God Bless the Pacific Northwest.
I realized that I was no longer in Prague the other day. The first clue was that I was watching television, the second was that I was understanding it.
But it really hit home that I'd come back to the Pacific Northwest when I saw the weather report, and they said (and I quote):
"...and tomorrow, in between the showers, we might see some blue sky. If you see it, don't be alarmed, don't call the station, just enjoy it."
The Potato Post - coming to a blog site near you!
I began working on a post when I first moved to Prague. It was going to be great. It was going to be about potatoes. It took me a long time to finish it; after all, it involved a great deal of (occasionally) painstaking research and experimentation. But I am happy to report, at long last, c'est fini.
Without further ado, read on:
The Potato Post.
15 Unhealthy Ways to Cook Potatoes – Czech Cuisine.
1)
Bramboračky: The world-famous potato-pancakes. A mass of shredded potatoes, onion, and mystery ingredients fried to an oil-soaked squishily delicious consistency. Wonderful for the first 3 bites.
2)
Bramborové knedlíky: Potato dumplings. A soft consistency a little like gnocchi. Wonderful. They must be terrible for you.
3)
Bramborové knedlíky s masem vepřovou a zeli: Potato dumplings filled with pieces of pork and sauerkraut. Delicious for the first 5 bites, after which you discover an unbelievable craving for fruit, vegetables, or really anything that hasn’t seen a frying pan.
4)
Krokety: Little balls of potato-joy, fried to a crisp on the outside. They’re like potato-ey-candy-goodness. Bet you can’t eat just one. And bet that when you’re done you wish you had.
5)
Hranolky: Your basic french fries. Undoubtedly served with kečup, beloved by Czechs. You can ask for mayonaise, but let me warn you that you’ll get tartar sauce every time.
6)
Vařené bramborý: Boiled potatoes. Sounds healthy, right? Okay, now add butter, salt, a little milk. Better. Oh, and add a sprig of something green to give it that nice garnished look. If parsley is too expensive, feel free to use celery.
7)
Bramborové palačinky: A potato version of czech crepes, only not at all similar to crepes. More like an omelette made with potatoes, filled with other unhealthy ingredients. DO NOT attempt to eat the entire thing.
8)
Škubánky: Potato pasta balls made with potato, flour, lard, and gingerbread. They are subsequently fried, and if you can still feel your blood flowing, you may top them with bacon and onion.
9)
Potato Flatcakes: Yet another way to make potato pancakes, these are more doughy than bramboračky, thanks to the added butter. Serve with cheese. Of course.
10)
Bramborý Amerícky: It’s the mystery meat of potato sides – you never know exactly what you’re going to get. But typically these American Potatoes are potato wedges. Served with kečup and beer. Oh my, are they good.
11)
Bramborové Salát: Potato salad. The key to this salad is pickled vegetables. And majoneza. Try it at home, but keep a tub on hand from your local potraviny. Who knows how to pickle vegetables, anyway?
12)
Lupinky: Prague is called the city of 100 spires, but there are a lot more than that if you consider these cute little spire-shaped krokety. Delicious, but it’s something like eating art.
13)
Tliapky Kocoura Mikeše: As near as I can translate, this dish has nothing to do with potatoes, and I’m not even positive it has anything to do with food. However, according to the brewery restaurant in Velké Popovice, these are roasted potato cakes with garlic. Mmmmm.
14)
Brambory Opečené: Roasted new potatoes, cut in half and left in the oven for perhaps 17 hours until they achieve a crusty skin and steamy insides. You might think you could live without them, and you might be able to, but it wouldn’t be as happily.
15)
Smiškové: Just your basic, run-of-the-mill fried potatoes that look like smiley faces. Nothing special here. ;)
But as much as we poke fun, Czech potatoes in all their forms might be the best potatoes in the world. They’re easy to disparage, but hard to live without.
