Slovenske Jedlo and Pennsylvania Slovak Soul Food

Authentic Carpathian /Rusyn/ Slovak recipes by first generation...

A Typical Pennsylvania Coal Mining Company Town---Helvetia

SAMPLE RECIPE HERE--Pirohy

More Slovak Stuff

This is probably the most complete English language cookbook on Carpathian / Slovak/Rusyn foods available. The authors are first generation born of full Slovak parents who served these meals daily. These time-honored, family-tested, everyday recipes were ultimately passed down through the generations (brought from Grandma Maria Bencko's kitchen in Slovinky, Slovakia to Pennsylvania Mining towns by our Mother in 1910 )and have now been made available in print, possibly for the first time. The 137 page booklet is written in an easy-to-read, easy-to-make fashion with a generous sprinkling of graphics, dry humor, and related anecdotes. OVER 6000 COPIES SOLD. Now on eighth printing

To see introduction and table of contents of cookbook click here

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To obtain a copy:

Mail $14.00 check (we pay postage) today to:

99 State Route 149,

Lake Geoge, NY. 12845

The introduction to this bound volume follows:

In October, 1999, I conceived the idea of a newsletter type of publication that would perpetuate and immortalize the experiences and sacrifices as well as the sometimes glorious and heady life of our Slavic Ancestors in the new world. They worked untold hours and made great sacrifices so their children could have a better life than they had. They endured great prejudice and were forced to assume a humble and servile role in order to survive and to achieve that end for their children. They did menial labor or whatever it took. But even that was a massive gain over their life of indescribable poverty and servitude to the foreign overlords who ruled over them in the country from whence they came. And, indeed, succeed they did as attested to by the fact that so many of our people of the third generation are now in influential positions in this country such as U.S. Senators, Governors, and other high government and corporate officials. The KRAJAN published quarterly, started out as an experimental 8 page newsletter and then as a result of immediate public acceptance blossomed out to 12 pages and was published from Christmas 1999 through Christmas 2001, 9 great issues in all.

Go back in time and visit with your ancestors and read about their daily lives. Feel their problems and glory in the heady times they sometimes had in trying to establish themselves in America. Empathize with the modern day stories of Mr. Marián Hudák of Slovinky/Kosice, Slovakia in whose writing one can still see the shadow of the old days in the little mining village of Slovinky. Let Mr George Rebar of Alberta, Canada, in his lively manner, lead you through the Slovak community there. Read the letters to the editor and feel the heartbeat of our people as they delve back into the past glories of their predecessors. Join Janko Maras as he describes in great detail and in his typical humorous fashion growing up on a Slovak farm in an "others" community. Michal E. (Under the pen name of Pan Michal) of Pennsylvania paid me the following tribute:

"Drahy Pan Redaktor: Chcem Vas pochvalit' na Vašu dobru robotu. Je to dobre ze ešte Americkí Slovaci maju niekoho co so svojim Casopisom ich drzi spolu a prinose im pekne a zaujimave historické povedy o svojech predkov a aky tu mali zivot v novej zemi ked' prišli hl'adat' lepši zamestnanie a lepsi zivot pre seba a d'iti. Prosim, pokracute v tom podniku. Dolezi to na Vas ze slovenska tradicia je zapamätana ptomkami našich rodicov" (Translation follows):

"Dear Mr Editor:

I would like to congratulate you on your good work. It is good that American Slovaks still have someone who with their periodical can bring them together and supply them with fascinating and interesting historical stories of their ancestors and the kind of life they had here in this new land when they came here looking for better work and for a better life. Please, carry on with this undertaking. It is partially to your credit that the Slovak traditions of our parents will be remembered by their descendants."

Pavel Bencko-Maras, Editor

Lake George, NY

December 30, 2001

Anne Walko of the Pittsburgh area spent a lifetime storing up and recording memories of her early life of growing up in an immigrant Slovak/Carpatho-Rusyn family in the Wall-Wilmerding area near Pittsburgh. Finally at the age of 92 she put them into a magnificent book and it was published in 1999. Isn't that an amazing and inspiring feat? She finally realized her lifelong dream and got her degree from the University of Pittsburgh at age 55, had four children and lives with her husband at Wilmerding, Pennsylvania.

She may well be the last person around who can recall events from the early 1900's from personal memory and experience. And she does it so masterfully and warmly that one can't help but feel all her pain and triumph as she overcomes various problems that the immigrants faced.

She goes into quite a bit of detail on the prejudice the early Slavic people faced from the "English" (anyone who was not from a foreign country was classed as "English." ) Once in the cocoon of their home or neighborhood they were free and happy in the traditions and language of the old country and enjoyed a happy and harmonious home life. But it was all work, making the 8 boarders' meals, doing the washing by hand, shopping with a limited English vocabulary, keeping relations with and among the relatives in some sort of balance.

It seems that most of the men worked for the Pennsylvania Rail Road rather than in a coal mine or steel mill, but their lives were essentially the same as in the Slovak/Rusyn mining or steel towns.

The book is well written in a professional and interesting manner and filled with conversation and in gripping story by story and chapter by chapter fashion describes with great warmth and humor and yes some sadness and longing for a time gone by, the day to day life of growing up as the child of immigrant parents and because she was the only one that knew English responsibility was forced upon her beyond her years. Most of the story takes place in the period 1912-1925 and essentially starts when she is about 5 years old. There are some Rusyn and or Slovak expressions here and there for color.

Take an armchair pictorial trip through Slovakia, 56 pages 76 colored professional photographs and running commentary-- almost as good as being there. A well made hardcover book published by the Vydavete stvo Matice slovenskej, in Slovakia in 2001 on heavy glossy paper, the pages are 7 ½ x 10 ½ inches. Lil Junas is a professional photojournalist and an instructor at Wartburg College who has been on assignment in many parts of the world and really knows how to make you feel like you are right there. The picture at the right is the frontispiece and it shows the towering majesty of the high Tatras dwarfing the foothills villge of Poprad The running commentary and comments on the pictures gives one the impression of actually being on a tour of the area and listening to the guide describing the various scenes. In addition to the pictures the text part goes into a lot of detail on foods, customs, store and restaurant descriptions and other homy details that a prospective tourist would like to know about. And most other travel books simply don't go into. For example on page 31 Lil Junas wrote: "Cold drinks were not available prior to the early 1990's. Even draft beer was warm. Slovaks traditionally don't drink ice cold or very hot liquids. ‘Teply' (warm) is what most prefer--even for soup. That is one Slovak trait I have not adopted. I like soup hot. And I like ice in cold drinks. Now, sodas, juices and beer can be bought cold in many stores and pubs as Slovaks break slightly from the temperature tradition, partly to meet requests of increasing numbers of western visitors. But I've seen few Slovaks add ice to their drinks."

Lefthand picture--Krcma(Pub) in Piest'any p. 28. Righthand--Open Air Market in Martin p. 29

Visit Slate Valley Museum, Granville, NY ( slate mining town lore)

Visit Czech and Slovak Heritage Asso, Maryland

Last updated 4/02/08

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