No New Year's table in Russia is complete without holodets or meat jelly. Although this dish is time-consuming and many modern cooks prefer to buy a ready-made product, nothing adorns the festive table as homemade holodets. Meat jelly came into being through the merging of two culinary traditions - Russian and French. In Russia this [...]
The arrival of spring is felt distinctly when young potato appears on the counters. It is so good when boiled to perfect crumbly condition, seasoned with butter and garnished with dill. But these young potatoes are most delicious when combined with rye bread and squash caviar. This simple, traditional blend of flavors is reminiscent of [...]
Spring is about bright colors, and tasty combinations of fresh ingredients.It's about renewal and rebirth, especially when it comes to healthy eating. Especially when in many parts of the world fresh vegetables are just now appearing after a long winter break. Fresh, crisp, crunchy, juicy and delectable are just a few of the adjectives that describe [...]
Who says Valentine’s Day is for pink chocolates and red cakes? Sure we spend $1.7 billion on Valentine’s Day candy, but that’s even more reason to think outside the box. This year, rather than shelling out dough for sugary treats, consider treating your sweetie to a savory spread of naturally red food. When it comes [...]
It’s Sunday morning and we were in the mood for a light and delicious, authentically Russian blini brunch. Having just come back from a honeymoon in Venice, it was time to give ourselves a break from the super sweet breakfast rolls and treat ourselves to something healthier. We had some fresh berries and just a bit [...]
Today is the last day of Maslenitsa — an old Slavic festival that precedes the period of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church’s traditions. Also known as Pancake Week, Maslenitsa lasts an entire week and gets its name from ‘maslo’ the Russian word for butter which literally signifies that only dairy products are eaten. A cheerful [...]
Sausages and kolbasas are cured meats that have been a culinary staple in Russian for nearly 100 years. Back in 1917 meat was especially in demand in a country that had just experienced a revolution. Unified by the Bolsheviks under a communist ideology, the young Soviet Republic struggled to produced enough food to feed its people. [...]
Zucchini fritters are unbelievably easy to make, nutritious, low in calories, and a delicious way to enjoy summer vegetables. Popular in Russian cuisine, as well as in many other Eastern European regions — zucchini fritters (оладьи из кабачков) are not native to these parts of the world. Ingredients: In fact, these culinary [...]
Sausages are a quintessential summer food: inexpensive, tasty, and forgiving of even the most inexperienced backyard chefs. Its flavor and texture largely depends the source of meat and type of spices used in the recipe. The hot dog — a close American cousin of the German bratwurst, is the most popular form of sausage in the [...]
Wild Mushroom Risotto is a classic Italian dish made with arborio rice that’s cooked to a creamy consistency. Unlike Russian versions of rice porridge (kasha), Risotto is made without milk. The warm, rich texture of the dish makes it a perfect appetizer or entree for the cold winter months. While it’s relatively simple to prepare, it [...]
