BOOK - HOW HUNGARIAN WOMEN COOK

COOKING TO PIANO ACCOMPANIMENT

As a child, she enjoyed helping in her grandmother's and mother's kitchen, but her interest in gastronomy only began as an adult. Violet is now not only a lover of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, but she can also prepare it with the joy of creating it. The pianist believes that what one does should not be done for its own sake, but with complete love, with the art of giving.

TASTES OF CHILDHOOD

- What tastes do you remember from your childhood?

- I grew up in the Hajdúság and in summer I liked to help my maternal grandmother's house, where she had a poultry yard and some vegetable garden. I always looked forward to feeding the animals, I had my own job to do. But there was always something to do in the garden besides weeding or picking crops. I still remember the smell and the unmistakable taste of sourdough bread and scones baking in the oven! I remember my grandmother's movements as she kneaded the bread, and I remember the way she made the delicious loaf. But for me it is an everlasting memory of my grandfather cooking slambuc in the garden in a kettle, and when it was ready, the family would sit around it, talking and enjoying a delicious spoonful... This tradition was later adopted by my father.

But I also remember the family get-togethers at my godmother's house, where we could taste the experience of stuffing sausages and cooking sauerkraut. But the best part of the day was when everyone in the family was together, everyone had a job to do, and we could play and eat together as children.

Every Christmas at my grandmother's house, the menu was duck soup with homemade snail noodles, garlic-studded oven-roasted duck with steamed red cabbage and mashed potatoes. Of course, the classic poppy-seed and walnut bejgli was not missing here either, nor was the brioche! My mother later adopted this pattern and I am proud that she has carried on this tradition and I will continue it. My mother is a very good cook, one of her specialities when I was a child was pigeon soup, and almost every weekend she would treat us to some wonderful cake.

She and my father often cooked together, and the hajdúsági toroskáposztas, or slambuc, was deliciously prepared.

Today, at Christmas time, we have a similar menu to my grandmother's or my mother's, except that instead of duck soup, I prepare roast foie gras with orange reduction and fresh figs as a starter, and roast duck is prepared according to my grandmother's and great-grandmother's recipe with steamed red cabbage and creamy mashed potatoes. In addition to the bejglik, my daughter Esther and I bake and decorate the honey cake cakes together.

COOKING EXPERIENCES

No matter how much I helped my grandparents or my parents prepare food, for a long time I had no motivation to learn how to cook. From the age of six I was only interested in playing the piano, so I learned to cook as an adult with the help of my mother. But when I started cooking, I always regretted taking the time to cook, so I thought of doing the two together. I would prepare the ingredients, put on a stew or stuffed cabbage, put it on reserve, and have a good practice session while I was at it! ... Those few hours at the piano flew by!... So unfortunately, it was often the case that the food burned or got burnt. I managed to "save" it a few times, but most of the time it burned and my husband always noticed.

Nowadays I have changed this habit to the extent that I only sit at the piano while cooking when I am baking or steaming something for at least 2-3 hours, but only in the oven, covered with foil! But I set the timer and look at it, turn it over and don't leave the food alone. That way I can get a good workout in and the food is cooked, which is always good.

EXPERIENCES ABROAD

When travelling in many countries, I always looked forward to tasting the local specialities. For me, Mediterranean cuisine and Asian, Far Eastern cuisine are close to my heart. It is important to me that not only the food should look, taste and have the right character, but that healthy eating should also be dominant at the same time. So both cuisines meet these requirements perfectly, and I am happy to prepare them here at home.

What does gastronomy mean to you?

For me, gastronomy is a special experience, a way of being together that harmonises and strengthens human relationships at family and friendship level. Only gastronomy can do that! I also think it is important that the food I prepare is always prepared with love and care. Because I believe that this is reflected in the food - like in a good wine - and sends a message to the taster. My husband and I also have the philosophy that "it is good to be together and to eat together."

HOBBY-GOALS-ARS POETICA

Creativity plays an important role in my life: I am grateful that playing the piano and composing is not only my job but also my hobby. I also enjoy sewing and designing for the family. I even make some of the clothes I wear when I perform, although in recent years our daughter Eszter - who has become a fashion designer - has surprised me with a special piece.

I've also got another creative job that I've really loved. I am often the food stylist for the food photography in our gastronomy books. It's a serious profession, it requires constant learning and development. I design food compositions, I'm inspired by the different moods and styles of food, decorating plates and utensils.

I am also very interested in health and prevention. I am very inspired when people ask me for nutritional and health advice and help based on my decades of experience. I feel I have become a bit of an example . I 'heal with my heart' My philosophy is; 'to grow old healthy', to keep our youthfulness, positive thinking and to do everything possible to achieve this.

Creativity has been with me all my life, it excites me, it fires me up. Whether it's playing the piano, cooking, sewing clothes, or thinking and passing on health consciousness, even preparing different food compositions, it's a means to give something, to give something with love.

"Without love there is no life worth living."

Crystal melodies in the hour of tranquillity

A conversation with Gáborriel Őszy-Tóth, creator of the design piano and producer of Violet Production

Gentlemen's CHOICE: Why did you think that the world could no longer exist without design piano?

Gábriel Őszy-Tóth: We didn't think about it, it was an intuition that came on its own, following an idea. Violet's passion for music has always been there, and now, after many years of music-making in the opera house, we have found a new way to offer people a special audiovisual experience, and the plexiglass design piano is an excellent companion. Everything in the world is about innovation, in fashion, gastronomy and interior design, and the same is true for music and musical instruments. The design piano is a unique experience, both in terms of sight and sound: we wanted to create a new instrument that would make people aware of music and instruments, including the piano. Violet has already performed abroad with the design piano and we have further invitations. We were looking for a way to make the piano portable.

G.C.: Do you think there's still interest in a broader spectrum of sophisticated music?

Gabriel: Unfortunately, the noise of television and radio has become a permanent feature of Hungarian homes, while musical instruments have been pushed out of our lives. We spend less and less time listening to and playing music, even though we know the important stress-relieving effects of music. Of course, this is not to say that every household should have a designer piano, but rather to raise awareness of the use of musical instruments. By the way, Violet rewrites classical pieces and opera melodies in a special, light-hearted way, as well as world hits, and we are even planning to release a CD of her own compositions for Christmas.

G.C.: Is this design piano exclusively for Violet?

Gabriel: For now, yes. Violet, the instrument and the unique audiovisual concert concept are a unified whole, which we have already presented successfully in Vienna and in Budapest on a special catamaran boat. Our concept is that the Violet Production is different from the usual classical music performances, but it is not bar music either; we want to create a relaxed atmosphere where people can chat and have a champagne with their friends and business partners while enjoying the music. This unique performance was first presented to the public at the Sports Arena, where Violet played the piano in front of thirteen thousand people, twelve metres in the air, in a unique way.

G.C.: Who do you recommend this special performance to?

GABRIEL: We have been invited to weddings where Violet played well-known world hits and her own compositions. We have several specials in the pipeline: one is the Violet Salon, an exclusive venue where once a month Violet will perform her latest compositions and musical arrangements, accompanied by a special wine tasting and cocktail dinner. We would like to bring back the experience of the old salons for up to 100 people, which we particularly recommend to company executives, as it can be a pleasant gift experience for colleagues or partners: an unforgettable hour of tranqullity.

THE HOUR OF TRANQULLITY

Violet is very happy these days: both because she gets to play a lot on the world's only Design Piano, which was designed for her, and because she has the world's "Mini Kitchen".

And why does he play the piano for hours on end in complete tranquillity? Because he knows that with the Thermomix mini-kitchen, he can prepare lunch in minutes, without having to spend hours in the kitchen to get delicious meals on the table. This has been especially important for her lately, as her CD recording sessions have kept her busy most of the day, leaving her little time for her favourite hobby, cooking. But he has grown so fond of the Thermomix that he even takes it on tour with him from time to time, where he performs songs from his new CD Love Stories. One of his special recipes is a prawn and cheese cream, which he says is the ideal accompaniment to a glass of fine rosé wine. Because Violet is an expert taster of fine wines, she and her partner have visited more than 250 wineries in the last few years and together they are writing a series of gastronomic books called "This is how they cook...", the latest volume of which will be published this Christmas, "This is how handball players cook".

SHRIMP AND CHEESE CREAM

Ingredients:

150 g prawns, 50 g butter, 100 g cow's curd, 50 g trappist cheese, 50 g spreadable macaroni cheese, 50 g emental cheese, 50 g natural knot cheese, 2 dl sour cream, 3 cloves garlic, 1 lemon, parsley greens , a little salt, pepper

Preparation:

Sauté the prawns in butter and when cool, blend with the cow's milk, cheese and crushed garlic. Then mix the cream with the butter, drizzle in the juice of half a lemon, season with salt and pepper and finally adjust the consistency with the sour cream. Serve it on hot toast or fresh homemade bread, topped with a lemon wedge and fresh parsley leaves.