Louis Szathmary facts for kids
Louis Szathmary portrait by Faith Bennett
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| Born | June 2, 1919 |
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| Died | October 4, 1996 Chicago |
| Cooking style | Continental |
Louis Szathmary (born Lajos István Szathmáry II; June 2, 1919 – October 4, 1996) was a famous Hungarian-American chef, writer, and TV personality. He was a big influence in the food world. Szathmary is best known for his popular Chicago restaurant, The Bakery. He also wrote a best-selling cookbook called The Chef's Secret Cookbook. Louis Szathmary helped change how we think about food, especially with frozen meals. His many cookbooks and TV appearances made him a true icon in cooking.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Louis Szathmary was born on June 2, 1919. He was born on a train traveling from Transylvania to Budapest. His parents were moving away from the Hungarian–Romanian War after World War I.
He studied at the University of Budapest. There, he earned degrees in journalism and psychology. During World War II, he joined the Hungarian army. He first worked as a psychologist for soldiers. Later, he became a private and wrote important manuals, including one about cooking. This led him to attend a Hungarian chef's school, where he learned advanced cooking skills.
Moving to America
In 1951, Szathmary moved to the United States. He arrived in New York City from Bremerhaven with only $1.10 and couldn't speak English. He started working as a short-order cook. He worked very hard and improved his cooking skills. Soon, he was cooking for important people on the East Coast.
In 1959, he moved to Chicago. He started working for a company called Armour and Company. Here, he helped create new frozen food products for different companies, like Stouffer's. One of his famous creations was Stouffer's classic Frozen Spinach Souffle. Szathmary was a leader in the changing food industry. He worked with new ideas like freeze-drying and boil-in-bag meals. Some of his food creations were even used by NASA and eaten by astronauts in space!
The Bakery Restaurant
Louis Szathmary opened his own restaurant in Chicago called The Bakery. It was open from 1963 to 1989. Szathmary described the food as "continental dishes with American undertones." This meant he served fancy European dishes with a touch of American style.
The Bakery became a very popular place in Chicago. It offered unique European foods that expanded fine dining in the city. His individual beef Wellington dish was especially famous. Many people in Chicago said it was a must-try meal. In its first year, over 200 articles were written about The Bakery! The restaurant attracted guests from all over the world. Szathmary even hosted parties for famous people like Hugh Hefner, Frank Zappa, and conductor Arthur Fiedler.
Public Life and Hobbies
Public Appearances
Louis Szathmary loved being a public figure. He appeared on more than 150 TV shows, including the Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America. He also made over 1,000 appearances on radio shows. He was featured in commercials for companies like Lipton Tea and Christian Dior. Szathmary truly enjoyed connecting with his fans. He even hired three secretaries to help him answer fan mail and plan his busy touring schedule.
Amazing Collections
Szathmary loved books and called himself a bibliophile, which means a person who loves books. He started collecting books soon after he came to America. His family had a long history of collecting books since the 1790s. His collection grew to include 45,000 books and cooking-related items.
His collection had old cookbooks, handwritten recipes, menus, and Hungarian historical items. It even included letters from the famous Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. Szathmary kept his huge collection in 31 rooms across 17 apartments above The Bakery restaurant. After his death, this amazing collection was divided and given to different universities and institutions. For example, a large part of his cooking collection went to Johnson & Wales University to start their Culinary Archives and Museum.
Family Life
Louis Szathmary was married to Sadako "Sada" Tanino. They opened The Bakery restaurant together. When he passed away, he was survived by his wife, his daughter Magda, and his brother.
Awards and Honors
Louis Szathmary received many awards for his important work in the culinary world.
- In 1974, the Culinary Institute of America named him "Outstanding Culinarian."
- In 1977, the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society chose him as "Man of the Year."
- In 1988, he was honored as a "Distinguished Visiting Chef" by Johnson & Wales University.
- In 1990, the Chicago City Council renamed the alley behind The Bakery to Szathmary Lane.
- In 1995, he received the Silver Spoon Award from Food Arts magazine. This award recognized his efforts to improve the professional status of chefs.
- In May 1990, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University.
