Prague... Or the place Ice thinks cooks food just for him



The roadside diner's version of
goulash

 So, after the vodka fest of Slovakia, we drove with my brother and his wife to Prague, Czech Republic.  It was a wonderful road trip since I had people to talk to while Ice drove and a native speaker that could actually converse and order food in a way that would guarantee better service.  We stopped near Bratislava (a gateway to a bunch of countries - Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria to name a few) and ate Goulash.  This is as varied a recipe as you can find.  This version was a thin tomato-based broth spiced liberally with caraway and mustard seeds with chunks of potato and beef  and served with a side of bread.  Not bad, and only about $6 per person, a relative bargain and eaten outdoors on a beautiful day, even better.

Upon arrival in Prague, I was treated to Ice's version of parallel parking on the left side of the street.  All I can say is the city is hilly like San Francisco, cobbled like Old San Juan in Puerto Rico, and with the narrow street feel of Rome, but without the psycho scooter drivers.  Actually, Prague is gorgeous and really worth seeing.  It has the charm of Florence, Italy, is clean, and very American friendly.  Our first evening, we ate at a local bistro where we had perhaps some of the best food in the trip.  B, my brother, chose goulash.  This version, however, was a rich, thick, and beefy concoction with much more developed flavors.  M, his wife, chose a sauteed pork chop with a thin peppercorn gravy.  She also ordered a side of "white bread dumplings." 



Wonderbread meets country biscuit



The process to make them is apparently complicated, but I literally thought it tasted like a steamed piece of Wonder Bread - a very spongy, soft texture.  By itself, rather plain, but the peppercorn sauce elevated it.  As Ice described it, "this is like the Czech version of biscuits and gravy!"  Two thumbs up!

Ice had a breaded and sauteed pork cutlet (good, but unremarkable) and I had the dish of the night.  It was a crock of porky goodness - pieces of bacon, ham, and sausage with sauteed potatoes baked together in a crock.  It was so rich I barely touched the dish, but I had plenty of help to finish it as it was just about the best thing ever.  If I learn to make this, Ice will never leave me.  Some men's hearts are through their stomachs.  I think, in the case of my husband, it's his body, mind, heart, and soul.