William Penn Life, 2012 (47. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2012-09-01 / 9. szám
Chef’s Tin Instead of using a kitchen knife to chop fresh herbs, I try scissors. ! Wash and dry the herbs ' as normal, cut into small pieces and : sprinkle on your dish. It has the same effect on taste and adds a rustic look to your meal. 4 I" i. FÁRADJON BE A MAGYAR KONYHÁBA! Fall is the best time of the year, especially in New Hampshire and other New England states. The weather turns crisp in the early morning, warms midday with sunshine, then cools down after the late day sunset. This type of weather leads to an abundance of fall vegetables and fruits. Just when you thought gardening would end for the year, along comes autumn. Enjoy the season for all it has to offer, wherever you live. This month's column-" Are You Hungary?"-explores the culinary roots of Hungarian food. It is also the title of a small book written some time ago listing some popular family recipes of Magyar origin. Yes, I am the author of that small tome. This column also begins a new chapter for The Hungarian Kitchen, Chef Vilmos and me. Having recently received a master's degree from Boston University in gastronomy, I would like The HK to not only share recipes but also explore the origins of Magyar food, tracing it from the early centuries to what we enjoy today. There is a lot to learn about our cuisine and its transformation into the food that we are familiar with today. Knowledge of our Magyar food ways leads to a stronger appreciation of our Hungarian heritage. Hungarians are very industrious and illustrious people. They find ways to create dishes using the simplest of ingredients. A potato is normally a side dish for other cuisines, but a Magyar can make it a three-course meal: potato soup for the appetizer, potato pancakes for the entrée and a dessert using a potato in the dough to make langos topped with cinnamon and/or powdered sugar. Did you ever consider why they would do this? It was not because they had a desire for potatoes and nothing else. Rather, they realized that when you only have one resource for food, you must adapt and find different ways preparing the same ingredient, putting variety into your meals. Such is Hungarian ingenuity at work! Before we get into our newly remodeled kitchen here is the monthly trivia: What domesticated, meat-bearing animals are indigenous to Hungary? The tasty answer waits at the end. When you mention Magyar food to non Hungarians, you get a few standard answers: chicken paprikás, stuffed cabbage and gulyás. We all know that our cuisine is much more complex than those three items. The "holy trinity of Hungarian cooking," as I call them, are lard, onions and paprika. Mix anything else in with these ingredients and you have the basis of a Hungarian dish. Magyars also use many ingredients to enhance any meal they prepare. I've calculated there are at least 33 spices, herbs and other ingredients that Hungarians use on a daily basis to produce some of the finest dishes known around the world. In future columns we will discuss these items and where you can obtain them. As with any new project, all must be perfect before we start cooking. The renovations are complete and now we test out our equipment. When Chef Vilmos and I are able to provide more complex recipes and knowledge about Magyar food, we will share more than we did in the "old kitchen." While we are working harder for you, our faithful readers, enjoy the recipes, which are familiar and easy to prepare for yourself or family. Also, here is the answer to this month's trivia question. There are two such animals: the Mangalista Pig, which is bred for its excellent lard and tasty bacon, and the Hungarian Grey Cow (a.k.a., Hungarian Steppe Cattle) which provides top-quality beef. Have a great month! jó ^ SA William Penn Life The Hungarian Kitchen is a trademark of William S. Vasvary. Are You Hungary?
