Anikó J. Bartos' Amazon Blog

Recipe: Meggy Leves.

12:08 PM PDT, August 10, 2007

[Pronounced "MED yuh lev esh".] Back in 2003, Kmareka published a slightly-altered version of my recipe for traditional Hungarian sour cherry soup...

Active preparation time: 1/2 hour
Servings (when cold): approx. 4 to 6 - just under 2 quarts

Pour only the liquid from:

· 32 ounces (approx. 2 cans) pitted Bing cherries in heavy syrup

into a 4-quart pan, and sauté this syrup at 70% heat. While waiting for it to boil, add:

· 1/2 cup sugar
· 1/2 cup water
· 1/4 teaspoon imitation rum extract
· 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
· 10 cloves
· 1/4 stick cinnamon
· 2 pinches salt

Meanwhile, put the cherries themselves into a 1-quart bowl, and sprinkle:

· 3 heaping tsp. flour

on the top, while carefully stirring them with a spoon. After the above syrup mixture finally boils, turn it down to a simmer and stir in the cherry/flour combination. Then add:

· 2 lemon slices (round, 1/8 inch thick, cut from the fruit's center)

and turn the heat back up to 70%, stirring frequently. When it boils again, slowly stir in:

· 1 pint whipping cream

Continue at a low boil for 5 minutes and stir often. Allow to cool for 1 hour, then discard the lemon slices. Refrigerate for at least 1 more hour, and serve in bowls at your convenience. For an extra festive touch, put a dollop of whipped cream on top of each portion.

Jó étvágyat ["Yo ate VAD yat"] - bon appétit!

Comments disabled

Recipe: Sajtos Rud.

7:07 AM PDT, May 9, 2007

Baked cheese bars, pronounced "SHY-toesh rood":

8 cups of flour
5 level teaspoons of salt
1 oz. baking powder
12 oz. butter
32 oz. shredded cheese (Swiss and Cheddar, mixed to your taste)
5 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup milk (optional)

In an 8-quart mixing bowl, pour flour, salt and baking powder; mix together evenly by hand. Add butter, then rub flour and butter together evenly with flat of your palms until it's the consistency of small grains of rice. Pour 2/3 of the shredded cheese on top and work the mixture together by hand. Make a small hollow in the top of the mixture and add 3 eggs. Add sour cream and mix with the eggs. Then knead the entire mixture by hand. If the edges of the dough crack, add approximately 1/2 cup milk and keep kneading until the edges are smooth.

Flattening step: (A) Put on large surface and flatten with a rolling pin to the thickness of your little finger. (B) Fold over in thirds (east/west), then fold in thirds again (north/south), making a 9-layer rectangle. (C) Cover with a clean cloth and let stand.

After 45 minutes, repeat the Flattening step.

Optional, gives better taste: cover with plastic and put in refrigerator overnight. Remove and let warm to room temperature for 45 minutes.

Otherwise, just wait 45 minutes.

Flatten dough one final time with a rolling pin to the thickness of your little finger. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Put 2 egg yolks into a cup, mix them with a fork and use a pastry brush to spread the egg-yolk liquid evenly on top of the flattened dough. Cut lines vertically in the dough, the width of your middle finger. Cut across the dough to make rectangular pieces the length of your ring finger. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the sliced dough.

Place the dough pieces on a cookie sheet, with a half-inch of spacing on all sides. Bake the first sheet for 15 minutes, then turn the sheet and bake for another 10 minutes. Bake the second and subsequent sheets for 10 minutes, then turn and bake for another 10 minutes.

Tip: taste a sample from the first sheet, then use a salt shaker--if needed--on the unbaked dough, to taste.

Yield: 2 heaping platefuls. Quantities may be cut in half for smaller appetites.

***

Note from Alan: After my wife finishes documenting a dish from her native Hungary, we look for the dumbest guy around (which is usually me), and see if he (me) gets confused during the preparation process. We figure if I can make something, anyone can. So rest assured this recipe has been certified bulletproof by our patented Dumb-Guy® Testing Procedure.

Anikó J. Bartos' Amazon Blog

Recipe: Meggy Leves.

Recipe: Sajtos Rud.

.

Bio

Topics

Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?