“Kill two birds with one stone.” It’s a common expression and I use it without thinking, although I don’t really want to kill any birds – they have enough problems.
In this case, “two birds” refers to one blog post with two goals – wishing you a belated Happy New Year and wishing Kitchen Bliss a Happy 5th Birthday!
As you may know, the restaurant review gig has hijacked parts of my life and although I managed to post some recipes in 2019, the last “blog post” was “Happy 4th Birthday” – good grief. I have continued to work on perfecting a few more Hungarian recipes and they sit on my shoulder begging to be added to the site.
I wonder if you noticed that in the Resto Reviews I have enjoyed cuisines from many parts of the world – but not Hungary! Locally there is no Hungarian restaurant (though there were a few when I was younger). I have no idea why that is, but a recent Bloomberg article called “How Food Will Change in 2020”, listed one trend as “Central European Cuisine Heats Up”. They offered the example - “In New York, Stephen Starr’s new Veronika restaurant will highlight Hungarian and Viennese food, two areas that haven’t seen major play in the city for decades.”
We need that trend to move north! I know, you’re going to tell me about a Hungarian restaurant in Toronto – but in truth I am not over the moon about that place.
One Hungarian place worth a visit is the Budapest Bakeshop in Niagara on the Lake (NOTL). Their main (only) feature is the Chimney Cake (Kürtőskalács). It’s been a while since we visited Hungary, and of the many times we did, these were not yet a “thing”. They were popular in the Romanian–speaking parts of Hungary and now seem to be everywhere – there is even a Chimney Cake Food Truck in Hamilton! The NOTL location is charming, as are the owners. The savoury versions use Hungarian salami and sausage, and the sweet versions include cinnamon and walnut. You’ll love them!
Meanwhile, while hoping for a Hungarian restaurant to open, I cook Hungarian at home. Family Day is around the corner – and that’s our sausage-making day with best friends, using equipment crafted by my Dad. Just after NYE, Mr. KB once again made Kocsonya – a pork stock gelatin that surrounds delicate pork meat. His results are far more gourmet than what my parents/grandparents used to produce. Very flavourful though I have not yet warmed up to that dish. If it had the fancy name “aspic” would I be more inclined to eat it? For now my gelatin preference seems limited to fake red stuff that tastes like strawberry - though I haven’t had that in this century. Nonetheless, the Kocsonya recipe will one day go on the blog for the benefit of family and friends.
You never know who will use blog recipes. My blog averages 80 visits per day and last November I got a traffic alert that over 180 people has visited on a single day. What were they looking at? Liver Stuffing!! (this was close to American Thanksgiving). For those who made it, I hope they enjoyed it. I have to say that if, on Xmas day, I had to eat only one thing, it would be that stuffing. Last February 250 people visited on one day searching for Gingerbread Cake – and I must say that cake is out of this world. Try it soon!
New Year? No resolutions – especially about food since I am now paid to eat (too much) every week. And last week I went to three bakeries – prepping for a Valentine’s Day column. (Happy V Day BTW.)
2019 was a year with a few “milestones”. We went to a Pink Martini concert and were startled to learn it was their 25th Anniversary. Lordy – have we been fans that long? Even worse – we saw the Chieftains perform – their final tour after 57 years. I don’t know what to say. We weren’t on the bandwagon right away, but jeepers – where have the years gone? When again will we tread the “Rocky Road to Dublin”?
Another milestone was the end of Star Wars with the last film – The Rise of Skywalker. We clearly remember the experience of the first movie in 1977, and continued to be part of this unprecedented phenomena of following a series for decades - dragging family along on the adventure. So, no more Star Wars? One consolation prize is the return of Star Trek’s Captain Picard. And Star Wars has joined the TV world offering Mandalorian.
And that brings me to my new love of 2019, a character in the Mandalorian – Baby Yoda. The Mandalorian production company clearly figured out that some of us are suckers for “big eyes” – a characteristic shared by two of my other loves – Luka and Dusty.
I’ll leave you with thoughts from one of my favourite writers – Nora Ephron.
As a side note, in recent years I have returned to using the library. When I updated my card, all the librarians gathered around ogling my old card - they had never seen one of that vintage. I was on a wait list for Ephron’s book - “I Feel Bad About My Neck”. Then a strange thing happened - a “good as new” copy showed up at the book-share space at the Senior Centre where I volunteer as a tech tutor. It felt like it was meant for me. On the inside were the words “Mom, from Mary. Xmas 2006”. I can’t help wondering if “Mom” was decluttering or if “Mary” was emptying her house. I’m sure they’d both be happy to know the book found a good home - until I declutter.
The book is a collection of essays on topics from wrinkled necks, to parenting, to decluttering, and dying - and was published in 2006, six years before her own death. An excerpt:
“Here are some questions I am constantly noodling over: do you splurge or do you hoard? Do you live every day as if it’s your last, or do you save your money on the chance you’ll live twenty more years? Is life too short, or is it going to be too long? Do you work as hard as you can, or do you slow down to smell the roses? And where do carbohydrates fit into all of this? Are we really going to have to spend our last years avoiding bread, especially now that bread in America is so unbelievably delicious? And what about chocolate?”
I eat too many carbs – yet still maintain that bread (and butter) would be my choice for my last supper. I also wrote about overcoming my fear of yeast and making my first bread in 2015. Now, I not only love bread, but love making it. I think it’s not too late to declare 2020 “My Year of Bread”. (Watch for some new recipe posts on that! In fact I’ve already posted a great recipe for a Cannoli Quick Bread.)
Carbs? Damn the torpedoes! Happy Birthday to Kitchen Bliss and Happy 2020 to you. Life’s a bit scary these days. Eat bread - maybe even cake! Hugs!
P.S. I have been slowly posting reviews of my favourite restos on the blog.