William Penn Life, 2004 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2004-01-01 / 1. szám
The Hungarian Kitchen with Főszakács Béla Cabbage the Hungarian way FÁRADJON BE A MAGYAR KONYHÁBA Let me wish you all prosperous greetings for 2004. Chef Vilmos also sends his blessings for the new year as well. New things will happen for all of us and I feel very confident we all will become better in the kitchen and have fun doing so. I continue to receive letters and emails about the HK and once again thank you all for your support. I did receive an email about substituting ingredients in recipes, which I will answer in this column. In general, most recipes should be followed the way they are written. If any substitutions are allowed, a small paragraph or sentence at the end will tell what can be substituted and the amount. A few examples would be honey for sugar, margarine for butter or butter for margarine and milk for cream. If no substitution is mentioned in any recipe, you are on your own with results being unpredictable. I try to test every recipe that I give you in this column so I can alert you of any problems that might occur. I will continue to test recipes before giving them to you. Let us get cooking with another Hungarian favorite! This month I have sent your way seven recipes that contain cabbage that is part of the cruciferous family that includes brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. These vegetables contain vitamins A and C and, most importantly, disease- and cancerfighting agents called antioxidants. Savoy, green and red cabbage are available in heads with green being the most popular for recipes. The leaves of head cabbages are waxy, thick and have good color and great flavor. A head of cabbage contains a lot of fiber which gives it weight. Now you have had a quick lesson about cabbage so lets look at the other ingredients. Rice in our recipes should be long grain and raw. Long grain rice cooks better and absorbs more flavors when used for stuffed cabbage or other recipes using rice. It does not stick together like short grain rice because it does not contain as much starch or complex carbohydrates. Hungarian paprika is the only kind to use-no exceptions-because it is the best and most flavorful you can get! Fresh sauerkraut is best, but it is not always available. Find a canned brand you like and stick with it for best results. Kosher salt works better because it contains less iodine that can alter the taste of what you are cooking. Any tomato products should be name brand not store brand. My experience has been store brands are weaker in flavor and very inconsistent in viscosity. Pork bones in the bottom of any stuffed cabbage pot will add flavor to the broth and the cabbage mix. A meatloaf mix of beef, pork and veal gives extra flavor to any stuffed cabbage recipe. Just take the total weight of meat to be used and divide by three to get the amounts of each meat you need to buy. Egg noodles go very well because they contain extra flavor. They are enriched with some vitamins and minerals and are always available to buy. Homemade noodles do work but require more time to prepare. Pork chops or spare ribs should be as lean as possible and normal thickness. Buy whole chops, bone them out and use the bones in the bottom of your stuffed cabbage pot. You'll save money and get double use of what you buy. Stay healthy, happy and full of cabbage in 2004! Jó fógza/UaS őó*& Cabbage Noodles Zi tablespoon lard or Crisco I pound wide egg noodles Zi pound bacon diced small, fried I large onion, peeled, minced fine I tablespoon of minced garlic I medium head of cabbage cored and diced small Salt and pepper to taste In a pot boil water and cook egg noodles. In a fry pan, sauté the PECZPES bacon and onions until cooked. Add garlic and cook until it turns golden brown. Then add raw cabbage, cover pan and cook until done. Mix in egg noodles, salt, pepper to taste, and serve your guests. Toltott Káposzta I pound ground beef I pound ground pork 1 pound ground veal 2 pounds pork bones 3 eggs 2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons paprika I teaspoon black pepper I tablespoon granulated garlic I cup uncooked rice Continued on next page 10 Williu Pm Life, January 2004
