Hungarian Beef Goulash

3 tablespoons oil

1 1/2 pounds beef cubes

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into four pieces

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 medium size ripe tomato, seeded and cut into 4 pieces

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon salt

5 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced



Use a 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Run hot water over meat in a strainer; let drain. Sauté onions in oil; add paprika and stir well. Add meat, salt, tomato and 1 cup of water or enough to cover ingredients. Cook slowly for 1 hour. Then add all washed and sliced vegetables, except potatoes. Add another cup of water and cook slowly for 1/2 hour, then add potatoes. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. Add 1 quart of cold water; let it come to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Serve as a main dish with dumplings in a heated soup tureen. (Can also be served without dumplings.)



Dumplings

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

1/4 cup water



Mix all ingredients in a bowl and beat with spoon. Drop by teaspoonfuls into boiling water. Cook until dumplings rise to top. Drain and rinse in cold water.

By Josephine Seeley



Creamed String Bean Soup

1 pound fresh string beans or canned

1/2 pint sour cream

Vinegar to taste

1 tablespoon salt

3 tablespoons flour

2 quarts water



Cook beans in water until soft. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for a few minutes.

By Theresa Dudash



Hungarian Style Spinach

1 pound spinach

1 cup water

3 tablespoons bacon drippings

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup milk

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup sour cream

2 hard-boiled eggs



Wash spinach; drain and cook in 1 cup salted boiling water. Chop spinach fine. In separate pan, melt bacon drippings; stir in the flour and brown lightly. Remove from fire; add spinach and garlic. Slowly stir in sour crean until well-blended. Add cold milk, salt and pepper. Cook over low flame about 5 minutes. If mixture is too thick, add a little milk. Garnish with sliced hard-boiled eggs.



Hungarian Nut Torte

8 yolks

8 tablespoons sugar

8 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 tablespoons ground walnuts



Icing:

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 pound sweet butter

5 tablespoons powdered sugar



Beat yolks with sugar for 20 minutes or until light and thick. Sift together flour and baking powder, then add it to the egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff, then fold in the mixture. Add ground walnuts. Bake in moderate oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Bake in 2 round, greased and floured cake pans.

Icing: Mix together and put on cake. Sprinkle finely chopped nuts on top of icing. Put cake in refrigerator to prevent icing from getting soft.

By Catherine Dudash



Hungarian Nut Cake

Filling:

10 egg yolks

12 egg whites

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 cups ground walnuts



Beat egg yolks and sugar until it is fluffy and put in lemon juice. Also add ground walnuts and mix very well. Then beat the egg whites until real light and fluffy and add to nut filling, mixing thoroughly.



Dough:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

2 egg yolks



Mix flour and butter well; mix egg yolks with a little sweet cream so that you can handle dough like pie dough, then divide dough in 2 parts. Use 13-x-11-inch pan. Line pan with half of the dough. Put in the filling, then the other half of the dough. Roll out and put in top of the filling, then pinch the dough on top with fork. Bake in moderate oven at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes. Leave in pan        and cut into squares and sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

By Catherine Dudash



Chicken Paprikas

1 chopped onion

4 tablespoons shortening

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons salt

4-5 pounds chicken (cut up)

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 pint sour cream



Sauté onion in shortening. Add seasonings and chicken; sauté about 10 minutes. Add water. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender. Remove chicken, add sour cream to pan drippings and mix well.

By Margaret Tarsovich



Potato Gulyas and Smoked Sausage



To be prepared in a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven.



1 large onion, diced

2 tablespoons margarine or vegetable oil

1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon caraway seed

2 1/2 to 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cubanella pepper (only, whole)

Water to cover

1 to 2 pounds smoked (precooked) sausage, cut into 4- to 5-inch pieces (you may add more per serving)

Salt and pepper to taste



Sauté diced onion in 2 tablespoons margarine or vegetable oil until translucent. Remove from heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika and mix well (should be dark red in color). Before returing to heat, add 1 tablespoon caraway seed. Mix well.

Return to heat. Add cubed potatoes and mix everything well. Immediately add enough water to cover. Do not burn the mixture before adding the water. Add 1 whole cubanella pepper (do not use a regular green pepper). The cubanella may be omitted. This is for flavor only. Bring mixture to a full boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes are nearly done, approximately 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add precooked sausages which have been cut into 4- to 5-inch pieces.

The amount of sausages added may vary depending on the number of servings. Simmer until potatoes and sausages are completely done. Remove whole pepper before serving. Serve with warm, crusty bread and sweet butter.

Serves 4 to 6.



Growing up in Hungary, I used to watch my mother make this favorite of mine.

Coming from a poor family, food preparation was always a major focus of concentration. I am very glad that I paid attention.

After I became older and realized how expensive it was to eat out all of the time (having prepared eggs for myself in every way that was imaginable), I ventured to cook alone. Several attempts proved successful.

This recipe always brings back fond memories of the lovely times that I spent in my mother’s warm kitchen and her endless knowledge and ability to take the simple things and create a feast.

I hope that you will enjoy this quick, easy, delicious meal.

By Maestro Istvan Jaray