Growing up in Queens, Elissa Bliss (far right in photo above) danced the Hungarian Csárdás with her sister and aunt. Later, they became a singing trio called the Vale Sisters and performed for troops. "It was a time in my life I thoroughly enjoyed!" says Elissa. Grandma Josephine (pictured below) showed Elissa the ways of Hungarian home-cooking.
Elissa Bliss grew up in a rambling colonial house shared with her mom, grandparents, twin sister, aunt, brother and a boarder in a Hungarian neighborhood in Queens, New York. “My childhood was filled with love of family, great food and music passed on by my Hungarian grandparents,” says Elissa. “I always felt being Hungarian was special.”
Her backyard was home to fruit trees and a chicken coop, the direct source for Grandma’s delectable Chicken Goulash (scroll down to find the recipe below). Grandma Josephine was born in a small village near Budapest in 1897. Her father was a shoemaker, but, as the story goes, Josephine had no shoes. As the oldest of 19 children, she did the cooking, although sometimes there was only bread and milk to feed the family.
Josephine arrived in New York City in 1911 and married when she was 17. “My grandmother was a person to emulate,” says Elissa. “She brought to America her creative ability for Hungarian cooking. Meals were always a delight! We enjoyed foods like stuffed peppers and cabbage, spaetzles and goulashes, always with
“Grandma was known for her strudel. The recipe goes on for pages. I don't know anybody on earth who would make it today!” The dough, which had to be paper thin, covered the entire kitchen table before she rolled it with a filling of apples and nuts. “When it came out of the oven, my grandmother called everyone in the family and said, ‘I made strudel today, come over!’”
On Sunday afternoons Hungarian neighbors joined Elissa’s family in a picnic area in their backyard where her grandfather had constructed a bocce court. Elissa, her twin sister Elaine, and their Aunt Velma (a year and a half older) entertained the group with singing and dancing. Everyone danced the csárdás, a traditional Hungarian folk dance with turns and skirt twirls by the women and jumps, knee bends and heel stomps from the men. “No one taught us, we just knew the steps. Every Hungarian dancer did.”
As teenagers, Elissa, Elaine and Aunt Velma took their talents on the road as a professional singing trio, with a mellow harmony modeled after the Dinning Sisters of the 1940s.
“We hooked up with someone from the USO [United Service Organizations] and he enlisted our services to entertain the troops.” The trio performed for GIs on ships along the East Coast and at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Later, they sang in nightclubs and at summer resorts in the Catskill Mountains. “We dressed alike in evening gowns. All the whistling the men would do!” laughs Elissa.
Since the 1960s, Elissa has lived in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, still following Grandma Josephine’s nurturing example. “I delight in cooking for family and friends and people at church. My church runs an ‘overcomers program’ for people who need to change things in their life.”
A comforting bowl of authentic Hungarian goulash seems just the right place to start.
Elissa shares, "This dish goes well with pot roast, pork roast or roasted chicken."
Chop up the cabbage very fine. Set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened. Add the flour and brown slightly, stirring constantly. Add the PAPRIKA, smaller amounts of salt and PEPEPR and CARAWAY SEED (if using), and stir until smooth. Add the tomato juice and cabbage, cover and cook until crisp tender, 20-30 minutes depending on how large the cabbage is. Taste and add remaining salt and PEPPER as desired.
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Nutritional Information: Servings 8;
Serving Size 1/2 cup (128g); Calories 60; Calories from fat 25; Total fat 3g; Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 160mg; Carbohydrate 8g; Dietary Fiber 3g.
Elissa writes, "This recipe is part of my Hungarian heritage, always one of the family favorites. My grandmother came from a small village near Budapest, Hungary in the early 1900's. She brought to America her creative ability for Hungarian cooking. She was well known for her strudels, spaetzels, stuffed cabbage and goulashes to name a few delicacies. My grandmother was a person to emulate. I grew up in this wonderful environment. Meals were always a delight! I always felt that being Hungarian was something special."
In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken and brown lightly on both sides. Add the onion, green pepper, tomato, potato (if desired), salt, PEPPER and PAPRIKA. Add the water and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour for bone-in chicken, 20-30 minutes for boneless breasts. Stir in the sour cream.
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40-70 minutes
Serves: 6
Nutritional Information: Servings 6;
Serving Size 1 cup (297g); Calories 300; Calories from fat 60; Total fat 6g; Cholesterol 125mg; Sodium 500mg; Carbohydrate 12g; Dietary Fiber 2g.
These beans have a wonderful sweet-sour flavor and pair nicely with roasted chicken or pork chops.
Wash the beans and snap off the stem ends. Place the beans in a saucepan. Cover with the water. Add the salt and PEPPER and cook until crisp-tender, 6-8 minutes. Do not drain. In a small frying pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the PAPRIKA and flour. Mix well. Add the beans with the water they cooked in and mix well. Add the vinegar and sugar and stir to combine. Add the sour cream, mix well and serve.
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Nutritional Information: Servings 8;
Serving Size 1/2 cup (82g); Calories 45; Calories from fat 25; Total fat 2.5g; Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 95mg; Carbohydrate 5g; Dietary Fiber 2g.
