Russian Cuisine?

[baron555 934]

Sorry if it will offend anybody here, but US bologna is gross for me. I tried 3 or 4 brands, like Eckrich and few others, different kinds each, and gave up. I can't eat it. It's not anything about flavor - some of them actually pretty yummy, it's all about texture. To me it feels like it's... grainy? I don't know how to describe it better, but all of the kinds of bologna I tried had this grainy feeling. I've always loved bologna of all kinds in Russia (which never has this weird texture and always smooth like beef hot dogs) and would eat it few times per week, but here in the US it's not something I would eat unless I'm starving and it's the only food around.

- Victor

Fried bolony sandwiches are to die for........it's amazing what you can make using an extruder!!

[Inna & Brian 11]

The amount of work cooking Russian food is amazing. Inna doesn't really like to cook but she is a really good cook. Everything has to look and taste nice. She spends hours slicing and dicing all kinds of things. When I come home from work, there is beautiful woman and homemade dinner, soup, salad, bread cheeses, yogurt, cake, etc. Life is good!

Her salads are wonderful. She's gotten people at work hooked on Russian salads. My favorite is the ham salad made with curry or paprika. That stuff has some serious flavor.

Inna agrees with Victor. She says the baloney in the US is too sweet and bad texture. She only made baloney salad one time. Inna is having a difficlt time adjusting to US food. She says it is a strange country because the vegetables are sweet and the fruits are not sweet. And don't get her started on how soft and watery potatoes are or the lack of variety in grains and fruits.

Inna agrees with Victor about the cottage cheese. She thinks it's gross. We buy cheese from mexican grocery store (requeson?). That or ricotta is a close substitute. She really likes carnberries, blueberries and peanut butter.

I'll join and on the love for the crepes and dumplings (Inna has made them with blueberries). But no one mentioned the little meatballs -- kotliki? Those are very tasty. But my favorite are the cakes

Did I say life is good with a Russian woman?

[ONA 133]

And don't get her started on how soft and watery potatoes are or the lack of variety in grains and fruits.

it depends on where you shop. Some stores have a great variety of both. Actually variety of fruit is even wider here than it is in Russia.

Farmer's cheese resembles Russian "tvorog" more than cottage cheese (but farmer's cheese is also less common).

[SMR 368]

On the subject of cottage cheese/tvorog/farmer cheese, I've found the chief issue to actually be that cottage cheese in the US is typically salted. Although the texture is different, if you can find cottage cheese with no salt added it will taste very similar to tvorog. Before meeting Marina I had never thought of cottage cheese as being salty. Marina thought it was disgustingly salty the first time she tried it. We now eat the no salt added kind and I actually like it better.

As far as fruits, this is one area where I don't really think Russia can hold a candle to the US. The US just has a larger selection of higher quality fruits. The only thing that makes this seem not the case is that US stores typically sell fruit that is out of season and shipped from somewhere. This fruit will not taste as good as the local fruit when it is in season. In Russia, you just can't find much fruit when it isn't in season. So if you have watermelon in December, you'll think Russian watermelon is better. But compare July watermelons and the US usually wins.

As far as grains, you can find a good variety of grains in larger supermarkets in the US. However, the problem is that they are sold as health food and thus cost way too much.

Edited April 15, 2013 by SMR

[BatmanUSA 105]

I am wondering what my Russian Fiance' will think when my family has, "crab night"... 3 dozen boiled crabs and a few cases of beer... cover the table with newspaper, give everyone a wooden hammer.... and go to town....

[ONA 133]

I am wondering what my Russian Fiance' will think when my family has, "crab night"... 3 dozen boiled crabs and a few cases of beer... cover the table with newspaper, give everyone a wooden hammer.... and go to town....

She'll love it. My mother-in-law says that I married my husband for crabs... and crab cakes (I tried my first crab cake on our first date)

[Steve S 2]

Irina loved gumbo when I made it - just not too spicy. We have a shrimp boil from time to time. I also think your crab legs night will go over well.

As for the Russian cooking, I really enjoy most of it including the heavy salads with mayonnaise and egg, pelmeni, etc. Once in a blue moon we will have a classic Russian meal of black bread, boiled potatoes, smoked fish, pickles and vodka.

She insists on buying non-homogenized milk, though She is even happier when she can find raw milk, labeled "not for human consumption". No, thanks.

[xoxoJ 6]

I really enjoyed reading all of the comments in this thread! My fiance and I are both born and raised in Russia, although Ive been a US citizen for a while now. It's funny, but since we are in our early 20s, the "heavy" salads with mayo, fish, etc. do not appeal to either of us. It's something that we remember our parents always putting on the table at parties and family get togethers. Of course there are certain foods that we grew up eating and will always love to eat like pelmeni, buckwheat, but I am also really excited to introduce him to my healthy lifestyle of green smoothies and such, which are certainly not a phenomenon in Russia yet

[Brad and Vika 129]

I too dislike the stinky fish (sorry OP - it is the smell and taste). In Vika's part of Ukraine they salt back all different kinds of fish. I tend to like salyanka and most non-fishy dishes. Vika knows to turn down the volume on the garlic and onions if she wants me to eat any dish.

Don't get me started on the pots and pans in the 'fridge.

[slim 1,530]

Cutlets and mashed potatoes are about the only acceptable Russian food for me. Well, that and beer, of course.

And some Vodka. Notice how that's with a big V?