THE GERLÓCZY CAFÉ PAPER
THE TALE OF CHOCOLATE FROZEN GRAPES - PATISSERIE ARSENAL - VOTE FOR OUR TERRACE! SUPERMARKET NEXT DOOR - WHISKY INTO SPACE
TIBOR JÁSZAI ---->
THE CATHARSIS THAT NEVER WAS WE GATHERED ON THE CAFÉ’S TERRACE TO DISCUSS THE MAIN TOPICS OF THE AUTUMN ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY, WE MUST FOCUS ON GRAPES, AMONG OTHER INGREDIENTS. HOW TO USE GRAPES, WHAT TO MAKE FROM WHICH PART OF IT, AND WHAT ANECDOTES OF ‘NOBLE’ GRAPES COME TO MIND?. I remember one of the lengthy conversations we had with maitre d’ Csaba Csongrádi. We were planning for the distant, or in hindsight very realistic, future of the Othello grapes in my garden. “My Ti... Ti... Ti... Tibor, make me a chocolate frozen grape. It’s so Barcsay-like. You know, old Uncle Jenô from Szentendre. Sophisticated shapes and simplicity. Comprehensibility and elegance. (He always linked culinary concepts to fine art.) With Csaba, I connected over many things beyond gastronomy. Fine arts, music, literature, and Szentendre. He loved Barcsay, and so did I, and since I lived in Szentendre, it was obvious what I had to do. Why couldn’t I make a fantastic chocolate frozen grape? Something very Barcsay-like? In the garden, I set out to tidy up my slightly feral vines. I looked at the clusters, they were reddening nicely. Plenty of leaves, not many bunches, I thought to myself. I thinned the leaves. This leaf could be stuffed, this one we’d mature cheese in, and that large one my daughter could dry and put in her collection. I covered the vines with a net to keep the starlings away, and waited for a miracle to happen. A miracle that my harvest could turn out to be. Every week I tasted the grapes to see when they reach the highly anticipated Barcsay quality standard. December came. I was ready for the harvest. I’d already obtained high-quality French dark chocolate, the grapes were ripe and well-shrivelled, and most importantly, frozen on the vine. I picked the grapes one by one, careful not to damage them and to keep as much of the contents in the noble, shrivelled grapes as possible. Crunchy seeds within the grapes, silky grape juice flowing in the warmth of the mouth, mineral flavours: these were my first impressions. I dipped the frozen grapes in tempered chocolate. I enjoyed doing that. I dipped every grape one after the other. And we didn’t have to wait long for the Barcsay effect to come. It was simple, sophisticated, and full of character. The flavours caressed my palate. Comprehensibility and elegance, just the way we wanted it with Csaba. What about the catharsis of tasting chocolate frozen grapes? It never happened. Customers ate them all at a Bott Frigyes wine tasting, where I presented them as a delicacy. There weren’t any left for Csaba. I’ve been planning to surprise him with some ever since. Maybe one day ... And here’s how to work with grapevine. The consumption of grapes is highly recommended, due to the wide variety of vitamins they contain. One of their components, flavonoid has a significant inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral effect. ROOTS: Grape roots are primarily used in florariums. They can also be useful when making grafts, or serve as decoration. (A florarium is very similar to an aquarium, but it’s for plants only.)
How to use grapes RAISIN: A raisin is a dried seedless or one-seeded grape. Its water content is about one forth of that of the fresh fruit. It can be eaten raw as a snack, or as nibbles mixed with salted nuts and seeds. It’s often used in baking, in cakes, pastries, ice creams, and many more. VERJUICE: It is a highly acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes. The grapes are pressed when their sugar content is low (9 grams) and grape acid content is high. It’s been used as an acidifying ingredient since the antiquity. It was highly popular before lemon became highly accessible. It’s mainly made from the juice of the Zalagyöngye and Victoria’s pearl varieties. WINE VINEGAR: We learnt it from Louis Pasteur how wine turns into vinegar. In 1846 he discovered that vinegar bacteria turn wine into vinegar acid in the presence of oxygen. Wine vinegars are very versatile, beyond appetizers, soups and sauces, they can be used in tempering as well. BALSAMIC VINEGAR: Balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico) is nothing more than boiled grape juice. One of its main ingredients is a white wine variety from the Modena area, Trebbiano. For grape to reach its highest sugar content, the timing of the harvest is crucial. The later the harvest, done only by hands, the better. The next step is the gentle pressing, so that the tannin content of the must is not too high. Experts set the sugar content of the juice then start to slowly simmer the juice. The temperature must be kept under 90 degrees, so the cooking may last for hours. For the must to become balsamic vinegar, it needs to be fermented first. Then the thick juice is matured in wooden caskets for at least three years. MUST: Must is freshly pressed, unfiltered fruit juice. In Hungary and other wineproducing countries, it mainly refers to unfiltered grape juice. GRAPE JUICE: An unfermented, but fermentable fruit juice whose alcohol volume must be below 1%. It’s the best fruit juice for blood purification. GRAPE SYRUP: With sugar, without alcohol. FERMENTED PRODUCTS: Wines and alcoholic beverages made from wines, champagnes, sherries, vermouths, aromatic wines, liqueur wines SPIRITS: Cognacs, brandies, armagnacs, Metaxa, and many more.
LEAVES: Stuffed grape leaves are known by many names, such as Töltike, Tôtike, Dolmades, Padlutka. Every one of them includes a grape leaf that’s been rinsed with boiling water and a spicy rice filling. It’s popular from Serbia to Turkey, Morocco to Persia, mainly as an appetizer. Fresh, young grape leaves can be mixed into salads as well. They have an incredibly high vitamin C content. GRAPE SEEDS: primarily used to make grape seed oil and flour. Grape seed oil is one of the noblest oils used in gastronomy. It has a neutral flavour and is very versatile. It is mainly a refined seed oil, not to be mistaken for the noble grape seed oil used in the pharmaceutical and beauty industries. Grape seed flour is not a real flour in the strict sense of the word. It’s a gluten free, fine powder that can be added to flour. This mixture can be baked into bread or anything else, while the grape seed powder gives the bake a richer flavour, colour, and nutritional value. The powder can also be added to smoothies, or used to thicken and enrich the flavour of soups.
? GERLÓCZY Guests’Response WHAT IS A GUEST AT GERLÓCZY LIKE? WE ASKED OUR REGULARS, AND WE KEEP ASKING THREE OF THEM FOR EVERY ISSUE, HOPING THAT WE CAN SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF WHAT MAKES A GERLÓCZY GUEST.
JUDIT OSVÁRT
RICHÁRD SEJBEN
KATA DANI
1. - What do you believe in?
Hard work, diligence, humility and curiosity. If one’s open and practices self-discipline as well as has a willingness to work hard, they can achieve a lot.
1. I am not really a man of faith, but not because I do not believe in anything, rather because I hold everything possible.
2. - Describe an uplifting moment of your summer.
The moment on the first day of our vacation when sitting in the back seat of a scooter I was struck by the scent of fig trees, rosemary bushes, pine trees and the sea air, the warmth, the feeling of freedom - and the knowledge that this will last two weeks!
2. For me each holiday/journey is a cathartic moment in itself, from the moment I get in the car or on the plane. Fortunately, I’ll visit many places this summer. Slovenia, Madrid and the Alps with my friends, and even a family vacation in Amsterdam is on the list.
1. I believe that one day the Americans will eventually realize that the reason behind all those deaths at Sea World was that these animals, I mean the orcas and belugas (killer whale and white dolphin). etc can not be kept in captivity. I look forward to the day when they are finally released!
I do not really believe that our generation will have retirement years ... And I can’t imagine being able to sit still. In any case, I would like to do more gardening, planting and caring for plants, trees, spending more time in nature.
3. I want to get around to reading all the books from my bookshelf, the ones I could not read up until now. I think I will need quite a long period of retirement...
3. - How will you spend your years in retirement?
4. - Apart from the Gerlóczy terrace where else do you like to spend the warm autumn afternoons/evenings?
5. - Your best culinary experience this summer.
6. - What are you working on, what are you engaged in right now?
There are many cool places in town! I like the eclectic mood of Kiosk, the rock pub atmosphere of Ellátó... but the late summer and early autumn evenings are mostly spent working in my case, as Design Week takes place in early October, and we are at the finishing stage. My birthday dinner on the island where we’ve been returning for our vacation for years, at the restaurant where we always go and ask for the same menu: freshly grilled fish and vegetables, walnut liqueur to start, homemade white wine to accompany the meal. Mostly the Design Week, although it is not visible from the outside, this ten-day festival requires preparation and background work throughout the whole year - both before and after the festival.
4. Sipping team on the terrace of our house. I can’t find such peace of mind anywhere else.
5. During a holiday with friends we found a great family restaurant/winery in Csopak (Söptei). They offer traditional flavors, but the dishes were all put into a modern style. And we could drink our spritzer admiring the magnificent view.
6. I spend the end of the summer mostly relaxing, preparing for the busy period between autumn and Christmas. Working as a graphic designer I know that will be the most fast-paced period.
2. Actually it was ‘exhilarating’ when the entrance exams were over, I graduated high school, and I knew I will be attending a good school in autumn.
3. Well I can’t really answer this question as I think it’s too early to think about that.
4. That’s a very good question. Perhaps sitting on a boat that’s gliding on the Pacific Ocean, and the sailboat would be accompanied by humpback whales. But since this is impossible, I spend as much time as possible in nature.
5. The salmon I ate at Gerlóczy was divine, accompanied by pomegranate lemonade.
6. Currently, I’m writing a book and I know it is still early, but I'm preparing for my future job –that is, if I will get it, it will take a few years.
TIBOR JÁSZAI ---->
TO PATRIK PAGES: CÉPES FARCIE AVEC VEAU
In Vialas, a tiny village in France, chefs wake early. At the crack of dawn. It’s nippy at that time of the day. The two of us were on our way. My chef, Patrik Pages woke me up. “Now is the best time to pick boletaceae mushrooms,” he said matter-of-factly. Quick breakfast in the kitchen; baguette and pure butter. Nothing pungent for breakfast. We’re ready to set off. Up to Mont Lozére. Mushroom knives at least four different kinds, baskets, and wooden boxes. And so many of them! “Are we supposed to fill them all???” And he replied to my unasked question without any prompting. “You are. You’re going to fill these up, and you’re going to prepare the mushrooms. Aren’t you happy?”
Back in the kitchen, he showed me how to prepare the mushrooms. First, the mushrooms needed to be cleaned with a mushroom brush, which is similar to a regular toothbrush. (We didn’t wash them; mushrooms mustn’t have any contact with water except right before cooking.) The next step was the removal of bits that touched the soil, meaning the grey stem had to be scratched spotlessly clean. “Sprinkle the soil on the Greek basil,” he said, for he always had something to say. The stems, now scrubbed clean, will make a stock with a bit of shallot onions, celery and aniseed. I peeled the mushroom stems with a peeler, sautéed the peels in butter, and made mushroom butter. We diced the many stems and canned them. Obviously, he owned a pasteurizer so he could make canned foods and preserves for himself and supply local shops as well. So, where are we at? We made stock, mushroom butter, mushroom paste and preserve. And we haven’t even touch the caps yet. Porcini belong in the boletaceae family. With these mushrooms, it’s all about the cap. They can be prepared in three different ways. We ‘skinned’ some of the caps, and used the dried skin for seasoning. (Mr. Pages obviously owned a drier as well.) Other caps we sliced and dried, and use the rest fresh. We prepared Mr. Pages’s favourite mushroom dish as follows:
As mushroom-pickers are, he also was unwilling to reveal our exact destination. “Pay attention! Look! See!,” he said. Then suddenly he stops the car. He winds down the window and starts sniffing the air like a hound. “Not good!” We drive along. “This is it!” “We’re here.” “Can you smell it?” “I can smell a lot of things. What exactly do you mean, Mr. Chef?” “The boletaceae? Can you smell it? Don’t you know what it smells like?” I was wondering whether it’s possible to spot the mushroom’s aroma in that sea of forest smells. It takes a man/dog/pig to spot it. But when the wind turned, I could smell the aroma of a boletaceae and porcini. The pleasantly earthy combination of dead leaves, drying grasses and plants. A set table lay in front of us. A hunter must feel this upon seeing his prey. I understood then why mushroom-pickers call themselves hunters. Incredible! Masses of boletaceae and porcini all around. “Here we are now. You can start and pick them.” He handed me one of his knives and I started harvesting. Naturally, I did all do bending and Mr. Pages did all the pointing and explaining the best way to pick each mushroom. Step by step, accurately, for every single crumb of the mushroom is precious, and one has to think of the future. “Cut here, close to the ground. Cover the snag with leaves.” Sometimes he wanted the mycelium too. At the end, I managed to fill six boxes and four baskets. (On the way back from the forest, we stopped to see a beef farmer. He ordered a complete calf to go with the mushrooms. He picked the calf himself: a 80-kilo, only milk-fed specimen.)
RCIE AVE --- CÉPES FA
C VEAU ---
ay. e previous d we picked th lf ca d fe th ko il em s it. N ing the veal of th d salt. That’ n d a e , p y p o le rs ch a ly p toes, e mushWe fine e washed th fennel, toma W sh t. e a e fr m s, g e g th e of top We added isite flavour ed meat on elm the exqu and season h d e rw p p ve o o p, ch to to e n more om o ced th ered mushro ghly. We pla d u w ro o o p th le s tt p li panied ed a room ca lf, or accom s. We sprinkl se p it ca In m t. o n ro e w it s! of the mush in the oven s. Marvellou it’s deliciou ite wine and h t, e w ll e fi m sh so fi t d adde r fresh turbo d baguette o with buttere Exquisite!
MÁRTON STOLLER’S TIPS FOR MUSHROOM HUNTING IN AUTUMN BEST AUTUMN MUSHROOMS: Porcini / chanterelle / large parasol mushroom / black trumpet mushroom / wood hedgehog mushroom / grey dove mushroom MUSHROOM-PICKING TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT: Well ventilated basket / mushroom knife / walking sticks / mushroom guide book / hiking boots
The mushroom hunters: Hobo and Marci
/ tick repellent / drink (plus beer :) GOOD SPOTS: Near Budapest: Pilis, Börzsöny Farther away: Mátra, Bükk, first and foremost the Ôrség, especially the Vend region where the annual rainfall is the highest TOP TIP MUSHROOM HUNTING EVENT: Big autumn mushroom hunt: 1-12 October, 2015 We’ll go mushroom hunting every day, weather permitting. Participants can join in anytime. So everyone can come and stay for as long as they want. This year we’re hosting the 4th Ôrség Mushroom and BBQ Days filled with hikes, mushroom hunting, BBQ, cooking on open fire, and fun galore. Fee: 8,500 HUF / person / day, including homemade meal twice a day, accommodation, hikes Accommodation: www.lajostanya.hu --- To register, call Márton Stoller at +36 30 9198 979 We wish you a pleasant autumn!
THE LANGUAGE OF FRENCH CUISINE EN PAPILLOTE: It is a method of cooking in which the food is put into a folded pouch or parcel and then baked. The parcel is typically made from parchment paper, paper bag or aluminium foil. The parcel holds in spices, oil, wine, and moisture to steam the food. SOUS-VIDE: It is a method of cooking food in airtight plastic pouches. (Requires a special plastic foil and a vacuumizer.) The food is cooked on 50-60 °C for longer than normal cooking times. The regulated low temperature and “under vacuum” method ensure that the ingredients retain moisture and their natural flavours. FEUR DE SEL: Literally, flower of salt. It looks like a beautiful snowflake crystal. Used in salted caramel and for decoration. MERINGUE: At first, one might think it refers to a ball dance. In reality, it is a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar. It comes in French, Italian, and Swiss varieties. AU GRATIN: A dish is sprinkled with cheese or breadcrumbs and browned in the oven. JULIENNE: Ingredients are cut into long thin strips, similar to matchsticks.
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THE ANGELS OF ICING SUGAR BRIGITTA
ZSÓFI
BETTI
OUR PATISSERIE ARSENAL ZSÓFI SÁMSON - Pastry Chef ---->
1. PASTRY TIPS Piping bag tip, pastry tip, icing bag tip, I just call them these tools the stylist of cakes. They come in different shapes and sizes, and with some cream and a touch of creativity they make any dessert look perfect.
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2. ROLLER DOCKER Although the name suggests a medieval torture device, this is an innocent tool that cuts pastry evenly and to the perfect size.
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3. CUTTER WHEEL When size does matter, a cutter wheel helps to set the boundaries.
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4. TEMPERING SPATULA The ‘massaging hand’ during tempering... Melted chocolate demands needs to be handled carefully to reach the appropriate temperature for tempering. If you don’t fwant to be covered with chocolate from head to toe, rhis tool is a must. 5. TORCH We just call it the pocket dragon. We use it to melt a crisp amber caramel layer on top of a creme brulée. This tiny dragon have melt our heart. 6. CONFECTIONERY FUNNEL Quality and quantity matter. “You can’t have too much of a good thing” goes the saying. With this tool, we control how much is good enough. 7. HAND BLENDER One of the best friends of a pastry chef. The curved blade helps to prevent the formation of air bubbles and achieve a perfect texture.
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8. THERMOMETER Temperature is crucial in baking. This precise tool won’t leave you in doubt. 9 10
9. WHISK A perfectly shaped whisk helps to control the air intake of the cream or egg whites, so you just take a deep breath a relax. 10. CHOCOLATE SPRAY GUN Using a chocolate spray gun feels like heaven. It sprays chocolate evenly on the cake, creating a crisp layer. It fills the room with the aroma, and often the taste, of chocolate.
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11. DOUGH HOOK We can create an even dough with the help of a dough hook. We don’t have time for lumps. 12. OVEN MITTS These mitts protect you from every kind of burn.
GERLÓCZYRecommends: A REAL AUTUMN DISH BEEF FILLET WITH CHESTNUT, MUSHROOM, AND RED ONION CHUTNEY Our chef filled this dish with everything we love about autumn. The beef fillet, cooked in aniseed-infused red wine, with the red onion chutney create a superb combination. Dine at Gerlóczy in September and make sure you try this dish!
DESIGN WEEK BUDAPEST: HOME SWEET HOME 25 SEPTEMBER –4 OCTOBER
Design Week Budapest returns this autumn again to captivate local design professionals and fans alike. The 12th Design Week focuses on the world of homes and living spaces, presenting the impact societal, cultural and technological changes of the past two decades had on homes. This year, guest of honour Spain is contributing with colourful offerings to the exciting events of Design Week.
More information: www.designhetbudapest.hu For design hotspots, download the Budapest Design Map app!
BEST OF THE SEASON: GRAPE AND FIG ROULADE Almond sponge filled with balsamic vinegar fig and plum jam, sprinkled with roasted almonds. White chocolate red grape ganache on top, covered with dark chocolate. Breathtaking!
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SMILE AT GERLÓCZY
MEET ANNAMÁRIA Annamária Steiner started as a receptionist at Gerlóczy Rooms De Lux six months ago, and she’s been the star of the front desk ever since. She’s often mentioned by name on TripAdvisor, and we all love her!
20TH ISSUE HOW TIME FLIES... You’re holding the 20th issue of Gerlóczy News in your hands. We never dared to hope that the paper would be this successful when we started this experiment five years ago. Thanks to our authors and contributors Tamás T. Nagy, Réka Klementisz, Dóra Esze, Eszter Szegô, Tibor Jászai, Zsófi Bittó, Marci Gerlóczy, Tibor Babiczky, Orsi Iványi, our translators Aranka Szabó and Mona Hézsô, our art director / photographer / layout designer Péter Flanek, and our editor-in-chief Regina Bruckner. And above all, we thank you dear Readers. We hope you’ll continue to love reading us.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TERRACE IN BUDAPEST A slice of Paris in Budapest, our customers say. Indeed, Gerlóczy has been the meeting place for traditional coffee house culture and modern, effortless French sophistication for 11 years. Our menu features classic bistro fare, Hungarian and international dishes, offering lavish brunch, light lunch and romantic dinner options. All must-tries. From spring to autumn, our terrace takes central stage. Under an over hundred-year-old elm tree, there’s always something going on. People come and go, meet, date, chat, laugh, relax, browse, have coffee and cake, drink wine... Intimate and colourful festoon lights discreetly illuminate the terrace in the evening, underlining the Parisian feel of Kamermayer Square.
HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR TERRACE YET? Budapest City Hall has announced a call for applications for the Terrace Budapest 2015 competition. A five-member jury* and YOU, the general public will decide on the most beautiful gardens and terraces of the city. We think Gerlóczy’s is the most beautiful terrace in Budapest. If you agree, vote for us! Online voting is open at terasz.budapest.hu from 31 August to 14 September. Voters may win one of five hellopay cards, each worth 10,000 HUF. The cards are accepted at participating venues. * MEMBERS OF THE JURY: Alexandra Szalay-Bobrovniczky - Deputy Mayor for Human Affairs, Sándor Finta - Chief Architect of Budapest, Attila F. Kovács - Architect, Designer, Tamás Széll - Sous Chef at Onyx Restaurant, András Jókuti - Food Blogger at Világevô.
A SUPERMARKET THAT’S OPEN ON SUNDAYS! LINDA LENDVAI (32) IS THE YOUNGEST GALLERY OWNER IN BUDAPEST. SHE WENT AGAINST THE USUAL WAVE OF MIGRATION, AMONG OTHER THINGS, SO THAT SHE COULD REALISE HER DREAM AND OPEN AN ART GALLERY IN THE CITY. RETURNING TO HUNGARY AFTER STUDYING AND WORKING THE GALLERY SCENE IN LONDON FOR THREE YEARS, SHE OPENED SUPERMARKET GALLERY, WHERE SHE EXHIBITS AND SELLS WORKS BY ARTISTS UNDER 30.
What do you want to achieve in the next five years? I’d be happy if the gallery were still around in five years’ time. It’s quite shocking that 9 out of 10 galleries don’t survive the first five years. If we do, it’d mean that we could put together successful exhibitions with the artists. Then they could generate interest
Why did you move to Vitkovits Mihály Street? Completely by chance. The space itself is perfect, it’s what I always wanted. The huge windows directly connect it with the street. I love it when passers-by look in the window they come in contact with another world. It being in one of the prettiest streets in town is only the icing on the cake. What’s your relationship with art? Are you also an artist? No. I think it’d result in a conflict of interest if I were an artist myself. I only enjoy working in the background. What did you like about London and what not so much? If there’s something you can’t find in London it probably doesn’t exist. It’s often both refreshing and unnerving at the same. It seems everything’s been done already, so how could I do something new? On the other hand, this helped me to relieve a lot of tension. What I didn’t like was the huge distances. Which is your favourite gallery in Budapest? And abroad? I have a lot of favourites and I like and respect them for a number of reasons, so it’s very difficult to pick just a few. But the ones I’m loving now for their inspiring exhibitions and programs are Carl Kostyál (London, Stockholm), Pilar Corrias (London), Sprüth Magers (London, Berlin), TakaIshii (Tokyo, Paris).
ZSÓFI BITTÓ - Tour Guide ---->
SECRETS OF BUDAPEST
- Kálvin Square, 1926 - Kálvin Square, 1945 - Before and after renovation in Ráday Street
SAVA STATUE In the autumn we can go and explore the city to uncover hidden secrets even in well-known places. Peaking in the courtyard of the first house at one end of Ráday Street, we see a familiar lady, a true survivor. Well, she embodies Sava, the river, whose latest replica stands in the company of Danubius, Drava, and Tisza on Erzsébet Square. The statue originally stood on Kálvin Square, right until World War II. It was designed by Miklós Ybl, who revised Gyôzô Cziegler’s original plan, and created by sculptor Leó Fessler. It took 14 years from design to erecting the statue, partly due to the difficulty of transporting the huge, hundred-ton stone block for the pool, and partly to the ongoing construction works in the area. The square looked completely different at the time. Traffic was so insignificant that the fountain could be placed in the middle, and was visible from every angle. During the war the square was bombed and the huge fountain was severely damaged. Only Sava survived the hit. She was moved to the inner courtyard of 9 Kálvin Square, the former Two Lions Inn. Customers in the café can still meet her and join her in quiet contemplation. Happy exploring! If you’re interested in learning more, join a “Fabulous Budapest” guided tour! More information at the Gerlóczy front desk.
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And what was the concept? What happens when you hit 30? Will you adjust the age limit? (At the time of the interview, we thought Linda was way under 30. See photo. Eds.) The concept keeps changing and evolving. I hope the transition from one exhibiting age group to the other will also be organic. One of our exhibitions have already featured artists not in their 20s and 30s, but fortunately, freshness has nothing to do with age. It makes my job easier that I don’t necessarily have to seek out very young artists. Although it feels amazing to give young people the opportunity to present their work.
abroad and exhibit at foreign fairs. I’m taking small steps and build the gallery little by little. I try to keep in mind that every step I take must be good enough so that I can plan ahead for the next five years.
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Where did the name Supermarket come from? It’s actually a gag. The same gag that pop art artist came up with and used. Accessibility, palatability, commerciality, and popularity are concepts that are constantly changing and mean something completely different from what they used to in when pop art was born in the 1950s. Art has never stopped asking questions. So the name is a kind of homage… and also ironic. Viewers can decide for themselves. Finding a name was not easy, especially because I didn’t want to use my own name. Exhibitions might clash with the name in the future, but for me Supermarket stands for something utterly contemporary. Whenever I hear the word I think of something new, something current. And that’s what the gallery is aiming to be.
Storiesfromthebarcabinet WHISKY INTO SPACE! IT’S BEEN KNOWN FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS THAT GRAIN AND FRUIT DISTILLATES ARE TRANSFORMED IN A CASK. HOWEVER, IT’S STILL NOT CLEAR WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENS DURING AGING. WHAT MAKES DISTILLATES SO SILKY AND SMOOTH, OR IN ONE WORD, MATURE. Researchers, in collaboration with some producers tried to uncover the secret of aging. This year, the Japanese Suntory company sent six bottles of whisky into space, for instance. They were preceded by the Scottish Ardbeg that sent phials of their distillates to the International Space Station in autumn 2011. The specimen had undergone a very special aging process in the phials: they were mixed with pieces of charred oak. The ‘space whisky’ returned to Earth in 2014. NanoRacks LLC, a company specializing in space experiments, and Ardbeg have been studying whiskies aged on Earth and in space ever since. They’re curious to know how micro-organic particles behave in zero gravity. These specimen contain terpenes, carbohydrates that can be obtained from various plants via distillation, and are very aromatic and fragrant. The marketing team at Ardbeg capitalised on this project when they launched their single malt named Galileo at the UK Space Agency. The study will most likely bear fruit way beyond marketing hooks. Aging technologies, which now are often based on individual experts’ intuition, can be improved upon based on the findings of the study. www.whiskynet.hu
BOTT FRIGYES KÉKFRANKOS PERFECT PROPORTIONS I met Frigyes Bott, the newcomer of 2009, a year later. He came to see me with his bottles and we had a chat. We talked about Riesling, Juhfark, Upper Hungary, Muzsla, Garam, the Danube, and those nine acres, we talked about a lot of things. We tasted white wine, then rosé, and then came the reds. Red wines. And then came a miracle! There in Béla, a village in Slovakia, in the Muzsla wine region, in the vineyard under the large oak. That’s where I encountered the MIRACLE. Ruby red colour, silky, well-rounded taste. It reminds of Burgundy, yet it has a unique, individual flavour with a noticeable balance of sour cherry and rhubarb. In its moderately intense nose there’s all the fragrance of raspberry, redcurrant, and rosehip. The proportions are simply perfect. It’s not heavy, not too meticulous, it’s simply elegant. That’s its appeal. It is the Bott Kékfrankos, a true miracle. I went to the Garam region often, even more to Béla, we tried the Kékfrankos time and time again. When we hosted a Frigyes Bott vintage presentation, I prepared a dish to accompany the Miracle. Lamb roulade with red wine extract, dried black olives, garlic confit, and orange beetroot puree. I boiled 7,5 litres of Kékfrankos, I reduced it to one third. Very slowly, under cover. With high-quality butter.
GERLÓCZY:Café with rooms There are many exciting people staying in Gerlóczy from all over the world. Who are they? In each issue, we introduce one of them
HE LOVES BUDAPEST You 've been living in Budapest in the past decade,what is it like to become a tourist for a night in your own city, and sleep in a hotel? It was pleasantly surreal, like awakening from a dream based on a vivid memory, only to realize that the recalled experience is still being lived... and the timeless atmosphere at the Gerlóczy certainly enhanced that transcendent feeling – stepping down the picturesque circular staircase to the old-world café while still half asleep, to be greeted by classically dressed waiters and led out to a wicker chair on the sunny pocket-park terrace, it really felt like I’d drifted back through time to Budapest’s golden era of coffeehouse culture. Where are you from? Chicago initially (Oak Park, to be specific), but by my early teenhood I’d lived in Seattle, New Jersey, and Northern California as well... and after a decade in Santa Barbara for university and some formative years of journalism work, I set off on my bohemian rambles that traversed Route 66 and the Canadian Rockies, Tijuana to Chiapas to Appalachia to the Caribbean, all before my grand European backpacking trip that, in many ways, continues to this day. What made you stay in Budapest? Like many foreign fellows living in Budapest, it was a Magyar woman who first enticed me to come here; it didn’t work out with the girl, but it did work out with her country. Within a few days of arrival I had a bunch of new friends here, and was enjoying long neon-lit nights out amid the summer of 2005, all while discovering the gritty grace and history of Budapest, and soon before attending my first Sziget Festival. The whole experience felt like I was living out a beautifully bizarre novel, and I was always eager to read the next page... I just never could put that book back on the shelf since then, it’s still too fascinating. What is the weirdest in thehungarians? That’s a tough question for several reasons… but I suppose the duality inherent in the Hungarian spirit is a difficult thing to really understand; there is so much well-deserved pride in the accomplishments of Magyars here and around the world, with many artists, thinkers, and leaders making significant impacts on the course of global history –yet there’s no denying that a pessimistic attitude prevails in the Hungarian identity. I’m hopeful that this negativity is merely a hangover from centuries of foreign oppression, and that before long this country will recognize and realize the brilliant potential of its hard-earned independence. What makes you feel the " flow"? I feel a state of creative “flow” while writing an article about something happening in Budapest that truly intrigues me and makes me want to learn more to express the topic better; fortunately, I feel this fairly often. Also, I feel a state of living “flow” when out and about in the city with my friends, drifting from one hangout to the next and chatting under starlight in varied garden bars, living for that night. Which cartoon caracter are you? Hmm… that’s another tough question... if I may rephrase it slightly so that I can give the answer some local flavor, if I could be any Hungarian cartoon character, I’d definitely pick Aladár –the boy genius from “The Mézga Family” who invents a communication device to make contact with his own descendant from many generations in the future, who sends back fantastic gizmos to Aladár and his family; how great would it be to travel the universe in a rocketship that fits inside of a guitar case? What is your favorite hungarian word? Pompás! (“Magnificent!”)!
ARE YOUR F BUSI NESS OREIGN PART COM NERS Sleep ING TO T OWN them ? in Gerló Rese +36 rvation czy! a 8 toll f 0 102 6 t ree n 0 umb 0 er.
The rooms rates are: WITH FREE WIFI AND FREE IN ROOM MINIBAR WITH DAILY REFILL!
standard room for two: 95 euro/room/night +12 for Breakfast /each Attic room for two: 85 euro/room/night +12 for Breakfast /each Balcony room: 95 euro/room/night +12 for Breakfast /each + 15 euro balcony charge Address: Gerlóczy Rooms deLux 1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy u. 1 - above Gerlóczy Café IMPRESSUM: Contributors: Tibor Jászai, Regina Bruckner, Eszter Szegô, Zsófi Bittó, Zsófi Sámson, Orsolya Iványi English Editor: Aranka Szabó Design/Photo: Péter Flanek, Milica Mrvic’, Norbert Juhász (We Love Budapest) Printed by: Intruder --- e-mail: marketing@gerloczy.hu Published by Gerlóczy Kávéház Kft., 1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy utca 1. --- Open: all days 7am - 11pm