For the time being, the ‘I Won’t Give Up’ Foundation’s Mikes Spiritual Centre programme remains only at the planning stage; it would consist of eight flats and would offer ten to twelve young people with physical and mental disabilities the opportunity to lead a more independent life. Fortunately, more and more people are supporting this plan and this dream. One such supporter is András Wolf, who is responsible for the restaurant projects within the Eventrend group of companies – which includes Gundel, the New York Café and Séf Asztala – making him, in effect, the ‘corporate chef’ for the chefs working there.

As a starting point, she teaches young people who are due to move in in the future how to prepare a few basic meals, so that they can learn some practical skills and recipes that will make it easier for them to cook for themselves later on. We went along to watch this first session.

We meet up with the team outside Bagolyvár, the little sister of the Gundel restaurant. The most striking figure is Győző. It’s impossible not to notice him. At 33, he takes joy in everything and everyone, just like a child. He’s a huge fan of the Hungarian national team, Transylvania, and pretty much everyone in general: „I love you so much, Szabolcs,” he greets Szabolcs Papp, the foundation’s spokesperson, who is sitting in a wheelchair – and, of course, this is followed by a big hug.

Simple dishes, with a few little tricks

Szabolcs tells us that, out of ten prospective residents, five were able to attend today. They are all people for whom living a completely independent life would be too great a challenge, as they have a disability that prevents them from doing so. Some of them have elderly parents, and it is unclear how much longer their parents will be able to look after them. Some need physical assistance, whilst others require mental support due to their intellectual disabilities. At the future Soul Centre, part of the process may involve them learning to what extent they are capable of independence, and in what situations they require assistance. For many, it is crucial that 

LET THEM DO WHAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF DOING THEMSELVES. THIS COULD INCLUDE COOKING.

What’s more, almost everyone in the group has some skill with which they can support others. People with disabilities often help one another. According to Szabolcs, for example, the best way to design a disabled toilet would be to ensure there is enough space for a wheelchair. In many cases, fellow disabled people lend a hand, and it is not uncommon to find married couples where both partners are confined to a wheelchair. If we look at the current team, for instance, Kata Üveges is severely mobility-impaired, but she is a graduate in computer science and economics, so she can offer intellectual support to others, whilst Győző can help her overcome physical obstacles.

These little communal cook-ups are also important to them because they are a great social occasion that’s well worth getting out for. What’s more, they feel that people are listening to them and treating them with respect. It also gives András Wolf the chance to get to know them and encounter these kinds of life situations, which can lead to the formation of relationships and acts of support that serve as a fine example. Furthermore, it is inspiring for everyone to see that they do not give up.

András Wolf also explained that he was happy to take on the task straight away when he was approached. So here he demonstrates a few tricks and tips from the kitchen to make it easier for future residents to look after themselves.

Of course, you can’t work miracles in two or three hours, but I really hope that we can build a genuine relationship and that we’ll be able to offer some real help. I’d be more than happy to visit the site as well, so that I can help there too

– said the chef of chefs, after chopping the spring onions to go with the körözött.

During the programme, the chef demonstrated how to make two breakfast dishes, two main courses and one dessert, including körözött, hot sandwiches, dumplings with smoked meat and sauerkraut, penne with tomato sauce and császármorzsa.

They’re all very simple dishes, but they do have a few little tricks to them. For the körözött, for example, you can add a little mustard for a bit of piquancy and tang. For the hot sandwich, line the baking tray (or, at home, a frying pan) with baking paper and bake it under a weight, so you don’t need a contact grill. The dumplings can be mixed together by hand in a matter of moments and then pressed through a sieve, again by hand, making them a great base for several dishes. It’s worth adding celery and carrots to the tomato pasta sauce (sugo), as this makes it much more substantial. As for the ‘császármorzsa’, the result is more reliable if you start by frying the slices in a frying pan and then finish cooking them in the oven.

I’m smiling because I love life

Meanwhile, it turns out that Zsóka Németh is probably the biggest foodie in the group; once she moves into the flat, she’ll certainly put what she’s learnt here to good use. She’s also a big fan of Asian cuisine, such as pad thai, to which she loves to add chilli, prawns, eggs, bamboo shoots, tamarind paste and fish sauce. When it comes to Italian cuisine, her favourite is carbonara, with plenty of Parmesan, eggs, pepper and nutmeg. She even emphasises that one of the most important factors is to use the spaghetti cooking water in the sauce, just as they do in Italy, but he doesn’t necessarily agree with the die-hard Italians that we should avoid cream, because he reckons it makes the sauce even creamier and lighter in texture. His favourite dish from classic Hungarian cuisine is potato gratin, and he also enjoys going fishing with his father:

So we use fresh fish, not frozen fish

– he says proudly.

Apart from all that, when it comes to cooking, he particularly likes passionate chefs, because he believes that cooking is also a way of expressing our emotions:

IF WE’RE NOT HAPPY, WE’LL COOK SOMETHING FOR OURSELVES, AND THINGS WILL GET BETTER.

Our cook-along also revealed that there’s plenty to be gained from them too – take Győző, for example, who greets everyone with a huge smile and says, „I love you so much, Szabolcs”, „I love you very much, Géza bá” or „I love you very much, Balázs”, and gives them a hug. Some might find this a bit too forward, but it’s also disarming, and after a while we can adopt this attitude, which we’ve most likely forgotten from our own childhood.

Beyond that, of course, it is also inspiring that, despite the many obstacles, in most cases they do not smile simply to put on a show:

I smile because I love life. I have a wonderful wife and three children. I’ve been given so much love and so many opportunities in life that I have no reason to complain. There’s nothing I can think of that I really wanted but didn’t get.

– says Szabolcs, who uses a wheelchair, and who believes it would be good if the rest of society also realised that there are plenty of tasks that people with reduced working capacity are able to carry out. And if they can do this, then they too can feel that they are making a contribution.

Zsóka didn’t come empty-handed either, for example; she brought a jar of sour cherry jam that she’d made herself, which is just the thing for Kaiserschmarrn. András flips the batter for this, just as he does for pancakes. Győző even praises him for it:

Blimey! I’m proud of you, András!

And nobody takes it as ironic banter. András is also proud of his work. He wouldn’t even put more care into cooking for the Michelin inspectors.

After all, the way a society treats those who, whilst wishing to stand on their own two feet, face constant obstacles yet refuse to give up, reveals a great deal about that society. Perhaps not all of them will be able to cook a proper meal. But if someone shows them how, they’ll want to learn, and by helping one another, they’ll even want to tackle this task.

At the end, the team gathers for a group photo and lets out a huge roar:

We’ll never give up!

Győző adds: ‘Nor does the Hungarian national team.’.