Slovak Zemlovka for my Nadika

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).