Czechoslovak Culture: Recipes, History, and Folk Arts

"Czechoslovak Culture" is an excellent book on the cultures of the Czechosovak region. Czechoslovakia has become the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The region is home to several ethnic cultures, such as; Bohemian, Czech, Moravian, Slovak, and some Carpathian-Rusyn people. Thus, it is impossible to please everyone. However is is the current best source of cultural information on these peoples. The book gives some history, some cultural aspects (dance, arts, clothing/costumes, etcetera). It, also gives, about a hundred food recipes. There are many photos, equally split between black and white and color, as well as drawings of artistic articles and patterns and designs from the various cultures. I recommend this book.

This outstanding book covers Czechoslovaks in many states with facts and stories including Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Ohio, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Texas.Published prior to the 1993 independence and naming of the Czech and Slovak Republics, this book includes the common history, culture and traditions which united them in numerous ways. Crafts are stressed. There are how-to-do-it sections. In addition to kraslice (egg decorating), there is an article, by Anna Petrik of Caldwell, Kansas, on how to make bread dolls and an article on how to make corn husk dolls. The bread sculptures and Christmas cookies of Lester Sykora of the Czech Village, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are shown.Marj Nejdl is featured with the kraslice (painted eggs) and her lovely drawings. She is a distinguished Cedar Rapids folk artist. Kraslice artists also include Kepka Belton, Kansas; Zora DuVall, Illinois; Wash Hornick, Tennessee; and Sidonka Wadina-Lee, Wisconsin. Instructions for decorating eggs are in the book.The Bily Clocks of Spillville, Iowa are featured in an article by John Zug who visited the brothers Bily on their farm in 1932 to see their woodcarvings. Spillville's St. Wenceslaus church is shown.Special articles cover the great Midwest including the Czechs who settled on the Cherokee Run in Kansas and Oklahoma. A chapter covers Texas Czechs.The Slovaks of Pennsylvania and the Cleveland Czechoslovaks are noted in an extensive article.There are approximately 100 recipes from contributors from Czechoslovak areas and most of the recipes are not in our previous titles:The Czech Book and Czechoslovak Wit and Wisdom.Pat Martin, author, served for many years as coordinator for the Czech Village Association festivals and events in Cedar Rapids.