William Penn Life, 2002 (37. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
2002-03-01 / 3. szám
Dear Chef Vilmos, Could you please get me a recipe for kórtos fánk. I have tried to get it from many people, but they said that they don’t have it. It is like donuts, but you have to use round sticks and drop the dough into very hot grease, and when they are light brown you take them out. There is a hole in the middle. You roll them in ground nuts with sugar. They are delicious. It is a Hungarian treat. I forgot to tell you that you wrap the dough around the sticks and then drop the dough from the sticks into the hot grease. I’m sorry that I can not describe better how to make them, but I would appreciate it very much if you could help me in finding the recipe. Thank you very much for your time, and God bless you and your loved ones. Irene Ivan Martins Ferry, OH Dear Irene, I would be happy to share a recipe with you. But, if you can wait a little longer, I would like to throw this open to our readers. I think it will be fun to see the recipes-and stories-they submit So, dear readers, the ball’s in your court. Can you help Irene? Where’s the party? It's in your mouth when you serve this cake IT'S TIME FOR A SHOW OF HANDS. How many of you have ever been to a celebration of any kind-be it a birthday party, wedding reception, baby shower, retirement party, etc.—where there was no cake. Hmm, I don't see many of you raising your hands. Well, that's not surprising. It seems as if cake and celebration are inseparable. Who among us has ever been to a friend's home for dinner, heard that cake was to be served for dessert, and not wondered what occasion was being celebrated, when, in fact, there was no occasion at all? Now, I see lots of hands. Why this cake/celebration symbiosis exists is beyond me. I'm sure if I took the time to research it, I would find an interesting story of how social and gastronomic forces combined to create the birthday cake. I prefer to think it started with Marie Antoinette (you know, wife of Louis XVI, Queen of France, guillotined) when she uttered those famous words, "Let them eat cake.'' I know she wasn't referring to the kind of cake we're discussing. But, I could see some poor, frazzled party host at a loss as to what to serve at a friend's birthday party, when some jokester cracks (with mock stiffness and urbaneness), "let them eat cake." Click! A light flashes above the host's head, and the rest is history. Well, we all know cake is fun to eat anytime, party or no. Making one is as easy as opening a box, stirring in some water and turning on the oven. But, we shun the convenience of the modern pre-packaged cake mix. Buying a cake from the local bakery? That's easier still...and thus not among the possibilities we consider. No, for us, the best cake is made from scratch, right in our own kitchen. So, for you my fellow do-ityourselfers, I'd like to present a recipe for a tasty Hungarian cake: Dobos Torta ("Drum Torte"). This recipe appears in the WPA's "Treasured Recipes" cookbook, yours for a $5 donation to our scholarship fund. To create the characteristic multiple layers requires a sharp knife, a steady hand and a bit of practice and patience. If this is your first try at a törte, you may want to limit the number of layers to three or four. But, in time, you'll be making tortes fit for a king. As old Marie would say, bon appetit. Dobos Torta (Drum Torte) 12 eggs separated 8 tblsp. cracker meal 5 tblsp. black coffee 8 tblsp. chopped walnuts 24 tblsp. sugar 8 tblsp. flour 1 tsp. vanilla 2Vi tsp. baking powder Blend sugar and egg yolks. Beat well, about Yi hour by hand, add ingredients one at a time, beating after each addition. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in a lightly greased, large, round pan in 350-degree oven for about 1 hour. When cool, cut into as many layers as desired. Fill and ice with following filling and icing: 2 cups granulated sugar 4 tblsp. milk 4 tblsp. butter V2 tsp. vanilla 1 Vi squares bitter chocolate, melted Add sugar to melted chocolate, stir well, cooking over low flame. Add butter, milk and vanilla, stirring all the while. Cook until thick. Use between layers and top of cake, mn | William PpnnJJfp. March 2002 12
