Slovak-Themed Menu - Discussion

As most of you know, my The Beautiful Mrs. Tas is primarily of Slovak extraction; because of this, I have developed a great fondness for the cooking and traditions of Slovakia, and consider myself fortunate to have married into such a rich heritage.

I have enjoyed many wonderful Slovak dishes and meals, most of them based on the recipes of Mrs. Tas's grandmother, Mary Macejko Milot. All are household favourites that are easy-to-prepare and delicious, and they are seen on our table as often as possible.

Earlier this week, we were going over our grocery budget, which is a little "thin" at the moment. This is no problem when considering a Slovak menu, because most such recipes are borne of a frugal, peasant tradition, and as such are very amenable to tight budgets; with a few staples in the pantry, it is indeed possible to create a very tasty meal without spending much at all.

With this in mind, I decided to start a new project based on a rural, "peasant" Slovak menu, and I am confident that I came up with a good one:

Mushroom Soup (Hubová Polievka) or Cauliflower Soup (Karfiolová Polievka)

"Shepherd's Steak" (Bačovský Rezeň)

"Potato Pudding" (Švábkový koch)

Braised Red Cabbage (Dusené červenej kapusty)

Traditional Slovak Bread Rolls (Rožky)

Meringue Cookies (Laskonky)

I think that this will make a good "country meal" - this is some pretty typical Slavic fare, and I can see it all being quite delicious. The "Shepherd's Steak" and "Potato Pudding" are truly unique dishes, and I can't wait to try them.

As always, comments, feedback and discussion are most welcome. I'll expand a bit more on each dish soon; but for now I must get some sleep, as I must be up and moving around in about 4.5 hours....