On November 11th while many Americans celebrate Veteran’s Day, the Czech, and many other nations throughout Europe, celebrate St. Martin’s Day. Some people compare it to the American Thanksgiving, as it is the “Feast of St. Martin”. It celebrates the end of the harvest and the inevitability of winter.
On this day the parents and children of my town gathered in the Kindergarten playground with lanterns and torches and we walked through out the town with “St. Martin” as our guide, passing out paper snowflakes to on lookers (lampion festival) Many of children wore antennas on their heads pretending to be beetles who begin their “rest” for the winter season. On a side note, I am happy to report that our St. Martin was not ‘riding around town on a white horse’ (Martin přijíždí na bílém koni), which may just mean we are safe from the snow for a little while longer. To celebrate St. Martin’s Day, and the weeks before the Advent (which is kind of like the weeks of feasting), many of the restaurants in town have special dishes centering on husa, or goose. I have yet to try this.
In honor of St. Martin’s Day (although past) and Thanksgiving (soon to be encroaching on the waists of my fellow Americans), I bring you my own version of the two-week eat-a-thon to celebrate the harvest bounty and the melding of my two homes. I might even try goose!
Beginning:
For the past three months, I have had an overwhelming fear of the Czech restaurant. Not because I do not think I will enjoy the food, but simply because I feared not actually knowing what I was ordering. This week and the weeks proceeding, I have decided that the time has come to abandon this fear all together, thus the Czech Restaurant Challenge has been born. In homage to my hometown of the “good eats”, I will put Czech Cuisine head to head with some of the more infamous Chicago establishments (although, I will write, without hesitation, that Chicago still makes the best hamburgers in the world.
The Rules:
There is only one rule: try a new restaurant or new Czech cuisine--one I have not already had served to me in my school canteen.
I am happy to report that this week our victories have been tenfold! Not only did I try a new restaurant, an altogether to new “experimental” dish, but also the lovely Ava, můj rodiny Babička, prepared homeade Svičkova in honor of Aleš’s birthday.
The ceremonious restaurant where I finally broke down and had my first official Litomyšl dining experience was the infamous U Kolji. I am not quite sure if it is infamous, but I have had many people recommend it to me. It is a Ukrainian Restaurant (but because it is in Litomyšl it counts) and I was thankful that I could review the menu online several times before I made my way over, thus avoiding the potential of me staring blankly at the menu, crying, and going home hungry because is didn’t know what I should order.
The entire menu was enticing, but after much review, on this smoggy Tuesday, I finally decided upon the traditional Boršč and Holbuci. I was not disappointed. The boršč was incredible as I had been told it would be. The Holbuci was also delicious-it is hard to screw up steamed cabbage wrapped around meat mixed with rice covered in a wicked cream sauce.
One thing I have forgotten about eating such delicious food is that cramping that begins post a good meal. You know, where you have stuffed yourself beyond comprehension and you have to slouch because your posture has been swallowed up along with the food. Yea, that one, but it is so worth it.
The second dining out experience occurred last Saturday after my friend, Tomáš, and I returned from our walking venture in Budislav, where we nearly made it back to Borka before dark. He took me to this little restaurant and gave me my first experience with tatarský biftek, colloquially steak tartare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steak_tartare). A skeptic at first; I was not immediately sold on the raw beef and egg idea. After a brief explanation of what this was (and yes, although not traditionally Czech) and a reference to Mr. Bean I thought I was ready. It was sooooooooooooooo good. Okay, maybe not the most appetizing thing to look at, but it is really fun to play with. You mix the beef and egg with all these different ingredients and spices like: ketchup, dijon, capers, onions, dried parsley, and other UFO (Unidentifiable.Food.Objects). Then you spread it on toast. The best part was realizing that you could smear garlic on toast! This blew my mind--& yes, I have had garlic bread, but this was different. In addition, thanks to Tomáš, I have found out where the Czech hide the dark beer- in pubs hidden in the middle of nowhere. So happy to have dark beer back in my life.
& Now I save the best for last. Today, or rather Thursday, was Aleš Birthday (he is growing up so fast) and today we had a huge, massive, epic, birthday lunch. After eating so much food, all we could do was roll around on the floor, but maybe that was just me. A couple weeks ago I met the families grandmother, Ava, and we shared some piva over at my favorite pub-Veselka. We talked about Czech cuisine and my Czech Dad said that Ava made the best Svičková and she promised that she would make it. Today she went above and beyond. Svička means candle, so for the sake of my poor Czech I almost want to call it candle meat, but it’s most certainly not. It is a delicious, tender, marinated beef that is served with knedlíky (steamed bread dumplings –yum yum J) and omáčka (sauce, and in this case a thick creamy sauce made from carrots, parsley, turnip, &… other goodness). It is not hard to understand why this is a signature Czech dish. Incredible. To top it all off there was a cake that I cannot even begin to go into detail about.
Overall, I would call this first week of the “restaurant” challenge a raging success. I have a few other signature Czech dishes that I must try before I can consider this challenge a wrap. These include: bramborák, vepřo knedlo zelo, & the notorious, smažený sýr.
My only regret for this post is that I do not have pictures of our epic family meal nor many of my other restaurant ventures—next time.
Next week Prague, where my missions are few, but grand!
Fotky
Poor iPhoto shot of Lampion Festival and St. Martin--I should invest it a night time camera.
What I am happy St. Martin has not brought to Litomyšl, yet. He can so stick it in the mountains.
Borščing it.
Tackling the Holbuci...
A slouch worthy American meal-circa autmer (summer/autumn) 2010 New York
Working off the slouch from the eat-a-thon by observing others partake in physical activity- floorball (see floorball videos).
& the kicks here are still the same.
It appears many of us in this home have an affinity for taking pictures atop children's toy riding horses. It's just too bad I don't have a sombrero on. :)
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