William Penn Life, 1999 (34. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1999-07-01 / 7. szám
I got mail! “Dear Chef Vilmos, “I have been a member for over 50 years of William Penn. I have a cookbook from William Penn I would like to give my grandkids so they can cook Hungarian. Would you please send me four books if you have them. Let me know the price, I will send a check in the mail. Thank you.” Irene Suchik Cumming, GA Dear, sweet Irene: It is I who should be thanking you. Your letter made my day. It confirmed that my column is read and (I hope) appreciated. Köszönöm szépen. Yes, we have plenty of our WPA cookbooks in stock. They are available for a donation of $5 per copy, payable to “William Penn Fraternal Association Scholarship Foundation.” So, Irene, just send us a check for $20, and we’ll send four copies to you right away. Tip of the Month Extra padding sewn in the bet Lorn comets of your apron makes a handy set of pot holders. Measured Recipes' ■ACLfViL imoi it’sGood, Ws Hungarian, I'm feeling a bit feisty. I'm looking to stir up something, and I'm not just talking about a pot of gulyás. Well, actually, I am talking about a pot of gulyás. Or, rather, what is or isn't gulyás. This centuries-old debate resurfaced several weeks ago during a discussion with some friends. We were talking about my column in last month's William Penn Life. If you'll recall, I wrote about Károly Gundel's Hungarian cookbook. In his book, Gundel describes the four basic dish groups that use paprika. He says that what some might call gulyás is actually pörkölt, paprikás, or even tokány. I also noted that Gundel offers a dozen recipes for gulyás. This upset one of my friends so much she seemed ready to drop Gundel's book into a meat grinder. "There is only one authentic gulyás," she said. To ensure I understood the concept of "one," she kindly raised the forefinger of her right hand and held it within an inch of the tip of my nose. "I agree," I said, uncrossing my eyes and refocusing on hers. "But, I would wager all I own that neither you nor anyone else you know has ever eaten it, or ever will." You see, authentic gulyás involves a sheep's stomach. (Pay up.) The term "gulyás" is a shortened term for "gulyásleves,” which in English means "herdsman's soup" (thus eliminating any mystery as to its origins). Centuries ago, Hungarian shepherds would take meat, onions and spices, put them in a kettle, and cook them until all the liquid had evapo-But Is It Gulyás? rated. They would let the mixture dry in the sun and then put it in a bag made from a sheep's stomach. Whenever they were hungry, they would take the mixture and add some hot water. That is authentic gidyás. No potatoes, which my quick-fingered friend includes in her recipe for gidyás. My point? To say that a dish is not true gulyás because the cook added potatoes, tomatoes or carrots to the basic recipe is the same as saying a hamburger isn't a true hamburger because the cook put lettuce, mustard or pickles between the meat and bun. The basic recipe remains intact, but is embellished to suit the taste of the cook. With that, I offer you one of my favorite recipes for gulyásleves, taken from the WPA's "Treaured Hungarian Recipes" book. 1 lb. beef 1 large onion 2 large carrots 2 stalks celery 1 fresh tomato Vi tsp. paprika 1 tblsp. salt Gulyásleves 2 tblsp. lard 1 green pepper 2 parsley roots and greens 2 medium size potatoes Cut meat into cubes. Saute onion in lard, add paprika, stir well. Add meat, salt, tomato and Vi cup of water. Cook slowly for 1 hour. Add washed and diced carrots, celery, parsley and green pepper. Add another cup of water and cook slowly for Vi hour. Add potatoes, continued cooking for 15 minutes. Add 1 quart of cold water, let it come to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. [VVPL 20 William IVnn life, July 1999
