Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

See SpaBabySecrets section for news on gorgeous Swan Spa in newly opened Matild Palace in Budapest, Hungary and Hotel/Chef section for coverage on the historic palace now the chic venue steps from the Elizabeth Bridge, featuring the first Spago by Wolfgang Puck in Hungary.

Below is a great recipe for Hungarian Goulish from my past visit to Budapest - hope you like it! Since my last visit Chef Wolfgang Puck has opened a signature restaurant in a hotel near the Danube River in Budapest. Story ran in Culinary Coup section.

September is usually a great time for traveling, especially in Europe but since the pandemic last March this has changed considerably, although most cruise lines, including Viking, who are a go with cruises being scheduled into 2022. My fall Viking cruise from Paris to Germany 2019 provided many stories on special destinations following the shut down, however, all Viking cruises are now on go. American and European journalist friends are beginning to do travel writing again and stories are coming up daily, although closures are beginnig to happen again do to the serious virus activity.

Watch for story on The Road Trip to the Bayou - 21st annual benefit October 1, 2022 2:00 pm for the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission; great auction, food and music at Dos Pueblos Ranch. For information on auction items online or reservations visit (www.sbrm.org).

Major events to support Arthritis Foundation California have been rescheduled due to the pandemic and virus. Please go to their site and make a donation if you can. www.arthritisfoundation.org.

Look for Emmy and Oscar and announcement on entertainment events and awards. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has been changed please visit www.SBIFF.org for dates and details. Charities are doing their major fundraisers on line, and are now holding public events in some cases. Grateful for Zoom which has kept groups connected during 2020-21. I hope to be seeing all my entertainment friends at upcoming events, but we'll see.

With the war in Ukraine, Cruiselines including @Viking have created new routes for cruise guests that are visiting some amazing destinations, some never seen by ocean cruisers in the past. Look for my coverage on my Viking Jupiter fifteen day cruise through the Baltic Sea and enjoy the trip with me.

The Hotel Cerro in SLO in downtown San Luis Obispo is a great close to home option while traveling on the 101 and our Hotel/Chef section has my past review, along with fascinating Madonna Inn and Carmel favorite Hofsas House Hotel. The SLO area has access to so many amazing beaches to visit, where an abundance of water activities are available and I love the scenic Monterey coast. www.hotelcerro.com.

My favorite home-away-from-home is Hofsas House in Carmel for a safe weekend respite. Hosfas House welcomes families and has pet friendly rooms. Carmel-by-the-Sea is a very compliant community with wonderful restaurants.

The Sensorio event in Paso Robles is up and running again. Go visit this amazing site and enjoy a special peace. Also, new hotels have opened in Paso Robles to try and lots of great restautants in Pismo Beach on the way there. I was totally delighted by the whole experience. The most delightful walk through of our life! The installation and the property take visitors to another world, one that is so beautiful!

We all must continue to pray for our medical professionals on the line who continue working to safe the lives of people with COVID-19 in hospitals through the US and around the world. Pray that people will get vaccinated and comply to stop this virus. Also, keep our young men and women fighting in foreign countries on your prayer list, especially those fine young people who lost their lives in Kabul in August. These armed forces members need our prayers -- they need to come home safely! Pray for world peace. Prayer works!

Stay hydrated as this heat wave is raging in our country. Prayers for those in danger in fire zones, and prayers for all caught in the Ukraine.

Please note: Opinions in this monthly online publishers letter are those of the publisher only.

Creamy Viennese Veal Goulash

Goulash originates from Hungary. When it came to Vienna in the middle of the 19th century, it had little in common with the dish that is so popular in Vienna today: It was a kind of thin soup made of pepper, potatoes, onions and tomatoes. The Viennese cuisine reinvented it into a viscid, spicy and fiery beef dish. For the more noble creamy Viennese veal goulash you will need tender veal and whipped cream for refining.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Cut the meat into bite-size cubes and chop the onions. Heat the oil in a casserole dish and lightly fry the meat. Remove, then saute the onions. Add the tomato paste and paprika powder and pour on the wine. Add the meat and add water so the meat is just covered. Add the bay leaf, salt and pepper and stew for about 1 1/2 hours.
As soon as the meat is tender, remove again with a draining spoon. Remove the bay leaf. Cut the apple into small cubes and add to the goulash, along with the lemon juice and grated lemon rind. Mix in the flour, cream and sour cream. Stir well.
Bring to boil then mix with a hand-held mixer. Strain the liquid and add the meat again, adding salt and pepper to taste.

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