I had the honor of meeting George when he lectured at the Jewish Community Center in Stamford. I was thrilled to get an assignment to interview him and review his book, Nobody's Seen the Truffles I've Seen, about his hardscrabble life in Hungary during World War II. George really was an incredible person. He harbored no bitterness about his life. He was an aspiring violinist, but he felt he was not good enough, so he looked for another field in which to excel. He found himself in catering, doing weddings for Mafia princesses and later decided to become a restaurateur. He told me that he no longer observed the laws of kashrut because his mother refused to eat the gruel in concentration camp and subsequently died of starvation. It's amazing what you can do with food that doesn't have to be kosher! He created and/or inspired remarkable food, even taking classics such as Pot-au-Feu to new heights. Cafe des Artiste's signature flourless chocolate cake was named after his mother, Ilona. His cookbooks are home-friendly and I highly recommend tracking them down.
I had been to Cafe des Artistes in New York and was impressed not just by the wonderful food and romantic setting, but by the hospitality. I'd gone with a friend years before and we were nobodies. We weren't dressed exceptionally well. We were not regular patrons. But we were treated graciously by the staff. Ten years ago I was in Budapest and had the privilege of eating at Gundel's, which he and Ronald Lauder restored to its former glory. It was one of the highlights of my trip.
I was saddened when George and his wife, Jennifer, closed Cafe des Artistes. I never got to go again and I wanted to share the experience with my husband. At least I have two of George's cookbooks, from which I've prepared wonderful food. Rest in peace, George. You will always be remembered with admiration.
0 comments:
Post a Comment