Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (2024)

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Posted by guest contributor

Guest Post By Claudia Heilter, former news producer, mother of Arlo, 6 and Lois, 4.

I’ve been wracking my brains on ways to pass alongmy Hungarian roots to my children. I speak the language but found it a bit too tricky to teach them. Myhusband doesn’t speak it and my parents live 2,000 miles away in Western Canada. It only dawned on me recently thatit might be easier to passalong the family history not through the language, but through the food. Hungarian cuisine isso flavorful that it’s world-renowned. It’s quite kid-friendly too because most of itqualifies as comfort food: goulash soup, paprikas chicken, palacsinta (crepes) and galuska dumplings (instant homemade noodles). The only problem is, I can’t cook. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for 6 years and the learning curve, for me, has provedtoo steep. I thrived working inthe high-pressure, cut-throat environment of networknews. But ask me to follow a simple recipe and it’s like my brain goes cross-eyed.

Mykids love the buttery, bite-sized Hungarian cheese biscuits called pogacsa (po-gah-tcha) —a treat my mother makesevery time we visit myparents. (You can’t be Hungarian and not have put your personal stamp on a pogacsa recipe.) Arlo and Loisbegtheir grandmotherto send them some instead of having to wait until ourbi-annualvisits. But by the time the pogacsa wouldtravel the two weeks and go through Customs (ifit even got through Customs), they’d undoubtedly be stale. So I thought, Hey! I’ll just make them myself! What a great way to pass along some part of my family history. But as soon as my motherstarted to explainthe measurements in terms of“it needs a little bit of this and a little touch of that” I thought to myself: Doomed. If I can’t work with actual measurements, I certainly wasn’t going to be able to go by feel. Now what? What I would have done in my producer days: Find an expert!

I admit I’m a bit embarrassed to be outsourcing my heritage. My friend and neighbor,LoriWalsh, though not Hungarian, is a gifted baker. And in this case that seems to bethe more importantcriteria.She already bakes bread forus weekly andother yummy snacks and desserts, too, through her business Yum! So why not this? Iconnected her withmy mom(it seemed best to cut out the middleman), and we were in business.

Until the day comes that my mother teaches me her way, delegatingthisold-world tradition will have to be my modern-day stamp on the pogacsa recipe. In the meantime, there’s a little taste of Hungary, and a lovely (mess-free) reminder of my family, anytime we want.

Agi’s Pogacsa (Cheese Biscuits)
Developed for Claudia by Lori Walsh, Yum! (walshle@optonline.net)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon yeast (dry active)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (cold, cut into small pieces)
1/2 small boiled and mashed baking potato
4 ounces sour cream
1 egg yolk
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt and yeast
2. Mix the butter into the flour mixture on low speed until butter pieces are about the size of peas. Add the mashed potato to the flour-butter mixture. Mix until combined.
3. Mix the sour cream and egg yolk in a measuring cup until combined. Add to the flour mix and mix and low speed until it comes together.
4. Add the cheese to the dough and mix until combined. With well-floured hands, give it a few kneads.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest 2 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 400°F.
7. Divide the dough into two pieces. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough until 1/2-inch thick. Make thin horizontal and vertical cuts about 1/4 inch apart in a cross hatch pattern.
8. Cut out circles using a 1-inch round cookie cutter. (Re-use scraps by re-rolling and cutting.)
9. Bake in middle rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Jo Etvagyat!

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17 Comments

Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (4) MemeGRL

My mother’s signature dish was her macaroni and cheese, for which she made the roux and the whole nine yards. Despite years of practice, I was never able to replicate it, and started branching out and finding other recipes until I found one I also loved but without all the work and disappointment over it being not quite the same. Adapting family food traditions is a beautiful thing–thanks for sharing these!

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (5) Amanda

Those sound so good! Sadly we are in the middle of an oddly timed heat wave out here in San Francisco so all oven-related projects are being put aside for now. But I have it filed for fall to eat with some chowder or minestrone. Thank you for sharing!

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (6) eemusings

Oh wow, I couldn’t agree more. I’m definitely not in touch with my culture – and while my folks are quite traditional and conservative, I think their culture shows through more in their morals than, I don’t know, any rituals and practices they might have.

But food! Yes, food, I think, is the best way to retain culture. It makes me a little sad that I can’t recreate all of the foods that remind me of childhood.

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (7) Debbie Sullivan

I just purchased your cookbook, “time for dinner” and I had to comment on how much I LOVE it. The recipes are wonderful. As a mom of three grown children, I wish I’d had this 15 years ago, but purchased it because your (newly discovered from the article in Whole Living) web ideas were so wonderful, I knew I could find quick things to make that were healthy and tasty, even it if is just my husband and myself, or if the kids come by, I can come up with something. Not everyone has the gift to come up with something on the fly. I love the section in the book where you use what you have. You have eggs………., you have canned tomatoes……with three different ideas, inspiring!!!! Instead of just standing there peering into my pantry and ending up eating a bowl of cereal I can actually cook something. Thank you and will you post the recipe for Grama Turano’s meatballs sometime. Please.
God Bless.
DebS

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (8) Jan (Family Bites)

Great post! These biscuits sound delicious and this seems like a wonderful way to share your roots with your kids.

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (9) Jennifer M

Oh. my. goodness! My Memaw used to make these (along with the BEST Hungarian goulash) and this brought back such amazing memories! (My family immigrated from Bohemia in the late 1800s.) I’m going to have to look up her recipe and see how similar/different they are. Thanks for posting this!

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (10) Claudia Heitler

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I enjoyed reading them. Much appreciated! And thanks, Jenny! Claudia

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (11) Andras

Hi Jenny,
I can only applaud the appearance of Hungarian recipes on DALS, and these pogacsa look very tasty indeed. One hair-splitting clarification. These pogacsa are slightly smaller than the standard issue pogacsa of my misspent youth in Budapest. Lately, in fact, a regrettable super sizing tendency in Hungary has resulted in giant pogacsa mutants served in many establishments. These mini-pogacsa are properly classified as “aprosutemeny”, or “mini baked goods” offered at Hungarian pastry shops. They are served as an afternoon snack. I would love to get my hands on a batch myself.

1

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (12) hotels in shimla

I believe you have made many truly interesting points. Not too many people would really think about it the direction you just did. I am truly impressed that there is so much about this subject that has been uncovered and you did it so nicely

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (13) Eva

I love pogacsa.Unfortunately I haven’t been able to enjoy them since I left Hungary in the early 1980s.I cook and bake lots of Hungarian dishes but I never watched my Mother make these when I was a kid,I just scarfed them down when they were done.She made lots of varieties too,adding and changing the ingredients.I distinctly remember pogacsa made with bacon.Thank you very much for the recipe.I will be trying it out soon.

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (14) Anu

I tried this recipe yesterday and they taste delicious. Just one clarification, how is the texture of the biscuit supposed to be like? Soft and chewy or crisp and slightly crumbly? Mine were slightly crunchy when they came out of the oven and are now soft and chewy (yet delicious!) the morning after although I stored them in an air tight container.

Anu

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (15) Heather

Oh I LOVE pogacsa! My Hungarian grandma has tried to tell me how to make them, but the recipe is in her head and she does not use measurements. I’m like you, Claudia; I can’t cook either, which to my grandma’s generation is akin to sacrilege. 😉 But I will try this and see if I can get it right.

Oh, also, my grandma says she uses a shot glass to cut out the dough, and that novelty is my favorite part. 🙂

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (16) Rebecca

Can’t wait to make these! I know my kids are going to LOVE them.

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (17) Barbara

My grandmother made shortbread-like cookies that she called pogascas. It’s a simple dough made with lots of flour(6 cups), margarine, egg yolks,sugar, and orange and lemon juices. I only learned as an adult that they looked like biscuits so she called them pogascas! I miss her and her wonderful cooking!

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (18) Andera Szalay

Hi.

Thanks for posting this. It’s been a million years since I’ve had pogacsa. Do you know if these freeze well?

Thanks!

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (19) Carolyn Winter

Thanks so much for your recipe…. i am going to try it out. It sounds like something from my forgotten past!

My grandparents immigrated from Hungary in the 1920’s. As a child i spent many days in her kitchen watching her fling things together for a marvelous meal or baked good. Cups of flour were measured by hand. Back then it seemed so effortless but as an adult today- I too would need to have a structured recipe for some of her delicacies … cabbage strudel being a favorite or her fried potato pancakes 2″ wide and served with jam (i can no longer pronounce the german/hungarian name for them).

With appreciation

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Outsourcing the Family Recipe - Dinner: A Love Story (2024)

FAQs

How to make family recipe book? ›

How to make a recipe book with your family.
  1. Brainstorm family recipes. Think of some of your favorite recipes that you loved growing up. ...
  2. Collect the recipes from relatives. ...
  3. Curate the collection and write them up. ...
  4. Design or find a consistent format. ...
  5. Cook (and take pictures).

Why are family recipes important? ›

Preserving your family's recipes is about more than just preserving food; it's about preserving your family's identity, history, traditions and culture. It's a way to pass down love and knowledge to future generations as a family heirloom.

Can anyone publish a recipe book? ›

Copyright can protect a published recipe in the way it's written, but not the way it's made. So, as long as you create your own versions of the recipes by rewriting them with your descriptions of how to make each, and you use your own images, yes, you can publish them in a cookbook.

How do I get my recipe book published? ›

The Cookbook Publishing Process
  1. Come up with a cookbook idea.
  2. Find a literary agent to represent you and your idea.
  3. Write your idea into a cookbook proposal.
  4. Shop the proposal around to different publishers.
  5. Have an auction.
  6. Review options and accept a bid.
  7. Write the book.
Oct 14, 2019

Why families should have a meal together everyday? ›

Regular family dinners are associated with lower rates of depression, and anxiety, and substance abuse, and eating disorders, and tobacco use, and early teenage pregnancy, and higher rates of resilience and higher self esteem.

Why do restaurants do family meal? ›

A family meal sets aside uninterrupted time for the entire team to come together and get to know one another before or after a demanding service, where the whole team works together to create a stellar customer experience.

Why is it important to pass down family recipes? ›

Your family food specialties and special traditions that started many generations ago continue to become richer over the years, as each generation has added their special touch and their part of the history. Sharing recipes and traditions gives you a good window into your family's own unique and rich history.

How many recipes should be in a family cookbook? ›

The standard expectation is that a cookbook should have between 70 and 100 recipes, but larger compendiums have at least 200.

What should be included in a family cookbook? ›

Selection: Gather family recipes & the stories.

Share your memories, sitting at her kitchen table looking out at the garden, or the dog that always sat under the table. Give the recipe personality, but also mention how it looks, the flavors and colors, and what to serve with it.

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