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There is a handful of memories that connect all the kids who went to a Russian kindergarten, no matter whether they grew up in the Urals, Siberia, or the Far East. Some of those memories are rather gross: lumpy semolina…
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If ever there was a decadent dessert shamelessly hiding behind the cover of a snack — and a heatlhy-ish one at that — that would be Russian syrok (plural: syrki). If you know, you know. If you don’t, let me…
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In my mind this cake goes by blinniy tort, not crepe cake. Crepe cake sounds so French, so chic. Blinniy tort, on the other hand, sounds rather simple and rustic, at least to someone who speaks Russian. Blinniy means “made…
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If there was a family recipe in my family, this is it right here — Medvezhiy tort, or Bear’s Cake. My mom prepares it every 31st of December, without a fail. Usually early in the morning, before it is time…
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Baking banana bread while in lockdown became a cliche rivaled, probably, only by making sourdough. The former requires much less skill, patience, and time, though, so here we are. I am not afraid of being a cliche — after all,…
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Strawberries with sour cream require only three ingredients. You’d think there’s nothing easier to prepare. However, since I don’t make this dish for nourishing the body, but primarily for reviving childhood memories, the stakes are high. First of all, the…
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When two unlikely things come together, it usually leads to beautiful results. Just try to search for unlikely animal friendships on Youtube and not awwww at the videos of a chimpanzee hugging a baby-tiger. Or rewatch the first Step Up……
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The word “potato” in Russian can mean both a vegetable and a type of cake. To be fair, the cake does look like the vegetable, hence the name. In Russian you call it kartoshka. It’s neither fancy nor does it…
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