooth rye found in the Czech Republic. I have not begun my search yet for rye flours but will maybe have to suffice with what is available at the local store if I cannot find any refined rye flour. So, the first step in preparing rye dough is by making a starter. Many recipes prefer that the rye bread is made with a starter as opposed to using quick or instant yeast. The "starter" process is basically growing your own yeast /bacteria culture by mixing flour with water and covering it. Throughout the next seven days or  more, the yeast will become activ...

Some of my favorite after dinner Czech treats are kolacky.   There are hundreds of kolacky recipes out there, but I still stick with this simple one, especially when I am worried about having time to prepare other items be it dinner or other holiday bakery such as a houska/vanocka. Most kolacky recipes you will find do not use cream cheese in the dough; which is one of my favorite ingredients in this recipe. The rich cheese dough tastes delicious aside from the fruit filling. I have posted a raspberry recipe on this site before and I just recently prepared a batch of apricot kolacky. For the filling, just about any apricot fruit filling will work whether using Solo filling, preserves, or jam. The recipe is a family keeper and I even enjoy one or two of these for a quick breakfast. Fruit Filled Kolacky 1 Cup All Purpose Flour 1 Stick Butter, softened 3/8 Cup Cream Cheese, softened ¼ cup sugar Apricot Fruit Filling (Jam, Preserves, or Canned Pastry Fillin...

Whether hosting a large backyard cookout with friends or having a low key Sunday family grill out, chances are if you are cooking a large batch of bratwurst, one will most likely have leftovers. Typically, leftover grilled meats are usually served up the second time in a same manner as the initial offering. In other words, leftover sausages and hot dogs are most often micro waved the next day for lunch or dinner and eaten in a bun with condiments on top. Been there, done that. Then there are those times when the party will provide a bounty of extra bratwurst in which a little creativity and imagination are required especially if there are no longer any more buns or you are tired of the condiments. Here are some creative ways to use up Bratwurst without eating them in their typical setting. Bratwurst and Pasta There are numerous ways to prepare bratwurst with the aid of pasta. Dishes can be a simple as sautéing cut up brats, peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes in a little olive...

So this past Sunday for dinner, I decided to prepare the usual grilled burgers, but this time with a twist. I decided to make   hamburger buns from scratch. A lot of time is spent making the perfect patty and having the right condiments, it made sense to develop a really tasty bun. I don’t have a family recipe for homemade sandwich buns, so I proceeded to search the web and found a recipe here . The ingredients list are short and simple. The recipe yields eight decent sized buns which is perfect since that is the typical count in a store bought package of buns. The recipe was fairly easy to follow using nothing more than yeast, sugar, all purpose flour, and some liquid (milk, oil, egg). The dough was easy to mix and knead with prep time taking a few hours. I productively use the time (between kneading and rising) to do some overdue backyard work and play with the kids. After the dough had risen, and was separated into balls to rise again, I baked them with a l...

One of my favorite treats in the summer is a DQ moolatte. This after dinner treat is pure bliss. Nothing beats the rich combined flavors of coffee, ice cream, chocolate, and whatever additional flavors whether caramel, hazelnut, vanilla or cappuccino. I am a big fan of the mocha flavor as nothing compares to the combination of chocolate and coffee. The early evening trip to DQ for a moolatte is certain to put a smile on my face, but can also prove to be a dent in the wallet, especially when ordering for others in the group. I have my own recipe that I came up with for making a homemade moolatte that tastes as good as the real thing and is much cheaper considering our local DQ charges about $3.50 per serving. Preparing a moolatte does not take a huge amount of effort. There is no need for any major ice cream shop appliances such as soft serve machines, etc. All you need is a good hearty blender and some other common ingredients that aren’t too costly. The recipe typically calls for a ...

In my kitchen I have one of those small black Krups electric coffee grinders that I love to use every morning. I have had this gadget for about twelve years as it was a Christmas present from my parents. There is some definite satisfaction to the whirling sound and pulse of grinding up the beans to begin the day. I also enjoy the pleasant aroma produced by grinding up coffee beans. I believe this gadget seems too limited to be used strictly for coffee beans. There are a number of practical items that this device can safely chop and grind before reaching for other gadgets. I understand a bean grinder was designed for coffee beans only and coffee purists will tell you so. There are those times though when laziness sets in and you can get by using a coffee grinder to grind up many other items without having to reach for the bulky food processor or blender. As long as the grinder is wiped clean of debris before and after each use, it should do a great job of grinding and not cross contamin...