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Sirniki make for a fancy breakfast. On a normal day, morning starts with eggs, open-faced sandwiches, or tvorog — Russian-style cottage cheese — mixed with a tablespoon of sour cream and jam. In other words, something that takes a few…
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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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We have reached what is, apparently, called “the hunger gap”. In his book Six Seasons — which I highly recommend — Joshua McFadden describes it as “the period between the end of winter and beginning of spring vegetables”. You are…
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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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Nothing can prepare you for the robust grainy flesh of quinces hiding behind the innocent bright yellow exterior. A quince might look like a huge apple or “a pregnant pear”, as Bee Wilson, a British food writer, describes it, but…
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Oladushki with apple is my first spin-off on the classic Russian oladushki, plump fluffy pancakes every babushka makes in copious amounts whenever grandkids come over. In the works are oladushki with pumpkin, tvorog, and gingerbread spices. But since it’s fall…
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If there’s one thing I can make with my eyes closed, it’s Russian crepes, a.k.a. blini. And I can make them as long as there are just two ingredients in my kitchen: flour and eggs. Well, that and water running…
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Oladushki, also known as oladyi, aladyi, and oladki are small and plump kefir-based pancakes that every Russian babushka makes early morning when her grandkids are over. The other day I was reading my 10-month-old son a book by a modern…
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The USA have cole slaw, Russia has salat “Vitaminniy”. Both are essentially a fresh cabbage and carrot salad. The difference lies in the dressing: cole slaw is dressed with a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream, while “Vitaminniy” — with…
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Russian eggplant caviar might be one of the easiest and most affordable things to make during summer months, while eggplants are in season, but it sure sounds fancy. You could, of course, call it an eggplant dip or spread, but…
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