Foodies in the Czech Republic, 2010-2011

Mark's Famous Pie Crust Recipe--How to make it! And a Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie (Jahoda-Rebarbora koláč)

2011-11-13T15:27:00.001+01:00

This spring we were making pies and tarts like mad chefs due to all of the fresh fruit we were picking throughout the Czech Republic. Many of you asked, even begged, to have our pie crust recipe. Kindly obliging, here it is!

Through the years we have perfected the easiest way to make a flaky, non-tough pie crust for all of your uses...quiche (cheese pie), fruit pies, pasties and so forth. The KEY with all pie crust-making is to not work the dough as it will toughen immensely! Remember this is not bread dough with a leavening agent.

Mark's Pie Crust & A Strawberry-Rhubarb (Jahoda-Rebarbora) Pie

The secret to this fool-proof recipe is to use a food processor, rather than to mix it by hand (where it is more likely to become tough)...

Ingredients:

2 cups or 180 g flour (mouka--use the fine, green label type)

2 tablespoons crystal sugar (cukr)

0.5 pounds (2 sticks) or 500 g unsalted butter (maslo)

1/2 teaspoon salt (sul)

1/2 cup or 118 ml ice cold water (voda)

In a food processor, place the grater blade in place, put the cover on. Grate the butter into the container. Remove grater blade.
Next, add in the chopped blade that sits in the bottom of the food processor container. Sift in the flour, adding in the sugar and salt. Cover the machine. As look down into the machine, here's what you'll see:

Gently pulse the dry ingredients a few times into the grated butter. Then, keep the blade running while you gently start pouring the ice cold water into the food processor. Do this until the dough forms a ball which turns around inside of the container. Stop adding water (you will not use all of the ice cold water)! Turn the food processor off and take the ball of dough out and put into plastic wrap or wax paper until you are ready to roll it out. Keep refrigerated unless you're ready to roll out the dough immediately. NOTE: you can also freeze the dough this way and pull it out of the freezer to thaw when you're ready to make your next recipe requiring dough!

Now you're ready to roll the dough out. Use a clean, flat surface such as a stone countertop or on a wooden board or pastry cloth. We prefer using the latter in case the dough sticks a bit.

Lightly flour the surface and roll your favorite wooden rolling pin (ours is a hand-made Czech rolling pin!) into the flour to get the rolling pin covered with a fine layer.

Take half of the dough and place it onto the floured surface. Gently press it down with your hand to flatten it a bit. Then start rolling it out with the rolling pin, gently rolling outwards in all directions to make a circle. Once it is ~6-10 cm larger in diameter than your pie tin, stop rolling.

Fold it over itself in half so it is easy to pick up and place into the pie plate or tin. We always prefer using glass or ceramic pie plates, rather than aluminum (due to health concerns with using aluminum!).

Unfold it over the entire pie tin (above). Let the extra pieces hang over the edge of the pan until you have put the fruit inside (see below)!

Now you're ready to place the prepared fruit inside of the bottom pie shell!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, Jahoda-Rebarbora Koláč

For our example today, we'll use the spring mixture of strawberries and rhubarb! We just happen to have (this May day, 2011), some freshly harvested and chopped rhubarb (rebarbora), fresh strawberries (Jahoda) which we picked near Eggensberg, Austria (our friend Nancy and Carl were visiting at the time!). Also shown below are fresh sour cherries (already pitted) that we picked down the street (Lesni, Trebon) at our friends house, as well as fresh apricots from southern Italy (just came to the Farmer's Market..we bought these at the market in Brno). The cherries and apricots will be for another pie (not discussed here...).

Mix 1 pound (~900 g) freshly chopped rhubarb with 0.75 pounds (340 g) strawberries in a bowl. Add in 1/2 cup (45 g) flour, 1 cup sugar (190 g), the zest from one lemon (citron), and shave in 1/2 of a nutmeg seed (or 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg):

Of course, taste it to see if it has the right proportion of spice, sugar, and lemon. If you need more of one item, add in a bit more....

Now, pour the mixture into your prepared pie shell (from above):

Trim off the excess pie crust at the top of the pie tin with a knife or pastry cutter.
Roll out the top crust (using the other half of the pie crust (from above). Again, make sure that the diameter of the crust is 6-10 cm larger than the pie dish. You will need to cut in vent holes so the pie crust doesn't steam too much inside. Here we've made an R and a J for "rebarbora" and "jahoda" (rhubarb and strawberry)!

Again, fold the dough over itself in half. Life carefully and place on top of the fruit-filled bottom crust. Cut off any extra crust, leaving ~2 cm of extra crust around the outer edge of the pie dish. this will now be turned underneath the bottom crust at the edge of the pan and crimped or pressed together to seal it. Then, you can add fancy designs to the edging, if you like!

Maybe you'll want to sprinkle a bit of sugar (cukr) on top for a crusty, sugary delight!

Into the oven it goes! Place it into a preheated oven set at ~160C or 325F. Place a drip pan underneath to catch any juice that will run out later! Bake for 1-1.5 hours until the pie is bubbly and running over a bit.

Remove from oven and cool.
Happy eating! Dobro hjut!

Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.

Athenian Greetings! Eating dinner at The Olive Garden Restaurant atop The Titania Hotel, Athens, Greece

2011-05-15T10:56:00.003+02:00

Greetings from Athens, Greece!

We are here in Athens for a week so Neil can attend a conference (The 6th Annual International Symposium on the Environment, sponsored by the Athens Institute for Education and Research, Arts and Sciences Research Division, Environment and Agricultural Research Unit). Markie came along to see the sights as well and enjoy the great Greek food...who could resist?

We're staying in the Titania Hotel in downtown Athens (52 Panepistimiou Avenue, Athens, Greece) where the conference is being held. From our room, as well as the rooftop restaurant, one can see the Acropolis. Here, we are sitting in the rooftop restaurant where the Parthenon is in clear view...

Our friends Larry and Rose are also visiting with us....thankfully Rose speaks Greek to help everyone out!

We went for afternoon drinks and snacks at The Olive Garden restaurant on the 11th floor of the conference hotel....watching the sun dance across the mountains and the mighty Acropolis structures....staying here until after sunset to catch the entire venue of views.

Join us for a glass of wine or fresh lemonade, along with some Greek cheeses....a bit of Feta, smoked and aged cheese, with a few sesame sticks?

The Greek flag behind us catches the blue of the sky and transforms it into a blue and white fabric of colors on this gorgeous afternoon.

Perched on top of this steep Lycabettus Hill is an old white church, Ag. Georgios....

From where Neil and Mark are sitting you can see this from one direction,

and the Parthenon from the other!

Here's the menu we have to look at before sitting down for dinner on the veranda on top of the hotel.
The first is a listing of the special Strawberry festival (this is the last day of it).

followed by the main menu....so many choices!

While we're deciding on what to have a basket of fresh, hot breads, dipped in olive oil, balsamic, and capers or perhaps some hummus, is sure to get your taste buds activated!

The moon rises in the eastern sky above the Greek flag.

We all decide to try the Farmer's Salad, being plated below.

It is this tasty mixture of fresh tomatoes, Greek olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, caper buds and caper leaves (both pickled). The leaves are delicious!
Use the sprig of dried Greek oregano (below left) and rub it between your fingers to add the additional garnish of flavors. Fantastic! We just love Greek food!

While we dine on our salads, the sun is slowly setting (below right in the panoramic photo below) and the mountains start turning a lovely red.

The moon shines brighter above the olive tree and flag...

Modern Athens becomes darkened for awhile until the lights start to twinkle on the distant hills.

It's time now for the main courses to arrive. Mark chooses the lamb chops, resting on a bed of roasted red peppers and eggplants, plated along with an olive oil and balsamic reduction.

Then there's a Souvlaki plate....delightful skewers of meat, onions, tomatoes, embedded in grilled potato slices.

while Neil dines on the traditional Mousaka resting on a pool of Greek yoghurt spiced with garlic and thyme, along with a garnish of Thyme.

Now the night has fallen and the Parthenon and other structures in the Acropolis become lighted. Our white roses growing tableside seem to reflect the white evening lights.

Here's another panoramic view of the Acropolis when fully lit, along with the city lights starting to shine.

Isn't it just gorgeous beyond belief? Here we are in a city that dates back to ~3,000 B.C. We ponder the history of the many invaders, spoilers, and the long-term resiliance of the Greeks. Long live Athena!

Once the darkness has settled in, a breeze comes up and it cools down outside, signalling time for dessert! One of us gets the cold strawberry soup with panna cotta floating on it, dusted gently with roasted Pistachios.

While another feasts on the fresh strawberry tart, along with a side of mango sherbert festively adorned with chocolate and strawberry reduction.

Mark smiles at his traditional Ekmek dessert....a delight for the eyes and tastebuds....chocolate, pistachio, cherries...

and Neil enjoys the strawberry Mille Fleur embedded within a fluffy and light pastry.

We wish you all the best of meals tonight, from the historic city of Athens, the Acropolis, and the Parthenon!

Dejeuner a l'Alsace Cafe, Champs Elysees, Paris

2011-04-29T06:42:00.000+02:00

Dinner! We were so starved after spending the entire day at the Musee de Louvre in Paris that, as we crept back up the Champs Elysees, a particular cafe, l'Alsace--named after the Alsace Lorraine region where France, Switzerland, and Germany meet--just called out our names!

Perhaps it was the lovely red canvas canopy overhead with the gold fringe and lights, along with the busy chatter and smells wafting about le Champes Elysees that caught our senses!
Or, was it the color combinations of the glasses with the red Alsace wine that catches our love of complementation?

Cheers! (Mark seems to match the color combinations, of course.

We choose to share a couple of items from the menu, as otherwise we end up with too much food. One wants to have just enough, but not too much when walking along the Champs Elysees!
One can expect Alsace onions, wines, vegetables and meats from this spectacular region being served here.
Mark chooses une tart de l'oignon for the shared appetizer: a small quiche on a paper thin and flaky pastry topped with caramelized onions and a small side Ceasar salad du jour. Get your fork and dig in!

He then is served small lamp chops, carefully grilled and spiced with rosemary, olive oil, garlic and peppered with a fresh side of petit pois (small peas) and les haricots verts (green beans):

While Neil chooses the thinly grilled rib eye steak, pomme de terre, and...

fresh-made Bernaise sauce, resplendent with tarragon, saffron, blended in with a home-made mayonnaise (how French)!

Do stop by and see what other delights might befriend your palette! It is great fun watching the people parading by on the Champe Elysees, as well as the waiters and waitresses, all decked out in black and whites. The precision with which they operated was amazing, but rather humorous as the pecking order with the assemblage was very obvious....it was like a small, well-organized division of Napoleon's army!

L'Alsace Cafe is located at 39, avenue des Champes-Elysees, 75008 Paris.
www.restaurantalsace.com

le Tour d'Eiffel, Paris

2011-04-26T10:52:00.001+02:00

It was a hot day in Paris, this day before Easter 2011, so why arrive at the Eiffel Tower in a pink limousine?! It keeps the dust off your feet....

We've been to the tower before, just never had the luxury of enough time to wait in line to go up to the second floor lookout and catch the glimpses of the city. So, today, after our lunch here in the park (previous posting), we move towards the tower where these trimmed sycamore trees seems to be swallowed up into the mouth of the tower!

Well, a refresher seemed in order, since the lines are VERY LONG to get into either the North, South or East leg of the tower.

We opt for the shortest line which snakes back and forth and proceeds along very slowly! This gives on time to look up into the tower

or catch framed glimpses of the city across the Senn.

We're getting close now....excitement building! Then, as we get near to the front of the line, a security officer sees us and whisks us away to a special entrance for handicapped people (if only we'd known about this sooner, we wouldn't have spent one hour in the line!). Mark waits at the gate while the officer takes one person from each party (waiting in this line) to the back side of the ticket counter to purchase our tickets (discounted to 8 Euros total for both of us--a deal!).

Then we slide into the line, through security and into the funiculaire (don't you just love that word?!) that goes up this leg of the tower at a 45 degree angle!

Here's the view as we ascend...

Once we up to the second floor platform (a two-deck affair), we can see the city. Here's l'Eglise Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart church) sitting pearly white on the north hill.

Clouds come and go (it rains later) making a wonderful panel of colors that drift back and forth across the skyline.

Here's a stitched photograph (3 photos) looking along the Senn towards the Grand Palace, with the huge glass conservatory built for the 1900 Paris World Exhibition.

From this high up, the tower has such delightful architectural features!

Below us, the Carousel plays it merry music...a twirl of delight!

Back across the Senn towards one of the museums; the l'Arc de Triumphe is towards the upper right-hand corner of this picture.

A stitched landscape of this same view:

More pics in other directions around the tower:

Mark is in awe. We ate our picnic repas earlier down below in the shady part of this grand garden (to the left)!

We spend a couple of hours up here, enjoying the view, sipping de l'eau et vin (water and wine), to build up the courage to take the slide (no, just kidding, it was an elevator!) down to the base:

Wheeee.....

As we leave, the storm clouds darken and we have a brief rain shower while crossing the river. It soon lets up and we ascend up the long hill to l'Arc de Triumphe for dinner in a cafe somewhere....

Lunch, le Petit Dejeuner, by the Eiffel Tower, day before Easter, Paris

2011-04-26T00:32:00.000+02:00

We spent the day around the Eiffel Tower, le Tour d'Eiffel, soaking up the sights, basking in the sun, cooling in the shade, and eventually going up into the tower (later posting).

Around 1400 hours, we started to get hungry....our breakfast of coffee and croissants had long since dissipated!

Mark stops to wash his hands and cool off a bit at this handy faucet before we go to a cool spot in the shade underneath the Eiffel Tower.

Well, we start digging into the many wonderful treats we bought at the Farmer's Market this morning at la Rue Poncelet (previous posting)!
Using Neil's Czech knife, we slice off some fresh goat cheese with a bit of fine ash. This is slathered onto the Baguette:

Mark seems to think this is quite le Piece de Resistance!

Those delectable cherry tomatoes spill out of our bags and explode in our mouths! Exquisite delights.

And why not combine the cherries with the cheese and French bread? Pourqoi non?

Then! There are the cold beets cooked in their skins that we bought this morning. It's such a fantastic idea to sell pre-cooked fresh beets in their skins for easy eating. Look at this!

Well, let's see.....after eating a few bites we think about pairing this with the cheese...on some bread! Fantastique!

Everyone in the Eiffel Tower seems to be looking down on us and drooling!

Then, out comes the Comice pear...isn't this just gorgeous?

Mark adds that it is tres bien and oh, so good!

Then we pear it with the cheese and cooked beets...an unbelievable combination!

These berries cleanse the palette....

And now for dessert....we ran across a bakery (chez Paul) that was selling delectable fruit French macaroons at the Farmer's Market this morning! We had to buy a large fresh raspberry macaroon...

Can you believe it?

Here's to Paris et le Tour d'Eiffel!

Who says you can't have a delectable gourmet meal without cooking a thing?

Now it's time to sit back in the shade and watch all of the other people delighting in this beautiful day and enjoying their picnics...

A father photographs his daughters holding their hands on top of the Eiffel Tower!

It is a French Impressionist day...with all of the sun umbrellas in gorgeous colors and contrasts...

We're wishing you the absolutely best weekend, from here in Paris!

The Farmer's Market, la Rue Poncelet, Paris

2011-04-25T23:54:00.000+02:00

The street where we're staying in Paris, Rue de Poncelet, has a farmer's market each and every day! We walk past this on the way to the l'Arc de Triumphe...heading to the day's excitement!
Each day we plan our French petit repas (lunch) menu as we walk past the stalls. Let's see what's delightful aujourd'hui (today; the day before Easter)
...raspberries (we buy some of these!

or who can resist fresh black berries either? We can't!

or fresh blanched asparagus (sadly, we're not cooking today, but one can eat it raw),

Some 'Purple Passion' asparagus is tucked amongst the white asparagus...which makes us think of home; we're wondering how ours is growing in St. Paul, Minnesota??

fresh strawberries (we buy three boxes and the vendor likes Mark so much, he gets another one for free!),

fresh mangoes and kumquats, all so delicious looking with lots of anthocyanins and neutraceuticals,

fresh citrus (we hear Spain calling),

perhaps some Toi / Moi oranges for you and I?

fresh cantaloupes just arrived (so tasty)! As you can see, the sellers are shouting out their wares so that everyone will come and buy them! It is NOT a quiet market, like the Czech or U.S. farmer's markets! Here everyone is yelling out their delights and enticing you to buy by offering you fresh samples....irresistible marketing!

Neil almost jumps out of his skin when he sees the 'Comice' pears (background below); local d'Anjou pears are in the front. We have to buy a Comice for lunch!!

Ah, seafood....lots of fresh shrimp...

fresh peaches,

Rhubarb anyone?

more blanched asparagus and berries....

as well as unblanched asparagus,

les haricots verts (green beans) are gorgeous and fresh!

Speaking of fresh, how about some Belgian endive?

And artichokes...we've been yearning for some! Perhaps we'll have to take some of these back with us to the Czech Republic for dinner this weekend?!

Then there are the tomatoes...

these cherry tomatoes just spilled into our market bag....who could resist? Another treat for today's lunch!

Everything is about interacting, catching up on the news, the flavors of the day.....join in!

Oh, and fresh peas...in the longest, most beautiful pods Neil has ever seen (his Dad, Leonard, is the pea King of Vermont!):

Fresh cherries?

And just look as these gorgeous fresh vegetables!

Oh, and guess what?!

How about fresh Morel mushrooms?! Poor Minnesota....they're not quite ready yet....

Shops that line the street also set up their wares and you can also venture inside the shop.
Fromage (cheeses) anyone?

We bought some of the fresh goat cheese, covered with ash (on the left) for lunch today!

Even the local chocalatier advertises their wares. You can get your name written on a dark chocolate Easter egg, if you're so inclined!

Then, numerous vendors and shops are selling the classics....duck confit,

foie gras,

fresh rotisserie chickens

or other delights from the grill,

paela sure smells good this morning, too...

and then there are these giant prawns from Madagascar, and crab....

more shrimp..

fish soup ready to warm up;

or perhaps this Mediterranean delight with zucchini, summer squash, peppers, and some spicing? Smells delightful this morning....already we're getting hungry...

l'escargots in the full shell?

We didn't purchase anything from here...yet.

Then there are the fresh flower vendors.....peonies are in full swing now (it is summer today!),

and everyone is buying fresh bunches of lily of the valley....the fragrance of which waft over the entire market!

At the end of the street, DaDa Cafe is a common hangout before or after working the market for today's meals!

One does need some wine to go with your lunch, after all!

It could be paired with some tasty pastry, too....Mark thinks!

as well as some fresh bread at the Boulangerie...we have to buy a large fresh loaf of French bread pour le petit Dejeuner aujourd'hui.

So there you have it, today's potential ingredients for feasting! May yours be filled with freshness and top quality flavors!

l'Arc de Triomphe, Paris

2011-04-25T22:32:00.001+02:00

Greeting from Paris! We're here for a nearly week-long excursion to the city of romance, wine and great food! Our charming little hotel is located near the l'Arc de Triomphe.

We pass by this each day and remember the WWI dead memorial inside (always brings tears to our eyes when you stand inside and read the names of the fallen soldiers),

as well as think of Hitler marauding around the Charles de Gaulle circle....

Lemon Easter Egg (citron velikonoční vajíčko) cookies

2011-04-20T14:32:00.002+02:00

We're thinking lemon is a great thing for some festive spring cookies, particularly for Easter! Nothing gives the palate a more refreshing delightful taste of spring than lemons (citron)...

Lemon Easter Egg (citron velikonoční vajíčko) cookies

soften 500 g (1.5 sticks) of butter (maslo)

cream in 190 g (1 cup) sugar (cukr)

whip in 2 eggs (preferably farm-fresh from your market or chicken coop!)

zest in the rind from 1 large lemon (citron)

squeeze the juice from the lemon and add into the mixture

add in 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 pkg. vanilla sugar; 250 ml (1 cup) of milk (mleko)

sift in 4 teaspoons baking powder, a pinch of salt, and 270-360 g (3-4 cups) of fine flour

Mix thoroughly until fairly stiff (you may need a bit more flour; if so, add some!). Flour your hands.

Roll into balls, and press down onto a baking sheet covered with wax paper until they form an oval (egg) geometric shape.

Bake at 150C (~325F) just until browning.

Cool.

While these are cooling, mix a thin yellow icing of
200 g (1.5 cups) confectioner's sugar (cukr moučka)
2-3 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

You can vary this to get different colors...use orange zest/juice for orange icing, and lime zest/juice for green icing:

Then drizzle the icings in fun patterns over the cooled cookies.

Let the icing dry thoroughly, well unless you can't resist trying one or two or three.....

These will delight you for a Merry Easter (Veselé Velikonoce) and Easter Monday!

Hotel Florentina*****, Prague, Czech Republic...Botel on the River Vltava!

2011-04-20T14:07:00.000+02:00

Well, if you're looking for a place to stay in Prague that is relatively inexpensive, exciting, convenient (in Praha 1; relatively easy parking nearby), has a view of the river and the Castle from your room's window....all without the noise of the street below you...then book yourself a stay in Hotel Florentina (Dvorakovo nabrezi, Dock nr. 7, Prague 1)!

Walking down the cobblestone road towards the river, Hotel Florentina is the first boat you'll see on the left. It is docked permanently so don't worry that it will take off for a cruise in the middle of the night when you're off on the town!

Located near the National Theater, the Old Jewish Quarter, and our favorite restaurant in Prague (Grosettos), you'll find yourself at peace sitting on the top deck enjoying a cocktail, having a Bohemian breakfast in the dining room overlooking the river (enjoying the swans, morning and evening views of the Castle and other architectural delights across the river). What more could one want?!

Step aboard and we'll tell you more....

Bookings are done through booking.com website:

http://www.booking.com/city/cz/prague.en.html

Do note, however, that when you request anything special the message may not get through, so call the Hotel Florentina directly to make sure your needs are met (http://www.guideprague.com/florentina/hotel-florentina-prague.php). Both times we booked a stay here, we asked for a handicapped accessible room but this information never was relayed to the hotel. Fortunately, the Hotel Florentina staff found a suitable room both times which was perfect. The staff are great!

The rooms are small but comfortable with all the amenities; WiFi is in the lobby only. Rooms are 'kitchy' or 'campy' but lots of fun for an easy stay in Prague.

Make sure you book a room with a view of the river!

Here's the view we had from our river view window the first day as the sun was setting. Note the swans swimming about.....they'll come right close to the boat and your windows.

It is so delightful to have your window open at night and hear the gulls singing up and down the river or the swans trumpeting in the early morning hours. A truly peaceful delight in such a busy city!

The Prague Castle on the hill darkens as sunset passes and nautical twilight begins... Aren't the turquoise hues gorgeous?

This little Queen's summer castle was right across from the boat, with forsythia blooming on the hillside below it.

It slowly glows as the evening lights come on.

Here's the Prague version of the Eiffel Tower, Petrinska rozledna, on the distant hill (Prague Castle is to the right; the Charles Bridge is further down the river to the left):

As the evening darkens, the lights of the city come awake.

Then the Prague Castle is illuminated on the hill!

Brighter and brighter...in these panoramic photographs (three pictures stitched together) taken while sitting on the top deck sipping gin and tonics!

Until all is aglow.

One night the full moon outshone the city lights, brightly reflecting across the mighty Vltava River.

Here it is in a vertical panorama:

Late at night the city dims into peaceful tranquility...perfect for a pleasant Prague sleep.

Book your stay here in the botel (boat hotel), as they call it in Praha. You'll just love it!

Dinner at Alberos***** (Restaurační sluzby Valtice), Valtice, Moravia (Czech Republic)

2011-04-14T21:19:00.003+02:00

Alberos Restaurační sluzby Valtice is a high class but very reasonably priced restaurant on the Main Square in the Lichenstein village of Valtice. We ran across Alberos the other day when we were starving for some great food and wine on the square.

Alberos is across the street from the Lichenstein Church (see our November 2010 posting), within site of the Lichenstein Castle (Zamek Valtice).

Mark eyes his Čočková polévka na smetaně or Lentil soup with cream

while Neil orders the Garlic Soup with leeks and toasted bread (Česneková polévka s pórkem a opečeným chlebem).

Then comes the main courses! Neil can't resist the roasted leg of lamb (pečené jehněčí kýta) with a side of semi-roasted/mashed potatoes and garlic.

Get your fork ready...maybe he'll offer you a piece to taste!

Mark digs into one of the daily specials of beef medallions with Hungarian beef sauce, floating on an island of whipped Czech potatoes.

Mark appears to be lost in succulence and the tastiest Moravian food ever!

Both of us complement our meals with a delightful selection of Moravian red wine, Rulandské modrém from the Moravian Valvin Dominium winery. It is an awesome combination.

We leave extremely satisfied...no room for desserts, even! We give Alberos our 5* rating! They deserve it.

Book your reservation right away in the delightful village of Valtice!
Visit: http://www.alberovaltice.cz/albero-restaurace-valtice.html

Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.

Moravian Oasis*****, Penzion Moravska Oaza, Valtice, Moravia (Czech Republic)

2011-04-14T20:45:00.001+02:00

On our recent trip to Moravia, Austria and Slovakia, we tried a new venue in the village of Valtice, Czech Republic--The Moravian Oasis, Moravska Oaza (see earlier postings about Valtice, a village once ruled by the Lichensteins and that was also part of Austria at one time).

The Moravian Oasis is right near the Lichenstein's Castle:

This Penzion or hotel opened less than 10 years ago...the product of the visionary owners who have surrounded the Penzion with horticultural delights, making this a wine destination to stay.

Along the front walkway, these Pasque Flowers (Pulsatilla vulgaris) shine with regal spring purple! They remind us of the Prairie Pasque Flower we find in the Minnesota prairies during springtime.

In addition to having numerous hotel rooms (a wise move by the owners, making them one of the few Penzions that can accommodate large busloads of tour groups!), the patio is a perfect place for breakfast on a warm morning. Breakfasts come with your room and are typical Czech fare.

Many examples of wine making abound around the patio, along with large boulders from the neighboring Palava mountains...fine white limestone from these northern ends of the Carpathian Mountains.

This Palava stone amkes a secure but graceful table top to sit your wine glass on.

The outdoor entrance to the wine cellar is inviting. You can order dinner in the wine cellar, if you have a party of 25 people or more. Place your order in advance!

Next to the wine cellar entrance, in between it and the adjacent patio, are all of these long grape vines that move to form the roof over the patio, securely anchored in this huge assemblage of Palava stones.

Here are grape vines on the other side of the patio. This is a great landscaping idea...rather than winding the grape vines up each supportive pole, these long vine extensions add some rough texture and interest, directing your eyes upwards to the patio roof. Come back in the fall and pick a cluster or two of fine Moravian grapes!

Lots of wine barrels grace this end of the patio, right in front of the wine cellar entrance.

Looking back from the other end of the patio (above), you can see the cellar entrance again.

This flowering forsythia bush (Forsythia) echo our rating for this Penzion: 5*! Book your reservation soon and enjoy a peaceful Moravska Oaza at the edge of the Valtice village.

New Farmer's Market (Na Farmarskem trhu; zemědělců na trhu), Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

2011-04-14T06:51:00.000+02:00

A few weeks ago we were delighted to learn that a new Farmer's Market was opening near the Vltava River next to downtown Ceske Budejovice. This is open every other Wednesday, from 0800 - 1700 hrs. It has easy parking by the river and a wonderful view while purchasing your favorite items from local growers and vendors!

Since it is still early spring and not too many fresh vegetables are yet at harvestable stage, a variety of stored fruits/vegetables and other farm products are for sale.
Here we find an artisan selling decorated Easter Eggs (Velikonoční vajíčka), similar to the ones we made in Plastovice a few weeks earlier (see previous posting):

A common snack at Farmer's Markets is often some type of potatoes! Here are spiral cut potatoes, Smazene Bramborove Spiralky!

Mark seems to be enjoying these quite immensely! Will he share them with all of us? They smell pretty tasty...

Still others are frying up the traditional Czech potato pancakes, spiced with marjoram! These are HUGE sizes!

Numerous apple vendors are selling Czech varieties. We buy a few, thinking of a future Apfelstudel or maybe a cherry-apple pie...

Plants, of course, are in numerous supply....such as small rock garden perennials,

or bare root fruit trees.

Jam, flavored oil and honey vendors abound, with all sorts of options to choose from...

Then....we find the ultimate! Fresh lamb for sale! We have not found this anywhere in the Czech Republic to date....

seems like some fresh lamb chops are on the dinner menu tonight!

Other meat vendors offer the traditional sausages and smoked meats.

Spice vendors abound, offering typical mixes of spices and herbs. We have to get more paprika....it seems to have a short half-life in our kitchen!

So....do stop by and support this market every other Wednesday and enjoy a tasty view of the Vltava River! We'll look forward to seeing you there.

The Jewish Cemetery (Židovský hřbitov), Stráž nad Nežárkou, Czech Republic

2011-04-13T08:07:00.002+02:00

A Harvest of Sorrows

Mark discovered there was a Jewish cemetery, Židovský hřbitov, in Stráž nad Nežárkou while we were looking at the map of the town, following our exploration of the castle (Zamek) and looking at wildflowers. We had completely missed this, having driven right past it on our way to Jindřichův Hradec several times...even our friend Lynn did not have a record of this cemetery.

So, after a sunny day spent in Stráž nad Nežárkou, we head to the western edge of the village past the green field where we can already easily see the Prayer House at the edge of the forest.

We first had to discover which way to enter the cemetery. At first we tried the north end, thinking a small dirt road would get us there. This was to no avail....no access whatsoever. So, we head back around the field and try the southern end, where we finally find a small driveway.

Two things already strike us as unusual here:

1) there are no notations above the doorway indicating that this is a sacred Židovský hřbitov Prayer House (usually these have always been repainted above the main entry door);

2) there are numerous recent plantings of horticultural crops, such as forsythia (Forsythia europaea)

along with daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) and tulips (Tulipa xhybrida).

Other odd things emerge, including a well cover (usually there is never any water access to be found):

fruit trees and a garden...

Then it hits us that someone must now own this and live in the Prayer House!

Here you can see the demarcation of the backyard garden with the current line of the cemetery.

We're sure that the garden is on top of many Jewish graves...an unbelievable Harvest of Sorrows.

Horrified, we carefully walk around the entire walled area to see if we can find an entry gate into the cemetery. At first, we find nothing at all,

although there is a clear line demarcating the front (now residence) and the rear section (the cemetery):

A Harvest of Sorrows
Reflections on disrespect

Neil O. Anderson
(c) 2011

Walls and trees meld in lines, vertical.
Casting shadows
one on another,

moving slowly across
to mark days and time
of sundials.

Bending,
touching;
corners reach around us,
inviting forward.

Of these
we know
the daily silence
cannot overshadow
the past

and what has happened here.
It is still happening.

Silver dollar Lunaria rediviva

in stone

and life

gently shakes

upon April breezes.

Listen carefully
as the stones speak
and rattle

of horrors
past,
present.

Do walls

and locked gates

keep us from feeling?

Vinca minor
slithers silently
under gate,
catching our feet
wrapping the pulse of life

of lives giving,
growing

yet kept apart.

Who can harvest such

sorrows?

Paths crossing

through the forest

which edges us in closer,
but kept
at trunks' length.

Apart,
divided.

Glimpsing within
we see,

soak in

the chill of moist soil.

Lean our stones

towards trees

that shade
and hold us up.

Until,

as trees,

as stones,

we blend as one.

In starkness
comes the night.

Stráž nad Nežárkou, Czech Republic...wildflowers, The Castle, lunch!

2011-04-10T00:18:00.004+02:00

We headed east of Trebon to the little village of Stráž nad Nežárkou (just west of Jindřichův Hradec) as our colleagues had told us there was a large population of Giant Snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum) in flower behind the Castle gardens near the Nežárkou River.

It is a gorgeous little village with interesting buildings and, of course, a zamek (castle)...which we did not know about!
We parked in the downtown 'square' (actually more of a triangle),

right by the Adnice...a fun, pink building with clock tower (with a quaint sounding bell chiming out the quarter hours). The Adnice dates only to 1876 as the older 'town hall' as well as many houses in the town were destroyed by a fire in 1875. Added to this, repairs in the 1970s (during the Soviet era) made to the building removed all of the old doors and windows.

Even the Bishop standing out front is graced in pink!

Our goal, after seeing the Adnice, was to head to the Castle, after first stopping to look at the WWI and WWII memorial

The castle is an interesting color combination of buttery yellow and white with a red roof and 'onion' tower! This is the first yellow castle we have ever seen!

The castle dates back to 1577 when John William Lobkowicz (a Rosenberg) sold it to Vaclav Venclik. Vacav's heir, Peter Wok Strážského. After a few more changes in owners, it became an estate of the Hradec's of Jindřichův Hradec...then transformed in the 18th century to Baroque, although the castle tower remains Gothic (the onion dome is always a sure sign of this era!). The tower, as you will see in subsequent pictures is not square, oval or round, but semicircular with one flat side (the front).

As we approach the gates, we look at the signs on the gate posts and read about the museum for 'Emy Bestinnove':

It's not looking good....the Castle is not open at all and won't be until next month!

We peer through the locked gates and see above the front door a blue rose of the Rosenbergs, with a white rose above it! This is interesting, as you may remember that the Rosenbergs in Trebon had a red rose, while others elsewhere are different colors.

The blue rose and who lived here....tell us more!
There is a painting called the "Division of the Roses" in the castle at Cesky Krumlov (see earlier postings; if you visit the castle, take Tour #1 to see the painting) which explains a bit about determining by the color of the rose who originally owned or built a castle in South Bohemia.
"According to legend, Witigo had five sons. He divided his land between them and they founded new castles and estates such as Krumlov, Rožmberk, Jindřichův Hradec, Třeboň - Landštejn, Stráž nad Nežárkou and Sezimovo Ústí. This old legend is depicted in the picture in the Telč Castle and also its copies in Krumlov and Jindřichův Hradec. These show us how Witigo divided the coats of arms, each with a different coloured five-petalled rose, among his sons. The oldest, Jindřich, is given the golden rose on a blue background and is leaving for Jindřichův Hradec. Vítek z Klokot has a silver rose on a red background on his banner and goes to Třeboň. The ancestor of the Lords of Stráž departs with a blue rose on a golden background. Sezima, who was illegitimate, is also leaving for Ústí and carries a banner with a black rose on a golden background. Rožmberk and Krumlov are to be ruled by Vítek with a red rose on a white background."

The pictures, however, depict only a legend and are not very accurate. The castles painted there were actually founded much later in the 13th century, for example Stráž, around 1276. The other inaccuracy is that the Krumlov Witigonen was split in the next generation into two separate clans. They were already separated by Witigo\'s sons Vítek II referred to as the elder, who started the Krumlov Witigonen, and his younger brother, also called Vítek, who started the Rosenberg Witigonen. The third mistake is heraldic. The Krumlov Witigonen had a green rose in their coat of arms, not a red one, as the picture shows. The historical truth is, that Witigo had five sons:

Jindřich - the founder of Jindřichův Hradec Castle - a golden rose on a blue background

Vítek II Elder - first of the Krumlov Witigonen - a green rose on a silver background

Vítek III Younger - first of the Rosenbergs - a red rose on a silver background

Vítek IV first of the Lords of Třeboň and Landštejn - a silver rose on a red background

Sezima - a black rose on a golden background.

"Sometimes the lords of Stráž and lords of Sezimovo Ústí being associated into just one family branch of lords of Stráž and Ústí with symbol of blue or black rose at golden field."
Source of historical information: http://www.castle.ckrumlov.cz/docs/en/zamek_3nadvori_deleni.xml

So, there you have it...which sector of the Rosenbergs had the blue rose! Thus, we now also know why the village is called Stráž nad Nežárkou....the Lords of Stráž on the River Nežárkou. It all makes sense now!

We're not sure of the significance of the crowned lions with their tongues sticking out!

Since the castle isn't open, that means that we can't get into the park behind the castle to see the huge populations of Giant Snowflakes in flower. Not to be deterred, however, we start walking around the castle to see what else we can find!
On the way we pass by a lumber yard that has a 'castle' as the main office! Did you ever see such magnificence for a lumber yard office?!

The wood is drying nicely in the hot April sun!

Now we're walking past the south side of the castle and can see through the fence that the Gothic tower has a flat side!

With a gold rooster on top (the wind is from the east today)!

Then we pass by the side gates which have the initials ED on them? Who does this stand for? It can't be a Rosenberg (Rzmberk) or the Lords of Stráž!

ED stands for the world-famous Czech opera singer, Ema Destinnová, who purchased it in ~1914 and owned it until the Nazi and then Soviet invasions!

For further information, visit the website: http://www.zamekstraz.cz/ema-destinnova.htm

This explains why there is a museum inside for Ema Destinnová...

We pass by many gardens that are in full flower with spring bulbs (geophytes). Here scillas (Scilla siberica) and crocus (Crocus vernus) sing April praises!

At the back of the castle where a stone wall blocks our view, a small path heads into the woods.

Here we see a flowering bulb in the onion family. We're not sure what it is (will have to identify it later):

They are beautiful!

As we peer over the stone wall, down below we see the huge populations of Giant Snowflakes.....all of the white flowers down by the river Nežárkou! Masses of them....it's sad we can't get in to see them up close!

We continue down the dirt path through the woods where, finally, the castle grounds end and the woods is open for exploration.
Here, large patches of anemones (Anemone nemerosa) are in full flower. Absolutely gorgeous!

An unbelievable collection of them!

Neil ventures down the hill while Mark sits on the path and watches to see what can be found...

Gorgeous colored toadstools grace this rotting stump.

Then we both find a wild patch of snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis! We have not seen these in the wild before!

Neil's looking excitedly at something.....wonder what he has found now?!

It's a lily....Lilium martagon! These are native in the Czech Republic and other parts of central Europe. We'll have to return here soon so we can see this Turk's cap lily in flower! What a thrill! Neil will have to show this picture to the North Star Lily Society members when he returns to the States....

We return to the 'Town Triangle', exhausted from all of the traipsing through the woods and "oohing / aahing" over all of the flowers! Since we haven't eaten lunch and it is now 15:30 or 3:30 p.m., we're famished!! Mark suggests we stop at a village eatery and sit outside in the shade (since it's so hot....nearly summer weather today). Mark has a Pilsner Urquell beer (pivo) along with one of the organic pears we brought from the farmer's market this morning! Tasty combination.

Neil has to try one as well...so cooling and refreshing. He has to drink a Birell nealkoholiko pivo (nonalcoholhic beer) as he is driving!

Then out comes our order (30 minutes later)...the pesto proscciuto pizza takes that long to make/bake....

And a small Caesar salad with chicken sit just fine for this afternoon snack.

As we leave...we walk under the Kofola sign (Kofola, the Czech version of Coca Cola was invented in 1960 since the Czech's couldn't get the real thing, thanks to the Soviets).

Now we're headed to the western edge of the village to see something that Mark just discovered on the map....a Jewish cemetery, židovský hřbitov (that we did not even know existed here)! See the future posting on this...the exciting day of discoveries continues!
On the way there, we venture past this old and abandoned industrial complex...wondering what it might have been....a glassworks factory? iron works? We can't read the faded sign on the front...

More spring wildflowers, Corydalis cava, in South Bohemia!

2011-04-06T15:59:00.000+02:00

We heard about a hillside of spring (ephemeral) wildflowers on the east side of the Luznice River in Hluboka (see earlier postings on the castle and glassworks here!). Here we learned were large populations of pink Dutchman's breeches, Corydalis cava. Everyone said it was too early for them to be in flower but, since it had been very warm, we decided to drive by and see if, by chance, any color was showing.

Well, to our delight....everything was in full flower! Enjoy our walk through the woods...looking at Corydalis cava!

At the edges of the forest where the shade is a bit more dappled, spring anemones (Anemone nemerosa) intermingle with the pink Dutchman's breeches:

Aren't they just delightful heralds of spring?!

We also run across these yellow flowered members of the Aster family (Asteraceae). We have seen them before along with Leucojum (see earlier postings). Their sessile leaves almost make them look like a succulent, such as hens and chickens (Sempervivum) when they flower!
Who knows what they are? Post your comment!

Our Farmer's Market (Na Farmarskem trhu; zemědělců na trhu) is open again in Ceske Budejovice!

2011-04-06T15:34:00.000+02:00

Well, finally now that it is spring (or nearly summer, thanks to the 21-23C weather we've been having), the Farmer's Markets are now open again. Our favorite one on Saturday mornings (see last summer's postings) in Ceske Budejovice is located by the 14th century church (Kostel obetovani Panny Marie or Church of the Sacrifice of the Virgin Mary):

Everyone is selling plants, seedlings, blooming flowers, vegetables and fruit stored through the winter (garlic, onions, potatoes, apples, pears) as well as selling other fresh items like eggs, rabbits, cut forsythia.

These are some of dear farmers who sold us fresh eggs today! We have purchased many fruits from them in the past....last summer they had the best sour cherries, sweet cherries, apricots, pears, and apples! We always chat with them in German. They asked how our winter was. We said that we were happy to have spring back to see our farmer friends and wished each other the happiest of springs and Easter!

This vendor is selling flowering primrose (Primula), herbs, and other seedlings.

While this young horticulturist is selling geraniums! Yes, they sell these early, but only the ivy (Pelargonium peltatum) and Martha Washington (Pelargonium domesticum) types which are cold tolerant--a great idea. Imagine....buying geraniums in March!

Anyone for a pet rabbit? While we don't like these in the gardens and lawns at all, they are cute.

Several vendors have fresh cut Forsythia and pussy willow (Salix) for sale:

This farmer has Christmas rose, hellebores (Helleborus) to offer. They are gorgeous here in the gardens!

Then this woodcarver had some interesting items, one of which we couldn't resist buying for our friend Judy! (can you guess what it might be...?)

Who could resist Winnie the Pooh or a stork?!

Many vegetable seedlings for transplanting NOW into the garden are sold in pots while others are in wooden flats. You just dig in and get the number that you want to purchase. This reminded Neil so much of gardening in the 1950s and 1960s at one of his mentors' backyard nursery: Velma Hazen, in West Lebanon, New Hampshire USA....shades of past horticultural glory!

Others have freshly dug native Hepatica for sale. Neil used to see these in springtime Vermont!

Perhaps you'd like a Medveny garlic? This looks similar to the ramps (Allium tricoccum) grown in West Virginia (it must be time there for their ramps festival?).

This is Milan red garlic:

Many examples of spring flowering rock garden perennials are also for sale:

We walk away burdened with delightful fresh produce, proceed to buy our weekly copy of the British newspaper, The Guardian, and on the way to our car pass the following signs! The first is for our friend Kathy...

and for the rest of our farmer's market friends, an advertisement for another one to visit!

Happy Spring, support your Farmer's Markets! (see our 11 New Year's resolutions for 2011 posting back in January for more ideas....)

Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.

Hluboka Glassworks, Hlubocka Skelna Hut, Hluboka, Czech Republic

2011-04-06T14:52:00.000+02:00

We learned this past week that there is a new glassworks in Hluboka, right near to us (also where the famous Hluboka castle is located; see 25 December posting)! Since we were looking at wildflowers just north of here, we stopped by to tantalize ourselves!

This glassworks is in a new building and they are in the process of installing a new furnace for glass blowing. Hlubocka Skelna Hut does not open until 1 May (hours are posted above), but when we stopped by the front door was open with music playing and so we ventured inside.
This glass studio offers classes and shows of glass blowing.

Hlubocka Skelna Hut specializes in colored, hand-blown glassworks, such as fence post and sign tops (below), various vases and containers, glass balls, and beadwork!

What was in the shop at the moment was from last year, since the furnace is being replaced no new items have been created. The glass blower came out of the house and we had a chance to chat in German (since the sign outside also said 'Glasshuette' we knew they spoke Deutsch), learning that we could come back in early May when they would be open and they would start making new glasswork. We can hardly wait!
Here are some recent examples of hanging glass ornaments and globes:

Additional examples of vases and animalia cover this set of shelves.

We are so excited to have something so close to us! We can hardly wait for this to open for the season...so stay tuned and do drop by to see artistic Bohemian glass being created!

Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.

Leucojum aestivum, Ostrolovsky Ujezd, Czech Republic

2011-04-06T07:31:00.000+02:00

News Flash: Wild populations of spring bulbs in flower everywhere!

Leucojum aestivum or Giant Snowflake

in full bloom in South Bohemia.

A couple of our botany friends/colleagues had told us that we had to quickly come to Ostrolovsky Ujezd, a small village south of Ceske Budejovice (on the way to Borvani, near the Austrian border) to see the large native populations of Giant Snowflake in full bloom. Since these are spring ephemerals and our weather is very warm (21C), we rush down there to catch them in full bloom!

On the way into the protected landscape, this highly managed Bohemian forest (planted with spruce) is being harvested.

They had cut some trees right around where we found the Giant Snowflakes.

We move carefully through the thickets to a small stream bed where we find hectares full of of blooming Leucojum aestivum! Breathtaking beauty everywhere!

Mark catches some of the flowers up close.

Here's one of many populations of last year's seedlings coming up...another year before they'll flower. This will ensure a continuing supply of beauty for years to come.

Who knows the family for this species?!

Nearby, wild and native Anemone nemerosa are just coming into flower now. They will soon be carpeting the forest edges in the dappled shady areas.

Native silver dollar plant, Lunaria rediviva (Brassicaceae), still holds forth 'money' for the spring. Who'd ever have thought we'd see this plant in its native habitat? Amazing!

We then drive through the village of Ostrolovsky Ujezd, a quiet little area with a large estate rising brilliantly in the April sun, resplendent with a mural above the front door.

The village nestles near to the southern hills of the Sumava mountains, close by to the city of Borovani.

One resident has their own root cellar, undoubtedly also storing Moravian wines in it as well!

And then we see something that stops the car....here is a large old barn but what would you think is placed right next to it?

Must be the cattle have found religion!

Visit to a Ceramics Kiln, Keramika Dilna, M. Hadrava, Klikov, Czech Republic

2011-04-05T21:19:00.000+02:00

We've been waiting to go and see this ceramic shop/store in Klikov since last December when we met one of the ceramicists (Ms. Marta Poznickova) at a Holiday Open House in Schrems, Austria. She had some enticing green plates and cups for sale and we wanted to see more of them.

Klikov is ~southeast of Trebon, east of Suchdol, and south of Chlum u Trebone (see previous postings), near the Austrian border. It is one of the most famous villages in South Bohemia for ceramics, widely known for its concentration of potters during the past centuries...due to the high concentration of clay soil surrounding the village (unlike Suchdol and other points west which have primarily sandy soil).

The Keramika Dilna, operated by Martin Hadrava and his wife, along with pottery from Ms. Marta Poznickova is an old manufactory with a large wood-stoked Kassel kiln which is still used today for firings. Martin's wife, who is Japanese, also had a special Japanese kiln built which is used to make their particular Japanese ceramics as well. So, here is a perfect blending of the ancient Klikov keramika together with Japanese techniques. It promises to be a delightful visit! Our dear host, Jan, kindly arranged for the visit so we could meet Martin and Marta at the workspace and store.

From the outside, where perched in the grass are various pieces of superb ceramics, we can tell that exciting things will be inside. We can hardly wait! Come along with us and let's see what we can learn...

As we step through the workspace with numerous wheels, clay and recent but unfired pieces, Martin takes us on a tour of the Kassel kiln. Here you can see the carefully made kiln with numerous stones and bricks lining the walls and ceilings.

A few pieces are being stacked inside for a future firing--they do one firing/week. Of course, when the high temperature firings are done (1300 C) to make hard and more durable rather than soft ceramics (done at lower temperatures and not as durable), the kiln is filled to the ceilings with stacks of dried, new products. Each are placed in specific places and heights within the kiln according to the range of heat desired for the glazings, etc.

It is gratifying to see that this Kassel oven is still being used. Equally amazing is the formation of a society in Klikov, The Society for the Preservation of the Pottery Tradition in Klikov (visit their website at: http://barok.org/clients/klikov/exhibition.htm).

The clay was/is harvested in the area surrounding Klikov, buried a few meters below the soil surface. Originally the clay was packed by stamping on it with bare feet and then it was cut into thin wedges; the process repeated a few times. Later, they used this type of clay cutter:

Different clay types were mixed, depending on the type of vessel to be made: water-proof ones for liquids, such as Moravian wine, or those needing to withstand quick heating/cooling (cooking pots), versus more porous ones for flower pots and containers. Quite an art to process the clay before even getting to the wheel!

Here is some of the stacks of drying wood for use in firing the Kassel kiln. Our friends Jan and Radka accompanied us there, along with our friends Sarah and Amy....as well as the sweet dog Ruby (one of our favorite pets in South Bohemia!). Here Jan and Ruby greet you next to the wood pile!

In 1883, Klikov became the center for making particular pottery from the local clay, fired at the right temperatures to become hard pottery. Many potters moved here to expand the variety of products, known as Stoneware Crockery. Other nearby villages produced the softer stoneware, such as Tust, Hamr, Suchdol, and Chlum u Trebone.

We were taken back in memory to the famous stoneware crockery of Redwing, Minnesota which has such established fame in the midwestern United States. The Stoneware Crockery from Klikov was equally famed, highly used and treasured throughout southern Bohemia and Austria.

This is an interesting historical display of Klikov pottery as well as pictures from earlier eras of potters hard at work! For instance, this type of tall container (vase or wine jar) being made by this potter

is represented with an actual specimen!

Other historical pictures include other potters hard at work:

A group photograph of the many potters working in Klikov:

The most common pottery was earth tones and various types of glazings. Here on the middle and lower shelves are historical examples of baking moulds for cakes (particularly Babovka or pound cake made from potatoes), baking dishes, cups, small containers for honey (med), etc.

To the left in the this picture, you can see more of the baking moulds. We have a few examples of these to take back with us.

On the top shelf are examples of milk and water pitchers, soup bowls and servers, all in earthen tones. In the middle shelf are some of the superb white pottery they made here, many of which are hand painted:

This is very fine white ceramics! This bowl has a delicate sheaf of wildflowers enhancing the left side. On closer examination, you can see some are blue flowers from the Aster family (Asteraceae), most likely chicory (Chicorium intybus), a blue daisy of some sort, and tubular flowers which could be lily of the valley (Concallaria majalis).

[As a side note: We were very surprised to learn later that we had already purchased a rare, antique white ceramic plate that was made in Ceske Budejovice where we live. Our ceramic expert in Plastovice was able to identify it. We were so thrilled!]

Then there are the large crocks, pots and wine flasks which were so important for food!

Then we move into the store which is a very large room filled with all types of pottery from both kilns and all three potters! Where to begin?!

Mark and Neil spent quite a bit of time looking in the large baskets (above and below) for the right combination of matching green plates, cups, saucers, pitchers, and a tea pot to go with the green decor in our Minnesota kitchen.....

We had to wipe the tears from Neil's eyes as he looked at these gorgeously large containers for making pickles, sauerkraut or for use as growing containers outside. They are simply too large and heavy to ship back to Minnesota, much less put into our carry-ons!

On the shelf against the back wall are some of the many examples of Japanese pottery that Martin and his wife fire in their Japanese kiln. Of course we had to purchase a couple example vases and containers....

And, of course, there were numerous examples outside of the store that could be purchased as well...

You simply must make a visit to Klikov and see this historic working kiln, visit with the potters, find some fantastic piece you can't live without and maybe take a class or two that they offer!

You can check out more about these potters and the ceramic kiln/shop with the following links:

http://www.hadrava.net/

http://www.czecot.com/tourist-attraction/11390_klikov-pottery-suchdol-nad-luznici

http://www.kudyznudy.cz/Aktivity-a-akce/Aktivity/Keramicka-manufaktura-v-jihoceskem-Klikove.aspx?lang=en-GB

Be sure to stop by and visit....you'll be so delighted that you did!

Glassworks (Prodej Skla) in Lenora, Czech Republic

2011-04-02T08:34:00.001+02:00

We had the opportunity to return to Lenora, another famous village in the glassmaking scene in South Bohemia. There are at least two retail glass shops here, although today this was the only one that was open. Additionally, a glass museum (Sklářské muzeum http://www.prodejskla.cz/index7_cz.htm) heralds the long era of this craft in Lenora (we'll visit this another time and report on it).

Here's an aerial view of the village.

This time we were visiting with some of our dear glass expert friends.....you can see the anticipation!

We're so happy to learn that Prodej Skla is still in business. If you remember, this glassworks used to be part of the Crystalex Glassworks in Chlum u Trebone during the Communist times, although the main operation in Chlum u Trebone is now closed (see our earlier posting last month). The store had many excellent examples of clear crystal (remember that Czech crystal is very low in lead, usually ~20%),

along with etching,

and colored selections....even interesting features such as colored emery boards!

Here are some beautiful Lotus dishes, perfect for either votive candles for your sumptuous dinner parties or individual serving dishes for some tasty sweets!

Other examples of ruby glass and dark blue cut crystal would glint magnificently in any sunny table set for morning brunch!

Examples also included hand-painted stemware against colored and gold backgrounds:

Then there were those with subtle coloring...

The blue/green streaked stemware (below) caught our eye. Yes, we did buy a set of six long-stemmed ones to bring back to the States!

We all left heavily laden with packages...goodness, who wouldn't?! We'll be back soon to spend time looking at the adjacent Glass Museum as well as the other shop when it's open. Stay tuned!

To learn more about this company, visit their website:
Antonin Chrapan, 384 42 Lenora 117, http://www.prodejskla.cz/index.html,
email: chrapan@prodejskla.cz

Support your local glassmakers...they're astounding craftspeople carrying the ancient Bohemian art forward through time.

Easter Egg (Velikonoční vajíčka) Waxing, Ceramics, and tasty treats in Plastovice, Czech Republic

2011-04-01T07:13:00.000+02:00

We were invited to Plastovice, Czech Republic (see July/August 2010 postings), a 650 year-old village near Ceske Budejovice, to join in with our friend Dasa's ceramics group for an Easter (Velikonoce) art venue to learn Bohemian methods of egg waxing, paint some ceramic spring animals, or make our own.

Well, it was quite the group of artisans assembled along with many children, making it a festive affair!

As we entered the door, the greeter offered us tea (čaj) or coffee (cafe) along with traditional Czech cakes. What foodie wouldn't like that? There were different kinds of ginger cake (pernik), which is a traditional Bohemian dessert.....a gentle blending of ginger, a little brown sugar or honey (Czech desserts are not very sweet, thankfully!) and sprinkled with powdered sugar (cukr Moučka). There were several types to try, all being made by the chefs in the ceramics group! This one was a dense, moist cake....with gentle flavors

While these two perniks were lighter with a bit more ginger flavor (served on beautiful Bohemian ceramic plates, too!). Both were delicious with a cup of tea!

This was more like a crumb cake (drobek dort) gently tossed with Bohemian or Moravian walnuts with a hint of lemon background:

Oatmeal cookies (ovesné sušenky) delighted the tastebuds...again, not very sweet.

And then, the ultimate surprise--when we first looked at these, we though a yellow cake with dried fruit, right? No! It was more like a cornbread, slightly sweet (most likely with honey), with chocolate chunks and dried fruit, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Delightful!

These were more like Russian tea cakes with a few nuts and dusted with powdered sugar...

First we looked at the ceramic spring animals made by the ceramics group and already fired. These were for acrylic painting. Each were handmade by an artisan in the ceramics group, so often they varied in how they looked (which made it fun!).

The lambs were perhaps the most varied and cute with their various expressions (even a couple were somewhat disabled, but happy):

The serious artists were busy at work, painting up their treasures!

Or, if you were so inclined, you could roll out fresh clay and create your own fauna or flora which would then have to be fired and then painted on your next visit back here to the ceramics workshop!

We chose to focus on learning the Bohemian egg waxing techniques, as that took the entire time we were there (we took some fired ceramic creatures home to paint later!). Here are some examples of what we're going to decorate. This technique can be used with white or brown hen eggs, duck and goose eggs, etc. (all options were available).

Prior to coming to the ceramics workshop, everyone was supposed to take eggs for decorating and empty them out by drilling a small hole in both ends and blowing out the contents, leaving the fine white member intact underneath the shell. These were then to be completely dried for several days before being decorated with colored waxes. Here are some dried out, emptied eggs:

For additional decorating options, multiple holes were drilled through the dried shells to highlight the wax decorations that will be added on now.

Now small amounts of colored wax are heated up in metal spoons. Once it is hot, you take a brush handle or piece of wood that has a small-headed pin inserted into it; this is heated in the flame to get very hot and then put into the hot wax. One then quickly makes designs (curves, curls, lines, etc.) around the drilled holes or elsewhere on the egg shells. You have to work fast and have very steady hands in order for this to work. Otherwise the wax hardens too fast and nothing ends up on the shell!

Here, an expert artisan quickly creates colorful wax patterns around the egg:

Ok, so we're ready to try it and see whether we can learn the techniques!

Dasa shows Mark how it is done:

Neil then tries his hand at it....not as easy as it looks! (He had to borrow a set of Mark's glasses because he had forgotten his...).

Neil watches 'the expert' who is here to teach everyone how to do this. She has done this for ~10 years although, as she says, this is not as important for skill-building as the number of eggs that have been waxed! She does this flawlessly with great speed...it's almost dizzying!

Here are examples of what the teacher has created (these are for sale, of course). She also sells these at the Ceske Budejovice Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings that we go to!

The greatest contrast with white wax shows up with the brown or other colored eggs:

And then, the extremely fancy ones that were covered with woven crocheting and Bohemian beadwork. She also covered some with woven copper wire....without breaking the fragile egg shells!

You should try this at home and see what you can make...

Veselé Velikonoce, Happy Easter to all...from South Bohemia and Plastovice where ancient crafts are revitalized!

Celebrating Egyptian independence in Bohemia!

2011-03-17T06:24:00.000+01:00

When we were shopping at Kaufland Supermarkets the other day we were so delighted to find sweet potatoes (batati in Czech), Ipomoea batatas. Then, when we saw that they were grown in Egypt and shipped here for our enjoyment, we thought....it's time to make something special to celebrate Egypt's new independence..in Bohemian style!

As Mark was chatting with a dear friend of ours on Facebook the other morning, she said something about Jacques Pépin and Julia Child. Neil instantly remembered a show the two of them did some years ago where Jacques was making Potato Galettes or Pommes de Terre Galette and we thought...why not make some Egyptian Sweet Potato Galettes with a Bohemian flair? Since we can't go to Egypt at this time, why not celebrate their independence with some of the great food that they raise? A perfect foodie opportunity.

Egyptian Sweet Potato Galettes à la Rosenberg Rose

Jacques' Potato Galettes were made as pieces of thinly cut potatoes arranged in a circular fashion and fried in a hot pan. We thought we'd modify this idea a bit and make a five-petaled, single-flowered rose, resembling the Rosenberg's famous Renaissance five-petaled rose (see previous postings throughout our blog on the Rzmberks), as that is a well known, historic South Bohemian insignia.

The year 2011 is also the Year of the Rosenbergs (Rožmberský rok 2011), in honor of the 500th anniversary of the death of Petr Vok...the last ruling monarch in the family (he died in the Rzmberk Castle, Trebon after selling the Ceske Krumlov Castle to King Rudolf II, The Holy Roman Emporer)! Ceske Krumlov is having various Rosenberg celebrations this year, cf. http://www.ckrumlov.info/docs/cz/rozmbersky_rok_20101021104639.xml

You can also join the five-petaled rose group on Facebook:

Slavnosti pětilisté růže (Five-Petalled Rose Celebrations)

Here another example of the Rosenberg Rose. This one is from the Hluboka Jewish Cemetery:

Egyptian Sweet Potato Galettes à la Rosenberg Rose

Start by peeling one large sweet potato grown in Egypt. Sweet potatoes, by the way, are tuberous roots rather than tubers like the classic potato (brambory), Solanum tuberosum.

Then thinly slice the entire tuberous root:

Arrange five slices into five-petaled roses on an oiled baking sheet (we're not going to fry these, we'll roast them in the oven instead). Since you'll have different sizes of 'petals', put similar sized ones together and you'll end up with varying rose flower sizes as well.
Lightly salt/pepper these, along with adding some crushed fresh or dried thyme and rosemary.
Place in an oven at 160C (~350F) and gently roast until they're tender with a fork. Don't turn them over!

They'll look like this when they're ready to come out of the oven...a little browned around the edges...just perfect!

While these have been roasting, quickly prepare some poached eggs and waffles!

Plate all of these up on hot plates (warmed in the oven):
2 poached eggs
2 Egyptian Sweet Potato Galettes à la Rosenberg Rose
2 small waffles, slathered first with a bit of maslo (butter)..shown here in our Czech crystal butter dish from Chlum u Trebone glassworks

and then drenched with a fruit syrup (we used our Elderberry Syrup we made last August after harvesting a few around Moravian Wineries).

Pour some fresh coffee and pineapple juice (served here in our Bohemian crystal goblets from the Chlum u Trebone glassworks (earlier posting)

We celebrate the new independence of Egypt! Dubro hjut or Bon appetit!

Roasted Beet Bohemian Borscht!

2011-03-16T08:14:00.003+01:00

All of our traveling about the country makes us hungry! On a chilly March day we were thinking some sort of Czech soup would be grand. As we rummaged through the cupboards, we ran across huge beets that we had purchased earlier and...forgotten about. Such serendipitous discoveries always demand that something be made.....and, how about Borscht?! It's such a tradition throughout Central Europe....for obvious reasons, beets and cabbage store well through the winter to make such comforting foods.

Our favorite types of Borscht range from the Russian types (often without cabbage, some served hot while others are cold) to Minnesota versions, particularly that of the now defunct Lincoln Del (two restaurants we used to frequent were in Golden Valley, MN and Richfield, MN). Years ago, after the Lincoln Del closed forever, we duplicated their borscht recipe and have those notes jotted down on a recipe card--one of the many recipes we brought with us to the Czech Republic! Of course, since we're in the Czech Republic, our version of the Lincoln Del recipe just wouldn't do, would it?! So, here's our new creation with some new twists to fit in the Bohemian countryside.

Roasted Beet Bohemian Borscht

There are many ways to cook the beets before using them (yes, they do have to be thoroughly cooked before making borscht, as the cooking time is fairly lengthy depending on the size of the beets). Our Mothers used to boil them for 1-2 hours, unpeeled and unwashed, in water until tender. Then, we would carefully peel them....the skins, tops, and roots would just slide right off easily. Other times, when more in a hurry, they can be placed into a pressure cooker and should be done in ~30 minutes. Yet another method is to roast them in the oven, after peeling them (use a peeler, not a knife, to do this!) and cutting them into smaller pieces so they roast faster. We chose this last method, cutting up two large beets along with 3-4 peeled carrots, drizzling them with a bit of olive oil, and roasting in the oven at 160C (~350F) for ~1 hour until tender and darkly roasted (be sure to stir these every once in awhile!):

Think of the glorious flavors that will permeate this Borscht....unbelievably delicious! Set these aside while we get the remainder of the ingredients ready.

Usually borscht contains stew beef but since we're in the Czech Republic where this is not commonly used, we opt instead for some pork stewing cubes to work with. On another twist, we discovered that we didn't have any cabbage either! Horribilis! Well, we'll make Borscht without it and see how it fares.

In a pressure cooker, we placed :

2 peeled, slivered onions

1 bunch chopped scallions

0.5 kg or 1 pound sliced mushrooms (maybe some wild fresh or dried ones from the Czech forests?)

83 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

3 fresh bay leaves (dried, if you don't have fresh!)

1/2 liter (2 cups) red wine (preferably a robustly flavored type...we used French Cote du Rhone)

~1 kg (2 pounds) diced pork or beef stewing meat

Place the ingredients in the pressure cooker and cook at 10 pounds pressure for 45 minutes until everything is tender!

Now combine this with the roasted beets and carrots.

Add in:

3 cans of tomato paste

2 liters (~2 quarts) stewed tomatoes, drained

Simmer all together in a stew pot for an hour.

Then add

125 ml (1/2 cup) vinegar, preferably apple cider

83 ml (1/3 cup) bourbon

salt/pepper to taste, if necessary

Simmer again briefly to evaporate the alcohol.

Make yourself some fresh biscuits, top the borscht with local sour cream (or smetana; we used our locally-made Madeta) and....enjoy!

Sidebar: Well....we discovered this to be one of the most flavorful borscht we've ever had! Most likely this was due to the roasted beets, carrots and not having any cabbage in it! After all, not all American 'chili' is made with beans...take Texas chili, for instance...they make a mean chili down there and it traditionally does not contain any beans (frijoli).
Happy Eating!

Crystalex-Český křišťál Glassworks at Chlum u Třeboně, Czech Republic

2011-03-15T22:10:00.000+01:00

The village of Chlum u Třeboně is ~20 km southeast of Třebon, near the Austrian/Czech border. It was founded in 1399 and has had a long tradition in making glass--artistic and Czech crystal.

Before heading to the local glass factory (story below), we drove through the town looking for the signs to the factory that were supposed to be there. We found out later why they couldn't be found.

Nonetheless, it was a fine March day with the warm sun shining. We didn't need our winter coats anymore! As we drive past the small castle with an historic fish pond on the other side of the road, we head towards the hill was sports this gorgeous High Baroque church.

The narrow roadway is lined with grafted, pollarded maple trees (in need of pruning!).

The golden walls shine in the resplendent March Bohemian sunshine!

Here are some views of the historic fish pond....one that feeds fish to Bohemia but also provides ice skating in the winter (it's done now!) and summer enjoyment. There are many camps and restaurants open during the summer here. Today, however, it is completely silent. Not a person in view anywhere!

The grand oak trees lining the western edge of the historic fish pond look across to the castle (zámek) on the right (west) side of the road.

Chlum u Třeboně (zámek)

The castle here dates back to 1710. It is a two-storied building with three wings and a central buttress (very unusual). In front of the main entrance is a sculpture of a Deer being chased by Dogs. After the end of WWII, it was a popular place for artists and poets to gather. Indeed, the famed Francis Hrubín (1910-1971) wrote here. In front of the castle are gates that lead into the garden which, we hear, has many rare trees growing--including a tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera. We shall have to come back here another time and investigate further.

We drive around the town several times on both sides of the historic fish pond, looking for the signs to the glassworks factory, Crystalex-Český křišťál...that our Czech glass guide, A guide to Czech & Slovak glass (by Diane E. Foulds, 1995, European Community Imports Publishing Co., Czech Republic), says should be here, but we couldn't find them. Instead, we follow our eyes and 'noses' and drive towards the tall smokestacks near the western edge of the village. While it looks completely deserted, we drive towards the main building to see what we can find, remembering what we had read in the history books that in the 15th century the mined iron ore was processed here until the late 1890s when it became a glassworks factory.

A tall company building has what we're looking for on its door: Czech Glass and Porcelain SF!

We look into the doors, but the building is locked and completely dark. Odd.....we think, since there was no mention in our guidebook that the factory would be closed down on a Saturday. Around the corner is this WWII memorial plaque, "In memory of those that died, that we might live...lest we forget". Most likely this is in honor of fallen WWII soldiers either from the village or who worked here in the glassworks factory.

The gate to the factory is closed. Our guidebook had said we should call before stopping by if we wanted a tour, but it doesn't appear that there will ever be any tours anytime soon. We spot the factory store but the door is locked and no lights are on. Then, Neil notices a man sitting in the office and raps on the window. He comes to the door, we greet each other in Czech, and ask if the store is open. He says that we can come in and look at the sample glass for sale. He speaks both Czech and German, so we converse in German beyond the usual Czech greetings and farewells.

Sadly, he tells us that the company and factory sind tot (are dead)! Bankrupt and closed forever. It puts us in kind of a shock, since this factory was an old iron-works company that became a glassworks factory in 1891 thanks to C. Stoelze & Soehne. This soon closed in 1910 but then, in 1919, became a new firm, Vaclav Hrdina. Like all other businesses, it was nationalized in 1945 as part of Crystalex network here, in Lenora (see earlier posting), and Kamenice nad Lipou. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, it was sold to some of the descendants of the founders. The company logo is a 'C' on its back in the shape of a goblet, as you can see from this abandoned sign inside the store:

As of recently (until this year), Crystalex-Český křišál wasn't connected with Lenora. Now, however, everything here in the small factory store is suddenly collector's items. We are so saddened to hear the story and sorry to have missed seeing the glass blowers at work (these are pictures of the photographs in the store):

The store is filled with miscellaneous pieces from various crystal goblet sets, types of glasses, series of vases, cut crystal serving pieces, and so forth....so much to look at and enjoy. Everything in these factory stores is always at a discount compared with what you would pay at the tourist and glass shops in the villages (one is in Trebon nearby).

Intriguing examples of bowls and vases with modern, geometric designs cut into the crystal:

Somewhat etheric, carefully swirled glass in these vases.

All kinds of decanters, cake plates (we bought a couple of them), glasses, and stemware:

A series of very delicate, hand-cut crystal that is so thin and see-through when you hold it up to the light that it looks like embroidery! We bought one of the bowls on the bottom shelf.

Many other interesting pieces are in this cabinet with various colored glass.

Then, we were amazed to see many fine examples of crystal flowers, plants and fruit trees. We know of the Harvard University collection of glass flowers, also made by Czech artisans, but had never dreamed of running into any here! We bought a stem of glass gladiolus to bring home. Below are example lemon trees, oak and birch trees, and potted flowering plants:

We also got caught up looking at the glass lamp shades that had very different period designs and swirls of colors:

We left the store, laden with packages of glass stemware, vases, bowls and gladiolus to treasure forever as collectible remembrances of this historic glass factory, Crystalex-Český křišťál Glassworks at Chlum u Třeboně, Czech Republic.

Spring flowers! ... in Chlum u Trebone, Czech Republic

2011-03-12T21:27:00.001+01:00

Remember a couple of weeks ago we posted the first signs of spring in Plastovice, South Bohemia: Eranthis hyemalis L. (=Eranthis hiemalis) or Winter Aconite? Well, its early flowering there has now spread. Here we are in Chlum u Trebone on a Glassworks expedition when we ran across several yards filled with them all bursting forth in grand gold!

Well, no to be outdone...the tulips are poking through now while the early crocus, Crocus vernus, are now in full flower as well. The bees are already out and pollinating!

And, of course, the snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis--which is native here in Europe) are in full swing as well. Here, surrounded by tulips (Tulipa gesneriana) poking through the soil and more Eranthis hyemalis, a clump of snowdrops nod the last vestiges of snow as is melts in the warm March sun! They're always supposed to be in flower before the Vernal Equinox and these made it.

Hurrah for Spring! Isn't life wonderful?

Enjoy!