Cherished Czech Recipes

Rating:
Summary: From Wild Rice Casserole to Poppy Seed Coffee Cake!
Review: Cherished Czech Recipes, in the popular recipe-card file Stocking stuffer format. is full of the best recipes and notes about Czech culture. Compiled by Pat Martin, this little book reflects the best food traditions of Czech Americans. Pat served as the first coordinator of the Czech Village Association in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Many of the recipes featured have not been published previously, and a special section features traditional Christmas favorites of pioneer Czech families.

The cover art is a collaboration between noted Czech-American folk artist Marj Nejdl and graphic designer/calligrapher Esther Feske. The result is a lovely calligraphic title balanced by a Czech border design in red.

In addition to wonderful recipes, Cherished Czech Recipes also includes information on Czech-American culture. Included are a listing of Czech festivals, tourist sites, and information on where Czech Americans are found in the United States. Also included are popular proverbs and the Czechoslovak National Anthems.

The recipes included in this book are wonderful individually or to create a full Czechoslovak meal! Included are a variety of soups and gravies such as Mushroom and Barley Soup and Tomato Gravy. No soup would be complete without delicious breads to accompany it! Cherished Czech Recipes tells you step-by-step how to serve up piping hot loaves of Bohemian Rye Bread and Crescent Rolls. For a complete dinner, try the Roast Goose accompanied by the Wild Rice Casserole. For dessert, a warm Poppy Seed Coffee Cake will have your guests making room for more!

Cherished Czech Recipes is excellent for personal collections and as a memento of Czech American culture.

Rating:
Summary: Short But Has Most Common Czech and Slovak Favorites
Review: There are many variations for cooking Czech and Slovak dishes. This brief flip-chart bookelt has about 100 recipes. It is weak in the soup department but strong in bakery and main courses. Included are meat dishes like Chicken Paprika and one version of Marinated Beef (Svckova).

Other favorites include liver dumplings, nut cake, poppy seed pastries, and of course, Kolacki (Kolaches). The last section of the book includes the words for the Czech and Slovak anthems and proverbial sayings from the region. It is not a complete Czech and Slovak cookbook, but contains good tried and true recipes.

Rating:
Summary: What do I do with my leftover Pig Snouts?
Review: Why, make hash, of course!! A lot of interesting recipes in this little book, and many of them, including Christmas recipes look pretty tasty. I probably won't make anything with Pig Snouts, Brains, or Cheeks, but you never know!!