EXPERIMENTING IN THE KITCHEN

To continue from my last post about Ryan and I experimenting and researching Kürtős, in the summer of 2016 we decided to try a few recipes from my great grandma’s recipe book.  We didn’t have the proper equipment, so being the daughter of an engineer, I figured I could fashion a device from some simple items from the hardware store.  After a few epic fails (and a couple edible ones), pictured below, I called my grandmother and she walked me through a few recipes and tried to teach me her skills over the phone.  I do have a bachelors degree in Chemistry, but this apparently does not transfer to baking.  It is definitely more of an art!! We found it difficult to describe the texture and appearance of the dough, especially with the language barrier.  Although I am fluent in Hungarian, it is more conversational and some would call it Hung-Lish (Hungarian-English).  Being that my grandmother speaks 0 english, these recipes were becoming a bit frustrating.
By this point I had put together a business plan, did my market research, even wrote a menu and brainstormed names for a possible business.  I had even been in contact with a few other businesses in the US that had been selling Chimney Cakes.  The recipe was the only part that was still not quite right.  So, the only thing left to do was go to Hungary and stay with my grandma to learn! Ryan and I will be traveling overseas tomorrow to do just that (and of course some market research and taste testing)!!
My grandmother’s name is Magda, and I definitely wanted to use her name in my business name, but I couldn’t decide what to use, as I don’t have one creative bone in my body.  That is more Ryan’s strength.  One night we were brainstorming names, and Ryan came up with MagDough, after I had said Madga’s Dough out loud.  The business was born!!