Food story

Moved to new domain

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:57:00 +0000

Dear friends

We moved permanently to a new home: Pinch of Cinnamon. From now on the updates are only posted there.

Thank you for moving with us
Love you
Maria

A very special red lentils soup

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:15:00 +0000

I would never think that a soup made of these simple ingredients can be that delicious. However once my mom threw it together and since then we are making it virtually every week. Everybody loves it including my little brother and when I eat it I think I do know why. It is just one of those dishes that are truly good for you. It always leaves you with a deep feeling of satisfaciton and comfort.
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Quince marmalade

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:09:00 +0000

That's the second autumn when my mom made quince marmalade. Last year the stocks lasted till late winter. It suddenly became so deeply imbedded in the family eating that we can't imagine our mornings without it any more. Sometimes we have it on toasted bread with fresh cheese, other times - on its own with tea. When I started inquiring it turned out that this marmalade comes from hispanic cooking and the particular recipe - from an amazing mama-fenix - Russian food blogger living in Barcelona.
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Florentine cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:59:00 +0000

Last Monday was my mom's birthday. She went for a MacBook (yes, she does listen to me sometimes) but I still wanted to present something hand made. So on Sunday my little bro and I got together at the kitchen to make her favorite florentines. They are continuing the series on Christmas baking.
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Cooking buckwheat

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:12:00 +0000

Buckwheat is one of my favorite grains and something I closely associate with home and Russia. It has a lot of character. When cooked properly it is absolutely delicious on its own. No adds or toppings are necessary. In this sense it is similar to rice. The right way to cook it is nothing complicated, but it really makes a difference.
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Rice with green lentils (inspired by Kitchari)

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:31:00 +0000

I don't really have a name at hand for this dish, but the idea comes from Indian kitchari. Last weekend I tried kitchari for the first time at a vegetarian cooking class by beautiful Moscow food blogger Natasha at Sok cafe. Now if I think about feel-good-food kitchari comes to my head as the first idea. I just love the whole idea of combining rice with a legume in one dish. Vegetables add lightness and flavor to it and a touch of hot spices really makes it shine.
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Ukrainian granny's vareniki with mashed potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:45:00 +0000

It is hard to believe, but I made my first conscious vareniki (Ukrainian dumpling) just a couple of months ago. I pretty much grew up wondering around them being cooked at the family kitchen helping to make them here and there, but never really did the thing myself from start to the end. The tradition comes from my Ukrainian grand grandma. She cooked beautifully and she taught me a few things. The one I'm most proud of is this vareniki seal, which makes them look so pretty.

Italian cooking class with Artur Bagov at Del Corso (Moscow)

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:59:00 +0000

Last weekend I finally paid my first visit to Del Corso, a new Italian cooking school in Moscow led by inspiring and engaging Artur Bagov. Back to Moscow after studying and working in Piedmont, having worked with Isaac Correa at Correa's restaurant at its very start Artur is now developing his beautiful venture. Watching him working you can tell he's doing what he loves. He is sparkling with enthusiasm, so passionate about giving you his very best here and now. It was definitely not my last visit to the school.
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Escribà pastry shop in Barcelona

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:37:00 +0000

Sweets in Barcelona often go unnoticed. If you don't get to spend much time there it easily overloads you with its amazing seafood, paella, wine and tapas. But this would never happen to such a sweets junky like me. Barcelona has its own beautiful culture of sweets and there is so much to try there! Escribà is one of the oldest and most famous pastry shops in the city, which I was lucky to visit during my last trip.
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Lemon and caraway biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:37:00 +0000

Now when everybody is not as busy with halloween I can clearly see that it is not only me who is impatiently waiting for Christmas. My first Christmas cinnamon roll cookies this year were baked on October 1st and here comes the second batch. Every time I bake these lemon biscuits they surprise me once again with their depth and intensity. And almost everybody who tries them asks me for their recipe.
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Tamarind and fresh ginger cake (vegan version)

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:26:00 +0000

This time of the year I constantly feel like something spicy. This cake came out very Asian - with intense sweet dark muscovado sugar and sour tamarind. Fresh ginger, cinnamon and black pepper create a spicy explosion, but there is almost no texture, it disappears right after it gets into your mouth.
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A perfect risotto at l'Osteria restaurant (Paris)

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:05:00 +0000

I got to visit l'Osteria during my last trip to Paris. It's a tiny Italian place hidden in one of le Marais side streets who's chef, Toni Vianello, is famous for revolutionizing risotto. Yes, the saint-jaques risotto we had there was in fact beautiful and different from everything I tried before. But even if we leave the risotto aside, it was just a perfect evening I got to spend with an old friend in the atmosphere of almost family hospitality.
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Apple and walnut muffins (vegan version)

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 05:28:00 +0000

There are definitely nice things about starting autumn. My dad came home with a case of Antonovka apples he got at the farmers market. I could tell what was in his bag standing 5 meters away from him. The apples instantly filled the house with their strong aroma. I couldn't help baking apple something. Not that I don't like them fresh, but I can't stand cold food this time of the year. These apples beautifully develop their flavor when baked and they are strong enough for you to taste them in muffins.
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Cooking with class in Paris: Terresa on Organic Vegetarian

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 18:41:00 +0000

I unexpectedly got an amazing present – one day and one night in Paris. With its lovely weather, clear sky and morning sun. In this city more than in any other one I just had to spend it either shopping for food, cooking or eating. Even more luckily – I got a last minute reservation at Cook’n with class for that day. This was where I met Terresa and tried unbelievable organic vegetarian food she taught us to cook. It was like nothing else, sparkling with colors, flavors and freshness. I couldn’t possibly find any better way to spend that day.
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Dinner at Corner Burger (CBBG 76) Moscow

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:18:00 +0000

I never even thought about coming to Corner Burger (CBBG 76) before I saw this picture of their veggie burger. When at Bolshaya Gruzinskaya street, 76 I’d just always go to Upside Down Cake, sure that my door is "to the left" and the one "to the right" (Corner Burger) is for those who like meat. But once I got into this album and started flipping through the pictures – oh my! – these amazing salads, the blueberry pie seemed to be waiting just for me. The veggie burger picture closed the deal – I knew I had to come and try this myself.
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Dinner at EspaiSucre dessert restaurant (Barcelona)

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:29:00 +0000

I can't help wondering how all the important things seem to happen to me just by chance. While I was preparing for my last Barcelona trip I digested many restaurant guides, blogs about the city etc., but never saw EspaiSucre restaurant mentioned. That was Ferran: The inside story of elBulli book, where it was hidden somewhere in between the lines, where I could easily miss it. And yes, it turned out to be the most intriguing night of the whole trip.
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My muffin baking class - this Sunday in Moscow

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:16:00 +0000

Dear friends,

Let me invite you to my muffin baking class - this Sunday evening (October 9th) at half-a-teaspoon cooking studio (M. Ordynka 25, Moscow). It is part of "Pastry basics" class series, started by Masha Kicheeva and Elena Spirina, which I am happy to contribute to.

This evening we will bake muffins - classic and vegan, sweet and savory, light and indulgent. Draft menu starts from:
Vanilla & blackcurrant muffins
Apple & cinnamon muffins
Double chocolate muffins
Fresh basil & olive oil muffins with sun dried tomatoes...
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Cinnamon roll cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 19:04:00 +0000

I'm one of those people who start impatiently waiting for Christmas as soon as the weather turns cold. In Moscow this happens in September so it's two weeks already that I'm thinking about all the Christmas magic. Candles, Christmas tree, mulled wine and baking Christmas cookies. This year there was no way I could make myself wait till December, so with the cinnamon roll cookies my Christmas started tonight. Read more...

Pumpkin and ginger cream soup

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:04:00 +0000

Lately I make this or that vegetable cream soup every weekend. I like this kind of food, especially if they are made of vegetables only - cream or other thickeners make them a bit heavy for every day food. Many vegetables work well in them, but pumpkin and ginger is one of the most powerful combinations. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 04:02:00 +0000

Apricot jam (varenie) is something we make at home every summer since I remember myself. I am a crazy apricot lover always waiting for the season to start after the long winter. However as soon as August is over apricots are gone again. The apricot jam is an attempt to keep them with me till the next summer and I must say it works. With its mind blowing aroma and deep flavor it's like little magic in a jar. Read more...

A walk around La Boqueria Barcelona market

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 05:10:00 +0000

Before our Catalan cooking class at the cook&taste Barcelona cooking studio we went to a Spanish chef guided tour around La Boqueria, the most famous Barcelona food market. La Boqueria is a place where one can find almost anything. Everybody seems to like it - city restaurants, home cooks, tourists - all shop there for ingredients, enjoy great tapas bars and the energetic buzz of its crowd.
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Basil and olive oil muffins (vegan version)

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:15:00 +0000

In my series of vegan muffins I had to come up with something savory sooner or later. My dad is especially fond of low sugar food, but everybody else also seems to enjoy savory cookies, pies etc. That's why quiches got so much traction with us. Anyhow one day I thought about something like pesto muffin. Intense green and with mind blowing basil aroma.
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Elena Spirina brunch at Simple things (Простые вещи) restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:24:00 +0000

I already said a lot about Elena Spirina, a Moscow food book writer and blogger. I can't help wondering how many different original and beautiful things Elena manages to do around food. Today I saw her once again in a completely new role - hosting a special brunch at Simple things (Простые вещи) Moscow gastropub and wine bar.
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Barcelona Catalan cooking class at Cook&Taste

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:18:00 +0000

One more brilliant thing I discovered during my last trip to Barcelona was the cook&taste cooking studio. I was looking to insert some cooking class in our trip and found them. Cook&taste offered a 3-4 hour class where we would be able to not only watch, but cook ourselves. The menu gathered the most internationally known dishes (gazpacho, tortilla, paella and crema catalana). At first I got worried - the menu looked somewhat "touristy" to me, but then I found that I shouldn't have. In addition to that there was a guided market tour available (at La Boqueria of course) - this was the last thing to drive me completely crazy about the class and I booked 2 seats.
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Suki Maman cupcake class at Afisha Eda Food feast (Афиша: Праздник Еды)

noreply@blogger.com (Maria Sorokina) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 02:12:00 +0000

In the last post I already said a lot about the Food feast, an amazing food festival organized by Afisha Eda magazine in Moscow last weekend. Now I would like to say more about the master class of Suki Maman (the pastry chef of Upside down cake bakery and Montalto pizza). The class was about mini cupcakes, the key speciality of Upside down cake, which I'm completely addicted to. That was something I just couldn't miss.
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