Hungarian Heritage Review, 1986 (15. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1986-04-01 / 4. szám
APRIL 1986 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW 23 (ttulinarg Art of HERITAGE PLAYS IMPORTANT ROLE IN HUNGARIAN’S LIFE [Reprinted from the February 5th Issue of the Murrysville Area Star.] A second generation Hungarian, Steve Paulovitch of Logans Ferry Road is a fine example of a family man of the 80’s because he helps his wife, Linda, in keeping house and by cooking traditional Hungarian food several times a week. “Cooking for me is real fun. My wife," he says with a laugh, “has to cook because she is supposed to cook, 1 cook because I enjoy it. ” Steve’s a happy-go-lucky man with a constant smile on his face, and he says he wants to feed his two children, Jim, 10 and Stephanie, 8, “the foods that 1 was fed when I was a child. I like my wife and children to know all the different Hungarian dishes." Unlike many cooks who make up recipes and try to create their own, Steve says he usually has to "look it up in the cookbook, put on my apron and start cooking.” He is not afraid to admit, with a certain note of disappointment, that his children are not too keen on eating Hungarian dishes. But, as their Hungarian dad, he says he is trying hard to teach them about their heritage, and encourages their participation in cooking, tasting and eating. He asks his children to help him in adding ingredients, mixing and stirring food and says he is encouraged to see they enjoy being involved in small ways. To keep their interest in their heritage, he also is trying hard to find his ancestors in Hungary and others with similar backgrounds living in North America. Steve, not only interested in cooking, enjoys music and volunteers at radio station WDUQ on weekends as a engineer for the “Dr. Victor Molnár — Hungarian Variety Show.” He is involved in the William Penn Association, a Hungarian group of people meeting often to share ideas and interests of their heritage. The Paulovitch children are involved in Magyar Folk Dancers, who perform Hungarian dances for various civic and social organizations. The Magyar Dancers dress in colorful native costumes of Hungary and capture the hearts of the people in old folks homes, folk festivals and hospitals, explains Steve. The Paulovitch home is filled with Hungarian music. The kitchen abounds with such wines as Egri Bikaver, Sebastiani’s Green Hungarian and Tokay. Throughout the home are souvenir items telling visitors about the family’s heritage. On one of the tables, proudly displayed side by side, are an American flag and a Hungarian flag. There are native dolls, a Hungarian wagon, native crafts and tableclothes to enhance the image Steve is trying to create. Although, for him it is fun and pleasure all the way, he is serious about telling his children, “be proud of your heritage.” He says he’s confident that sooner or later his children will realize “their dad gave them a very valuable present — a first hand Steve Paulovitch of Murrysville finds cooking fun and especially enjoys preparing Hungarian Gulyas for his family’s dinner. knowledge of their ancestors” and presented a living example of the heritage that could be easily lost if not kept alive with pride and pleasure. HUNGARIAN GULYAS 1 lb. beef 2 tsp. lard 1 large onion 1 green pepper 2 large carrots 2 parsley roots and greens 2 stalks of celery 1 fresh tomato 2 medium-sized potatoes 'A tsp. paprika 1 Tblsp. salt 1 bay leaf 1 Vi cups tomato juice 1 cup sour cream !h tsp. vinegar 2 Tblsp. flour Cut meat into squares, wash. Saute onion in lard, add paprika, stir well, add meat, salt, tomato and !4 cup of water. Cook slowly for one hour. Add all of washed and diced vegetables but potatoes. Add another cup of water and cook slowly for Vt hour. Add potatoes, continue cooking for 15 minutes. Add one quart of cold water let it come to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Serve as a main dish. DUMPLINGS 3 eggs, beaten 3 cups flour 1 Tblsp. salt Vt baking powder 'h cup cold water Mix all ingredients and beat with spoon, drop by teaspoonful into boiling salted water, cook until dumplings rise to top. Drain, rinse in cold water, add to Gulyas (recipe above). CHICKEN PAPRIKAS WITH MUSHROOMS 1 medium onion 'A lb. mushrooms, cooked and chopped 2 Tblsp. shortening 'A tsp. black pepper 'h tsp. paprika 'A tsp. salt 3'A lbs. chicken cut up in pieces Brown onions in shortening, add cooked mushrooms. Sprinkle chicken with flour. Add chicken to the onion and mushrooms and brown, add salt, pepper and paprika. Add bay leaf, slowly stir in the sour cream and the tomato juice. Add the vinegar, cover and simmer slowly 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove bay leaf just before serving. Serve with dumplings. STUDENTS KISS 3 cups flour 4 Tblsp. sugar Vt tsp. salt 'A lb. butter 1 tsp. baking powder 3 eggs separated 1 tsp. almond extract 4 Tblsp. heavy sour cream 'A lb. powdered sugar Stir flour with salt, sugar and baking powder. Add extract and creamed butter, blend well, add egg yolks and sour cream, work together well, add stiffly beaten egg whites. Roll out very thin, cut out with small round cookie cutter. Baking time is 25 minutes in 350 degree oven. Makes 5 or 6 dozen. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. GOLDEN BUTTER PUFFS 4 cups flour 2 Tblsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 4 eggs '/i lb. butter melted 1 yeast cake 1 cup milk 1 cup walnuts ground, mixed with 1h cup sugar Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk with 1 Tblsp. sugar and let rise. Place flour in a bowl, mix with 1 Tblsp. sugar and salt. Add beaten eggs, 4 Tblsp. melted butter and milk yeast mixture. Blend well, cover with a cloth and let stand in a warm place for about 'h hour until it rises about double in bulk. Take dough and scoop by the tablespoon, dip in melted butter and place in buttered deep casserole. Repeat and place one next to the other. Sprinkle each layer with the sugared nuts. Repeat the process until about 14 full. Set aside in warm place until dough rises almost to top. Bake in 350 degree oven about one hour. Place on serving dish, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm or cold.
