Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2001 (13. évfolyam, 2-43. szám)
2001-01-12 / 2. szám
AMERICAN Hungarian Journal 1 ***************** * * * * HUNGARIAN COINS Official Representative Office Press Information P.O. Box 1057, Clifton, New Jersey 07014 Contact: A. Friedberg, (973) 471-1441 Telefax (973) 471-1062 ***************** **** The Hungarian Millennium Commemorative 2,000 Forint MEDITATIONS by Dr. Bela Bonis Pastor (562) 430-0876 First Hungarian Reformed Church, Hawthorne The Church calendar of a number of Christian denominations still observes a number of holy events. The season of Epiphany (marked on Jan. 6th) is the time when the presence of God bursts upon us in a single event, and then resounds, again and again. Epiphany, God’s manifestation, is always all around us, all at once, and then, it is moment by moment. The crass, cultural, external over-statement of Christmas that so completely misses the point has ended; and quietly, demandingly, the wondrous gilt is proclaimed, anew, all around us, calling for response. The feast of St. Stephen, falling as it does the day after the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, is a sharp reminder of the cost of discipleship. Following Christ as Lord is not now, and never has been, without consequence. Stephen will suffer a martyr’s death for his faith, the first follower of Jesus to meet such a fate. (Read Acts 7 and 8:1-4) Martyrs are remembered on the day of their death, the day when eternal life began, and they entered into the presence of the Risen Christ. It was soon, very soon, after his Lord had died and been raised from the dead that Stephen had opportunity to proclaim the faith that began on Christmas and came to full life in Easter. As he did so, he saw the heavens open, the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, and immediately he was stoned, killed, dispatched to join his Lord and Master. We live in unheroic times, in a world sorely lacking conviction. Stephen, then, is a perfect model for us. As a Deacon, he lived in service to the widowed and the poor; as a Christian he held unshakable conviction and trust in God. His death made him a martyr, but his life made him a hero. Christians in the West, for the most part, have the luxury of finding their faith easy to bear; some even find it easy to ignore. Christians in the Sudan, China, East Timor, and Coptics in Egypt and other parts of the world face intense persecution for their faith, even death. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ. The gift that begins at Christmas proceeds inexorably to Good Friday and thence to the light of Easter. A blessed and joyous New Year to you! Please prayerfully learn that the gift of a peaceful New Year comes not only to those who are privileged to gratefully and happily welcome it, but also to those who need it most with the hope and blessings of God’s presence in their lives. How the Nights after the Bali Ended by Louis Szathmáry When I was a student in Sárospatak, which recently celebrated its four hundredth annieversary, one of the most important events of the year was a ball given by the School Literary and Debating Society. This ball and the one given by the faculty of the School of Theology were the two most outstanding social events of the school’s calendar in any given year. Buth there was something even more important than these two stellar happenings and I bet no one would be able to guess what that was! It was of the utmost importance to us students to receive an invitation to have cabbage soup after the ball and what was paramount was where one would dine on this soup and with whom. There were hundreds of male students but only 30 to 40 female students attended Rákóczi College, the women’s college that was associated with Sárospatak and was founded by Zsuzsanna Lorantffy. Not every girl’s parents would organize a soiree after a ball, so an invitation to one was most coveted by the male population and carried with it a certain mark of distinction. If one received more than one, he was a man to be envied. It would be a lie to say that I was in hot demand. Just the opposite was true. One of the major reasons was that I failed an exam and had to repeat the whole seventh grade. I was a "visiting student2 to the eighth grade by special dispensation of the Secretary General of Cultural Affairs. What mother would want such a humiliated beau for her daughter? However (or maybe because of it) I received invitations from several families to attend a party following the ball that year, where I knew they would be serving Drunkard’s cabbage soup and a kind of fried bread with fresh garlic to rub on its warm surface or perhaps it would be an assortment of smoked meats and cheeses and tea laced with Viennese tea rum. Now that I am quite a bit older and after having long since graduated from Sárospatak, I have continued to make this wonderful soup, especially after I arrived in America in the early 50’s. Not long ago I received an invitation to the season’s first ball. That night I had a dream about my student days and when I awoke I decided to invite a dozen of my friends to join me in a bowl of Drunkard’s Cabbage Soup at dawn. Here, then, is the recipe for the way that I usually prepare this delectable repast. DRUNKARD’S CABBAGE SOUP (8-10 servings) 1 pound commercial prepared sauerkraut canned or in plastic pouch); 4 cups finely shredded white cabbage; 8 cups water, 1 pound smoked pork neck bones or smoked ham hock; 1/2 pound smoked sausage (Hungarian or Polish); 4 ounces smoked Hungarian bacon; 1/2 cup finely minced onion; 2 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon corn starch; 1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 cups sour cream. 1. Drain and rinse the sauerkraut well under cold running water. 2. In a large bowl, combine the sauerkraut with the shredded white cabbage. 3. Water glaze the soup pot and place the sauerkraut/cabbage mixture evenly on the bottom. 4. Pour in the water and add the neck bones or ham hock. Bring to boil and reduce heat to a slow simmer. Continue cooking with the lid on, for 11/2 to 2 hours. 5. Remove from heat and take out the neck bones (or ham hocks) and set them aside. Allow everything to cool. Remove meat and if you are using ham hocks; the skin; descard to bones and return the meat and the skin to the pot. Bring the soup back to the boil and reduce heat to a slow simmer once again. Now is the time to add the sausages, continue to simmer with lid on. €>. Cut the bacon into tiny cubes and fry them until they are very crisp and rosy brown, but not burnt. Strain the fat into a metal container and set aside to cool. Add the bacon bits to the soup. In the same frying pan that you cooked the bacon, add the strained fat and over low medium heat, cook the minced onion until they are translucent. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the flour, corn starch, paprika, and black pepper. Continue stirring until well blended, return the pan to the heat and, stirring constantly, until the edges are gently bubbling. Remove from the heat and slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the soup to this mixture, while constantly stirring. Add more of the soup and stir until well blended. Add this mixture to the rest of the soup and stir until well blended. Add this mixture to the rest of the soup in the pot, reduce the heat to low and contunue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes. Banknote MAGYAR MILLENNIUM 2000 (Budapest) - The newest issue of the National Bank of Hungary is unusual in that it is the first time the nation is using paper money instead of a coin to honor an important national event. In this case, it is one which few anywhere can celebrate - the thousandth anniversary of nationhood. The "Magyar Millennium" was the theme of gold and silver coins earlier in the year. Now, as the anniversary year draws to a close, a special issue of the 2,000 forint banknote has been released in a limited issue of just 500,000 notes. Its size is the same as the normal 2000 forint banknote, but on the face it has a holographic metal strip made of gold. Depending on the angle at which it is viewed, it shows either the national coat of arms, or the letters "MNB" for Magyar Nemzeti Bank (National Bank of Hungary). The reverse has the words "Magyar Millennium" in the center. The note is available by subscription. The deadline to subscribe for the first 100,000 notes was the end of July and it was fully booked within days. While they remain available they may be purchased for $24.50 each. To order, or for more information on these and other Hungarian issues, contact The Coin & Currency Institute, Inc. at P.O. Box 1057, Clifton, NJ 07014. Toll-free 1-800-421-1866. Fax 973-471-1441. E- mail:mail@coin-currency.com . Add $4.50 to each order for shipping and handling. New Jersey residents add 6% sales tax. See it also on the web site of The Coin & Currency Institute, http://www.coin-currency.com or of the bank www.mnb.hu . Those desiring to receive information and photographs electronically on a regular basis are asked to provide their e-mail address to mail@coin-currency.com. ____________________________m_________________________ 7. It is better to prepare this soup one or two days ahead and store it in the refirgerator. 8. Remove the sausages and slice them. Return the slices to the pot and heat until boiling. In a small bowl combine the sour cream with a small amount of the soup until mixture is liquid and stir until well blended. Add the sour cream mixture to the soup and serve immediately. * * * ❖ <9 ❖ S) ❖ <9 *> 6) ❖ S) *> &) ❖ S) ❖ S) ❖ <9 ❖ <5? ❖ <9 ❖ 6) ♦> é Father Kozma Attacked at Romanian Border (MTI) Father Imre Kozma, head of the Maltese Charity Service in Hungary, was subjected to a rude attack early Sunday, while waiting at the Romanian border control station. Father Kozma traveled to Nagyvarad and Temesvár Saturday to discuss aid for dilapidated school building recently returned to the Church. While there, his briefcase was stolen, with his travel documents and a considerable amount of cash inside. When he was ready to return to Hungary Romanian border police refused to let him pass even though he had some papers from local police explaining the theft. It was at this point that an SUV drove up alongside the car he was sitting in, pulled him out and bodily attacked him. He defended himself and ultimately was able to get out of the incident without grave injuries, but that was no thanks to the efforts of Romanian border police. They maintained that “they did not see or hear anything”, and therefore they also did not do anything. The Hungarian government will request an official inquiry into this atrocity against a leading humanitarian official. 2001. január 12 AMERIKAI Hfagyar Hírlap 0
