Sunday, August 30, 2009

The Czech Out Aisle: Rohlík


Rohlík: King of the bread Aisle.

For Westerners accustomed to packaged breads and glass enclosed pastries, the bread aisle at most Czech supermarkets is sure to surprise. Open baskets are filled with all sorts of yeasty delicacies, and people come through in droves, filling up plastic bags to the brim.

The rohlík (roll, pronounced "row-hlick") is the Czech/Slovak sweetheart of the bread section, and at less than 1 Koruna per kilo, it is clearly a family staple. At home, the rohlík may be sliced open and filled with margarine, ham and cheese, or the accompaniment to soups and salads, especially the classic Vlašský Salát, a very mayonnaisey potato and salami salad.

But never have I seen a nation consume rolls-on-the go as I have seen the Czechs do. From teething kids in strollers, to ankle biters and their hungry parents, Czechs wander the street or flood the metro, rohlík in hand, tearing into the plain, white flour delight with happy abandon. And because they are such a well loved snack, you can find rohlík in all places, like the Vietnamese corner store, the train station sausage stand, or sometimes even the tobbacconist.

Whole grain versions of rohlík do exist, as do other flavors, like garlic or sesame, but the white flour classic prevails, and for pennies, you can stave off your hunger for at least an hour, or until the craving for more Czech bread returns.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Zita films Michael.

So far I have only posted photos of the dirtier streets and hidden nooks and crannies of Prague. No hrads (castles) and kostels (churches) for this blog's purposes. Here is a website if you are interested in that kind of photography:Prague.cz Otherwise, these are from our walk last night.






Thursday, August 20, 2009

Grrrreece

Just came back from four days on Aegina Island, 25 km from Athens. Olives, roaming goats, pistachio groves, salty sea and plenty of Greek ruins.













Thursday, August 6, 2009

'The Czech Out Aisle' Official Launch! WSCBP does Groceries, Czech Style!


Zakysana Smetana

Not the splashiest item in the dairy cooler, but SMETANA—Smotana in Slovakian—is all over Czech food like white on rice. Its closest equivalent in the US is sour cream, but Smetana is thicker and more mild, like a creamy Greek yogurt. Smetana shows up everywhere: slathered on sausages, stirred into Slovakian halusky, added to pasta, spread on bread, and accompanied by a plate of Czech Goulash and dumplings.

The supermarket versions, like the “Clever” brand here range in milk fat from 12% - 36%. In fact, the main perk of Smetana is that it is so high in fat, it doesn't curdle at high temperatures. You got something boiling on the stove that needs a little oomph? Some cookbooks suggest that people without access to this Eastern dairy staple can mix Western sour cream with heavy whipping cream and experience the bliss. Na zdravi!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

the long Night Out

We completed our TEFL course on Friday evening. The night continued at Meloun and the morning began (by accident) at the airport.


photo compliments of Zita Katkovnova