# Czech Recipes



## Ron Hay (Jul 20, 2005)

Hello, friends, I have recently begun to cook and to appreciate Czech cooking. 

Do any of you have any family recipes from either the Czech  or Slovak Republics?

Ron


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## Claire (Aug 15, 2005)

Hubbie's family was Slovene, does that fit?  The recipes I use most are halupke (cabbage rolls), Roski (a cookie made with cream cheese in the dough) and Potica (a yeast bread based nut roll).  Just asked hubby -- halupke is so common to that part of the world that every country has a version.  The other two he said are both Slovak and Slovene, roski in particular Slovak.  Let me know and I'll go look for MIL's old notes.


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## Ron Hay (Aug 15, 2005)

*Czech/Slovak/Slovenian recipes*

Hello, Claire,

I would love to have some of those family recipes

Thanks for offering to dig them up.

I made a Czech recipe recently with chicken thighs, sauerkraut, brown sugar (!), caraway seeds, apple and onions, and it was one of the most delicious things I have ever prepared...and I made it for the first time for guests who were mightily impressed.

I think the food from that part of the world is all to little known on the West Coast, and I would love to help spread the word as to how delicious it is.

Thanks again.

Ron


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## Michael in FtW (Aug 15, 2005)

Over the past couple of years I have gotten more and more interested in exploring Eastern European cusine. I would love to have someone post some authentic Czech recipes!


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## Ron Hay (Aug 15, 2005)

*Eastern European Recipes*

Hello, Michael,

This could be a very rewarding thread! 

Claire stated that she would try to post some family recipes, and I will post a few from "churchy lady" ethnic cookbooks that I have purchased, and which I have found to be truly delightful.

Are you interested in Hungarian and Polish cooking, as well?

Would you be interested recipes from the Balkans, too?

I have prepared some really wonderful Serbian, Albanian and Greek recipes, and am launching out on an adventure to learn Croatian, Bulgarian and Romanian cooking, as well.

Ron, Van Nuys, CA


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## Michael in FtW (Aug 15, 2005)

Ron - my only real exposure to Eastern European food is Hungarian and Polish - and a slight taste of Western Russian, not sure what region it came from. My former boss and his wife were first generation Polish-American (their parents had imigrated from Poland), one of the nurses I worked with was 1st generation Hungarian-American, and a lab tech I worked with was 1st generation Russian-American.

I don't know why it has taken me so long to get really interested in this food. I love it! From what I have experienced - it's down home peasant cooking. And, I'm one who much prefers a big plate of grandma's cooking to a 8-oz portion of "something" piled 4-inches high on a plate at some pretentious fancy restaurant. Maybe that's why I like Greek and middle eastern food so much?


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## jpmcgrew (Aug 15, 2005)

Hey,Ron Hays

I would love some Bulgarian recipes my neighbor is a 24 year old girl from bulgaria she came to the ranch and ended up marrying a guy that works here. and I would love to surprise them with a great meal.


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## kitchenelf (Aug 15, 2005)

I have a recipe somewhere for Potica - it's a Slovak recipe I believe - It's a yeast type bread rolled jelly-roll fashion with nuts/honey/etc. - I remember my mother making it!!!!!  It was wonderful.  My father was Hungarian and my learned to cook some of it.  Plus growing up in Cleveland, Ohio there was a large community of Slovaks and Hungarians, Polish, etc.  (is Slovak the right word?  I always get confused).

I'll post it first chance I get.


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## mudbug (Aug 16, 2005)

goody, you guys can help me clear something up.

My sister has traveled a lot on NATO business for the Navy and brought me back some paprika from Poland - the labels say papryka ostra and papryka stodka.  Which is the sweet and which is the hot, and what dishes do I make using each?


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## Ron Hay (Aug 16, 2005)

*Czech Chicken and Sauerkraut. Truly delicious!*

8 Chicken thighs
1 Tsp.  salt
2 Tbsp. margarine (I used butter)1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb sauerkraut (try to find Polish or German kraut in a jar.)
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. caraway seeds
dash of pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
several parboiled/steamed potato chunks, drained
2 cooking apples, cored and cut into thin wedges

Sprinkle chicken with salt and  brown on both sides in margarine/butter in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until tender.  Sprinkle some carway seeds over the chicken as it browns. Mix together the kraut, water, caraway, pepper, brown sugar and potatoes. Add to chicken and onion and mix well. Cover skillet and cook 10-12 minutes or  until chicken is tender.

Note: the recipe called for canned potatoes, but.....

Don't let the inclusion of sauerkraut put you off. It is an integral part of the cooking of Eastern Europe, and is NOT used solely as an condiment, as it is in the U.S.

I served this with a cucumber salad and additional steamed potatoes and good crusty bread to soak up any of the wonderful juices.

I hope you all enjoy this as much as our guests did.

Ron


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## mudbug (Aug 16, 2005)

okey dokey Ron - you're on.  We are going to have this tonight, along with Ishbel's orange marmalade bread and butter pudding.

I've also got a garden cucumber from the neighbors (I will be the only one here to eat it).  How do you do your cucumber salad?  sliced with sour cream and dill, or some other way?


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## Ron Hay (Aug 16, 2005)

*Heading south....Serbian bean soup.*

This is one of the glories of the Serbian kitchen, one that has sustained generations of Serbs for untiold generations.

1/2 lb. dried beans (I use small white beans, limas, navy beans, etc.)
2-3 raw carrots, peeled and shredded or cubed.
2-3 red potatoes , peeled and cut into squares about 2"  in diameter.
2 stalks of celery, diced
1-1.5 lbs of smoked meat/sausage/hambone with meat attached. (If using sausage, cut into serving pieces; if using hambone, leave meat attached.)
4 quarts of cold water.
salt
pepper

Rinse dried bean, place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally to prevent beans from sticking. Salt to taste. Lower temperature and simmer until beans are almost tender (about an hour.). 

Peel, cube and add veggies. Wash sausage/meat and add in suitable serving pieces about 2". If ham bone is used, or other smoked meat, add it at the beginning of the process when the beans are boiling. Continue simmering process until veggies and beans are completely cooked (another hour on slow simmer.) Ham bone may be removed at this point; cool and remove all meat from bone. Return meat to pot and discard teh bone.


[My observation: since meat may impart too smokey a flavor, you might want to boil it separately and add it back in to the cooking beans, later, having discarded the smokey water.]

"Zafrak,"  thickener for soup. This is what really makes the soup. This technique is used throughout Central and Eastern Europe, among other locations.

4 Tbsp. lard, bacon grease, Crisco or oil. [ I know that lard is out of favor, but it really makes a difference when you use it.]
4 Tbsp. flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp.  sweet or medium paprika [Hungarian paprika comes in about 6 levels of heat.]

Add flour to hot melted grease, stir constantly over medium to low heat. Do NOT burn the flour. It must turn deep brown slowly and completely. Add chopped onion and saute to soft texture. Not necessary to brown onion. Remove from heat, add sweet/medium paprika [use an Eastern European one, not red American red paint dust!]  and return to low heat until paprrika turns ingredients to a golden brown. Use approximately one cup of bean soup liquid to zafrik, stir and add to bean soup. Continue simmering soup until it is thickened, for another 5 minutes. Season to taste. This soup ages gracefully in the 'fridge

Enjoy!

P.S. when the carpenters are finished working in our house, I will unearth my Bulgarian recipes.

Ron


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## Ron Hay (Aug 16, 2005)

*Hungarian cucumber salad*

This may be found in just about any cuisine in Central Europe.

2 medium cukes
1/4 cup vinegar
1-1.5 tsp sugar 
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. salt

All these measurements are approximate. Vary them according to your personal taste.

Ron


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## Alix (Aug 16, 2005)

mudbug said:
			
		

> I've also got a garden cucumber from the neighbors (I will be the only one here to eat it). How do you do your cucumber salad? sliced with sour cream and dill, or some other way?


 
You can do a cucumber tomato mix, chop both and pour red wine vinegar over it or Italian dressing. OR, cucumber radish with just plain vinegar. OR slice cucumbers and sprinkle with sugar, then pour vinegar over them.

Personally, I just add cucumbers to my green salad.


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## kitchenelf (Aug 16, 2005)

Being a true Hungarian here we always made our cucumbers with a mixture of sour cream (it's the Hungarian way), apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and lots of pepper - cucumbers sliced VERY thin.


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## Ron Hay (Aug 16, 2005)

*Varities of cucumber salads*

Hello, again. This recipe was given to me by a professional cook from Hungary on another list. She is well-versed in all manner of Hungarian foods.

Lots of variation in recipes occur even within a given region,  not to mention within a country, especially with an easily-grown item like cucumbers, which, are by nature, rather bland, admitting to a whole galaxy of culinary embellisments.

Every family may ring changes on a recipe, as well.

Ron


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## kitchenelf (Aug 16, 2005)

Ron, to tell you the truth I didn't even look at the recipe until just now - I was just being a smart alek with Alix.  

I learned a thing or two about different regions when I asked the owner of a local Italian restaurant if they would ever consider putting Panzanella Salad on their menu - the only Panzanella he knows of has potatoes in it and NOTHING like the tomato/bread salad that pretty much everyone else knows - he's never heard of it before!  It's very facinating!  It's facinating to see the different dishes that are made of truly local ingredients.


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## Shunka (Aug 16, 2005)

Ron, the bean soup recipe you posted is just like the one that my Grandmother would make. She was Cherokee but must have learned it from family friends growing up. She would also make up meals using saur-kraut that I am still trying to duplicate today. My son-in-law is Polish and even though my cabbage rolls are a bit different than what his mother made, he loves mine. Thank you for posting all of these recipes!!!


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## Piccolina (Aug 16, 2005)

Hi everyone,

Here are some very recipe-filled Czech cooking links:

http://goodfood.hypermart.net/czech_category.html

http://www.recipezaar.com/r/15/243

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=czech

http://www.texasczechs.homestead.com/files/Recipes3_10.htm

I can't say as though I've eaten much Czech food, but I have had a bit of Russian, which is typically the sort of soul-satisfying food you want when you feel empty to the bone.


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## Constance (Aug 16, 2005)

*Gugelhupf*

I found this recipe handwritten in the back of a friend's mother's recipe book...it must have been HER mother's book, because it is very old. 


Gugelhupf
Recipe by Elain Fiala Karlousky

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
6 eggs, separated
1-1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
6 tbl milk 
flavoring*

Directions:
Cream butter to consistancy of mayonnaise. Add sugar slowly while continuing to cream. Beat until light and fluffy.  Beat egg yolks in one at a time. Mix and sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Combine milk and flavoring. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to mixture, stirring in gently but thoroughly. Beat egg whites stiff but not dry. Fold in thoroughly. Spoon into well-greased 12 cup gugelhupf pan (Turk's head mold). Bake at 350 for about 1 hour & 10 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool in pan 10 min. Loosen cake gently around rim of tube. Invert on cake rack. Finish cooling and dust with confectioner's sugar. Garnish with whole maraschino cherries if desired. 

*for flavoring, use 1 tsp vanilla & 1/2 tsp almond extract, OR 2 tsp grated lemon peel.


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## Ron Hay (Aug 16, 2005)

*Ah, The Treasures of the Austro-Hungarian Empire live on!*

Hi, and thanks for posting this luscious treat. You can still enjoy this delectation at cafes in Vienna, Buda and Pest.

Ron


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## mudbug (Aug 17, 2005)

*Czech chicken and sauerkraut*

Thanks so much for this recipe, Ron.  It made a sauerkraut eater out of me - at least in this dish.  The combination of the kraut, apples, and potatoes was great with the bird.  We used sourdough bread to lap up the juices.  I also thinly sliced cucumbers and eyeballed a quantity of salt, pepper, sugar, and red wine vinegar for them to swim in a few hours before dinner - very good accompaniment.

Handy Husband had two helpings.  Thanks again!


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## Ron Hay (Aug 17, 2005)

*Glad you enjoyed the Chicken and Kraut*

Hi, I am delighted that you enjoyed this dish as much as our company did.  As you can see, it's quick, easy and delicious, and inexpensive and will surprise those who think of 'kraut only as a topping for hot dogs.

Ron


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## Michael in FtW (Aug 18, 2005)

Keep posting those recipes gang! I don't have anything to contribute, I'm a learner here, but I am cutting-n-pasting!


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## Claire (Aug 18, 2005)

The cuke salad, when in season, will  have dill chopped into it!


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## Ron Hay (Aug 19, 2005)

*A Regional Favorite: Szegediner Gulyas*

Hello, friends, this may be a Hungarian dish, but it has become popular throughout Central Europe.

2# stewing pork, cut into 1.25" cubes ( I used boneless loin)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp lard or butter [I used lard.]
3 onions, diced
2 tbsp sweet paprika [use only Hungarian!]
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup water
1 # fresh kraut or kraut from a jar [Use German/Polish!]
1 # potaotes, peeled, cut into 1.25" cubes or cut into 1/2 inch slices1 tbsp caraway seeds [more, if you love the flavor.]
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp flour

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Hear fat and in it fry pork cubes until browned on all sides, SLOWLY. Add diced onion and cook slowly unhtil soft and golden. Sprinkle with paprika and saute for 3-4 minutes.

Add garlic and water and cover, simmering slowly for 25 minutes.

If sauerkraut is sharply flavored [usually the case with American canned kraut], rinse once or twice and drain. Add it to the pork along with potatoes and caraway seeds.

Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour or until potatoes are done. 

Blend flour into sour cream and pour over sauerkraut and pork, shaking pot from side to side so cream will "percolate" through. Cover and let it simmer about 10 minutes, or until the goulash is heated through. Season to taste and serve.

[This fork-blended sour cream and flour is a vey popular regional thickener, used all throughout Central Europe.]

This meal is also good with a cucumber salad, as a nice
contrast. I also steamed some additional potatoes so that people could mash them into leftover juices on their plates to absorb the goodness.

I have also served this over wide egg noodles, which are also very popular.

Enjoy! This is a major crowd pleaser!  I made some without kraut at my wife's behest, along with some with kraut. Even those very few who had opted for no kraut, came back to have it with, and loved it! Kraut is marvelously versatile, as you will see from my posts.

Ron


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## mudbug (Aug 19, 2005)

Interesting, Ron. I was telling a co-worker this morning about the fabulous Czech chicken recipe I had just tried, describing the ingredients. She said she makes something almost identical using pork chops. The flour-cream slurry would be a bonus!

p.s.  forgot to add that another lady overheard us and asked me to write the recipe out for her.


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## shantihhh (Sep 2, 2005)

*paprika*

Słodki is sweet maybe that is what you have and ostra is sharp.  I like using half sweet with half hot/sharp if it is bitter.


Paprika is wonderful in many things including cabbage rolls like sarma and also in a pot of beans.

I use a lot of the Spanish smoked paprika and also the Hungarian paprikas.



			
				mudbug said:
			
		

> goody, you guys can help me clear something up.
> 
> My sister has traveled a lot on NATO business for the Navy and brought me back some paprika from Poland - the labels say papryka ostra and papryka stodka. Which is the sweet and which is the hot, and what dishes do I make using each?


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## Kabana&Cheese (Sep 2, 2005)

I became a kraut eater this year as well after trying it baked over ribs. You bake the ribs for an hour covered with water, I think, then put the kraut on top for 1/2 hour. It is similar to the chicken dish. Then I tried kraut salad, and kraut warmed over frying brats, and I would love to know how to make kraut dogs, as I am Australian and don't know how to.



My friend who told me about the ribs, also told me about kolaches, which we made with pineapple filling, yum. I am now going to check out Potica, thanks. You guys are great.


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## Kabana&Cheese (Sep 2, 2005)

Oh dear, I lost my post.

I first became a kraut eater when I ate it with ribs.  You roast the ribs for an hour, then put the kraut on top for another half an hour, you can also add the same sort of ingredients as for the chicken.

I would love to know how to make the kraut dogs, as I am Australian and don't know how to!  I also love kraut salad, and kraut warmed over fried bratwurst.

How about kolaches?  The friend that told me about the ribs also told me about the kolaches.  Now I have Potica to try, thanks.  You guys are great.


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## Claire (Sep 3, 2005)

These darned recipes are never where I think they are. They are actually from cookbooks, because they were virtually identical to MILs, but with measurements (MIL's had a lot of pinches and hands full). This is a huge production, best done with a couple of people. I have a freind of Slovak descent I'm going to do it with once it gets cold again, and hubby pitches in. You really need a good, solid table for rollling out the dough, preferably covered with a clean bed sheet. The cookbook has it as a Christmas dish, MIL used to send us a piece of one (it is very large, she'd cut off about 6-8 inches and send it) every Easter. You will see why it is a holiday dish! Not something you do every day! When I have my potica party, I'll report back!

Potica (adapted with MIL's changees from "All Along the Danube" by Marina Polvay -- an excellent all-around source to look for in used book stores)

1 pkg granulated yeast plus 1 tsp
1/2 c lukewarm water
4 1/2 c all purpose unbleached floour
1 c milk
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
2 eggs + 1 yolk
2 yolks beaten w/1 Tbs cream

preheat over to 350. Butter a jelly roll pan well and sprinkle generously w/flour. In a small bowl combine yeast w/lukewarm water. Stir and set aside for a few minutes. In a large bowl or your mixer bowl combine 2 c flour & yeast. In a saucespan heat together millk, sugar, butter and salt, stirring constantly til all butter has melted. Add to flour & yeast mixture. Beat at low speeed for about 1 1/2 min. Add eggs and yolk and remaining flour.
_ME: (not Marina). At this point you have bread, finish it as you would any other through the first rising._
Divide dough into two parts. Roll each into a 15X20 rectangle
_ME: MIL used to (and I stick with it) make one huge piece. You roll at first, then you and all your helpers gather around the table, and with buttered fingers, very gently pull the dough until it as thin as you can make it. It'll be pretty big. Then you spread with the filling. I use walnut, don't even have a recipe for the other traditional filling, which is poppy seed. When I have my freind come, we make make one of each because she remembers her gram making the latter._

Filling:
1/2 c honey
1 c light brown sugar
6 T butter
1/2 c light cream
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 1/2 c ground walnuts (very fine)
1/2 c chopped white raisins_ (MIL hated raisins, so in memory of her I leave them out as well)_
2 well-beaten eggs
1 tsp orange rind, grated
1 tsp lemon rind, grated _(the citrus is optional according to MIL)_

In a saucepan combine honey, sugar, butter and cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and stirring continuously, simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add cinnamon, walnuts, raisins; mix well. Cool to lukewarm. Add eggs and rinds and blend well. Cool completely before using (you'll most likely be using your hands to spread this over the dough!).

_Now the fun part. Roll up like a jelly roll. When you're through it should be about that size, but flat and fatter. If you're like me, it's kinda lumpy. If you're like MIL, it is as smooth as silk. Delicious either way. Snake this into the pan, then let rise for 40-45 min. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Brush with beaten yolks, bake for 20 more minutes. _

_Marina has a glaze, MIL didn't. _

BTW:  Po-teet-sa


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## Claire (Sep 3, 2005)

I'll add more recipes as I feel like typing!  Haha!  Another I forgot to tell you (MIL didn't make it, but it was typical street food in Slovena) Burek.  It's also sort of like a jelly roll, but a savory, made with filo dough (I don't make the dough, trust me!) and ground meat (lamb or beef) or cheese (something like a cross between cream cheese and feta -- as a matter of fact, when I made it, that's what I did, warm and cream the cream cheese, then mix in crumbled feta).  This has to be a dish of middle eastern origins, I know that it's a common food in Turkey as well.  

In addition to "All Along the Danube" (Marina Polvay) another recommendation is Jeff Smith's old  "The Frugal Gourmet on our Immigrant Ancestors), which also has all of the foods I've mentioned.  Do like me and haunt those old used book stores.


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## Kabana&Cheese (Sep 3, 2005)

When I was at the op-shop/goodwill recently my husband was saying, "why didn't you look through the books for cookbooks", I'll have to try again!  I did get one lovely one from there a couple of years ago, and found recently it had a great recipe for cornbread.

White raisins and other colored raisins I still can't get a handle on, which ones are sultanas?


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## TexCin (Sep 3, 2005)

I am half czech and my mother and grandparents are fullblood. My Granny cooked a lot of wonderful things, but didn't use recipes.   We watched and wrote down a few things she made. Of course she only use things she made or got from her farm. She made wonderful Kolaches, breads, rolls. We have a recipe for Kolaches. I also have a Teacake recipe. She didn't call them teacakes though. She called them Pecan cookies.  And one of my favortie things is her okra and poatato dish. I can tell you how to make that , no recipe.
I think most of her things tasted so good, because they were fresh. Either from the garden or the barnyard. She made her own butter, cream, cottage cheese, pickles, ect.............  Wonderful.


Dice some white potatoes. In a skillet (with a lid), add a couple of tsp. of bacon drippings.  Add a bunch of diced onion and add the diced potatoes.  Add some chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. Put the lid on and let simmer till the potatoes are starting to turn soft.  Cut some okra (like for frying) and place on top the potatoes. Cover again , and cook til okra and potatoes are done. Remove lid and fold okra in to the potatoes.  Yummmmmmm


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## Michael in FtW (Sep 4, 2005)

Kabana&Cheese said:
			
		

> White raisins and other colored raisins I still can't get a handle on, which ones are sultanas?


 
Sultanas would be white raisins ... but only if they were made from dried sultana grapes.


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## Kabana&Cheese (Sep 4, 2005)

Thank you both, I have ordered some okra seeds to try and that sounds really nice, thanks.


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## Claire (Sep 4, 2005)

I rather doubt it would make much difference what color rasins or even any other dried fruit, cut up, in this recipe. As I said, MIL didn't put them in at all, and I don't either. I think white raisins are the same as sultanas. Hmmm. Just happen to have Larousse Gastronomique at hand. Yes, white, seedless grapes, dried, are sultanas.  Oh, I just caught another post.  That makes sense, the type of grape!  For recipe purposes, though, any will do.


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## shantihhh (Sep 4, 2005)

*Paprika*



			
				mudbug said:
			
		

> goody, you guys can help me clear something up.
> 
> My sister has traveled a lot on NATO business for the Navy and brought me back some paprika from Poland - the labels say papryka ostra and papryka stodka. Which is the sweet and which is the hot, and what dishes do I make using each?


 
I answered this before but don't see the post here.

Ostra means strong IE hot

strodka is sweet

Also if you taste them you will find one sharp the other not.  I like using half of each in recipes.


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