My Hungarian grandma made the best apple strudel I've ever had. Here in Hungary it's apple season and apple strudel is showing up on many of the restaurant menus. Yesterday, on the Pest side of the Danube, I came upon the Strudel House. I ordered the sweet cottage cheese-filled strudel, mainly because it was served with a rosehip sauce, which I wanted to taste. During my two days in the countryside, I saw rose bushes heavy with hips. This restaurant served sauce they had made with freshly harvested rosehips. The sauce had the fragrance of fermented grapes, and I think the little cottage I stayed in that was nestled in the middle of a vineyard in the countryside had bed linens sprayed with the fragrance of rosehips.
Well, the strudel had flakey layers surrounding the cottage cheese filling, the rosehip sauce was a delicious complement and one perfect scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream put the dessert over the top. It was a late-night treat. It wasn't as good as the one my grandma used to make, though.
Whether I've been to a tiny pub, a cozy neighborhood restaurant, or a famous fine-dining establishment, I've discovered they all pay attention to the little things that make the meal memorable. Flowers are stil blooming here, and they are used often on the tables in one way or another.
Plates are garnished creatively, with fuits, vegetables, fresh herbs, flowers or powdered seasonings that make the food look especially beautiful. Even a simple cup of cappucino never arrives at the table unadorned. And I've had plenty of cappucino since I've been in Budapest. It's taken the place of my cup of American-style brewed coffee each morning. And now I'm hooked on it. It's become my beverage of choice in the morning, afternoon and evening.
It's the little things that can make such a big difference.
Sue Doeden is a popular cooking instructor, food writer and integrative nutrition health coach. She is the host of Good Food, Good Life 365 on Lakeland Public Television. Her own hives full of hardworking bees and her love of honey led to the creation of her recently published cookbook, Homemade with Honey.