Here's a little challenge: How many quarts are in a gallon? How many milliliters are in a liter?
So even something as simple as buying a bottle of water can turn into a lesson about another country's everyday life.
This week, I visited Na Slamníku, a traditional Czech restaurant in Prague, where I tried roasted pork neck (pečená vepřová krkovice) with potato dumplings and cabbage, along with a game sausage (opečená zvěřinová klobása) served with mustard and fresh horseradish.
As a chef, I'm always interested in how different cultures combine ingredients to create a complete meal.
The potato dumplings were interesting. On their own, I found them a little bland. But when I ate them with the pork and cabbage, the dish came together much better. It was a hearty, filling meal and a good introduction to traditional Czech cooking.
The game sausage, however, was phenomenal! It had an almost sweet quality to it. The seasoning was excellent, and the mustards complemented the sausage without being overly vinegary. The fresh horseradish added another dimension, while the house-pickled cucumbers and peppers rounded out the plate nicely.
What stood out to me was how differently the two dishes worked. The roasted pork was about bringing several relatively simple components together, while the sausage had enough character to impress me on its own. It reminded me that sometimes an ingredient doesn't have to be exciting by itself to play an important role in a dish.
