Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Whimsical Cookery!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Czech Fried Cheese (Syr Smezany)

Syr Smezany or fried cheese a very popular dish often served up as a meal in itself or as a common appetizer at a tavern or by a street vendor. The recipe is simple as the ingredients list is short as is the price. This recipe will also be a sure fire way to win over some younger diners at the table as most kids will connect this dish to cheese sticks. The form of Czech fried cheese though takes on a rectangular shape. Czech Fried Cheese Recipe Serves 2 4 slices Edam, Gouda or Swiss Cheese ½”” thick 1/3 cup all purpose flour 1 large egg, beaten ¾ cup breadcrumbs 1 cup vegetable oil Salt and Pepper to taste Method 1.        Establish assembly line that consist of flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs all on separate plates and all in that order. 2.        Heat oil to 375 degrees in skillet or fryer 3.        Dredge cheese in flour, then submerse in egg, and roll into breadcrumbs. 4.     ...
Read more

Czech Recipe: Bread Dumplings (Houskové Knedlíky)

Image
One of the cornerstones of Czech cooking is dumplings - bread dumplings, yeasted dumplings, potato dumplings, fruit dumplings, dumplings with bacon, and on and on. So it seemed natural that my descent into Czech cooking begin with this mass of flour and carbohydrates. Most families here don't make dumplings anymore, as they are quite cheap to buy mass-produced ones in the shops. Some have told me they buy them from their local pub, which makes them from scratch. When I confessed my upcoming dumpling adventure to some, the men seemed impressed (thought I was being a good wifey to the Czech hubs), and the women said they remember making them with their mums years ago and I should definitely give it a shot. Making dumplings is a great way to get over that after-work slump of forgoing the dinner plans and diving into a bag of microwave popcorn (I fully admit to having done this), because even though it takes awhile, it's pretty easy, and I felt like a kid in science class watchin...
Read more

Liver Dumpling Soup - Bohemian Style

As a kid I always despised liver. I even recall an old “Far Side” comic that displayed a “Liver N Onions” truck driving down a quaint neighborhood road and children are running in the opposite direction with terror on their faces. Not exactly the ice cream man. I do have a soft spot for two liver” bi-products”. One of them is the commercially made liverwurst or Braunschweiger. The other is the super delicious Bohemian liver dumpling soup. This soup is typical of most Czech restaurants and is usually served in a very clear consommé or beef soup. My recipe captures the flavor but does not match the clarity one would find in a Czech restaurant. The difference being that I like to add back the remaining ingredients (in tiny bite size) pieces as it seems a waste to throw them away. My recipe also cheats with using a prepared stock aside from making the stock a la natural with oxtails or soup bones. If you want to go that route, by all means do so. Otherwise, stick to this recipe to save som...
Read more