My maiden name is KOCSIS. I was born in Melbourne Australia to Hungarian parents. Unfortunately my parents let go of their Hungarian connection when I was a young child. They did not pass any Hungarian language or culture on to me. As I am a person born to migrant parents I decided it was important for me to carry on my family’s legacy through traditions, language and culture. I have lived in Australia my whole life and it has been my lifetime goal for many years now to learn as much as I can about my Hungarian heritage. I try and visit Hungary regularly, I study the language and I participate in a Hungarian Folk dance group.

My most recent connection to my Hungarian heritage has been to write a Hungarian Cookbook with some of my personal memoir. My book, “ILKA’S KITCHEN. Stories and recipes from my Hungarian heritage” was self-published in August 2022. It has been well received in Australia, USA and Canada where I have sold many copies to Hungarian diaspora and the general public. I wrote the book with the intention to demonstrate my love of Hungarian cuisine from an Australian upbringing and I incorporated as much Hungarian tradition as I could. The recipes are “my” version of Hungarian cuisine. I worked closely with professional editors and a Book Designer to ensure my voice was heard and the writing is of high quality. I also wanted the book to be a beautiful, high quality production for all to enjoy and appreciate.

To Find out more about Ilka's Kitchen. Stories and recipes from my Hungarian heritage Follow and Like - Facebook Page @ilkaskitchen and Instagram ilkas_kitchen_stories

I am planning to write a more detailed memoir or perhaps historical fiction in the near future.