In what must be one of the oddest collisions between politics and food in recent Hungarian history, a new cookbook by the wife of the country's opposition leader is being unfavorably compared to a collection of recipes endorsed by the current prime minister's wife. News portal origo.hu asked for the opinions of a noted chef and a nutritionist about the cookbook authored by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's wife Anikó Lévai and another cookbook approved by Ferenc Gyurcsány's wife Klára Dobrev. After reviewing Lévai's A konyhaablakból ("From the Kitchen Window"), chef György Kaldeneker, who works at the Canadian Embassy, and has cooked for many politicians, said he is worried about the health of Orbán, who was prime minister from 1998-2002. "Those who eat meals only from a book containing heavy dishes are not sure to live to 50," he said. Orbán (left) will turn 44 in late May, assuming he survives another month of his wife's cooking.

While stressing that he is not interested in politics, Kaldeneker went on to offer other criticisms of Lévai's book, pointing to a photo above the introduction in which she can be seen standing behind a table heaving with steak Wellington, roast pig, spinach puree, beetroot salad, plum pudding, and other complex dishes. "This would take a professional chef in a professional kitchen 15 hours," he said, implying that it could not be the work of the opposition leader's wife alone. Meanwhile, Kaldeneker noted that in one photo frozen potato croquets are clearly visible.

Nutritionist Katalin Nógrádi, who writes for Origo's health column and has several decades of experience working in hospitals, said she would only recommend the cookbook to healthy people, and not those who suffer from an illness related to nutrition. But she also said some nice things about it. "One advantage of the book is that it contains several well-known dishes, as well as those part of the several-century-old Hungarian cooking culture that are not often made today, like the puliszka (corn polenta) and Transylvanian recipes. It also writes about some Anglo-Saxon dishes I would recommend." She added that if a carbohydrate-rich and fatty dish is cooked from Lévai's book, then only two-thirds of the portion should be eaten. The portal contacted Lévai to find out how often she cooked meals from her book, but she declined to respond to questions, saying she was too busy. According to gondola.hu, the book is a great success. The first printing of 5,000 copies sold out within a few days, and a large crowd attended a recent book signing held at a Budapest store.

While Dobrev didn't write a cookbook, she lent her name to a collection of recipes published last year entitled Könnyed magyar konyha ("Light Hungarian Cuisine"). In her introduction to the book, she says that while her husband is reforming Hungary, she wants to do the same for Hungarian cooking. Dobrev told origo.hu that she and her husband - who is the "head chef" in their home - use the book regularly. And while they try to eat healthily, Gyurcsány likes sweets too much, his favorites being madártej (literally "bird milk," a sweet egg-white foam floating in a vanilla-flavored mixture of egg yolk and milk), császármorzsa (literally "emperor morsels"; made from semolina flour, milk, butter, eggs and raisins and topped with jam and powdered sugar) and máglyarakás (literally "stake pile"; a layer of bread rolls soaked in sweetened milk, topped with steamed, cinnamon-flavored apples and egg-white foam).

Kaldeneker said that if the PM's family really eats dishes from Könnyed magyar konyha often, then they will live long. Nógrádi agreed that Dobrev's book is far healthier, saying that it was perfect for people suffering from nutritional diseases. "Nearly anyone can use it, even those who have problems with their digestive system, liver, bile or are diabetic," she said. "It is a very good idea that there are tips next to the recipes on how to make the dishes with fewer calories and less fat, though this could not be done with all dishes. Both cookbooks have a place on the shelf," she concluded.

Meanwhile, the Gyurcsány family has bought a copy of Lévai's book, and the prime minister tried the recipe for töltött paprika (stuffed peppers). But on his blog, the Prime Minister wrote that he left out the rántás (roux) traditionally used as a base for the sauce, because there are good Italian tomato sauces available now that don't require the extra richness. He also admitted to adding some oregano. But he said he did add celery to the sauce, as the book specified. "It had a very pleasant taste. I think it is worth following this advice," the PM wrote.

Despite Gyurcsány's somewhat tepid endorsement of Lévai's stuffed peppers, Kaldeneker suggested that Dobrev's book may be more conducive to bridging Hungary's bitter political divide. He said the many "feel good" dishes made from vegetables are especially suitable for meetings of politicians, as these make people feel happier than dishes made of meat. Not to mention basil peanut potatoes.