Eastern European Cuisine

[Brad and Vika 129]

Sorry in advance for any poorly spelled dishes. Feel free to add something by post if I missed your fav.

[shikarnov 7]

Oh, how I miss Pelmeni... It was great no matter how you made it... Straight from the freezer and into the frying pan, with mayo and ketchup, Ням... Or into the boiling water to thaw, then to be sauteed with onions and butter and some veggies... There's no bad Pelmeni... Except when my wife tried to make it from scratch.

I also miss my MIL's perogies... She used to whip up this kind of dough and then fry some meats with onions and spices, then stuff the dough and fry the thing. It was like jelly doughnuts, except with meat. I could go for that now.

She also used to make a fantastic chicken and potato dish. Sliced potatoes, in spices and mayonnaise, baked with chicken legs. Delightful.

And, I mustn't forget, Salad Olivie... The greatest salad ever conceived of...

Я скучаю россию...

Edited June 12, 2010 by shikarnov

[Marilyn. 340]

mmm, I love Borscht and Cabbage rolls... oh and perogies, like shikarnov mentioned

I know I am Canadian but 3 of my grandparents were from Russia...

Edited June 12, 2010 by Marilyn.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Sorry in advance for any poorly spelled dishes. Feel free to add something by post if I missed your fav.

My favorites are Alla's meatballs and various salads (except stinky fish salad) I can't believe you ut stinky fish on the poll, Brad!

Perogies with fruit! Of what you listed I prefer borsch.

[Marilyn. 340]

oh I also like the fruit Pirozhki .. yum!!

[Brad and Vika 129]

I should have added blini too, and draniki. Now that it is breakfast time I remember them better And Gary, the salty fish was a joke

Edited June 12, 2010 by Brad and Vika

[visaveteran 1]

Sorry in advance for any poorly spelled dishes. Feel free to add something by post if I missed your fav.

Brad, you forgot to add vodka!

Edited June 12, 2010 by visaveteran

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Brad, you forgot to add vodka!

Yeah, Brad, VV gets his nourishment from a bottle.

[visaveteran 1]

Yeah, Brad, VV gets his nourishment from a bottle.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

[shikarnov 7]

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

I actually don't drink, and my Russian friends and family have used that to explain every ailment in my life -- from being overweight, to anxiety, to the few moles I have, and more. Every time I sneezed while living there, I had to hear about how I'd be healthier if I drank. One person even told me that if I had 40g of vodka each day, I'd never succumb to heart disease (I didn't have the heart to ask if that was true because I'd likely die from liver problems beforehand). She actually did say 40g, like it's medicine.

Anyway, I tried to avoid drinking, but they got genuinely insulted when I refused. I was completely unprepared for how ingrained in their culture this was (in spite of the stereotype). So, truth be told, I did drink with them on occasion, although sparingly. One, maybe two shots, or a single bottle of beer that I'd nurse for an evening.

Edited June 12, 2010 by shikarnov

[Casper&Diana 0]

Mmm, food! You know, it's funny (or not if you are as lousy a cook as me!) but in addition to the excitement of seeing and being with Diana for all the myriad wonderful reasons we have for marrying our RUB women, she is an excellent cook. I have literally told some of my friends and family how I count down the number of days left that I have to eat my own cooking!

So many good dishes to choose from, but yeah, what is it about the "stinky fish?" Diana loves it and I haven't yet had the heart to tell what I think about it. (I guess now I'll find out if she reads this forum! ) Sorry, shikarnov, but 40 g of vodka DOES help with the fish!

Anyway, my favorite is some kind of meat and cheese baked turnover thing we have for breakfast (Dunno what it's called). Love it!

[Brad and Vika 129]

Anyway, my favorite is some kind of meat and cheese baked turnover thing we have for breakfast (Dunno what it's called). Love it!

I think that is the aforementioned blini. Discrepancy to my list duly, and sadly noted.

[tom&tanya 48]

Brad,

Did you try any "Икра лососевая" (Salmon Caviar) while you were there? I thought I'd hate it but I actually love the stuff! Tanya served it on crusty bread with butter ... Yummy!

Yeah .... the stinky fish ... I can live without it. Tanya called it: "Fish in a fur coat" or something like that. (it sounds even LESS appealing with that name!)

--Tom

[SMR 368]

I definitely can't tie myself down to one thing but the soups and salads are really good. I honestly don't know what you guys mean by the stinky/salty fish unless you're talking about pickled herring which I do definitely like, especially under a fur coat. In my experience, the wonderful thing about Russian cooking is the simple reliance on fresh vegetables. Most dishes gain their flavor from the proper mixture of beets, onions, mushrooms, cabbage, peppers, carrots, garlic, and potatoes with some cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh dill mixed in. Pickles also have their place. It's so simple but really fantastic.

Pelmeni can be good but they are only great with the right sauce and seasonings. There is quite a bit of bad pelmeni to go around.

Although I've never drunk a drop, I really do like the beer cheese. It's great for snacks.

[tom&tanya 48]

Oh one more thing I really enjoyed there: Shashlyk. We had the marinated pork kabobs cooked on a wood fire on a day we went mushroom picking. What fun!! (BTW, Now I know just enough about mushrooms to get myself in trouble!)