Czech Foods Recipes

It is that time of year again for those that are in observance of the lenten holiday. I recall a few definite meatless dishes that stick out in my mind as a kid growing up in a catholic household. Most of these days were considered friday night fish frys. The fish fries were either carryout, homemade, or we would go to the local VFW where they would do an "all you can eat" beer batter cod dinner. Even as a kid I loved this food. But meatless Fridays did not always mean eating fish. One of the biggest czech friday meatless dishes I fondly remember are the fruit dumplings. They were so good! My mom and even my babi would make these with a variety of fruits which included plums, peaches, and different berries. I have already posted a fruit dumpling recipe on this blog which can be found here . As a kid I loved this food because it was like getting dessert for dinner. These are always a challenge to make because sometimes the dough has a tough time stretching over the bulky fruit

The previous Sunday morning, I pulled out all the stops for serving breakfast for the kids. I went out to the store the night before and picked up a carton of fresh strawberries and whipping cream. The next day I made the weekly stack of pancakes but added the berries, cream, and even used some smuckers strawberry fruit syrup. This super sweet breakfast fare conjured up images of my own childhood going to different suburban pancake houses with Mom, Dad, and my two brothers. We did not go out to dinner too often, but I can recall several instances where we piled in the big chevy tank and hit the booths for waffles ala mode, blueberry pancakes or some egg dish with about two or three meat sides. Good breakfast joints still exist if you really search for them. Try to avoid the everyday chain locations and franchises and opt for the pancake house that delivers everything under the sun.   Stick with word of mouth from co-workers, neighbors, and visit your hometown restaurant message boards.

Take a few minutes to czech out the fine epicurean delights brought to the UN delegation courtesy of the Czech Culinary Team. The brief video shares a tasting of Becherovka and finishes with a very tasty fried pastry with what is described by the host as Apple Sabayon. Na Zdravi!