This cookbook, published in 1964 by Minerva, comprises recipes used by award-winning chef János Rákóczi during his career that spanned half a century. According to the foreword written by József Venesz, learning Rákóczi’s recipes for festive dishes will not only benefit housewives but also professional chefs. The book contains some recipes that had been forgotten about at the time, while introducing others which had not been known in Hungary before.
Rákóczi started his studies in 1912 and became a head chef at a young age. He studied and worked in Paris, where he educated himself about French culinary arts, then returned home to work as head chef at some of the most prestigious Hungarian hotels of his time, such as the Lillafüred Palota-szálló and Budapest’s Gellért and Duna (Bristol) hotels. In addition to winning awards at international competitions, he was presented with the “Honorary Medal for Socialist Work” by the Hungarian state after his success at the 1958 Brussels World Expo, where he was head of the Hungarian chef team. He wrote his cookbook after he retired in 1961.
