Gergely Bakos

Cooking for me is the joy of creation.

I mostly cook traditional Hungarian one-pot dishes such as veal stew, bean goulash soup, Hungarian fisherman soup, and wild-style beef ("vadas") with dumplings. In addition, I love cooking Bolognese sauce and chili con carne. As simple as they are, they are just as delicious. Another favorite of mine is Chinese cuisine, especially dishes made in a wok.

Cooking starts for me at the market when I am selecting the necessary ingredients. I can already feel what it will be like to cut them and what flavor the food will have. This is roughly a similar feeling to wandering into a toy store when I was a child.

The preparation of the food, the chopping of the ingredients, and its arrangement is a ceremony to me. In addition to the taste, smell, and texture of the food, the general effects of the colors of the food are also important to me.

If I can, I try to cook in the “flow” without the pressure of time, it relaxes me the most. Of course, there might be a little delay and by then the guests are hungry enough to eat everything, regardless of what I managed to create. 😊 For me, the real cooking in cauldron mood is a warm summer afternoon, in a calm place by a lake bordered by reeds. The sounds of nature enhance my joy. But, of course, it doesn't cause any problems for me, even if I have to cook under an umbrella in pouring rain or at a company event in the courtyard for 90 people.

The finale is when I see on my family's and guests' faces that they like my food. Then they become those who certify that the food conforms to their requirements.

You can download my favorite veal stew recipe by clicking here.

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