Russian Cuisine

Caviar (Ikra): All You Need To Know About This Great Food

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Some Facts About Caviar (Ikra)

Often referred as the luxury food, Caviar is not strange to the world anymore. Caviar is considered t be originated in Russia. This Russian food is widely available online as well. It is a well known fact that Caviar is very expensive, but the great taste of this Russian food has made it the favourite dish of the people around the world. Thankfully Caviar is available in affordable prices with a few International Foods Online stores. Alright, now you might have even tasted Caviar, but we are sure that not every one of us know what exactly is Caviar and only a very few of them out there know at least a little history about Caviar.

What is Caviar?

Caviar is nothing but salted roe of fish. The interesting fact about Caviar is that this will be made of roe of different fish species. Due to this fact of using uniquely tasting fish, Caviar is one of the most delicious dishes available in this planet. As tasty and top quality this food is, as expensive its price tag is. In olden days, Caviar was strictly available only for royal people. In this modern world, with anything and everything available online at affordable prices, Caviar is now available to normal people as well.

A Little History

Caviar has its roots in very ancient period. The word Caviar first got in practice by the early 1591. Caviar was widely exported to Europe by the businessman Henry Schacht. This savvy businessman earned huge cash as American dollar had a great value against the pound and the European royals were ready to pay top price for Caviar. By the 1900s Russian Caviar was titled as the authentic Caviar and it came in two forms such as the red caviar and black caviar. Russian Caviar is of huge demand even today and is considered as the premium food in this planet.

Buying Authentic Russian Caviar

Authentic Russian Caviar is very hard to find. Statistics indicate the bitter fact that 90% of this high class food shipped around the planet is actually from the United States though they are labeled as authentic Russian food. Buying Caviar from the Wholesale Gourmet Food stores will be the best option as the prices will be very much affordable. All you have to do is to make sure that the food store of your choice has its roots in ancient Russian history. This will make sure that you get the authentic, luxurious Russian Caviar.

Caviar has many health benefits as well. So if you need to taste the most delicious food of this planet, you never should miss to taste Caviar.

By: John Edwardzzz

How to Make Borsh - Russian Beet Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:32:00 +0000

Winter is a perfect time for borsh (also known as borscht) - nourishing, delicious and warming up soup. The main borsh's ingredient is beet, that is why the color of borsh is red.

Russian Borsh recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb beef (with or without bones)
1 lb red beets (3 average ones)
1/2 lb shredded cabbage
4 small potatoes
1 carrot
1 onion
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp vinegar
5 g garlic (grated)
salt and pepper on your taste
parsley, dill and spring onions

Method:

Preparing meat broth:
Put beef into a large saucepan and cover with 3 l cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Remove the grease and froth from the broth surface with a spoon. Add one onion. Cook at low heat for 1-2 hours.

Simmering red beets:
Melt 1 tablespoon margarine in a saucepan. Cut red beets into thin sticks and add them into the cooking pot. Add tomato paste or sliced tomatoes. Simmer at low heat for 1 hour. If there is not enough liquid, add some broth. Add vinegar.

Pan-frying vegetables:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a frying pan. Add chopped onions and carrots cut into thin sticks. Cover and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat broth to boiling. Add chopped cabbage and potatoes cut into bars. Cook for 5 minutes. Add saute and cook another 10 minutes. Add simmered red beets. Cook another 5 minutes. Add salt, black pepper and garlic.

Borsh is usually served with sour cream and black bread.

Source: www.ruscuisine.com

Black Russian Cocktail Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:24:00 +0000

Last time when I posted the White Russian Cocktail recipe, there actually were two cocktails on the picture. The second one was of course a Black Russian cocktail. So I feel like owe you the second recipe.

Black Russian Cocktail recipe

Ingredients

1 ounce coffee flavored liqueur (Kahlua)
2 ounce vodka

Combine all the ingredients and stir. Pour over crushed ice in an old-fashioned glass.

You've already seen how Black Russian looks like, so I've brought to you an authentic image from the Soviet era, anti-alcohol campaign period. The man on the poster says "NO!" to vodka (which is completely not typical for a Russian/Soviet man). Do you find it compelling? ;)

Classic White Russian Cocktail

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Vodka, coffee liqueur, cream... What else do you need to make this awesome cocktail except these simple ingredients? A mood. Get yourself in that special White Russian state of mind (for example, see a little bit of "The Big Lebowski"), then you can be sure that you 100% enjoy your special "Dude" drink.

Ingredients

1 ounce coffee flavored liqueur (Tia Maria or Kahlua)

1 ounce vodka

1/2 cup cream or milk

In a mixing glass, combine all the ingredients. Pour over ice in an old fashioned glass.

Want to know more about White Russians? Here you are!

Smile! Cheerful Samovar Song

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:34:00 +0000

Continuing the Samovar theme, here's a funny song I like. The video presents different kinds of samovars which is pretty amusing. Which one would you like for your kitchen?

Gouryevskaya Kasha - Festive Semolina Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:32:00 +0000

We have already discussed some kasha facts and you know that in Russian "kasha" doesn't mean just buckwheat kasha but any kind of porridge (cereal).

But the best known Russian kasha is Guryevskaya kasha. According to the legend it was called "Guryevskaya" after the Russian Minister of Finance count Dimitry Guryev who lived in the beginning of the 19th century.

Ingredients

1 c semolina
2 1/2 c milk
2 tb butter
2 tb sugar
2 c dense cream
2/3 c nuts
2 c canned fruits
1/2 c sugar
1/2 ea lemon
vanilla, salt

Method

Take a not very deep pan. Put cream (must be dense) into the hot oven. As soon as there is a pink skin on the cream, take it carefully away on the plate. Be careful not to tear. Do it until you have 6-7 skins. Boil a viscous kasha (mush) on milk. Add butter, sugar (2 tb), vanilla, salt and mix very well. Put kasha into the oven to warm up for 30 minutes. Add the rest of baked cream to kasha. Next >>

This recipe's author suggests to serve Gouryevskaya Kasha with apricot puree, and I'm sure it's pretty delicious. But actually you may serve it with any kind of confiture (strawberry, cherry etc) and fresh berries.

Russian Samovar - The Most Beautiful Tea Kettle Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:45:00 +0000

Samovar is a crucial part of Russian tea drinking tradition. It's also considered to be one of the symbols of Russia in general (along with balalaika, matryoshka and vodka :)

If you don't know what Russian Samovar is, here are some facts about samovars:

- A samovar (literally "self-boiler") is a heated metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water in and around Russia, as well as in other Central, South-Eastern, Eastern European countries, and in the Middle-East.

- Since the heated water is usually used for making tea, many samovars have an attachment on the tops of their lids to hold and heat a teapot filled with tea concentrate.

- Samovars are said to have been invented in Central Asia, though their origin is a matter of dispute. For example, some argue that it is purely a Russian invention given that the samovar appeared in Iran not later than in 18th century, and it bears the same Russian name "samovar" which translates to self-brewer.

- Though traditionally heated with coal or charcoal, many newer samovars use electricity and heat water in a similar manner as an electric water boiler.

The topic of the tea drinking has often been in the focus of Russian artists' attention. This work, for example, is called "Wife of a Merchant". It belongs to Boris Kustodiev - Russian artist from the turn of the last century.

I believe that this artwork is a great reflection of Russian tea drinking tradition. Look at this woman: she is so calm and relaxed enjoying her tea and delicious food. Feels like she can drink her tea for hours, cup after cup.

This is what the drinking tea tradition is about: not thirst satisfying but enjoying the process. So get yourself a beautiful Russian samovar and enjoy your tea party!

Crazy About Pelmeni (Russian Dumplings)

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:01:00 +0000

Pelmeni are Russian dumplings with Chinese origin. Pelmen (singular) is actually a piece of dough filled with minced meat (pork, lamb, beef) and cooked in salted water. It's usually served with sour cream. And - it's super tasty!

The word pelmeni is derived from pel'nyan' (пельнянь) and means "ear bread" in the native Finno-Ugric Komi and Mansi languages.

There are many variations of Pelmeni in other cuisines: Italians have Ravioli and Tortellini. Manti and Khinkali are well known Caucasian dumplings. Jewish cuisine has Kreplach which are small dumplings filled with ground meat, mashed potatoes or another filling, usually boiled and served in chicken soup. And, of course, I should mention the brother and the sister of Russian pelmeni: Ukrainian vareniki and Polish pierogi.

Now I have a confession to make: I don't know how to cook pelmeni. I've always been thinking that it's too complicated for my culinary abilities. But the good news are that I've found this Pelmeni recipe and it looks 100% right and not too sophisticated. Now I definitely have to try it!

Russian Pelmeni Recipe - from RussianFoods.com

Ingredients

2 c flour
1 c milk or water
1/2 ts salt
1 tb vegetable oil
3 eggs
250 g beef
250 g pork
1 onion
Salt and pepper

Method

Grind beef and pork twice in meat chopper. Then add chopped onion, salt, pepper. To make mincemeat more tender and juicy, add a bit of milk. Reserve. Mix flour with eggs and milk, salt and oil until a soft dough forms. Knead on floured surface until dough is elastic. Take some dough and make a "sausage" (1 inch in diameter). Divide into pieces (1 inch thick). Roll each piece into a circle close to the size (a little bit larger) of the mold holes so that it is 1/16 inch thick. Place a dough sheet on the dumplings mold, then the filling in every opening, then cover with another dough sheet. After that roll the dough circle with a rolling-pin and you have a two dozens of pelmeni at a time! Use the rest of the dough that comes out from the mold to roll another circle.

Pelmeni can be frozen to be cooked later (you can keep them in the freezer for a long time), or cooked immediately. To cook pelmeni, boil much water, so that they cannot stick to each other. Salt water. Carefully drop pelmeni into boiling water. Don't forget to stir from time to time. Boil for 20 minutes. Pelmeni can be served with butter, sour cream, vinegar or ketchup.

Learn more about Pelmeni

Kvas (Kvass) - Russian Alternative to Coke

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:40:00 +0000

Ah, there is nothing better than a mug of cold kvas on a hot summer day. This refreshing and tasty drink is way healthier than coke and soda and it's not so difficult to prepare it at home. If you're asking yourself "What the heck is kvas", here are some interesting facts about it.

Kvass or kvas (in Russian: квас), sometimes translated into English as bread drink, is a fermented mildly alcoholic beverage made from black rye or rye bread (which attributes to its light or dark colour). It is popular in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland and other Eastern and Central European countries. Its origins go back 5,000 years to the beginnings of beer production.

The alcohol content is so low (0.05-1.44%) that it is considered acceptable for consumption by children. It is often flavoured with fruits or herbs such as strawberries or mint. Kvass is also used for preparing a summer cold soup, okroshka (which is yummy!)

Homemade Kvas Recipe

3 liters of water
1 kg rye crackers (rye bread cut into pieces dried in the oven until dark brown)
150-200 gr sugar
20 g yeast powder
60 g raisins

Pour boiling water into a saucepan with crackers, cool down. Mix in sugar. Add yeast powder, close with a piece of gauze and store in a warm place for 12 hours. Filter the mixture, pour into bottles, add raisins. Store in a cool place.

The Black Bread Story 2 - Soviet Posters

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:26:00 +0000

While preparing my previous post about the Black Bread I stumbled upon an amusing collection of Soviet posters dedicated to the bread. Here are the best pieces for you to enjoy!

Work well and the bread will grow!

Bread - to the Motherland!

Bread - to the Motherland!

Value the Bread!

Сollective and individual farmers! Let's yield the bread to the country - with commitment fully and on time!

The Black Bread Story

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:25:00 +0000

Russians love bread. No, we admire bread. No, we deify it! In general, bread is the most respected food in Russian culture.

This hearty relationship between Russian people and His Majesty Bread is widely reflected in the Russian folklore. The famous Russian tradition of welcoming guests is called "Bread and Salt" ("Khleb-Sol").

There are also plenty of songs, poems and sayings about bread. I remember the slogan "Bread Is a Head to Everything" ("Hleb - vsemu golova") from my early childhood as it was on the wall of every canteen I've ever been to.

It's a historical fact that Russian people preferred black (rye) bread at all times. Rye bread is a type of bread made with various percentages of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat flour. It is higher in fiber than many common types of bread and is often darker in color and stronger in flavor.

Here are the most known types of Russian Black Bread:

1) Borodinski Black Bread

2) Darnitsky Black Bread

3) Stolichny Black Bread

4) Diabetic Rye Bread

Want to bake your own Russian Black Bread?
Then you may find these recipes helpful:
Russian Black Bread from RecipeZaar
Russian Black Bread from Allrecipes
And a wonderful story about baking Black Bread from Tea & Cookies Blog

More About Our Russian Kasha

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:53:00 +0000

Kasha is a porridge commonly eaten in Eastern Europe. In English, kasha generally refers to buckwheat groats, but in Slavic countries, kasha refers to porridge in general, and can be made from any cereal, especially buckwheat, wheat, barley, oats, and rye. It is one of the oldest known dishes in the Slavic cuisines of the Eastern European cuisine, at least a thousand years old.
More about kasha from Wikipedia >>

A Little Bit of Kasha History
In Russian Buckwheat Kasha is called "Grechnevaya Kasha". Long time ago, kasha was ceremonial meal, often cooked for wedding and royal feasts. In XII - XIV centuries kasha was equivalent to a word "feast". In old annals it was mentioned that the great Russian "knaz" Alexander Nevsky in 1239 organized the great feast, "kasha", in Toropetz and later in Novgorod.

Very soon kasha became a common meal in Russia. It could be easily cooked to feed many people at once, and, because kasha is very versatile product and can be cooked using all types of ingredients, it became very popular among villagers.
More about kasha from AboutKasha.com >>

Health Benefits of Buckwheat
The protein found in buckwheat contains the eight essential amino acids.
Buckwheat is rich in B vitamins as well as phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese.
Buckwheat is a good oil source of Alpha-Linolenic Acid, which is one of the two essential fatty acids we must have to be healthy.
Buckwheat is high in fiber. A single cup of cooked buckwheat groats contains over 4 grams of dietary fiber.
Buckwheat contains a rich supply of flavonoids.
Buckwheat lowers glucose levels and is beneficial for managing diabetes.
Buckwheat has been found to lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.
Buckwheat is a fruit seed and is a gluten-free alternative to grains.More about kasha from Buckwheathealth >>

According to a legend, there is a savvy spirit living in the buckwheat, that's why buckwheat kasha is an ideal breakfast before exams.

Read Also:

Kasha (Buckwheat Groats Recipe)

Kasha (Buckwheat Groats Recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Buckwheat is wheat-free and gluten free, it's rich in protein, with none of the cholesterol or fat.

This is the basic recipe, you might want to add some onions, garlic, mushrooms and parsley.

Ingredients

1 cup buckwheat groats (kasha)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
Salt and pepper

Tip: Wash buckwheat grains before cooking and sort out the bad grains.

Directions

Heat buckwheat in a nonstick skillet over low heat stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes or until golden. Pour over boiling water, add salt and oil/butter. Cover and cook, without stirring, for about 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork; remove from heat and let stand for 3 minutes before serving. Serve kasha with cold baked milk or butter.

Learn More About Kasha History and Health Benefits >>