Eat, O Friends; Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O Beloved [King James Bible, Salamon 5:1]: 21. Home cooking (several homes)

This section is severely skewed by my personal preferences. For example: my mom's fašírky (meatballs) are definitely one of my favorite foods, but only in the configuration below. Also, some things are going to be repeated obsessively, just because I think they should. They are sooooo gooooood.

One of the real miracles in cooking (baking). Leavened dough pastries.
I would seriously eat one of those large platefuls in one go.
Cottage cheese, chocolate, poppy seed.
Heaven.

One of the rare occasions I would eat smoked beef tongue is in my mom's "vegetarian" vegetable soup.
["You don't have to eat it, it's there just for the taste"]

The meatballs, not configured yet.

Still not the ideal configuration.
The cold tomato sauce is there, but the potatoes should be mashed.

Here you go. Now the things are the way they are supposed to be.

For a good measure, one more pic of those little miracles.

These are different. Unleavened. Bratislavské rožky.
Excellent as well, but the other ones are just the thing.

Another of my mother's vegetarian meals.
Cauliflower au gratin, with bacon.
["It would have no taste without it"]
Well, she is sort of right.

Slimy pickled mushrooms. You have no idea.

This definitely tops my adventures in vegetarian eating.
When my mother asked me what I wanted for lunch I said:
"Just some vegetables, cauliflower, if possible. Steamed would be fine."
This was the result:
The cauliflower is there, with new potatoes and breadcrumbs, swimming in butter.
Right next to it 5 pieces of bacon-infused herb-crusted on duck fat baked top sirloin.
["Cauliflower is just a side dish, it can not be eaten on its own"]

The orgies continue. Csirke paprikas with a twist.

Individual (first of a few) portion of the above, with a sweet cucumber - dill salad

And she makes her own bread. Non-sweet challah bread, fresh from the owen.
My mother could not cook anything when she got married.
This artistry is a result of a deep and merciless psychological pressure from her mother in law.
And all the witnesses attest that mom's cooking is as excellent as the grandmother's was.

Completely different cooking. Italian. They know. Oh, they do know.
And as Chauncey Gardener said eloquently:
"I like to watch"

Finished product

Watching again, this will be osso bucco

Told you. And risotto. Still watching.

Finished. Osso Bucco milanese with saffron/porcetta risotto and peas with pancetta

I still like to watch, even the cruel & unusual treatment of a lobster.

Finished lobster, immersed in a little butter

Mussels in a heavenly sauce (garlic, pine nuts, other good stuff)

Figs & porchetta

One would think - just a simple tomato salad. And it is. But oh...

Vegetable sides

Steak, sautéed mushrooms & asparagus

Prosciutto e melone. How classic can you go?

Ahhhh. Spaghetti with clams. Indeed.

Arugula, Anjou Pear, Ricotta and Pancetta salad

Crostini with blue cheese, figs and porchetta & veal meatballs in the background.
OK, at certain occasions I do eat other meatballs as well.

Mushroom tart (porcini & cremini), arugula salad with pomegranate seeds

Poached salmon and roasted vegetables

Porcini Risotto

Rigatoni al ragu

Shrimps with crab filling

Shrimps on their own, also excellent.

some filled meat with grilled veggies, delish

Spaghetti con pesto

Dolci.

Italian still-life

Real vegetarian heaven, with all my fans and Lambrusco. Not my mom's cooking either.

Hokkaido pumpkin, garlic, chilli & yoghurt.
You can eat quite well even in Bratislava, if you know where to go.

Light Mushroom soup
Same spot in Bratislava. Not your typical Slovak cuisine. At all.

Same spot in Bratislava and yet it looks more Italian than anything.
Keeping the secret for myself, despite extensive begging.

Yeanling, rosemary, thyme, garlic, pepper, milk, white wine.
Completely against Old Testament. Exodus 23-19b, Exodus 34-26b, Deuteronomy 14-21b
You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk. Because it's way too delicious.