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I enjoyed many things about Hungary,
the elegant coffee shops, (this one is Hadik Kavehaz) |
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| The gorgeous churches |
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| and beautiful squares |
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Even Nagycsarnok (The Great Market Hall) was
covered in colorful Zsolnay tiling. |
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Nagycsarnok consists of three floors of product. The locals buy fresh meat, cheeses and produce.
The tourists come to brouse and buy cashmire shawls, linens, leather goods and papricka. |
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I miss the bread. It's incredible crispy crust and tender crumb made it perfect for breakfast toast or a sandwich at lunch.
It's made fresh every day with no preservatives, or packaging for that matter. They just slap a sticker on it and sell it. |
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| Beautiful produce! |
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| Hungarian's love pork. They make the best bacon I've ever had. |
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My least favorite thing in the grocery store were these
lovelies. I think they use them for stock, but I can't get
past the nails. |
The Hungarians also make delicious wines and chocolates. We had some of the leanest, most flavorful bacon I've ever had so I made my favorite low calorie soups, BACON CORN CHOWDER when the kids wanted a little taste of home.
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Add the olive oil, onion and jalapeno. Saute about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.
Sprinkle flour over the mixture in the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. |
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Add chopped, cooked bacon. (When I'm at
home I use a package of Hormel Real Bacon Bits) |
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Put the chicken broth, 1 bag of corn and 3 cups of milk in a stockpot.
Using a stick blender, puree until smooth.
Use a spoon to stir in the other bag of corn and add the bacon-onion mixture.
If thinner chowder is desired, add one cup (or more) of milk. |
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Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until chowder is hot and thick. |
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| Serve with tortilla chips and a salad. |
Here is the recipe I usually use. I had to adapt it because I couldn't get jalapenos. I brought some canned chilies in my suitcase and substituted them. It worked out well for my daughter who does not care for spicy food. Plenty of fresh and frozen vegetables are available in Hungary, but not many canned. I used frozen corn. I didn't have a blender so I left the corn whole. It tasted fine, but not as creamy as I might have like.
Bacon-Jalapeno
Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
2 ( 16 oz.) bags frozen corn (divided use)
2 slices
center-cut bacon, chopped into quarter-inch pieces
1 tablespoon
olive oil
1 cup
chopped onion
1 jalapeno
pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon
flour
1 cup
chicken broth
3 cups
fat-free milk
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon
chili powder
Salt and
pepper to taste
Cook corn according to package directions, omitting salt and
fat. Drain and set aside. In a heavy skillet, cook the bacon until
crisp. Add the olive oil, onion and
jalapeno. Saute about 5 minutes or until
the onion is soft. Sprinkle flour over
the mixture in the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Put the chicken broth, 1 bag of corn
and 3 cups of milk in a stockpot. Using
a stick blender, puree until smooth. Use
a spoon to stir in the other bag of corn and add the bacon-onion mixture. If thinner chowder is desired, add one cup
(or more) of milk.
Season with cumin, chili powder,
salt and pepper. Continue to cook,
stirring frequently, until chowder is hot and thick.
I use turkey bacon to lower the fat content, but sometimes add 2 cups
of diced white chicken to increase the protein.
NOTE: To save yourself uncomfortable encounters
with your eyes (or other tender parts) use gloves while handling the jalapenos.
Serves: 8
Per serving: Calories 171; Carbs: 33 grams; Protein 9 grams (calculated without the chicken breast).
