By: Marcel Lokos

The success of this quintessentially Czech dish depends not so much on the cook's skill as on the quality of the pork. It should be well marbled, not lean; this will result in a succulent, moist roast. The dumplings and cabbage are the perfect accompaniment, though mashed potatoes would do as a substitute. Beer is a must with this meal.

You will need: 0,9 kg of pork roast 2-3 cloves garlic caraway seeds salt For dumplings: 1 and a half to 2 cups flour a pinch salt 1-2 eggs 1 cup milk 1-2 white bread rolls, cut into cubes 1 teaspoon baking powder For stewed cabbage: 1 head of cabbage (red or white; red is healthier) 1 onion 2 (or more) tablesoops lard or butter 1 teaspone caraway seeds sugar salt vinegar

Rub the meat with crushed garlic and salt; sprinkle with caraway seeds, and roast. Pour a bit of water under the meat if it’s lean. It should release enough fat to keep it from sticking. Roast covered, later uncovered, until tender. For the dumplings, mix all ingredients until combined, add the bread cubes last. The dough should be of medium consistency. Shape it into 2-3 longish loaves (approx. 8”), resembling very short baguettes. Dump them in a big pot of boiling water and simmer for minutes. Fish them out and slice about 3/4 inch thick (it’s easily done with a nylon thread, but you can use a very sharp knife too). The dumplings are supposed to be very soft and have a neutral, bready taste - you use them to sop up the meat juices on the plate. Cut the cabbage into thin strips and quickly blanch in boiling water; strain. On a bit of lard, sautee one chopped onion, add the cabbage strips and a teaspoon of caraway seeds (or more if you wish). Cook until the cabbage strips are translucent and tender (if the cabbage is too dry and sticks to the bottom, pour in a bit of water). Season with sugar, salt and vinegar. The cabbage should have a gentle sweet-and- sour taste that complements the heady flavor of the pork.

„Olomoucké syrečky“ or „olomoucké tvarůžky“ is a ripened soft cheese made in Loštice, Czech. Olomoucké tvarůžky is the only original Czech cheese with a distinctive, pungent taste. This natural matured soft cheese is free of any chemical additives.

Fruit dumplings are mostly made using plums or apricots.Whole fruit are coated with potato or curd dough and boiled, then served with butter, sugar and sometimes milled poppyseeds or cottage cheese. Different varieties of fruit dumplings include strawberry, cherry, bilberry or peach. They are usually eaten as a main dish.

Potato pancakes, are shallow-fried pancakes of grated potatoes, flour and eggs, often flavored with grated onion or garlic and seasoning.

Marinated Beef Sirloin (,,svíčková“) is a popular Czech meal. It is made of vegetables (carrots, parsley, celery root and onion), spiced with black pepper, allspice, bayleaf and thyme and boiled with doublecream. It´s served with dumplings.