Russian Cooking (Текст для перевода)

Russian Cooking.

Traditional Russian cooking includes porridges, pancakes, various aspics, cabbage, chicken, fish and meat soup, stewed fruits, fruit jelly and kvass.

Siberian cuisine has such a dish as stroganina and pelmeni.

Many Russian dishes are connected with different religious festivals and have a long history.

“Shchi and kasha feed us”– this old saying shows how important these two dishes are in Russia. In former times schi and various kinds of kasha (pudding – like dishes made from cereal) were the basic diet.

Kasha was not only the food of peasants, but a dish for special occasions as well. There could be no feast to celebrate the completion of the harvest, or a wedding without it. Indeed at that time the whole wedding feast was called a kasha . to dive a wake for a dead person we cook rice kasha with honey and raisins. And the world is fond in many proverbs and sayings.

Making shchi has always been considered a great art. The basic ingredients of it are hard white cabbage, either fresh or sauerkraut, carrot, onion and parsley. Diced potatoes and fresh tomatoes or tomato pure’e can be added if desired.

Nearly everyone in this country likes to go mushroom picking. Mushrooming is a pleasure, a form of relaxation and a way of ensuring they have mushrooms in plenty to eat.

From time immermoraial various mushroom dishes have been art of Russian cooking. They are serverd both as ingredients in soups and the main course, and as dishes in their own right.

Mushrooms can be preserved by salting, pickling and drying. Nearly every home has long strings of brownish-black dried mushrooms hanging in the kitchen. But drop a handful into water and they will unfold and revive, and bring back memories of the summer time.

Nothing could be more delicious than okroshka on a hot summer day. It is extremely easy to make, provided that you have some kvass.

Kvass is a favorite drink of many people. It was known in the olden days. For real kvass you need rye bread, yeast and sugar, but nowdays we can make it from a concentrate or buy ready-bottled.

To make okroshka you have to take cold boiled meat, peeled fresh cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs, some radishes, spring onions and chop all this finely. Add salt, sour cream, mustard, mix well and dilute with kvass. The okroshka is ready.

In Russia, Shrovetide is an ancient festival dating, from pagan times. This festival originated in the ancients workship of nature and the arrival of spring, included rituals and feasts, the main item at which were blini. AS formely, blini are maid in every Russian household all year round. In many towns you can see the “Blinnaya” sign hanging outside cafe’s where you can eat Russian pancakes. They are made from wheat, buckweats or oats flower with milk, water, eggs, yeast, salt and sugar. They are often served with red and black caviar and salted fish. Many people like them with honey, sour cream, curd cheese, melted butter and jam.

Pelmeni are among the most popular Russian dishes. They are served in many cafe’s and sold  frozen in shops, but any housewife worthy of her name considers it a matter of honor to make them herself.

Pelmeni have spread throughout the whole country from Siberia. They originated there long ago. In one of the Siberian languages this word means “an ear made of dough”, and pelmeni really are this shape. They are made from pastry and meat, usually beef, pork and veal. People in Siberia usually make them in huge quantities, by hundreds, and then freeze them. To serve, cook them in boiling salted water for about ten minutes, until they rise to the surface and then eat them with sour cream, melted butter, vinegar peeper and mustard.

Russian cooking contain a great variety of desserts.

Some are very ancient and exotic. Kissel is one of them. It has been a favorite dish for many centuries. It is made from fresh or dried fruits or berries, fruit juice, syrup, jam milk and some other products. It can be thick, medium thick or thin, depending on how much potato starch you put into it.

Pastry dishes play an important part in Russian cooking. But pies and tarts are the pride and joy of any Russian housewife. “A home is made by pies, not by walls” – this saying bears witness to the long-standing popularity of pies. You don’t see them on table every day, but when you do, it means that there is something to celebrate and guests are expected.

You can see all kinds of pies: open tarts and covered pies, pies made from yeast douhh, unleavened dough and puff pastry, large ones and small ones, round ones and square ones, made with meat, fish cabbage, mushrooms, potatoes, berries and whatnot.

Lunch in a Russian home begins with hors d’ouvres. This normally mean one or two side dishes, such as vegetable  salad and assorted meats. But for a special occasion, when guest are expected, the table literally groans under the weight of hors d’ouvres.

Everyone all over the world knows such popular starters as caviar or salmon. But you may also be astonished at the variety of mushrooms, either pickled or salted, served with onions and sunflower oil. Next to the mushrooms you’ll undoubtedly see salted cucumbers and tomatoes, sauerkraut and herring, usually served with hot boiled potatoes. Russian vinaigrette salad always makes a splash of color on the table. This is a salt made of boiled vegetables and seasoned wine with vinaigrette, that is a special salad dressing, prepared from vinegar and sunflower oil. By the time you have tried everything you’ll be feeling very full – only to discover that these were only the starters, and the proper lunch is still to come.