Hi, I’m Tim – welcome to My Hungarian Kitchen.
Food has always been a constant companion. It has marked life’s milestones; it reminds me of happy times; and of sad ones; and it takes me back to fantastic places I have travelled.
My food journey started in earnest just before I started university when I realised that I didn’t really know how to cook very many dishes. My sister-in-law, who was (and still is) a great cook, armed me with 4 basic recipes to get me started, and from there I was hooked.
Over the years, I’ve collected and adapted all sorts of recipes from cuisines around the world. Always returning from holidays trying to recreate a standout dish from my trip. Always enjoying the process of cooking as much as the end result.
So it should be no surprise that when I fell for a Hungarian girl, I immediately tried to impress her with some authentic Hungarian cooking. I clearly passed the test as several years later we now live in Hungary with our two young children, enjoying the fantastic food culture here.
For me this website is a personal project. Many of my family’s great cooks are no longer here to share their secrets, and so I wanted to capture those happy food memories from my own childhood. And try and document those recipes that have been passed to me for my own children to enjoy in years to come.
Living in Hungary gives me a wonderful opportunity to explore Hungarian food and to impress on the world that there is so much more to Hungarian food than just goulash! From hearty stews to delicate pastries, Hungarian cuisine is a celebration of basic ingredients, and centuries-old culinary customs passed down through generations. Hungarian cooking also includes influences from its seven neighbouring countries. And in turn, Hungary’s cuisine has also influenced the cooking in many of the countries that made up the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
So, grab your apron, sharpen your knives, and join me on my food journey as I explore the unique flavours of this part of the world and enjoy some trips down Memory Lane.