William Penn Life, 2003 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2003-06-01 / 6. szám
The Hungarian Kitchen with Főszakács Béla A ‘berry’ good month FÁRADJON BE MAGYAR KONYHA. I hope your month of May was eventful and very tasty. Here we are in the glorious month of Junius. To me June is the beginning of summer because we finish out the school year with commencement. Egyetemi Oklevél and Érettségi Bizonyítvány are a few things some of us get in June. We also have Father's Day to pay tribute to dear old Dad. The only expression I have for Father's Day is Nem esik messze az alma áfájától. Everyone has his or her favorite month of the year. Mine is September because that is when the school year starts and my work begins. On the other end, June closes out my school year and begins the summer vacation. Thank goodness for June. We also can enjoy strawberries and blueberries along with an early crop of peaches, plums and nectarines. I remember as a young scout of Troop 74 in Metuchen, N.J., having our annual fundraising Strawberry Festival. Now that I live in New Hampshire, I enjoy the PYO (Pick Your Own) fields of blueberries and strawberries. Did you know that blueberries are highly recommended by the American Heart Association as a fruit to enjoy if you have diabetes? Strawber"'S ries, however, do contain IP I a lot of natural sugar and HU I should be consumed in H I moderation. • ÄlSl Both the strawberry r J and blueberrv fall into ML ‘ ~ /I the class of fruits known p 1 as "Berries." A berry is a .—1 fruit in which the layers of the pericarp are pulpy and succulent, and the seeds are contained in the mass. Hence you have the small seeds in strawberries, raspberries and the kiwi fruit. Cranberries and grapes also fall into the berry classification. Cranberries have no seeds, and grapes may have seeds depending upon the variety. The predominant acids found in these fruits are malic, citric ascorbic and benzoic, which give this class of fruits its distinctive taste. Okay, enough of this technical mumbo jumbo. Let me give you a few hints on how to enjoy my two favorites: red, sweet and juicy strawberries and the ever-popular blueberry. In New England we enjoy the normal size blueberries and the wild blueberry variety available in Maine. The Maine blueberries are smaller in size but very tasty and a true delicacy. The best way to bring out the sweet flavor of these berries is to macerate them for a short time in the refrigerator. That means, after the fruit has been rinsed off and sliced, it is soaked in a liquid so it picks up the flavor of the liquid. That macerating liquid is usually sugar and water, which will enhance the flavor of the fruit and make it sweeter. You should use kristálycukor, also known as granulated sugar, when macerating fruit. If you choose not to cut the fruit but want to serve it whole, remember always to rinse off the fruit, pat it dry with paper towels and, just before serving, sprinkle porcukor (or powdered sugar) for taste and also eye appeal. Blueberries are macerated whole and then served, or, if you choose, rinsed off and served over your favorite breakfast cereal. Either way, you enjoy a tasty treat. So, my friends, please enjoy these berries with my favorite recipe for kuglóf habbal. See you next month. (Jó ótváffitó Fósza&á&$ ß^a Hungarian Pound Cake (Magyar Kuglóf) 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 4 cups granulated sugar 4 teaspoons baking soda 2 cups whole milk I cup unsalted melted butter 8 eggs 4 teaspoons vanilla extract Combine the first three ingredients and dry blend very well. Add the remaining items and blend until you have a smooth mixture. Grease two loaf-baking pans and evenly divide batter between them both. Bake at 375 degrees until cake is done and top is golden brown. Slice cake and top with your favorite berries and cream. Makes two nice sized pound cakes. Whipped Cream (Habbal) 1 pint of whipping cream I tblsp. of almond extract or amaretto liqueur 3 heaping tblsp. of powdered sugar Combine ingredients and whip until you can form peaks with the whipped cream. The powdered sugar stabilizes the cream so it forms peaks and also adds some sweetness. The almond flavor compliments the pound cake and berries. You can contact the good chef by writing him at: The Hungarian Kitchen, c/o William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. Or, you can email him at: william vasvary@harvard.edu. 10 William Penn Life,June 2003
