Customer Reviews

Quality Czech Mushroom Recipes

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The above would have been a far more fitting title for this collection. The title gives one the impression that this is a book of recipes from Czech and Slovak immigrants who brought over mushroom recipes from the old country. This is in fact a collection of recipes from Americans of Czech descent (predominantly from the Midwest - 72 of the 97 recipes are from contributors living in Iowa, and only 9 from contributors living in East- or West-Coast states), probably several generations removed from the old country, and having seemingly no knowledge of Czech cuisine - certainly almost none of the recipes here show any basis in the cuisines of Eastern or Central Europe at all, beyond the occasional use of sour cream!

As for "quality", most of these recipes remind me of the kind of the kind of things you'd find in a 1950's "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook - numerous recipes for casseroles and meatloaf, stuffed mushrooms, pallid versions of Asian and French dishes, etc. Many recipes call specifically very low-quality ingredients, for example, a quiche recipe that calls for Velveeta cheese! The recipes here seem to have been compiled in 1959, not 1999. The vast improvements and innovations that have taken place in American cooking over the last 30 years seem to have largely passed by the contributors to this collection. Even the better recipes here (such as Pork Loin with Three-Mushroom Sauce) are recipes any knowledgeable cook could adapt out of "The Joy of Cooking".

My recommendation if one is looking for Czech mushroom recipes is to pick up Jack Czarnecki's "Joe's Book of Mushroom Cookery" and try some of the Czech-inspired recipes found there, or pick up a good Czech/Slovak cookbook and adapt recipes found there to dishes featuring various kinds of mushrooms.

Mushroom hunting in the old countries is a popular activity. When the Czech and Slovak immigrants came to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and other states with woodlands, they naturally explored for mushrooms. The recipes in this little book reflect the culinary traditions of the people.

This book contains appetizers, main entrées, soups, salads, egg dishes, sautés, sauces, and spreads. There are many old fashioned recipes cherished by the immigrants and others adapted to the New World.

Recipe contributors come from Eastern Iowa and other states as well. The Guild of the Museum was founded by Charter Members Mae Novotny, Sylvia Rohlena, Marjorie Stone, Patricia Hikiji and Evelyn Lamparek, all from the Cedar Rapids area. The non-profit museum was dedicated in October 1995. Its purpose is to promote an active interest in Czech and Slovak history, culture and fine arts. The activities, programs, and other educational opportunities offered by the Museum & Library are consistent with the mission of protecting an Old World heritage.

Cedar Rapids area Guild Members Barbara Edmunds, Fern Fackler and Marilyn Tucker along with Cynthia Tucker Shaffer of Burke, Virginia were essential in the book's development. Melinda Bradnan, editor, used recipes from her mother-in-law Marion of Cleveland, Ohio, reflecting her Slovak heritage. Roger Mather of Iowa City contributed a poem about mushrooms.