Swieconka

• The word "swieconka" literally means "the blessing of the Easter baskets," a tradition shared by several Eastern European countries, including Slovakia. After the baskets are blessed at church on Holy Saturday, their contents are eaten for Easter brunch. A traditional basket might include paska, a braided bread incorporating two different doughs, gourmet versions of kolbasa or sausage, homemade egg cheese called hrudka, ham, butter and hard-boiled eggs as well as intricately painted psyanka eggs for decoration.

Paska

• Paska involves mixing two separate doughs -- one featuring cheese, raisins and extra eggs and one that is a more traditional white dough -- letting each dough rise, rolling them into logs and braiding them together. It is customary to start with the cheese dough, since it takes longer to rise. Despite being a lengthy process, the ingredient list is fairly basic: ample quantities of flour, sharp cheddar cheese, eggs, sugar, raisins, salt, milk, dry yeast and vegetable oil.

Kolbasa

• Kolbasa is a term for sausage, made by stuffing hog casings with your preferred selection of pork, beef, bacon, garlic and spices. Kolbasa is another food tradition shared across several Eastern European countries, also spelled kielbasa by the Polish and kovbasa by Ukranians. Unlike paska bread, kolbasa is regularly eaten year-round, however, the highest quality versions are incorporated into the Easter feast. Kolbasa is commonly smoked, boiled or grilled and often served with horseradish sauce and sauerkraut.

Easter Cheese

• Otherwise known as hrudka, this Slovak "Easter cheese" is not unlike making scrambled eggs: for one cheese ball, you need a dozen eggs, a quart of milk, several pinches of salt and a cheese cloth. The process involves beating these ingredients together in a bowl, placing the bowl above a pot of simmering water and stirring frequently, about 20 to 30 minutes until the mixture curdles. Let the whey drain by wrapping the mixture in cheesecloth and refrigerating overnight. You can make sweet versions using sugar and a vanilla bean.