We’ve got mail; the 700^th MENÜ is ours! This is the first Hungarian community cookbook. It tells the story of the gastro culture of Budapest through 22 personal stories and dozens of recipes. We love the ingredients of the recipes and just cannot wait to try them out, even though there will be one ingredient which is hard to find outside of Hungary.

The fabric cover foretells about the special content, and even the weight of the book certifies it is truly a coffee-table book. Probably won’t even risk to bring it to the kitchen to have stains all over on it.

Every copy is numbered and marked. Out of the thousand copies we own now the 700^th. The authors of the book were constantly visiting friends for three months and tried to improvise. They looked up people who are working on the development and creation of nowadays gastro culture in Budapest.

Actually it’s not even a cookbook. It’s more a portrait collection linked to recipes. Texts written by Kamilla Mihály, graphics designed by Eszter Laki and the photos by Balázs Glódi.

Every chapter starts with a portrait, from which we can get to know the professional or amateur chef. The stories behind the recipes and persons are fun and often thought provoking. And if you like any of the characters can always look them up on Facebook or follow their blogs online. Through the chapters you will find yourself at different places in the country, at lake Balaton or suddenly on the streets of the Jewish district in the heart of Budapest.

Most of the recipes are brilliant! They are all handpicked by the characters and usually doesn’t require fancy tools or extremely exotic ingredients which is often the case with cookbooks. And for not Hungarians all the recipes are translated into English.

There is maybe only one recipe which can cause some headache. That’s the deep fried “Túró Rudi” with caramelized pear. “Túró Rudi” is a Hungarian traditional and popular treat. So you may have to run some circles in Budapest to find the freshest seafish, or the sweetest pomegranate but you have absolutely no chance of getting a good old “Túró Rudi” in Holland.

“Túró Rudi” is a sweet bar with a slight lemony aroma covered with pure dark chocolate. It is something similar for Hungarian children as hagelslag- chocolate sprinkles for the Dutch kids. No one can grow up without it and no one can grow out of it. Although as experience shows it, only Hungarians love it, nowhere else you can find it. Thanks to some visiting friends and family we always have some in our fridge.

It is truly exciting in the book that often photos do not associate with the actual food or recipe. It gives extra depth and feelings and a nice atmosphere to every dish and story. The book is almost too perfect. It is impossible to look it through for one sitting but great to get some atmosphere, fun and inspiration from it every now and then.

The limited edition of a thousand copies guarantee the uniqueness of the book. It has been already sold out and now everyone is looking forward to hear about the continuation.

We already chose the first recipe to make, or should I say the first to start with?

Thank you very much for the surprise Ákos!

Further information on the website of MENÜ, with more recipes and some behind the scenes extras on their Facebook page. Original photos made by Balázs Glódi, Publisher: Fenyerzekeny Kft.