This is a list of common components of Slovak dishes. Most of these entries are taken from longer posts within this blog but are posted here for convenience in alphabetical order. This is a working list so comment with suggestions and I will try to add to it.
Cranberry Sauce: Great for sviečková and other holiday dishes. Blend in food processor 1 bag cranberries, 2 red apples, and 1 whole orange with peel. Mix in 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1 cup sugar. Let sit in refrigerator for one week (any less and it's disgusting). Serve with this dish as an accent flavor and save leftovers for Thanksgiving or any other time. Freezes very well.
Paprika: Most Americans do not know this, but paprika is simply the Hungarian and Slovak word for a pepper. It is made of ground and dried Hungarian peppers. It's true flavor is activated when added to a hot oil (such as bacon grease or cooking oil). Sometimes this causes an instant bubbling reaction in the pan and is no cause for alarm.
Peppers: For most Slovak recipes involving peppers, anaheim pepers are probably the most readily available peppers in the U.S., but Hungarian wax peppers are the most authentic. I know for a fact that Hy-Vee will special order wax peppers upon request for a very reasonable price. Either way, choose a pepper according to your taste.
Pickles: Slovak cooking uses lots of pickles. This isn't just pickled cucumber, but pretty much any and every vegetable. Most heavier dishes are served with a pickled vegetable to cleanse the palate if fresh-picked raw garden vegetables are out of season.
Yeast: Used in dumplings, bread recipes, and desserts. First, heat the water or milk to about 105-110 degrees. This will feel hot but not too hot to keep a finger in for 10 seconds. This makes a perfect home for the yeast. Pour the milk into a bowl or large cup (16 oz. volume or more). Add a teaspoon of powdered sugar or more if the recipe calls for it to feed the yeast. Now add the yeast. Stir them all together and let it rise while you mix the next set of ingredients. It should make a froth that foams up an inch or more from the liquid if the yeast is activated correctly. Try again if it doesn't work, as most recipes will not turn out well if the yeast is not activated.
Bacon: You want hardwood-smoked bacon, not the cheap stuff. The right kind of bacon will cost between $4.50 and $8.00 per pound or more. In Iowa, I have found that the Village Meat Market & Cafe in the Cedar Rapids Czech Village has delicious double-smoked bacon for about $7.50/lb. If you are cooking with paprika, save your bacon grease as it is the perfect paprika flavor activator.
Bryndza: Bryndza is hard to find in the United States if not impossible. I have even tried Serbian Bryndza from a Russian market in Idaho, but it just isn't the same as the Liptov bryndza or anything else you can find in Slovakia. Thankfully, I have tried many different combinations and found a flavor equivalent-Goat and Quark-The blend of a soft goat cheese with quark cheese provides a flavor and consistency nearly identical to that of bryndza. I found a goat cheese at Costco here but most fresh goat cheeses will work. Quark cheese can be harder to find, but is readily available in the Midwest at most supermarkets with a significant cheese selection. If you cannot find quark, just use this combo: (two parts fresh goat cheese, one part feta, one part milk). Without fresh goat cheese, I have seen many recipes that call for a blend of cream cheese, feta, cottage cheese, and milk, although I don't think the flavor is even close enough to bryndza to count. You might as well use cheddar or something else because it won't taste authentic. I heat the cheese in a glass bowl by setting the bowl over a pot of heated water (almost boiling).
Cabbage/Sauerkraut: A common side. If you don't like the strong taste, you can rinse it well and simmer for 30 mins.
Sviečková Sauce: The sauce for sviečková is a creamy root vegetable puree. It is actually delicious and compliments most meats and breads, even though it is traditionally served with roast beef, dumplings, and cranberry sauce. The recipe can be found here.
Sviečková Sauce: The sauce for sviečková is a creamy root vegetable puree. It is actually delicious and compliments most meats and breads, even though it is traditionally served with roast beef, dumplings, and cranberry sauce. The recipe can be found here.
Cranberry Sauce: Great for sviečková and other holiday dishes. Blend in food processor 1 bag cranberries, 2 red apples, and 1 whole orange with peel. Mix in 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1 cup sugar. Let sit in refrigerator for one week (any less and it's disgusting). Serve with this dish as an accent flavor and save leftovers for Thanksgiving or any other time. Freezes very well.
Paprika: Most Americans do not know this, but paprika is simply the Hungarian and Slovak word for a pepper. It is made of ground and dried Hungarian peppers. It's true flavor is activated when added to a hot oil (such as bacon grease or cooking oil). Sometimes this causes an instant bubbling reaction in the pan and is no cause for alarm.
Peppers: For most Slovak recipes involving peppers, anaheim pepers are probably the most readily available peppers in the U.S., but Hungarian wax peppers are the most authentic. I know for a fact that Hy-Vee will special order wax peppers upon request for a very reasonable price. Either way, choose a pepper according to your taste.
Pickles: Slovak cooking uses lots of pickles. This isn't just pickled cucumber, but pretty much any and every vegetable. Most heavier dishes are served with a pickled vegetable to cleanse the palate if fresh-picked raw garden vegetables are out of season.
Yeast: Used in dumplings, bread recipes, and desserts. First, heat the water or milk to about 105-110 degrees. This will feel hot but not too hot to keep a finger in for 10 seconds. This makes a perfect home for the yeast. Pour the milk into a bowl or large cup (16 oz. volume or more). Add a teaspoon of powdered sugar or more if the recipe calls for it to feed the yeast. Now add the yeast. Stir them all together and let it rise while you mix the next set of ingredients. It should make a froth that foams up an inch or more from the liquid if the yeast is activated correctly. Try again if it doesn't work, as most recipes will not turn out well if the yeast is not activated.
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