The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1984 (11. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1984-06-01 / 6. szám
BOOK REVIEW — by — Harry G. Ladanye THE CUISINE OF HUNGARY- by -George Lang Paperback edition published (1983) by Atheneum, New York $11.95 Here’s a must book to own because George Lang has produced a tour de force that is a fascinating and rewarding reading experience. It’s really impossible to do it justice in this short review. But the author lives up to his acclaim as the foremost expert of Hungarian cuisine in this splended combination of cookbook and cultural-culinary history. Consider the recipes as a bonus, for the history section alone is more than worth the price of the book. The book is an obvious work of love based on extensive research that Lang says “tries to search out the influences of history, geography, literature, and scores of other forces.” The author also says that he sometimes had to research for years just to make a single paragraph statement. With great skill, he gives us an intellectual approach with wide appeal. The recipe section is preceded by a history of Hungarian cuisine from the earliest times, and by gastronomic profiles of the five principal regions of Hungary. Preparing and serving these glorious recipes will make you very popular. They are superb. A special feature is a personal footnote to most of these recipies by the author that add a distinctive touch of expertise and interest not found in any other Hungarian cookbook. The recipes are as interesting to read as to use. I tried several recipes and was thrilled with the results. I especially liked Veal Drops a la Gundel, Soup Meat Polish-Style, and Stuffed Peppers Home-Style. The Palfy Noodles were heavenly. Bon'appetit! JUNE, 1984 GALÉRIA HUNGARICA MARGARET: The Hungarian Queen of Scotland who became a Saint King Saint Stephen of Hungary had a grand-daughter. Her name was Margaret. It was she, who became Queen of Scotland, and was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1250. The Patron Saint of Scotland, her “Feast Day” is celebrated each year on June 10th. When Edmund (the Ironside), King of England and a descendent of King Alfred the Great, died in 1016, his two sons, fearful of assassination, fled across the English Channel to the Continent and finally found sanctuary in Hungary under the protection of St. Stephen. One of the royal refugees died at the Hungarian Court, while the other, Edward, married Agatha, the daughter of the great Christian King of Hungary. The couple had three children: Edgar, Christine, and Margaret. In 1054, the King of England, whose throne was in dire jeopardy dispatched a trusted courier to Hungary with a request for Prince Edward’s return. Assured that he would succeed Edward the Confessor to the Throne of England, Prince Edward, accompanied by his wife and children, hastened back to his native land. There, they took up residence at the king’s Court. It was there that young Margaret, the grand-daughter of St. Stephen of Hungary, met and fell in love with Prince Malcolm of Scotland. Unfortunately, however, her father suddenly died, King Edward the Confessor passed away, William the Conqueror invaded England, and Prince Malcolm had to leave for Scotland. In the face of such catastrophes, her mother, Agatha, decided to go back to Hungary. However, the vessel they boarded to cross the English Channel was storm-tossed northward to the shores of Scotland. And, so it was that King Malcolm of Scotland in the spring of 1069 married Margaret, the grand-daughter of King St. Stephen of Hungary. An educated, cultured, and religious woman, Margaret, as Queen of Scotland, dedicated herself to good works. She founded churches, monastaries, schools, and hospitals. A disciple of the Benedictine-inspired, “Cluny Reform Movement”, she exerted a profound impact upon the educational, religious, and social life of Scotland simply by sitting on a marble stone (Margaret’s Stone) in the courtyard of the Benedictine monastery she built at Dunfermline and welcoming all who sought her help and advice. This stone now marks her tomb. The marriage of Malcolm and Margaret was blessed with eight children; six sons and two daughters. Three sons became kings of Scotland, while one daughter married King Henry I of England! Not long after the royal family of Scotland moved their Court to the Castle of Edinburgh, where Margaret built a small oratory, her husband and her eldest son were killed in battle. When she was informed of this tragedy, Margaret calmly walked to her little chapel, knelt down, said a prayer, laid down, and died (Nov. 17, 1093). The epilogue to the story of Malcolm and Margaret is that one of their descendents was Margaret Washington (nee Margaret Butler), the grandmother of George Washington, while Queen Elizabeth II of England is another! Page 11 i
