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by Ella Kovacs Szabo (Author), Eve Aino Roza Wirth (Author), Sharon Hudgins (Editor)
When Ella Szabó fled her homeland during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, she never dreamed that someday she would become a member of the US Olympic swimming team, an accomplished baker in America, and the author of a cookbook about Hungarian desserts. But a chance encounter with a fellow Hungarian in Connecticut led to Ella's becoming the custodian of a collection of heirloom recipes that form the core of this book.
More than fifty recipes tell you how to bake Hungarian tortes, cookies, pastries, and cakes, from elegant old-world pastry-shop classics like Linzer Torte and Esterhazy Torte to easy homestyle desserts, many of them from recipes that have never been published before. Try your hand at delicate nut-flour tortes made from walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts: Almond Meringue Torte with Coffee-Cream Filling, Walnut Wedding Torte with Hazelnut Filling, and Chocolate Roulade with Hazelnut Cream. Enjoy easy-to-make Hungarian Almond Biscotti, Orange Kugelhopf, and Cherry Sponge Cake. And delight in devouring Walnut-Apricot-Lemon Bars, traditional Hungarian Cheese Biscuits, and Beigli, a festive Hungarian pastry roll filled with walnuts or poppy seeds, always eaten at Christmas. You'll also find a complete section on ingredients, equipment, and techniques, as well as several historical and contemporary photographs. And a bonus: most of the recipes for nut-flour tortes are naturally gluten-free.
Author Biography
ELLA KOVÁCS SZABÓ (1929-2009) emigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1956. A talented baker, she was a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, a fund raiser for Les Dames d'Escoffier, and a member of the National League of American Pen Women. SHARON HUDGINS is an award-winning author, editor, journalist, and culinary historian. Her books include T-Bone Whacks and Caviar Snacks: Cooking with Two Texans in Siberia and the Russian Far East (UNT Press) and Food on the Move: Dining on the Legendary Railway Journeys of the World. She lived in Central Europe for many years and has been a National Geographic Expert on Danube River cruises. EVE AINO ROZA WIRTH (daughter of Ella Kovács Szabó) grew up cooking and baking beside her mother, immersed in Hungarian customs and culinary traditions. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, her years have been spent as a graphic designer, event planner, fundraiser, nonprofit board member, mother, and wife.
