This past weekend was really special for my family, as we got to commemorate my dear grandparents, Nadika and Nadapa who've passed in the last two years. We loved them so much, and have amazing memories of these dear people (pictured above).
Nadika (grandma in Hungarian) was very special to me, and she was everyone's favorite cook. I know many people think this about their grandmother, and I know that in each case it's probably true, but Nadika truly possessed culinary magic. On our special day where we commemorate both my grandparents, we make a point to get together and cook ALL of the traditional dishes that Nadika was so famous for. This year was no exception, as my parents' table was filled with sweet family and the most amazing, Slovak and Hungarian food you can ever wish for. Everyone contributes something that has a special memory for them, and this year, I decided to make Zemlovka (Slovak bread pudding).
Even though this sounds like a dessert-like dish, as it's made of apples, cottage cheese and custardy bread, Slovaks actually serve and eat it as part of a main course. We did just that, and I got some nice compliments on it, including from my dad who loved Nadika's cooking the most.
It truly was a magical day, and a tradition I hope we continue for many years to come.
You can make Zemlovka at home too! I adapted mine from the super helpful recipe on the Slovak Cooking blog. It's chock full of other fantastic Slovak recipes, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did. Dobru chut prajem (aka bon appetit).
I have a very special treat for you today, which involves a culinary spotlight on my fabulous aunt Hela, a cooking diva in her own right and an educator of healthy, nourishing food. In addition to being a great cook and a creator of unique recipes, Hela also produces a popular online cooking show for kids. Babi's Kitchen, as she's penned her program focuses on traditional family recipes, featuring some very cute co-stars, Camryn, Leia and Zack (aka Hela's grandchildren).
Not only do they infuse an element of fun into the videos, you couldn't even make up some of the funny one liners they come up with on the show. Just have a look here, and learn more about Hela's tasty endeavor in the following interview:
Interview with Hela Klein - Creator and Producer of Babi's Kitchen
1. What inspired you to start Babi's Kitchen video series?
Ten years ago when I asked my son Tibor what to get him for his birthday, he said he would like me to write a cookbook of all his favorite recipes. Around the same time, I also gave my son-in-law a recipe for his favorite walnut cake but it didn't come out the same. Soon after, I decided to start a cookbook but also wanted to video tape each recipe and include the relevant link to avoid confusion. When I was taping my first recipe, my 5 year old twin granddaughters were at our house and were eager to help. And that's when the idea of Babi's Kitchen was born, as I realized they are capable of cooking and baking with my supervision.
As to why a series? After posting just the first video, I've gotten a lot of comments on Youtube saying, "It's awesome! You have to make a whole series!" which is just what I did.
2. What do you want people to get out of watching Babi's Kitchen?
Becoming a Grandma aka Babi, as they call me, is just marvelous in itself, but to teach my grandchildren long lived family recipes is truly special. I want people to get a sense of the closeness and love that I feel when I cook with my grandchildren. I love knowing that my cooking knowledge and family traditions are being passed on beyond to just my direct family.
3. What's the most unexpected thing you've learned by creating Babi's Kitchen?
I learned that you can do anything you ever want in your life if you put your heart into it. Spending the last 22 years working as a Controller in a prestigious manufacturing company, I never thought I'd be doing this. l had to learn every aspect of running a video series, after which my creative juices just started flowing.
4. What's the funniest thing that's happened during a taping?
There are plenty funny things in each video. To watch the kids interact brings me pure fun and joy. One thing in particular pops into my head from my first video when I asked my granddaughter Leia "what's next?" in the middle of a potato recipe. Her clear and confident answer was, "we now shred the marshmallows " instead of potatoes.
5. What's next for Babi's Kitchen?
To my surprise, I was contacted by a production company in LA who work on a TV series called "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader." They're developing a children's cooking show and they loved what they saw on Babi's Kitchen. So, who knows what the future brings?
In the meantime, we are evolving the show by incorporating new, healthier ingredients. I look forward to continuing to teach children to cook with healthy ingredients, and to spread family traditions to future generations.
And now without further ado, here's Babi's Kitchen.
Making Kugel & Brussels Sprouts
Papa's Favorite Nougat Cake
Pirogy with Prune Butter
You can check out more of "Babi's" recipes on her website helenaklein.com
.JPG)
.jpg)
