William Penn Life, 2005 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2005-07-01 / 7. szám
The Hungarian Kitchen u Si with Főszakács Béla K.Vnr Ca v iaaJ' ►te rmi JU JHII^ FÁRADJON BE A MAGYAR KONYHÁBA. The Hungarian Festival in New Brunswick was the best in a long time. The sun did shine all day on us Magyars. The food was fantastic and so were the people I met that day at the WPA booth. There are so many members located all over the tri-state area that came to New Jersey to celebrate our Hungarian heritage. A good time was had by all! In April I published a recipe for Potato Pancakes which was from a Hungarian cookbook I own. The recipe called for three cups grated raw potatoes, one tablespoon kosher salt, dash of black pepper, one whole egg, 1 'A cups flour and a half cup of shortening for frying. While at the bowling tournament in Michigan, a few ladies from Branch 18 told me a friend of theirs tried the recipe and it was a flop. The recipe was too dry, and by the time enough liquid was added to the mixture, they had potato palacsintás, not pancakes. I checked out the recipe and found it didn’t specify what type of potatoes to use. New potatoes make for a better pancake because they contain more moisture than older potatoes. Russets and the larger potatoes are drier and need extra moisture and less flour. I used redskin potatoes when I tried the recipe and they turned out a little doughy because of the amount of flour in the recipe. SO...to the fine ladies from Branch 18: try the recipe again using new potatoes and cut back a half cup on the flour. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Last month we learned about some herbs. This month we will learn how to put some spice into your life. Spices are the pungent or aromatic seasonings from the bark, buds, fruit, roots, seeds or stems of various plants and trees. Last month we learned the herbs come from the leafy part. The U.S. is the largest spice buyer in the world. Here is this month’s trivia question: What two spices come from the same tree hut have distinctive flavors? Spices are mostly used to flavor foods and drinks. If you like flavored teas, then you have tried a few spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger. If you like any pickled products, you have tasted mustard seed, dill, turmeric or coriander. An apple or pumpkin pie would contain allspice, clove and perhaps mace. Spices can also be found in your breakfast cereal or snack chips. They make life a bit tastier and the food oh so good. Let me mention a spice that is not really a spice but is used like a spice. Did I confuse you? SALT does not fit the definition of a spice, yet it is the most widely used in cooking. Salt would be considered a savory spice while SUGAR would be a sweet spice. If something needs adjusting, we use salt or sugar because it’s either savory or sweet. Another spice that really is a spice is GARLIC. It is the second most widely used spice as it adds that certain taste to most foods it’s paired with. At this point I’ll add a third spice widely used in Hungarian kitchens.. .PAPRIKA. It comes in three forms hot, mild or sweet and is part of what I call the big three. If you could only choose three spices to work with, salt, garlic and paprika would meet your needs. Salt cures anything and intensifies flavor. Garlic adds flavor and is versatile with many foods and vegetables. Paprika adds flavor whether hot or mild and makes food eye appealing when used as a garnish. Many spices are available in whole, ground form like peppercorns or ground black pepper, basil leaf or ground basil and cumin seeds or ground cumin. I also have on my shelf two spices in powdered form: onion and garlic. When I’m making pizza dough, the powdered form mixes better with the flour I am using. Spices should be stored in air tight containers in a cool pantry or area of your kitchen. After 6 months check your spices to make sure they are still fragrant with a strong taste. Some of the more common spices we enjoy and should have in our kitchens are Allspice, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Curry, Ginger, Mace, Garlic, Salt, Paprika, Pepper, Saffron and Turmeric. The trivia answer is NUTMEG and MACE. Nutmeg comes from the fruit of the Nutmeg tree which is a tropical evergreen. When the fruit is split open the seeds are ground into nutmeg which is a warm sweet spice. Mace comes from the membranes that hold the nutmeg seeds and when ground up gives a pungent stronger lighter color spice. And now we all know a little bit more about spicing up our lives in the kitchen! Have fun with the recipes. Jé OMA Most picnics or barbecues have fresh fruit-such as watermelon or strawberries— on the menu. After the event is over, why not puree the leftover fruit in a blender then put into an ice tray? The frozen cubes cool down any drink at your next outing. A few watermelon cubes in a glass of lemonade has quite a unique and refreshing taste! 8 William Penn Life, July 2005
