Customer Reviews

Slovak American Touches: Family Recipes, History, Folk Arts

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Ms. Toni Brendel is a third-generation Slovak American who set upon a journey to rediscover the homeland of her grandmother. This book is a collection of the findings she found along the way.

I am a native Slovak living in the United States. I've had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Brendel at a Slovak festival where she was signing her book. I really appreciate there are people like her out there who show real love for their adopted homeland and go the extra mile to learn about the Slovak way of life.

This book really consists of two halves. The first part is a collection of short articles on topics varying from Slovak crafts and outfits, through traditions and weddings, to Slovak-American clubs in the United States. A definite highlight here is the story of how the author's grandparents emigrated and settled in the US.

The second part consists mainly of Slovak recipes. Some of the recipes have been adapted to American cuisine, but this collection does contain a good number of real, authentic Slovak dishes. Among the recipes you'll find background notes on topics such as the origin of the word kolache (Slovak or Czech sweet treats) and the home-made goose-feather oil basters that were popular in Slovakia (my grandma still uses and makes these).

This is definitely an indispensable book for anyone whose parents or grandparents immigrated from Slovakia and who wants to find out more about the land of his or her ancestors.