Prague Ham
My first time going out for dinner alone in Prague. I come across this corner bar and restaurant. I notice they have an English menu as well. This was my cue to enter because surely there were English-speaking waiters. I see Prague ham on the menu and at a reasonable price. My original thought was that it would be well... hot, with a side of something hot. To my surprise, I received a deconstructed ham sandwich with mayo and horseradish condiments. Once my brown bread slices arrived, I began to build my ham sandwich and try these condiments with it. The mustard was a bit crude but more palatable than the horseradish. The bread being quite dry I wash it down with the saving grace, of homemade ginger lemonade. It reminded me of the cold-cut sandwiches that I make at home on occasions when I wanted something fast and filling. They would include cheap thinly sliced meat from a plastic package with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mayonnaise pressed between only a slightly thicker cut of cheap bread that soon becomes soggy; losing its integrity to hold the entire sandwich together. It never occurred to me that I would get something like this in a bar. Although it is typical pub food. The setting was like a hole-in-the-wall not anticipating a fine dining establishment. I was not expecting anything gourmet. Even still the presentation was quite fanciful for something rather simple. The bread was sturdy and sliced thick as well as the ham. The greens were also crisp and bright green which was delightful to observe. Even in the United States, nightclubs and bars small and large are increasing the quality of the dining experience. In small towns, it is becoming more likely to find several course meals of international cuisine and more wine and spirit selections. While you might not be able to afford the finest dining you can take what you have and scale it up. I would like to visit this establishment once again to try more pub snacks.
Pilsner
Pilsner has a strong yeast flavor. I enjoyed going to the brewery and seeing the process to make beer. I have more respect for beer-making. I knew it was a process but I had never seen it or been to a brewery. I have not found a beer that I like yet. I do not have a palate for a yeast and malt drink. I have not tasted that many different beers. I am sure I can count on one hand how many I have had in my life. I could do a beer tasting and maybe my taste buds will agree with one. I did learn a technique to drink beer; take three consecutive sips then swallow. I was able to finish a pint like this but I would rather not drink something that is not tasty. The most popular beers that I know are bud light, Coors, Budweiser, and Heineken. I remember them from commercials of people tailgating at football games, or family parties, and even to relax at home or going fishing. Pilsner is very popular. You can see the signs everywhere. I am not sure what green and red labels represent because that does not seem to be Czech colors.
Honey Cake
I have fallen in love with the layers of this dessert. Love at first bite even. I cannot say I have had anything like it. The sugar content has been dramatically reduced in these products. I do have a small sweet tooth in comparison to the general population. I am enjoying being able to eat a whole portion without having any headaches or feeling like I overdid it. With candies and desserts from the US, I find myself satisfied with just a few bites of a slice of cake or pie. I look forward to the cooking class where I learn this recipe. This honey cake did surprise me at its level of sweetness despite all the other treats I have tasted being rather low in sugar. I'm curious to know the other ingredients. After attending the cooking class to learn how to make it, I was quite surprised at the technique of forming the layers. There was a bit of dryness to it but with layers of cream honey and caramel in between, it was not discouraging to eat. I like this with black coffee to balance out the sweetness. I took my time with each spoonful until I made it to the end. I refused to leave any crumbs behind. In the United State,s we have sugar throughout the day even having the term “sweet tooth” to describe one's leave of appeal to consuming it. Even still in the US, fulfilling a craving for sugar only relates to candy and cake without thinking about the number of sugars in their beverages and breakfast cereals. Candy in school should not be there in my opinion. Sugar is used as a reward for correct answers and good behavior. The better you do in school the more you get. Sugar should not be used in that way. It should merely be used for flavor enhancement.
The goulash of Cesky Krumlov
This was a hearty hot dish on a cold and snowy day. The meat tasted slow-cooked and tender. It was not overly seasoned. The dumplings had the texture of a sponge yet held their integrity to be dipped and swirled across the plate to collect the gravy together. I wonder if that was the main purpose of creating dumplings. To not leave any food behind. We have this concept with some type of bread to soak up any juices that refuse to be held in a spoon. It makes me think of the beef stew from the can with potatoes, carrots, and peas. This would be served with a side of Jiffy cornbread also from a box. I choose to believe that Czech cuisine is not so manufactured and that home-cooked food is prepared from whole ingredients by hand. Could that be American culture? Many of my food memories are of packaged and processed foods. There are not as many vegetables that come with meals as I would like. This is becoming a pattern. While American food is fast food, vegetables always find their way on the plate. Whether they are eaten or not is another story. I did notice that the portion size of the meat was small compared to a similar dish back home. The chunks of meat may have been a cheaper cut due to there being some fat left on them. The sauce could have been tomato-based or broth-based. It took up most of the plate. This could have been a way to stretch meals and add fillers such as bread dumplings to be satisfied. This is a similar tactic in my culture. Filling a meal with biscuits rolls or bread and some type of gravy was a way to feed several people with few ingredients.
Homemade Lemonade
I enjoy the lemonade here. It is much lighter crispier and refreshing. The iced teas are similar. I did not understand this drink at first. I have not gotten used to ordering something familiar as lemonade and getting something different. It is interesting to see how each country interprets cuisines from around the world. When I order lemonade back home I accept a cup or glass of artificially colored liquid with yellow dye, a lemon-flavored packet, and enough sugar to induce a coma. It is too sweet for me. It usually takes me watering it down and maybe 2 or 3 days to finish it. We even have sweet tea like this as well. Tea and too much sugar at lunch dinner and snack times. I like the iced teas and lemonades here much better. They are fresher with crushed lemons, herb leaves, and little sugar because I can still taste the sourness of lemon. The beverage is not unnaturally yellow at all its very transparent. Sometimes the lemonade looks like tea or red punch for some reason. Sprite or Seven-up could be considered lemonade here but it is not the same. In the states, people complain at family gatherings and restaurants when the tea or lemonade is not sweet enough. Beverages have a lot of sugar but I cannot say they are hidden because they can be tasted. Although people do not understand the labels indication how many grams of sugar is in something. I cannot even visualize grams. I have a sensitive body and I am more conscious of the sugar content because I easily get a headache and brain fog when I eat or drink something too sweet. I am still surprised about the health of Czech people despite foods being lower in salt and sugar they still have food-related health problems
Valassky Frgal
This dessert was very perplexing to me. I am still trying to understand what it is. I was told it was a cake but it was more like a giant cookie. I enjoy cooking but do not understand that the outcome of the process is quite a challenge. I did not get to research it beforehand. The dough was very sticky to spread on the parchment paper. It was more of a free-style decoration before baking. The toppings included peeled almonds, yellow and black raisins, and a type of date paste that had to be squeezed through a small point in a plastic bag. The thin layer of dough makes things faster to cook and it could be a way to make more with less. Especially if you are trying to feed a lot of people. Maybe they do not have much time to eat, which could be a reason to cook fast food. But other foods take a long time like roasting. Due to my issues with dairy I had to have oil instead of milk. There was a lot of dairy in the original recipe. Butter, milk, and heavy cream. Cream cheese was also used as a topping. It was interesting to see the outcome of mine that I made compared to the others. Mine was darker and more crumbly and less flavorful. There are other ways like dairy alternatives to get a more desired result. I'm not sure when this dish would be prepared or for who. It was big enough to be cut into slices and shared but also thin enough for one or two people to eat it. It is very different from any American sweets I have seen. We have thicker, more doughy, or bready desserts. This was like a cookie or a pie crust
Trout and salad
I enjoyed this catch of the day. I'm still not sure where it came from or when but it had a fresh and crispy taste. I am sensitive to salted food. It was a little bit saltier than I would have liked but still overall well seasoned with other herbs and green salad. Freshly squeezed lemon juice balanced it out. I enjoy eating fish filet. I am more accustomed to eating fish sticks that come frozen or even catfish nuggets. These are more economical. My family enjoys having fish fry parties. The main fish would be whiting, tilapia, or catfish. I would like to incorporate baked or grilled fish filet into my diet more. I am not sure if fried fish is common here. Most of the time I ate fried fish growing up with hot sauce and coleslaw with a side of fried dough called “hushpuppies”. I was surprised to see how little there was salad dressing. Usually, that is the way to get people to eat raw vegetables by covering them in a high-calorie dressing. The salad was very fresh and crispy. I am pleased to have fresh vegetables upon request. It could be due to the cold season lasting longer than in the United States the reason they do not have a lot of fresh produce. For this reason, they boil and can it to preserve it longer. Importing fresh fruit and vegetables would be too expensive. Going fishing as a pastime is something I remember when I was in elementary school. My uncle would take my sister and me to the city pond at the park and we would fish. The fish were small maybe the size of my hand. I do not remember cleaning them or cooking them but my uncle did. Fish and fishing is one simple way to get closer to your food. Going from the outside to your plate is one of the quickest for meats.
Gruner Veltliner
I liked this wine because it was sweet and easy to drink, it was light and refreshing. Good to drink after a meal or with dessert. I would like to try to find this at home. I liked the color and shine of it. I grew up in a Christian community. Drinking alcohol was not acceptable, especially for kids. The only time wine was allowed was during communion in church but even then it was just grape juice that we called wine. For special events like holidays, we would buy welches of sparkling grape juice. There was a choice of red or white. Kids and adults would drink Welchs like it was wine. I enjoy sweet wines the most. Usually red is too bitter and sour for me. I may start drinking wine with my meals more or at restaurants when I return to the states. Drinking wine at restaurants will be more expensive than here so I probably will buy cheap wine and drink it at home with my dinner. Gruner Veltliner would probably pair well with the fried meat and potatoes that is popular here. Cleaning your pallet while you are eating is helpful to finish the meal. Some dishes can be overwhelming like schnitzel and gravy. It could be difficult to finish without cleaning your pallet in between. It will be an adjustment if I were to start drinking around my family members. Whether they drink or not It will be an experience for them to see me drink and for me to have them watch me drink. I do not want to be seen like that by them so I do not think I will do it. Unless we are at a big social gathering with other people, not just family. For something like a wedding or Fourth of July, I would be more likely to drink wine or some mixed drink.
Pork, cabbage, dumplings
this was one of my favorite dishes of Czech cuisine. I had it in Cesky Krumlov in an unassuming hostel restaurant. I enjoy that about the restaurants here in the Czech republic. When you see them from the outside they look like dark holes in the wall but when you go in it's nice and warm and cozy. The food is well made and fresh tasting. The Pork was tender and there was a good portion size as well. I enjoyed the flavor that the dark beer gave to the pork. It was more rich and dark. I chose the Carlsbad dumplings even though I didn't understand what the waiter was describing. I had the white dumplings before so I wanted to try a new one to compare. The Carlsbad dumplings seemed to be mixed with herb bread and white bread so they tasted better. I like cabbage raw as a coleslaw in addition to being cooked. The purple cabbage was so flavorful I asked the waiter what was put in it. There was mostly sugar and vinegar. This was a hearty meal. The gravy overall was well seasoned and had a sheen and consistency that I enjoyed. I asked for extra gravy to eat with the pork and dumplings. It had a familiar taste to what I'm used to a darker richer flavor, especially during the winter, I eat more heavy food. I usually don't eat a lot of pork back home because it is too salty and it gives me a headache. I only eat it around the holidays. It is less salty here in Prague so I can eat it more frequently. I would like to learn how to cook this dish so that I could eat it any time that I wanted. I was not stuffed even after eating it all. I still had room for dessert. I would like to eat this meal alone so that I could enjoy it and not talk.
Carrot Scarves
this dessert surprised me. When I first read it on the menu I did not know what to think. I liked carrots but how would they take the shape of a scarf? I do enjoy carrots, and fruit jams, But I never thought to put them together in something like a turnover. This is a good recipe to use different ingredients like fruit and vegetables in one item. It seems like a clever way to use up the scraps in your kitchen and also to get kids to eat more vegetables without them knowing. Usually, at home, we try to make soup or lasagna when we want to use up pieces of different food. Making smoothies is a good way to get kids to eat vegetables without them tasting them. I would like to make this and try it with other vegetables, maybe corn or zucchini. The jam was extremely sweet. It was good that the crust was plain. The crust was thin and crispy. I am not sure if we used butter or lard. I had not cooked with lard in a while. I almost forgot how it tasted but it's like bacon grease. It has gotten a bad reputation just like anything that comes from pigs. It can be used minimally and with an active lifestyle. In The US this balance is not often taken into consideration. Usually, home cooks try to make every part of the dish good on its own even if meant to be eaten together. This can lead to over-seasoning and the overall flavor profile to be too strong and homogenous. This turnover dish can be customized in many different ways. The crust dusted with powdered sugar can be a sauce, you can use different vegetable and fruit combinations. They seem to be shelf-stable and may be good to freeze and cook at different times.