Magdalena’s Cookbook

Footprints of M. D. Rettigová

The culinary product Magdalena’s Cookbook builds its story on the fact that the Eagle Mountains and Foothills were one of the most significant places of stay for the Rettig family. They lived on the first floor of the town hall on the square in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, where a commemorative plaque honours their stay today. Jan Rettig was a justiciary, i.e. one of the highest ranking city officials. Mrs Magdalena took care of the household, led cooking and dining etiquette classes, both contributed widely to journals, cycles of stories were created here and in 1825 Mrs Magdalena completed her famous Home Cookbook here. It became one of the most read books in Bohemia, her fame even surpassed the works of scholarly Jan Rettig. The flat of the Rettigs often transformed into a theatre stage where the plays of Mrs Rettigová were performed. The Rettigs spent ten years of their lives in Rychnov (1824-1834) that were full of work. The footprints of M. D. Rettigová and the tradition of her culinary skills are still visible in the region today.

 

Traditional recipes of our grandmothers

When discovering them you will happen to come across stylish regional breweries, organic farms and farm products, excellent rural and urban restaurants serving regional dishes made from local products, Česká Třebovská jabkanec (sweet, potato pancakes with cottage cheese and served sprinkled with sugar), as well as interesting gastronomic events or homemade desserts using recipes of castle lords. For lovers of good food and history, in cooperation with a number of service providers we have prepared a 5-day program offering a variety of options for discovering the regional gastronomy of the Eagle Mountains and Foothills. Furthermore, the program is modified into an offer for disabled persons and offer for the winter season.

You can also purchase the offered tips in prepaid adventure programs.

 

Jabkanec from Česká Třebová

In selected periods, it is possible to enrich your regional gastronomic wanderings with interesting gastronomic events. We also include some of the offered specialities in our online recipes provided below.

In particular, at the time when the Jabkanec Fair (November) is held in Česká Třebová, we recommend extending your stay to more than the five recommended tips provided below, to also include the new Burgher’s Brewery in Hylváty and then taste jabkanec during this traditional event, which is one of a kind in the Czech Republic. Litomyšl is just a stone’s throw away from here, from where you can follow further steps of Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová.

 

Inspirational programmes

Regional recipes

• “Kyselka” white soup
  

  18.06.2015

  “Kyselka” (buttermilk potato soup) is a white soup from the collection of recipes of grandmother Hubálková (we can find it in different variations even in other corners of our country). It is a thick white...

  More here »
• Imperial pancake of Lady Bernadette Kinsky
  

  18.06.2015

  You can taste an Imperial pancake at Tonio’s chateau café at Nový Zámek in Kostelec nad Orlicí. You can treat yourself to one after a stroll through the chateau park, which is also a nature reserve. With...

  More here »

Search buildings

Eagle (Orlické) mountains and foothills