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In my last blog I mentioned Czech cuisine origins. What I did not mention yet is that Czech food is very heavy and filling. Starch and flour are widely used to make thick sauces. Czechs mostly eat chicken and pork but beef and rabbit are also favored. Fresh produce is available throughout the year now but salads are usually popular in the summer. The rest of the year Czechs eat potatoes and other seasonal vegetables but also canned fruits and vegetables. Moreover, every Czech family has pickles, sauerkraut and dry mushrooms. In the summer, they like to go to the beautiful public forests to pick mushrooms, which they use immediately or dry them and use for the rest of the year.

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On September 19th, 2008, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Czech Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanova signed in London the SOFA treaty based on the planned stationing of a U.S. radar base in the Czech Republic.

SOFA stands for Status of Forces Agreement and allows U.S. troops to be present on Czech soil. Under the treaty, the U.S. military and civilian personnel at the planned U.S. base will be within the jurisdiction of Czech courts with two exceptions. The exceptions refer to the criminal acts committed by Americans while on duty and their criminal acts against the security and property of the United States or any other U.S. personnel at the base.

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CHANGE!!!! Now you can use our FORUM to post your ads and communicate with other readers.

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Anna K Concert in San Diego is cancelled for heath reasons.

Click HERE for other concert locations.

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Koncert Anny K je ze dravotnich duvodu zrusen.

Pro ostatni mista koncertu kliknete ZDE.

Anyone who has tried Czech food knows that it consists of lots of sauces, dumplings, sausages, potatoes and more. The list of Czech dishes is long and not very healthy but this does not stop anybody from eating it. Czech food is not actually very original and you can find similar ingredients or whole menus in other European countries.

The Czech cuisine was influenced by countries that dominated the country throughout its history. Germans brought to the country sauerkraut, dumplings or roasted goose, Hungarians introduced goulash, and Austrians inspired Czechs to incorporate schnitzels in their diet.

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Clanek v CESTINE dole.

On September 4^th, our Czech Ambassador in Washington, D.C. Petr Kolar, held a ceremony at which Dagmar White, daughter of General Antonin Hasal (1893 - 1960), donated her father’s WWII uniform to the permanent collection of the Military History Institute in Prague. This generous gift showed how much this family is still connected to the Czech Republic, Antonin Hasal’s home country.

General Hasal was born in 1893 in the Austro-Hungarian town Nova Hut pod Nizborem. During World War I, he was called to serve in the Austro-Hungarian Army but he decided to volunteer for the Czechoslovak legion in Russia. He returned to Czechoslovakia as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1920 and later he became Lieutenant General.

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Pro informace v CESTINE, kontaktujte CzechFolks (e-mail nebo komentar dole).

09/18/2008 and 09/19/2008 – Minnesota: Dozinky – Czech Harvest Festival

Time: 10 AM – 5 PM

Location: New Prague, Minnesota

More information HERE

09/18/2008 – New York: Czech New (Y) Dance!

Time: 7 PM

Location: Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73^rd Street, New York City

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As stated by the Washington Post, Brno will be a new center of biotechnology industry in the near future. The Czech Republic is attempting to compete with long-established biotech hubs in California and Asia. As Roman Onderka, Brno’s mayor, said, “Brno will connect industry, education and infrastructure to create a suitable environment for biotechnology companies.”

So far, there are 60 biotechnology companies in the Czech Republic located near Prague and Brno. Brno is the country’s second biggest city and it is currently partnering with Mayo Clinic, a research center for treating rare medical cases. The chief macroeconomic strategist at CSOB bank, Tomas Sedlacek, stated that this city will probably play a strong role in medicine and research and it may become the “hospital of Europe.”

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Anna K is one of the recent shining stars of the Czech popular music. She was born in 1966 (4^th of January) in Spindleruv Mlyn and her real name was Lucianna Krecarova. Her first appearance in public was when she was just eight years old in a play Kytice. Her first alum called Ja Nezapominam (1993) was not very successful but she still sold over 20,000 copies. Her second album, Amulet (1995), was created together with P.B.CH (Wanastowi Vjecy) and Oskar Petr but it was still not a hit. Finally, her third album, called Nebe (1999), was nominated for three Grammies. Since then she won many Grammy awards, such as:

• - Singer of the Year (twice)
• - Album of the Year
• - Song of the Year
• - Video of the Year
• - Album Cover of the Year (twice)

For more information about Anna K on her webpage (click on “Hudba”), myspace or youtube.

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Some of the things that every Czech person living in America misses are the bread and mustard from the home country. The standard bread in the US leaves something to be desired and there just doesn’t seem to be any mustard quite like the “Kremska Horcice.” I have been in search of something even remotely similar to these Czech products but am always disappointed. I finally discovered two products that are remarkably close. Panera Bread (http://www.panerabread.com) sells bread called Stone-Milled Rye that is unbelievably like Czech bread. The only problem is that most places only bake three loafs per night so call ahead or go early if you want to get some. Mustard was more of a challenge and after buying at least 25 different types of mustards over the last 10 years I have finally found a product by Emeril called “Kicked Up Horseradish” mustard. I have some Kremska Horcice at home still from my last visit to Czech so I was able to compare them. I have to say that this is the closest I have found (but a little more sour) and I think you will not be disappointed. This mustard is sold in most grocery stores. Enjoy!

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Clanek v CESTINE dole.

The current list of Czech and Slovak Meetup can be found HERE (Aktualni seznam Ceskych a Slovenskych Meetupu ZDE).

There are many ways to network with other Czechs and Slovaks but one of the most popular is through the web. One of the resources you can use is Meetup (www.meetup.com). This online social networking portal connects people around the world that share the same interests. It allows members to find and join different groups (language, computer games, movies, books, politics, health, pets, or careers). So why won’t you try it too? Czech/Slovak Meetups welcome anybody - Czechs, Slovaks, Czech/Slovak-Americans, or even Americans! Join to learn more about Czech and Slovak culture, language, food, traditions and much more.

Here is the most recent list of Czech and Slovak Meetups as of September 2008 (scroll below):

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When I used to live in the communist Czechoslovakia, I did not have a chance to learn English. I had no other choice than to learn Russian and German. I started to learn English a few years after the Velvet Revolution and most of it was self-taught. Today, Czech citizens are surrounded by American movies and English courses that will keep them connected with the rest of the world.

Many of Czech baby boomers from the 1980’s don’t speak English because their former comrades did not allow them to learn this international language in their teens but their options to learn are growing. Nowadays, children learn to speak English already in kindergarten and adults are catching up in evening courses.

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