Smazeny syr

As a vegetarian working and living in Prague in 1992/4, I got used to living off the students' menu, i.e. cheap food, i.e. food without meat.

Luckily this almost always included smazeny syr which is, simply, cheese fried in breadcrumbs that is served with boiled potatoes and tartar sauce.

I ate this for lunch most days though I did occasionally try other fried foods, such as cauliflower and parsnip, when they were available or a plain omelette if I fancied a change.

In London I can quench my lust for smazeny syr at the Czechoslovak Restaurant in West Hampstead where the BCSA holds informal socials. Things have changed slightly as the dish has been Anglicized by the replacement of boiled potatoes with chips and the addition of a small garnish. The other main ingredient is, of course, the pint of Pilsner Urquell!