For the time being, the \u2018I Won\u2019t Give Up\u2019 Foundation\u2019s 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 Andr\u00e1s Wolf, who is responsible for the restaurant projects within the Eventrend group of companies \u2013 which includes Gundel, the New York Caf\u00e9 and S\u00e9f Asztala \u2013 making him, in effect, the \u2018corporate chef\u2019 for the chefs working there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We meet up with the team outside Bagolyv\u00e1r, the little sister of the Gundel restaurant. The most striking figure is Gy\u0151z\u0151. It\u2019s impossible not to notice him. At 33, he takes joy in everything and everyone, just like a child. He\u2019s a huge fan of the Hungarian national team, Transylvania, and pretty much everyone in general: \u201eI love you so much, Szabolcs,\u201d he greets Szabolcs Papp, the foundation\u2019s spokesperson, who is sitting in a wheelchair \u2013 and, of course, this is followed by a big hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
LET THEM DO WHAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF DOING THEMSELVES. THIS COULD INCLUDE COOKING.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s 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 \u00dcveges is severely mobility-impaired, but she is a graduate in computer science and economics, so she can offer intellectual support to others, whilst Gy\u0151z\u0151 can help her overcome physical obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These little communal cook-ups are also important to them because they are a great social occasion that\u2019s well worth getting out for. What\u2019s more, they feel that people are listening to them and treating them with respect. It also gives Andr\u00e1s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andr\u00e1s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nOf course, you can\u2019t work miracles in two or three hours, but I really hope that we can build a genuine relationship and that we\u2019ll be able to offer some real help. I\u2019d be more than happy to visit the site as well, so that I can help there too<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 said the chef of chefs, after chopping the spring onions to go with the k\u00f6r\u00f6z\u00f6tt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the programme, the chef demonstrated how to make two breakfast dishes, two main courses and one dessert, including k\u00f6r\u00f6z\u00f6tt, hot sandwiches, dumplings with smoked meat and sauerkraut, penne with tomato sauce and cs\u00e1sz\u00e1rmorzsa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re all very simple dishes, but they do have a few little tricks to them. For the k\u00f6r\u00f6z\u00f6tt, 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\u2019t 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\u2019s worth adding celery and carrots to the tomato pasta sauce (sugo), as this makes it much more substantial. As for the \u2018cs\u00e1sz\u00e1rmorzsa\u2019, the result is more reliable if you start by frying the slices in a frying pan and then finish cooking them in the oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m smiling because I love life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, it turns out that Zs\u00f3ka N\u00e9meth is probably the biggest foodie in the group; once she moves into the flat, she\u2019ll certainly put what she\u2019s learnt here to good use. She\u2019s 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\u2019t 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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSo we use fresh fish, not frozen fish<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 he says proudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
IF WE\u2019RE NOT HAPPY, WE\u2019LL COOK SOMETHING FOR OURSELVES, AND THINGS WILL GET BETTER.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our cook-along also revealed that there\u2019s plenty to be gained from them too \u2013 take Gy\u0151z\u0151, for example, who greets everyone with a huge smile and says, \u201eI love you so much, Szabolcs\u201d, \u201eI love you very much, G\u00e9za b\u00e1\u201d or \u201eI love you very much, Bal\u00e1zs\u201d, and gives them a hug. Some might find this a bit too forward, but it\u2019s also disarming, and after a while we can adopt this attitude, which we\u2019ve most likely forgotten from our own childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nI smile because I love life. I have a wonderful wife and three children. I\u2019ve been given so much love and so many opportunities in life that I have no reason to complain. There\u2019s nothing I can think of that I really wanted but didn\u2019t get.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zs\u00f3ka didn\u2019t come empty-handed either, for example; she brought a jar of sour cherry jam that she\u2019d made herself, which is just the thing for Kaiserschmarrn. Andr\u00e1s flips the batter for this, just as he does for pancakes. Gy\u0151z\u0151 even praises him for it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nBlimey! I\u2019m proud of you, Andr\u00e1s!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
And nobody takes it as ironic banter. Andr\u00e1s is also proud of his work. He wouldn\u2019t even put more care into cooking for the Michelin inspectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019ll want to learn, and by helping one another, they\u2019ll even want to tackle this task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end, the team gathers for a group photo and lets out a huge roar:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWe\u2019ll never give up!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Gy\u0151z\u0151 adds: \u2018Nor does the Hungarian national team.\u2019.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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