THE GERLÓCZY CAFÉ PAPER
n ó z a r o c l i r d a u de q
MAMA’S COOKING - POP UP NEIGHBOURS - WHY IS IT DIVINE? - THE KAMERMAYER TRIANGLE
TAMÁS T.NAGY ---->
MAMA'S COOKING THERE IS A MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF PATRONS OF RESTAURANTS AND CAFÉS WHEN UNKNOWN FLAVOURS APPEAR. JUST LIKE BABIES, PATRONS HAVE TO FACE THE DIVERSE WORLD OF FOOD. DETACHING THEMSELVES FROM MAMA’S COOKING IS A PROCESS THAT REQUIRES PATIENCE, AND, I SUSPECT, NOT EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF THAT. The mixture of carrots and squash with potatoes is an option to begin with. Everyone believes in different things, thinks different things and learnt different things, or was given different nutrition advice by their health visitor, mother, or paediatrician. Either way, at the end the chef in the kitchen tries to come up with diverse and varied dishes. It’s not an easy task. In addition to the latest trends and recommendations, the process is greatly influenced by the relationship between the chef and the customer. The chef wisely eliminates what he finds useful from the flow of information, and the costumer decides if he wants to cooperate or not. With most costumers, weaning is troublefree. From the first sweet tastes (apple, apricot, banana) it’s usually more difficult to move over to vegetables, but neutral potatoes and slightly sweet carrots, beetroots and squash can help to overcome the difficulties. Whereas our mother struggles with pressing everything through a sieve, contemporary chefs just place the stick hand blender in the bowl and the perfect purée is done. We can start shaping the taste of customers anytime. This doesn’t mean that we should purée goulash soup along the bumpy road of weaning, but we can introduce him to flavours other than sweet. We can spice up neutral or sweet-tasting vegetables (with basil, thyme, parsley, celery, dill, etc.) and a pinch of sea salt will highlight the hidden flavours of the food. The quality of the meat or the varied courses can compensate customers for the usually moderate quantities. Weaning requires patience and persistence. Some customers are reluctant to open up for something new. However, this doesn’t mean that it’d be fortunate to experiment with an arsenal of dishes. Sooner or later customers realize the beauty of having choices, and the chef will prepare more motivated dishes.
Illustration: Péter Flanek
Having said all of the above, I don’t want to suggest we should leave our mama’s cooking or homely flavours behind (I hope everyone had that). On the contrary! We have to prepare for the time when mamas grow old and become children again. Bibs will have to be taken out. We’ll need food that give strength and taste nice. And, in the belief that there’s better than the familiar good, we can’t let them miss out. I do not think that the inner cover of Gerlóczy is anyone’s standard, but it is probable that what we understand, we will try to follow as well. Ideally, things end just the way they began with baby food. We start and finish with purée. The best part is in between. The set table, sophisticated flavours, carefully prepared pastries, not to mention the surrounding company, promise the hope of eternity, and, regardless of age, present the likeable side of life. A friend of mine says that when the time comes to lie dressed nicely with crossed hands while everyone around is singing, that’s what I should be thinking of.
? GERLÓCZY Guests’Response WHAT IS A GUEST AT GERLÓCZY LIKE? WE ASKED OUR REGULARS, AND WE KEEP ASKING THREE OF THEM FOR EVERY ISSUE, HOPING THAT WE CAN SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF WHAT MAKES A GERLÓCZY GUEST
PÉTER SZÛCS
ATHENA BOCHANIS
LILLA LEKRINSZKI
1. - Who would you book if you were a festival organizer?
David Bowie and Gogol Bordello at any cost, Blondie so that there’s rock and roll, Azealia Banks for the cool factor, and Omara Portuondo to make the festival truly memorable.
1. John Newman, DJ Fresh, Rudimental, but fortunately the organizing team of Sziget have already booked them for this year :)
2. - Your favourite object
I’m not really attached to objects, but there’s one that’s important to me. My watch I got from my grandma for my graduation is a really nice Doxa from the ‘70s. I feel naked without it.
1.Interesting question. I’m not a huge fan of open-air festivals; when people gather in massive crowds I think that requires urban civilization, otherwise it might get disgusting. So my ideal festival takes place indoors. Right now I’d book Chromeo, the Arctic Monkeys, Disclosure, R Kelly, Hot Chip, the Klaxons, and Ariel Pink for the main stage, and DJ Rashad as the surprise guest to represent Brooklyn! 2. One of my most valuable items is my passport (my ticket to the world with a lot of reminders from my previous travels); my huge Bose speakers (because I’m a music fan) and my clothes. My wardrobe is full of rare vintage pieces that I love. I’m not saying I’m obsessed with fashion, I just like to express myself through clothes.
2. My pink teddy that my daddy gave me for my 6th birthday
3. - Recommend us a holiday read
4. - What makes you feel the flow?
5. - Who’s your ideal company for a spritzer?
6. - What do you do and what have you been up to lately?
Greek mythology can be very entertaining on holiday, but anything from Krisztián Grecsó or János Hay would be an ideal travelling companion.
Animated conversations and laughter, writing, gardening and yoga.
My friends and family are ideal company for anything anytime. Otherwise I’m thrilled by the company of creative people. Spritzer, ice cold champagne, or pure sauvignon blanc go perfectly with conversation.
I’m on holiday ;) I’m typing my replies on my phone on the beach in Cyprus so that the latest issue of Gerlóczy News goes to print in time☺. Otherwise I’ve been gathering creative inspiration, preparing the September issue of InStyle magazine, and working on an exciting (and for the time being, secret) fashion project in German cooperation.
3. Tender Is the Night by Fitzgerald always gets me in a summery mood. Last summer I read Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan on the beach in Greece. 4. Playing music and listening to music. I play the piano, the oboe and drums. I can also feel the flow when listening to great music. Or having delicious food. Swimming in the sea in Greece. Dancing like crazy with my friends in New York. Or chilling in an empty thermal spa in Budapest on a grumpy winter day. 5. Original, open, funny and intelligent people. I don’t find it interesting if somebody has a high social status, if they’re a celebrity or millionaire. It’s often only about being in the spotlight for them. The only important thing is how much somebody wants to connect with others. For sure, what I should start with is explain what spritzer is to my company. 6. I’m a distributor of Hungarian wines in Brooklyn, New York. I started my company Palinkerie a year ago, and recently I’ve started selling to stores and restaurants. So I have to come to Hungary regularly, and that’s insanely important to me. It was love at first sight with Hungary when I first came here on a business trip six years ago. It has been the most beautiful and long-lasting love affair of my life.
3. This is a tricky question for me because I’ve only been reading anatomy course books lately :)
4. Dancing like crazy at festivals, walking in narrow Italian streets and finding a fine little trattoria
5. With my best friend anytime, anywhere
6. I work at Chefparade Cooking School as an event organizer
OUR EMPLOYEES’ SECRET LIVES /// THIRD PART
>> ALIZ BARTA - doing her finance job in the office
>> ANNAMARI KOLOZSVÁRY - in the laundry room with crisp white towels
With her favourite author, Krisztián Grecsó on the terrace of Gerlóczy
>> Dr. ISTVÁN GARAGULY - as a lawyer in the international ombudsman’s office
With flowers ... Annamari is attending a course in wedding decoration, so that her favourite activity, flower arrangement may become more than a hobby in the future. On the piano on Monday and Sunday evening
KAMERMAYER SQUARE REVAMPED What would you like to see here instead of parked cars? Let your imagination roam free and tell us at info@kamermayer.hu! Your idea counts!
GERLÓCZY TEATIME 4-6 Between 4 and 6 pm try any of our delicious desserts +a cup of real Yemaya tea or Kimbo coffee for 1500 Ft.
EAT MORE FISH! Mackarel, squid, tiger prawn every day on the grill. For the beautiful fish and bicycle re-design we thank our two dear patrons Bori Nánai (Pompom Design, Azanap) and Ildikó Erdei (Masamod)!
WE ASKED JACQUETTE G: Summer is nearly over. What’s your favourite summer memory? J: Chip chirp, chirp chirp chip chip chip. G: Kamermayer Square is going to be renovated soon. As an honorary member of the Kamermayer Association, what would you like to see on the square? J: Chip chip, chirp chip chip. G: How do you like the Café’s canine regulars? J: Chirp!! G: You usually sing the most during teatime (from 4 to 6). DO you have a special reason for that? J: Chirp. Chirp chip chip chirp.
PASSION FRUIT MOUSSE Gerlóczy’s pastry chefs use only the best ingredients and raw materials. That’s one of the secrets behind our divine desserts. Here’s a taste of our most essential dessert ingredients.
WHAT MAKES IT DIVINE? OUR CREAM - the best of milk It contains 35% fat, 6% protein, lactose and minerals, the rest is water. 9-10 litres of milk give 1 litre good quality cream. It’s made only from the milk of cows in Normandy, using a traditional method: The high butterfat layer of the milk is skimmed, then it’s heated to 140°C for a very short time to kill the bacteria, then it’s inoculated with selected starter cultures that somewhat alter its texture and acidity. It’s made exclusively from milk, unlike many types of cheap industrial cream which contain low-fat powdered milk dissolved in water and added fats.
WHITE CHOCOLATE - Noblesse Oblige!
PISTACHIO - its colour reveals the secret
Unlike dark and milk chocolate, white chocolate doesn’t contain cacao solids, only cacao butter extracted from the cocoa beans+powdered milk+sugar. (Contrary to what commercials tell you, milk chocolate doesn’t contain milk, only powdered milk, whose quality is crucially important).
We use Iranian pistachio, whose deep green colour signals its quality. Pistachio paste is nothing more the shelled, roasted pistachio that’d been ground for so long that it expelled its oil contents. Pistachio -> crushed pistachio -> pistachio flour -> pistachio paste
White chocolate can be regarded as the finest kind of chocolate in the sense that it contains a high proportion of cocoa butter, the most valuable part of cocoa. Its bone white colour is due to the natural colour of cocoa butter.
LAVENDER SUGAR - let it be purple! Caster sugar with natural lavender extract and colouring.
PASSION FRUIT - eaten by more than seen It’s a bit like lychee, which is best known as a preserve rather than a raw fruit in Hungary. The three most commonly cultivated varieties of passion fruit are maracuja, grandilla and yellow passion fruit. Due to its valuable fruit, maracuja is the most popular variety. While the maracuja and grandilla fruits are about 5-8 centimetre small, yellow passion fruit can grow to 15-20 centimetres. The two major passion fruit producing and distributing countries are India and Indonesia.
VANILLA - the niece of the orchid Vanilla is not to be confused with vanillin, which is an artificial vanilla aroma. Despite common belief, vanilla doesn’t colour anything yellow, it can only be seen in the shape of tiny black dots. It is a natural flavour enhancer. By the way, it belongs to the orchid family. At Gerlóczy we use Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar.
CHOCOLATE CONTAINER - who’s offended by the beta prime For chocolate to be nice, shiny, and crunchy, like in our chocolate pyramid, it’s not enough to be melted and poured into a mould. It needs to be tempered as well, otherwise it’ll be like a bar of chocolate left in a pocket or the glove compartment for the summer. This is due to the naughty crystals in the cocoa butter that don’t want to adapt the beta prime structure by themselves. Success depends of a few tenths of a centigrade and a granite slab.
PRALINE - a misunderstood ingredient Many identify praline with bonbons made with praline. Praline has a more or less liquid texture, it’s usually solidified with milk chocolate. Praline is a mixture of a roasted nut, usually almond or hazelnut, and caramelized sugar. (You might remember it by the Paris Brest Éclair in the Café)
GERLÓCZYRecommends: QUICHE, QUICHE, QUICHE! One of the simplest and most popular dishes of French cuisine is quiche. It never goes out of fashion. At the end of the summer, quiche is in the spotlight at Gerlóczy. There’s one with beetroot and goat cheese, with asparagus and salmon, with cucumber, butter squash, tomato, meat… See what quiche is on the menu right now at Gerlóczy!
POP UP NEIGHBOURS In October comes the Open Stores Festival, the joint project of KÉK and the Council of Budapest that aims to utilize vacant retail spaces in the city centre. Gerlóczy will have exciting new neighbours fro a month. On your way to or from ours, make sure you pop in for a visit!
BALKÁN TANGO: THEY DO IT WITH RUBBER The creative mind behind Balkantango is a Turkish born Hungarian designer Füsun Ipek. With her partner they create eco-conscious items. They’ve recycled used bicycle inner tubes since 2006 under the Balkantango brand. With their ever growing collections they’re expanding the limits of recycling. The original stains and patterns on the tubes make their extra long-lasting products truly unique. Their work saves the planet from the waste of 20 bike shops. It’s important for them to know the bicycle culture of Budapest and to support the cyclist community. Velofetish, Balkantango’s spring exhibition in Berlin presented contemporary Hungarian urban bicycle culture. The Berlin shopwindow >>
CÓKMÓK: FOR GRABS CÓKMÓK is a special backpack because we give the counterpart of every purchased item to a child in state care. Children can carry their precious treasures and souvenirs with them, thus CÓKMÓK gives kids a sense of homeliness and continuity. This is especially important for children who are forced to leave their families and when they drift from one foster home to another. Lakatlan Fesztivál (Inhabited Festival) welcomes visitors to an open CÓKAMÓKA event every weekend. You can learn more about the initiative, participate in creative games, and meet and play together with the growing community of CÓKAMÓK children. Backpacks are sold on the spot and at www.cokmok.org.
Meet them in the pop-up store next door in October.
Coming soon...
... GERLÓCZY TURNS 10 IN NOVEMBER WE’RE PLANNING SOMETHING. AND YOU?
CORAZÓN DE CUADRIL WITH LOVE FROM URUGUAY The heart of sirloin, that is Corazón de Cuadril, is the middle, most valuable part of sirloin. It arrives at Gerlóczy straight from Uruguay, without ever having seen the inside of a freezer. It’s vacuum packaged straight after the slaughter, then matured at 4 to 5 C°. That makes it so extraordinary. It is what the Beef sirloin with garlic butter and potatoes fried in goose lard is made from. Give it a try!.
SPEND WITH US!
STORY MOMENTS:
Michael Wincott stayed at Gerlóczy for two weeks in August. ’In the picture, he’s just said yes to our interview request. Insider: (parental advisory) On the fifth day, he was stung by a bee, so he moved to a different room. Cool: He has his morning coffee sent to his room but he himself serves a coffee to Bogi, the receptionist, every day. Confession: We love him!
ANNYWERSARY, CLASS REUNION, WEDDING DINNER, BIRTHDAY, PRESS CONFERENCE... Contact our restaurant manager András Kákonyi at: rendezveny @gerloczy.hu
OUR REGULARS ARE AT IT AGAIN This time it was our regulars András Beliczay and Katalin Fülöp who got married. Some of their wedding photos were taken at Gerlóczy. We wish them every happiness!
photo: Judit Laborci
ZSÓFI BITTÓ - Tour Guide ---->
SECRETS OF BUDAPEST IV. REFRESHING WATER It’s scorching summer, autumn is showing no signs of coming anytime soon, so let’s take a plunge! It shouldn’t be a problem in Budapest. Since the Romans, we discover life-giving, healing, refreshing water over and over again. Whenever we’re stuck in the city in this heat, coming across a drinking fountain is a delight. Yes, they still exist, and there’s even a drinking fountain map available online at google. « GOOGLE MAPS - ‘ Budapesti ivókutak ’
In Szabadság Square there’s a small marble drinking fountain by the interactive fountain. It depicts a scene with ladies, gentlemen and a sapling. This is the spot where Count Széchenyi’s wife planted a tree to set up a park in the dusty old Pest of the time... Also, although it’s not a drinking fountain per se, Uncle Elek’s tiny well is a treasure to behold. This piece of rock with a small lizard on it pays tribute to the “great storyteller” and journalist Elek Benedek. If you step on the “button” on the ground the water starts trickling.
Fancy hearing more interesting stories about the city? Join a „Fabulous Budapest” tour! Visit the front desk for details.
Storiesfromthebarcabinet WHISKY MEETS MEAT MANY PEOPLE ARE SCEPTICAL ABOUT THE IDEA OF PAIRING WHISKY AND FOOD, ALTHOUGH WINE AND BEER HAVE ACCOMPANIED CERTAIN FOODS FOR CENTURIES. Many people are sceptical about the idea of pairing whisky and food, although wine and beer have accompanied certain foods for centuries. One of the reasons for that is in countries where whisky is a popular beverage, such as Scotland, whisky used to be the drink of the poor. They didn’t necessarily paired it with food; and the upper classes had Bordeaux wine or rum punch with meals. Whisky wasn’t used as a seasoning either, as cooking with whisky was regarded sacrilegious. Also, the harsh aromas of Scotch deterred many from experimenting. Therefore, apart from haggis with a splash of whisky and two desserts (cranachan and trifle) whisky isn’t really widespread in traditional cooking. Today, however, we’re witnessing a change in perception: more and more people think to enhance the flavours and harmonies through cooking with whiskey or pairing food and whisky. Chefs all around the world are experimenting with whisky dishes. In Kentucky, for example, a new cuisine based on bourbon has already emerged. So let’s take a look at how we can pair food and whisky. Whiskies go as well with dishes as wine does; some compare bourbon cask maturations to white wine, and sherry maturations to red. However, we must limit our imagination somewhat when it comes to pairings. A balance must be found between the competing tastes so that neither overcomes but complements the other. Here are some tips for when you’re at Gerlóczy: - A fresh Lowlander (e.g. Glenkinchie, Auchentoshan) goes very well with a light fish. Similarly, lighter, fruitier Japanese whiskies, such as Nikka From The Barrel, are perfect with tuna or salmon dishes. Sweeter bourbon maturations with a hint of vanilla (Jameson, Arran and even Johnnie Walker Black) complement seafood and mussels. - Spicy dishes should be counterbalanced with sweet drinks (Arran Amarone, Glenfarclas, Blanton’s Green and Knob Creek), while acidic whiskies (Old Pulteney, Yoichi) have a good influence on sweet dishes. - Drinks with medium body (Redbreast, Old Pulteney, Arran, Yoichi) best suit grilled meats. - Fuller, more aromatic pieces we recommend with beef or duck. Try bourbon (Blanton’s Green, Knob Creek) with steaks, or a sherry, spicy single malt (Kavalan Solist, Springbank). - Smokey whiskies can accompany many other things, such as ham, salami, meatloaf, chevapchichi, chicken filled with smoked cheese, lamb meatballs, and strong Indian dishes. Naturally, these are only recommendations that might serve as a compass for our gut feeling. Enjoy! www.whiskynet.hu
WINE FOR THE LAST OF THIS SUMMER This hárslevelû from the Kikelet Winery is an exceptional dry white wine from Tokaj, with only 1200 bottles produced. It’s a loyal friend and perfect company for warm nights spent on the terrace at the end of the summer. Enjoy it while stocks last!
Kikelet Hárslevelû 2012- Kikelet Winery, Tokaj 5-hectare family-owned artisan winery, 40-year-old plantation. Honey aroma, vibrant acids, crystal clear, sophisticated, laidback character.
GERLÓCZY:Café with rooms There are many exciting people staying in Gerlóczy from all over the world. Who are they? In each issue, we introduce one of them...
VOJVODINA - USA - KAPOSVÁR AXIS ÉVA VÉKÁS IS A HUNGARIAN FROM VOJVODINA (IN NORTHERN SERBIA) WHO LIVED IN THE U.S. FOR TWENTY YEARS. WHEN SHE RETURNED, SHE SETTLED IN KAPOSVÁR. SHE LIKED IT THERE, FOUND NEW FRIENDS AND A NEW HOME THERE. WHENEVER SHE’S IN PEST, SHE CHOOSES GERLÓCZY. FOR A LONG TIME SHE WORKED AS AN INTERPRETER IN THE TASZÁR ARMY BASE. What’s your most interesting memory from that time? I have a lot of memories from the 11 years I spent with soldiers. Hopefully, my next book will be a collection of those. The most exciting experience of interpreting is that we can avoid all misunderstandings through the conscious respect for words. How often do you travel to Budapest? Why did you choose Gerlóczy Rooms de Luxe? After Taszár I was transferred to Sarajevo and later to Pristina, the central base of NATO. I grabbed every chance to fly to Budapest. One night, sometime in 2005, the sound of a harp allured me to Gerlóczy. The first floor was being built then, there was no lift, but it had ambience to the brim. I’ve been a regular ever since. Do you like small romantic hotels? Hiltons, Marriotts keep their style regardless of locations. Is there another Gerlóczy somewhere? As far as I know, you’re interested in graphology. What do you look for in a handwritten letter? I’m not good at graphology, but I was interested in what an expert might say about letters written 200 years ago. Graphology may disappear if penmanship and handwriting are not taught, practiced, and used. How did you use your experiences in your book? Kézírások (Handwritings) was supposed to be a documentary, but my filmmaker friend Zoli Apró got sick. He took the photos that illustrate the book during our scouting expedition, fortunately. Both of us had previous experience in filmmaking. After Zoltán’s death, everything was hidden in a drawer. Then I sat down to do it. I read it somewhere that all of us have sufficient experience for a first book. If it’s enough for a follow-up, that’s another conversation, I hope.
ARE Y OUR F OREIG BUSIN N ESS PA RTNER COMIN S G T O TOWN Sleep ? them in Ger lóczy! Reser +36 8 vation at 0 102 toll fre 6 e num 00 ber.
The rooms rates are: WITH FREE WIFI AND FREE IN ROOM MINIBAR WITH DAILY REFILL!
standard room for two: 95 euro/room/night+ 12 for Breakfast /each Attic room for two: 80 euro/room/night+ 12 for Breakfast /each Balcony room: 95 euro/room/night+ 12 for Breakfast /each + 15 euro balcony charge Address: Gerlóczy Rooms deLux 1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy u. 1 - above Gerlóczy Café IMPRESSUM: Contributors: Regina Bruckner, Eszter Szegô, Tamás T. Nagy, Zsófi Bittó English Editor: Aranka Szabó Design/Photo: Péter Flanek , Judit Laborci Printed by: Intruder --- e-mail: marketing@gerloczy.hu Published in 1500 copies by Gerlóczy Kávéház Kft., 1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy utca 1. --- Open: all days 7am - 11pm