Earth Day Series | Slovakia's Green Country Ranking

  

According to the Yale University's ranking of 149 countries based on an environmental performance index (EPI), Slovakia was ranked as the seventeenth world's greenest countries. The ranking reflects a weighting of carbon and sulfur emissions, water purity and conservation practices. Switzerland came in first and the United States thirty-ninth. Experience Slovakia's environmental excellence for yourself, for tour information contact seepsro@yahoo.com. ~ SEEP sro. We can take you there.

Easter Monday in Central Europe | Hollókő, Hungary

Today's post features some Holy Week and post Easter traditions from the Northern Hungarian village of Hollókő. Like their Slovak neighbors to the North, dunking of young girls with water on Easter Monday is still celebrated. To learn more, click here.

Slovak Easter Paska Bread and Peeps

© 2010 Barbara Rolek licensed to About.com, Inc.

It wouldn't be Easter in Slovakia without the traditional paska bread. This link features a decorative version from a recipe by Charlotte Pribish Conjelko of Indiana. To make the cute little dinner roll peeps shown above, click here.

Easter Week: Syrek (Hrudka) - Slovak Egg Cheese Recipe

In honor of Easter Week today we will start a series on Slovak Easter and Spring traditions. Today's feature is the Slovak egg cheese Syrek also known as Hrudka. Basically it is a dozen eggs, quart of milk, salt, sugar slowly cooked over a double boiler and drained in a cheesecloth.  For step-by-step recipe, click here and for another variation, click here. As for seasoning, some like it more salty, others tend to make it sweeter as the influence of Eastern Slovakia. Our family recipe adds a little vanilla. If you have a preference or recipe to share, please post a comment and/or link.