Móni Kövérné Kalmár, a popular food blogger and confectioner, has finally opened her own confectionery. Called Mónisüti, her busy new place is near the train station in Gyenesdiás.
Mother of four, Móni, food blogger, former journalist, theologian, economist and interior decorator who also studied cultural history, has been catering cakes around Balaton for years – yet she held back on opening her own confectionery. Delivering seemed easier than running a shop. Last year, a couple offered to sell their place, with a kitchen and apartments included. Móni first moved her workshop. When she was selected among the ten best confectioneries in rural Hungary without even having an outlet, Móni and team decided to take the plunge and open one.
Mónisüti was unveiled at the end of June, its spacious interior in shades of vanilla, mint and birch. Curtains will soon arrive, a play corner will be added and also a bar. When Móni wrote about the opening in her blog, many offered to help: one reader, the owner of a laminated flooring company, suggested he deliver and install for half price. Another guest brought over door signs as a gift.
Of the 60 types of cakes, they make 15 each day in the workshop, and Móni still delivers to 20 cafés in the area. Seasonal fruit defines the selection but Móni makes sure that there’s something with cottage cheese, chocolate, mascarpone or vanilla each day, as well as a paleo option. The Friedmann cake, named after a former classmate, is a signature example, with an oat-biscuit base, a thin layer of chocolate ganache, and a filling of cream cheese with fruit. The chestnut puree cake is also a huge hit, a thin sponge cake with chocolate mousse, chestnut and whipped cream, with a more wintry poppy-seed version.
She isn’t a typical confectioner, so those seeking classic items should look elsewhere: 90% of the recipes here are her invention or her adaption. When she tastes something that inspires her, she will always try to make her own version. Sometimes Móni travels for inspiration. Móni sources the fruit from local farmers and unpredictable suppliers sometimes present unexpected challenges. Móni is also one of the founding members of Cekker, a community of shoppers, and sources her cottage cheese and yoghurt from the producers she has got to know.
It's no surprise that Mónisüti is popular in the morning as its coffee is the organic version of Italian Morganti, which is available from Pazar Coffee – one of the cafés Móni delivers her cakes to. According to Móni, people are willing to pay for a good quality, and the product should meet expectations.
