Budapest Reunion and GF Chicken Paprikash

I never got to try Chicken Paprikash while in Budapest and found myself pining over plates of it that were served to Tina and her students. Wheat flour, the everlasting travel downer was always used as a thickener in the fiery sauce. When Tina said she wanted to host a reunion dinner for her students I knew right away that Chicken Paprikash would be on the menu and that it would be gluten-free. Finally I would get to sample this quintessential Hungarian favorite. I also knew that I would have a very palate savvy audience, well acquainted with good traditional Hungarian dishes. Wanting to impress, I held a dry run with Tina and her brother. I read and read, contemplating the recipes at hand, tweaking as I went along, making notes of my changes. I held my breath as Tina took her first bite. "You got it babe, you got it exactly!" I was thrilled and grateful for the kilo bag of sweet paprika I bought home with me. The reunion dinner will consume several cups of my authentic Hungarian paprika.

So this Friday 20 students who spent a month studying math with Tina in Budapest will come together for a reunion, showing pictures, telling stories and remembering the month they had in January. I am cooking all week, it is a big undertaking. The menu includes Chicken Paprikash, Hungarian Beef Stew, Hungarian Style Green Beans with dill, and potatoes (I don't have time to make enough spaetzle). For desert we will have Hungarian Shortbread Tart, raspberry and apricot.

Here is the recipe for the Chicken Paprikash I finally settled on.

2 tablespoons bacon grease (I used three pieces of bacon to get two tablespoons)

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons sweet paprika

2-3 pounds of whole chicken cut unto pieces (I used a combination of boneless breast and thighs, both pounded *

14.5 ounces caned diced tomatoes (I used about 2 quart size cans of my own canned tomatoes drained, reserving half a cup of the liquid)

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons rice flour

8 ounces sour cream

2 bay leaves

* Most recipes call for bone in chicken. Tina said most of the Chicken Paprikash they had in Budapest was made with pounded chicken breast. Use whatever you want.

Heat bacon grease in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and paprika. Stir together cook until onion is translucent. Add chicken pieces, bay leaves and pour in the chicken broth. Cook over medium heat for 40 minutes, longer if using bone-in chicken, adding more broth if necessary. Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove chicken, add tomatoes to the pot. Puree the sauce in a blender, food processor or using an immersion blender. Return sauce to pan. In a medium bowl blend rice flour, sour cream and reserved tomato juice together. When well blended add mixture to the tomato sauce and return chicken to the pot. Stir until thick and headed through.

Hungarian Gulyás

My soup night guests are in for a real treat tomorrow evening as I am throwing a Hungarian inspired evening. I've written about our soup nights before, initially weekly gatherings for 8 weeks in the fall during which we served soup for friends and family every Tuesday. The idea came out of a desire to create community and a regular gathering when I took a weekend position at work. We have hosted the gatherings for the past 9 years, this year going to a monthly evening over the course of the fall and winter. My love affair with soup began in my early 30's when my mother was dying of lung cancer. My mother had the most amazing friends, women who were strong role models for me. One of them brought homemade soup to our house once a week for nearly 18 months. I learned quickly that soup was a source of comfort and solace and I wanted nothing more than to master the art of making good homemade soup. It is perhaps one of my strongest suits in the kitchen. I love planning and preparing for soup night during the long dark days of fall and winter.

When we are in Budapest we devoure Hungarian Gulyás at almost every meal, savoring every bite. I am not a student of Hungarian cuisine but I have learned a thing or two about this classic dish. For starters, everyone in Hungary has their own idea of how to make Gulyás which is actually pronounced GOO-yash, no L. Some insist that an authentic version never contains flour or tomatoes, others insist that it is a soup, not a stew. It is probably somewhere in between and my standard is that it must have authentic Hungarian paprika. The name comes from the Hungarian word for cattle stockman or herdsmen who cooked the dish in a large cauldron called a Bogrács over an open fire in the countryside

While looking for a recipe to work with I stumbled upon a version from Sue Doeden, a food writer and chief living in Bemidiji, MN with a Hungarian background. I was drawn to her version because of the slowness of cooking she describes. Sue claims that the dish can not be rushed, good results come from patience. It took me more than half a day to make Sue's Gulyás. I must admit, the flavor is remarkably reminiscent of the Guláys in Budapest. Thanks Sue for a great addition to my repertoire, my guests are in for a real treat!

Sue Doeden's Hungarian Gulyás

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed and cut into bit-sized pieces

1 large green bell pepper, chopped (I used red)

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika

2 teaspoons caraway seeds, toasted and ground

1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

4 cups beef broth

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I cut mine into 1/4-inch)

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large, heavy Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and fry until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Add chopped onions to the hot bacon grease. Cook until translucent and tender. Increase heat to high, add beef and cook, stirring once or twice until meat is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add green or red pepper and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in paprika, caraway and marjoram. Add beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for an hour, covered. Add diced tomatoes with juice and carrots, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add cubed potatoes, cover and simmer another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. An overnight in the refrigerator gives the flavors a chance to mingle and develop, a wait that is worth it.

Who Knew?

Who knew you could get flour from chestnuts? Certainly not me and as an individual navigating a gluten free world, I am always in pursuit of new flours! My dear friend Kathy, the beekeeper knew. She gave me this package of gluten free chestnut flour for Christmas. I was undone, mostly by the generosity of someone who would go out of their way to find a unique, gluten free item for me to enjoy. Not only that, but shortly after she gave me the flour, she showed up with chocolate chunk muffins she had made with chestnut flour. I will confess, I ate all four of them during the course of that day. They were simply divine. I could tell right away the flour was sweet and mellow, perfect for baking.

The flour came from Allen Creek Farm, a chestnut farm in the Northwest. You can check out their website at www.ChestnutsOnLine.com for recipes and nutritional information. I have not seen this flour in any of my local grocery stores and I haven't read about it on other gluten-free blogs. As for myself, I am making more of those muffins Kathy gave me!

Kathy's Chestnut Flour Chocolate Chunk Muffins

2 cups chestnut flour

3/4 to 1 cup coconut flour

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

2 eggs

1 stick butter, softened

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dark chocolate chunks or morsels

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip the butter and brown sugar together at high speed for two minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until creamy. Add the vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add half the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture and mix slowly, add the milk, mix and then add the remaining dry ingredients until well incorporated. Add the chocolate chunks. Fill cupcake tins lined with muffin liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

My labor of love, celebrating Valentine's day

I started making these cookies Tina’s first year of teaching at Carleton College. What started as a whim to make something for her to bring her department for Valentine’s Day has turned into an annual, very much-expected event. The fact that they have a Hungarian history is simply a coincidence!

The Linzer cookie has its roots in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a period of time between 1867 and 1918 during which there was a monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdome of Hungary. The cookie is actually an evolution of the famous Linzer Torte, named after the city of Linz in Austria. The Linzer Torte is Austria’s most famous dessert and is the oldest cake in the word. Using the same ingredients as the torte, two cookies are sandwiched together with a layer of preserves. The top cookie is dusted with powdered sugar and has a round cutout showing the preserves, making it resemble an eye and getting the nickname, Linzer Eyes, or Linzer Auger. These famous Austro-Hungarian desserts made their way to the US in 1850 when Franz Holzhuber, a famous Austrian artist/musician traveled to the US to work as an orchestra conductor. He was waylaid and ended up becoming a baker, introducing the torte to America. He also left many fine sketches and watercolor paintings of the New World as he saw it.

Enough history! These glutinous cookies are time consuming and a labor of love, making them the perfect Valentine. The dough is a simple mix of butter, flour and sugar, which is chilled, rolled out, cut, chilled again, baked and assembled. It takes the better part of two days for me to make seven dozen. Enough for Tina’s department and several friends. Tina’s colleagues rave about the cookies and while Tina never asks, I know she is always hoping they will appear in time for a Valentine delivery. Perhaps the greatest labor of love in these cookies is that they are not gluten-free. I can’t eat them and cleaning up after the baking is a huge ordeal that involves a deep cleaning of the entire kitchen, every surface, nook and cranny is cleaned and washcloths are thrown away. Nothing else gets cooked in the kitchen the day I make these cookies. Safety first!

Hungarian Beekeeping

I am just getting back into my routine after a whir-wind trip to London, Budapest and Paris. I am fortunate, having married an academic who's work takes us to Budapest. I worked countless extra shifts this summer and fall, saving my pennies so I could experience the best these places had to offer. Highlights included the ballet in London and wonderful Indian food every night and standing under a full moon at the Eiffel Tower with the love of my life. However, my over the top day was a trip to the Hungarian Bee Museum and Agricultural Center and visit to a private beekeepers apiary in Godollo, just east of Budapest.

While it is the Hungarian system of Mathematics that takes us to Budapest it really beekeeping and honey for which they are most famous. OK, they are also famous for their wine but that doesn't interest me like beekeeping.

Last year when we were in Budapest I meet Carolyn Bánfalvi, a food and wine writer and chef living in Budapest. Carolyn is the owner and founder of Taste Hungary, a tour company based in Budapest specializing in food, wine and market tours in Budapest and Hungary. I took a tour of several Hungarian markets with Carolyn and knew just were to go when I wanted to explore beekeeping in Hungary. Carolyn and her husband Gábor arranged the day excursion and Gábor was my guide and translator for the day.

We traveled by way of car to Godollo, about an hour or so east of Budapest and arrived at the museum and research station which is situated in a botanical park. The museum was opened in 1983 as a showpiece for the International Apimondia Conference which was held in Hungary that year. We were meet by a Hungarian beekeeper who was our host and guide. Our guide provided some historical background for the property and then took us inside the museum which houses ancient hives, tools and extractors. As we looked about the two story building which was stone cold, the progress of European beekeeping was evident from skep boxes to hives and smokers that required beekeepers to blow into a metal tube to get smoke. Our guide explained that it is easy to recognize a Hungarian beekeeper as they are missing their two front teeth from using the old smoker. The museum was chalk full of interesting beekeeping equipment.

Then we went into the research station. I was grateful to move into a heated building. Until recently the research station was strictly dedicated to the study of bees but economics in Hungary have lead to a significant loss of funding and they now share the space with other sciences. Each and every individual I meet here spoke to the difficulty of funding and the lack of money to conduct their research. One of the primary responsibilities of the agricultural ministry is to certify and licence queen breeders.

There are 44 queen breeders in Hungary. Every year, all 44 breeders must send five queen bees to the center for inspection. The technician explained that each of the five bees is evaluated on three things, their stingers, their wings and the color of their body. It was difficult to understand exactly what they were looking for in the queens but it seemed that by measuring the veins in the wings they could determine if the queen was a pure Carniolan Honey Bee. They kept telling me that a pure strain was essential and that they don't have any Africanized Bees in Hungary. At any rate, if all five bees did not pass all three inspections the breeder would not be certified and could not sell their bees! The center also tests for other diseases, especially American Foulbrood Disease. They also keep a database of beekeepers in Hungary, apparently the list is 17,000 long. They alert beekeepers to agricultural spraying, timing of blossoms for hive moving purposes and also inspect private apiary's before and after each season.

If American Foulbrood is discovered by an inspector all the bees, hives, any associated equipment and product must be destroyed by fire and the apiary is quarantined for 90 days. If the beekeeper identifies the disease before the inspector the same treatment occurs but the beekeeper is reimbursed for 90% of their costs. American Foulbrood is a very serious brood disease!

Hungary has over 700,000 beehives and exports 15,000 tuns of honey and honey products a year. The most famous Hungarian honey is Acacia, which is a black locust tree originally planted in 1794. The botanical park on which the bee museum and research station stood was home to hundreds of Acacia trees.

After our visit to the museum we made our way to a private apiary and meet a traditional Hungarian Beekeeper. Jósef was a gracious host and has been keeping bees for over 30 years. He has over 100 hives in his very small back yard. They actually call them families in Hungary, rarely referring to a "hive". He showed us his entire operation. There are very little ordinances in Hungary regulating where hives can be kept and according to Jósef, his neighbors were just fine with his 100 hives. He also claimed that Hungarian beekeepers are perfectionists and they don't have any problem with mites or disease. When I asked him why he thought we had such overwhelming problems with beekeeping in the US he essentially said American beekeepers are sloppy and don't take the time to prevent problems like they do in Hungary.

It was a wonderful day, but the bitter cold was very distracting, especially at the museum and I am hoping to return in better weather. The museum guide suggested a return visit in summer when I can actually accompany the beekeepers on a day of hive inspections and spend time on the grounds of the research station where they have hundred's of "families" to study and watch. If all goes well, we will be back in June and I will go back.

I don't know if Jósef's perceptions of American beekeeping are true, or if he accurately portrayed the condition of beekeeping of Hungary. What I do know is that the generosity of beekeepers in Hungary is identical to that of their American counterparts. Beekeepers are the most generous individuals I have ever meet, willing to give their time and share their expertise in a moments notice! When I returned from Hungary my friend the beekeeper and my beekeeping mentor came over to help me order my stash of bees. I am expecting 6 pounds of bees the end of April and I started my beekeeping class last Thursday evening. I am overwhelmed by how much I need to learn but reassured by the generosity and spirit of the people I am meeting that I have all the support I need at my disposal. Deep breath, the adventure is underway.

The African Palate

It is darn cold here in the tundra of Minnesota and if the forecasters are right by tomorrow morning we will have another dusting of snow and it will be 20 degrees below zero with the wind chill. Quite frankly I can't wait to leave! Under normal circumstances Tina and I would be spending the month in Naples, Florida, which I understand is under their own wind chill warning. Don't get me wrong, I am sympathetic but really, when we are facing subzero conditions it isn't easy. Tina is teaching in Budapest for the month of January so next week I leave for a whirlwind trip with stop in London, Budapest and Paris. Northern Europe is also under cold advisories, in fact the frigid weather in Paris caused a major Calamity on the Eurostar Train under the Chunnel last month, shutting it down for over a week. It is in the mid 30's in London, Paris and Budapest which will be a welcomed warm up for me! In the mean time, I miss Tina desperately but there is a silver lining during her absence which is total free reign in the kitchen.

I adore ethnic food, especially Indian food but Tina's palate simply doesn't! So when she is away I have at it which is great fun for me. Recently, based on a review from Shauna at Gluten Free Girl, I got a copy of The Soul of A New Cuisine by Marcus Samuelsson. I am not going to review this book other than to say it is one of the most remarkable and beautiful books I have ever held! The photographs are captivating and the narrative takes you far away. And who ever thought Archbishop Desmond Tutu would write a forward to a cookbook. Need I say more?

I have an endless supply of eager friends who would love an invitation to an African dinner. Last night was reserved for two of my most favorite people in the world. My niece Megan, who just returned from a semester of studying in Budapest and my niece Katie who we simply adore! Both have very adventuresome palates.

I made three different dishes, Yellow Rice which is a common East and Southern African dish, Chicken-Peanut Stew which is a West African dish and Black-Eyed Peas another West African dish that hales from Ghana. I have never seen my niece Katie help her self to seconds, but last night she sure did. The meal was simply over the top, colorful and full of flavor. Labor intensive for sure but worth a days work. We enjoyed Coconut Bliss with hot fudge for desert, not too African but a nice end to the meal. We all loved the entire meal and I would make all of it again, but everyone agreed the Black-Eyed Peas were the highlight!

Black-Eyed Peas

Adapted from The Soul Of A New Cuisine by Marcus Samuelsson

About 3 cups of cooked black-eyed peas. I used two pint size jars from beans I canned this fall

1/2 cup of Spiced Butter, or 4 tablespoons unsalted butter*

1 medium red onion

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 scotch bonnet chili seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

one 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons Berbere or chili powder*

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

several tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

1 scallion sliced

Melt butter in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the onion, tomatoes and chili, sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, Berbere and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer. Stir in chicken stock and turmeric, return to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, uncovered until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and salt and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and scallion and serve.

*Berbere and Spiced Butter

Berbere is an Ethiopian blend, a universal seasoning with varying degrees of heat and spiciness. I am sure you could purchase it somewhere but I made my own. Spiced butter is a spiced mixture also known as nit'ri qibe which starts with clarified butter. I made the spiced butter and found it essential to the dish, I am not sure it would be the same without it, but you sure could use standard butter or ghee.

Spiced Butter

From The Soul of A New Cuisine by Marcus Sammeulson

1 pound unsalted butter

1/2 medium red onion, coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove minced

one 3 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon cardamon seeds

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

8 basil leaves

Clarify your butter! Add everything else and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until the spices settle. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Store in the fridge in a covered container for up to a month.

Favorite Kitchen Tool

My Tamis, a classic French drum sieve can create a soup that is smooth as velvet. I couldn't make certain soups or sauces without it. I have a chinois and I love it but sometimes using the tamis is easier, especially when I want to puree something to a very smooth even consistency. Today I made a curried butternut squash soup. First I processed the soup in my vitamix and then through the Tamis. The result was a lovely smooth soup. Yes, it was a great deal of work but worth it! You just can't get soup like this using a food processor or just a blender! It takes a Tamis! I sauteed four cups of diced onions in some olive oil and two tablespoons of sweet curry. Then I added about 6 pounds of peeled, diced butternut squash, five large peeled, cored and diced apples two cups of water and some salt and pepper. I simmered this for about an hour over low to medium low heat, until everything was tender. After processing the soup in my vitamix I passed the puree through the tamis and then added about 3 cups of apple cider. The soup was a bit too sweet for my liking so I added some vegetable broth to balance it with something savory. As the temperature plummets below zero for another night in Minnesota, I am looking forward to a bowl of hot soup!