COOKING
03/01/14
INESSA'S FOOD DECORATION SUGGESTIONS
WORKING AN SERVING IN ACM COOKWARE AND SERVING PLATES NEW
WORKING AN SERVING IN ACM COOKWARE AND SERVING PLATES NEW
The Premium Cooking System NEW
AMC
Asparagus with tomato hollandaise sauce
Ingredients for 4 people
1.5 kg white or green asparagus
1 shallot
1 tsp peppercorns
50 ml white wine
20 g dried tomatoes
2 stalks of basil
2 egg yolks
125 g lukewarm melted butter
50 ml cream
½ tsp vanilla sugar
Salt, pepper
1. Depending on their colour, peel the asparagus and put them, dripping wet, into an oval unit. Heat up over the highest heat until the vegetable window and then cook over a low heat for 15 – 25 minutes, depending on the colour and thickness of the spears.
2. Peel and dice the shallot and put it with the peppercorns and wine into a small Sauteuse or Gourmet unit and bring to the boil in about t tbsp of liquid. Sieve the shallot and peppercorns and let the wine reduction cool down.
3. Chop the dried tomatoes and basil leaves very finely.
4. Stir the egg yolk into the lukewarm reduction with a whisk and beat to a foam in the Sauteuse over a low to medium heat, adding the lukewarm butter little-by-little.
5. Heat the sauce slowly, stirring constantly, until a thick light cream sauce has formed. The sauce should never start to boil or it will separate.
6. Add the tomato, basil and cream to the sauce and season it with the vanilla sugar and salt and pepper.
Cooking time:
approx 15-25 minutes
Total preparation time:
approx 45 minutes, excluding cooling time
Approx 375 kcal per person
AMC
Asparagus with tomato hollandaise sauce
Ingredients for 4 people
1.5 kg white or green asparagus
1 shallot
1 tsp peppercorns
50 ml white wine
20 g dried tomatoes
2 stalks of basil
2 egg yolks
125 g lukewarm melted butter
50 ml cream
½ tsp vanilla sugar
Salt, pepper
1. Depending on their colour, peel the asparagus and put them, dripping wet, into an oval unit. Heat up over the highest heat until the vegetable window and then cook over a low heat for 15 – 25 minutes, depending on the colour and thickness of the spears.
2. Peel and dice the shallot and put it with the peppercorns and wine into a small Sauteuse or Gourmet unit and bring to the boil in about t tbsp of liquid. Sieve the shallot and peppercorns and let the wine reduction cool down.
3. Chop the dried tomatoes and basil leaves very finely.
4. Stir the egg yolk into the lukewarm reduction with a whisk and beat to a foam in the Sauteuse over a low to medium heat, adding the lukewarm butter little-by-little.
5. Heat the sauce slowly, stirring constantly, until a thick light cream sauce has formed. The sauce should never start to boil or it will separate.
6. Add the tomato, basil and cream to the sauce and season it with the vanilla sugar and salt and pepper.
Cooking time:
approx 15-25 minutes
Total preparation time:
approx 45 minutes, excluding cooling time
Approx 375 kcal per person
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The Premium Cooking System NEW
AMC
Home-made gourmet fillet
Ingredients for 4 people
3 slices of toasting bread
1 clove of garlic
25 g stoned green olives
3 dried tomatoes
2 sprigs of sage
20 g grated Parmesan
50 g soft butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Pepper
Cayenne pepper
600 g cod fillet
2 tbsp lemon juice
1. Crumble the bread into fine crumbs and peel and finely dice the garlic. Finely dice the olives and dried tomatoes. Pull the leaves off the sage and chop them finely.
2. Knead everything together with the Parmesan, butter and olive oil and season well with the pepper and cayenne pepper. Roll out the mixture between sheets of cling-film to fit the size of the fillets and leave to cool.
3. Heat up a 24 cm 3.5 l unit on the Navigenio at level 6 until the frying window. Put in the fish fillets and switch off the Navigenio. Spread the crust mixture over the fish fillets and set the unit on a heat-resistant surface.
4. Put the Navigenio onto the unit upside-down and brown the fillets at a low level for about 10 minutes until golden brown.
Cooking time:
approx 10 minutes
Total preparation time:
approx 20 minutes excluding cooling time
Approx 340 kcal per person
AMC
Home-made gourmet fillet
Ingredients for 4 people
3 slices of toasting bread
1 clove of garlic
25 g stoned green olives
3 dried tomatoes
2 sprigs of sage
20 g grated Parmesan
50 g soft butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Pepper
Cayenne pepper
600 g cod fillet
2 tbsp lemon juice
1. Crumble the bread into fine crumbs and peel and finely dice the garlic. Finely dice the olives and dried tomatoes. Pull the leaves off the sage and chop them finely.
2. Knead everything together with the Parmesan, butter and olive oil and season well with the pepper and cayenne pepper. Roll out the mixture between sheets of cling-film to fit the size of the fillets and leave to cool.
3. Heat up a 24 cm 3.5 l unit on the Navigenio at level 6 until the frying window. Put in the fish fillets and switch off the Navigenio. Spread the crust mixture over the fish fillets and set the unit on a heat-resistant surface.
4. Put the Navigenio onto the unit upside-down and brown the fillets at a low level for about 10 minutes until golden brown.
Cooking time:
approx 10 minutes
Total preparation time:
approx 20 minutes excluding cooling time
Approx 340 kcal per person
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The Premium Cooking System NEW
AMC
Veal fricassee with peas and morel mushrooms
Ingredients for 4 people
800 g veal escalope
1 onion
5 sprigs of tarragon
250 ml veal stock
20 g dried morels
30 g flour
30 g butter
200 ml dry white wine
250 g cooked peas
100 g whipped cream
Salt, pepper
1. Chop the veal into small cubes. Peel and finely dice the onion and tear the leaves off the tarragon.
2. Put the meat and diced onions and tarragon stalks and veal stock into a 20 cm 3.0 l unit, put on the Secuquick softline and seal it. Heat up over the highest heat until the first Turbo window and then rapid cook for about 8 minutes over a low heat. Monitor the whole cooking process with the Audiotherm.
3. Soak the mushrooms in hot water. Knead the butter and flour together and set aside to cool.
4. Release the pressure from the Secuquick softline under running water and remove it. Remove the sprigs of tarragon, add the wine and the flour-butter paste in small pieces and bring to the boil. Simmer everything for 2 - 3 minutes.
5. Cut the stalks off the morels, halve the morels lengthways and clean them thoroughly under running water. Chops the tarragon leaves finely.
6. Add the morels, peas and cream to the fricassee and season everything with salt and pepper.
Cooking time:
approx 8 minutes
Total preparation time:
approx 30 minutes
Approx 490 kcal per person
AMC
Veal fricassee with peas and morel mushrooms
Ingredients for 4 people
800 g veal escalope
1 onion
5 sprigs of tarragon
250 ml veal stock
20 g dried morels
30 g flour
30 g butter
200 ml dry white wine
250 g cooked peas
100 g whipped cream
Salt, pepper
1. Chop the veal into small cubes. Peel and finely dice the onion and tear the leaves off the tarragon.
2. Put the meat and diced onions and tarragon stalks and veal stock into a 20 cm 3.0 l unit, put on the Secuquick softline and seal it. Heat up over the highest heat until the first Turbo window and then rapid cook for about 8 minutes over a low heat. Monitor the whole cooking process with the Audiotherm.
3. Soak the mushrooms in hot water. Knead the butter and flour together and set aside to cool.
4. Release the pressure from the Secuquick softline under running water and remove it. Remove the sprigs of tarragon, add the wine and the flour-butter paste in small pieces and bring to the boil. Simmer everything for 2 - 3 minutes.
5. Cut the stalks off the morels, halve the morels lengthways and clean them thoroughly under running water. Chops the tarragon leaves finely.
6. Add the morels, peas and cream to the fricassee and season everything with salt and pepper.
Cooking time:
approx 8 minutes
Total preparation time:
approx 30 minutes
Approx 490 kcal per person
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GRANDMA'S 75 YEARS YOUNG BIRTHDAY
JANUARY 26 2014 AT HOME NEW
would my great grandma from a village where they lived in one room house together with sheep knew
that her daughter will be living in Australia giving my mom a birth on Australia Day?
who knows...
alfresco lunch
JANUARY 26 2014 AT HOME NEW
would my great grandma from a village where they lived in one room house together with sheep knew
that her daughter will be living in Australia giving my mom a birth on Australia Day?
who knows...
alfresco lunch
i really liked this post picture so experimented today too... considering i am usually horrible with deserts apart from prunes and walnuts in dark chocolate... let's have a look what it turned into...
BONDI CHAI CINNAMON TORE (TORUS, TORI) NEW
need
BORG puff pastry (not crust - i tried both and crust tastes pretty dry and looks extremely ugly)
BONDI CHAI LATTE WITH CINNAMON FLAVOR powder
that's it!
do:
as shown on the picture: sprinkle with bondi, chai powder
roll,
cut along side and
twist making a pretty plate sticking end to end creating a tore -
the more twists the better look
(the crust is on the left side, the puff pastry one is on the right - it tastes better and add to this: the smell was extremely delicious too when they were baking)
pictures :
BONDI CHAI CINNAMON TORE (TORUS, TORI) NEW
need
BORG puff pastry (not crust - i tried both and crust tastes pretty dry and looks extremely ugly)
BONDI CHAI LATTE WITH CINNAMON FLAVOR powder
that's it!
do:
as shown on the picture: sprinkle with bondi, chai powder
roll,
cut along side and
twist making a pretty plate sticking end to end creating a tore -
the more twists the better look
(the crust is on the left side, the puff pastry one is on the right - it tastes better and add to this: the smell was extremely delicious too when they were baking)
pictures :
AFRO-AMERICAN RUSSIANS NEW
my first time i bought black russian tomatoes to try. i can not say they are black (more like dark green and burgundy), nor they are 'afro-american russians' who study at Moscow State Institute of Foreign Relationship (MGIMO) - not even close...
most likely they are 'just russians' as they are quite sweeeeeeet and easy going.... (the way all tomatoes should be actually, not tasting like paper plain plastic not-even-tomatoes-but-something-red-and-rounded we do not buy anymore) so here it lunch went... so that Alex even said: i start liking tomatoes you know? worth shooting them :
my first time i bought black russian tomatoes to try. i can not say they are black (more like dark green and burgundy), nor they are 'afro-american russians' who study at Moscow State Institute of Foreign Relationship (MGIMO) - not even close...
most likely they are 'just russians' as they are quite sweeeeeeet and easy going.... (the way all tomatoes should be actually, not tasting like paper plain plastic not-even-tomatoes-but-something-red-and-rounded we do not buy anymore) so here it lunch went... so that Alex even said: i start liking tomatoes you know? worth shooting them :
BLUE-BEARD STORY AND HAWAT SWEETS NEW
dear girls (and guys) you probably had the same experience when your parents first read you the french fairy tale about the serial-killer-husband "bluebeard", a man who was bad enough to kill all his previous wives except the one who really wanted to write a cool story about him, earn money on publishing for the next 700 years and who did not want to be killed so she dobbed him in together with all his bloody tricks.. i was terrified... i kept thinking: 'what if I will have such husband - what should I do' and i was trying to play all possible combinations to get out of the situation... blue-bearded man chased me in my nightmares... i was scared of any hairy men with beards i met in reality... but then i realised that it's not in the beard - the scariest part... why am i telling you all of this?
today Alex had not the blue... but the vanishing beard. same day photos: 2 min difference: 'beard' and 'no-beard'... his beautiful 'i-am-crazy-about-the-gold-coast-waves-style' hair are gone too... and yes... some more photos - Lebanese Sweets shop on Sydney Road Coburg
dear girls (and guys) you probably had the same experience when your parents first read you the french fairy tale about the serial-killer-husband "bluebeard", a man who was bad enough to kill all his previous wives except the one who really wanted to write a cool story about him, earn money on publishing for the next 700 years and who did not want to be killed so she dobbed him in together with all his bloody tricks.. i was terrified... i kept thinking: 'what if I will have such husband - what should I do' and i was trying to play all possible combinations to get out of the situation... blue-bearded man chased me in my nightmares... i was scared of any hairy men with beards i met in reality... but then i realised that it's not in the beard - the scariest part... why am i telling you all of this?
today Alex had not the blue... but the vanishing beard. same day photos: 2 min difference: 'beard' and 'no-beard'... his beautiful 'i-am-crazy-about-the-gold-coast-waves-style' hair are gone too... and yes... some more photos - Lebanese Sweets shop on Sydney Road Coburg
breakfast anyone? :)
Valdis Pelšs vs. Wildis Strawberry NEW
(the latter is not a Latvian celebrity name)
Valdis Pelšs vs. Wildis Strawberry NEW
(the latter is not a Latvian celebrity name)
Toulouse-Lautrec was famous for his experiments with cocktails mixing up seemingly unmixable ingredients like red wine, absinthe, beer, gin and champagne and then observing his party guests' behavior (cruel!)... but he was also famous for his cooking - from what i remember at this time he combined eggs and apricots and so on - you have an idea... we can not compare to the french painter in his original inventions but I really liked Masha's breakfast with blueberries. there are also some photos i placed of Alex's breakfast today...
SWEET RUSSIAN BREAKFASTS NEW
on Masha's plate; Good Lawd... :)
on Alex's plate: egg omlete, parsley from our garden, baked blood plums, enoki-taki, smoked norwigean salmon, russian rye borodinski bread, baked capsicum
SWEET RUSSIAN BREAKFASTS NEW
on Masha's plate; Good Lawd... :)
on Alex's plate: egg omlete, parsley from our garden, baked blood plums, enoki-taki, smoked norwigean salmon, russian rye borodinski bread, baked capsicum
it's a long story really and it started with Michael http://listashapoetryclub.weebly.com/english-poetry-for-kids.html We were at his place with our kids when Michael showed us his new book full of monsters ready for print and publish... Andrei asked Michael where do the characters he draws in the crowd come from... Michael simply said: "from life of course... take a look at this blonde and chubby girl in the middle - this is Natasha!" ha! Michael, I've never forgotten this... you know Russian bear sleeps... it can wake up when it is hungry, or when it's spring time or just when it decides so... it is unpredictable... yesterday i thought... i have to return you a favour... I can not write a poem about you or for you. but there are other forms of art... I cooked borsch for you once... and now i thought this is the time for me to cook a dish devoted just to you: i called it "
Salmon with Mustard Sauce NEW
" [ingredients; Red Tasmanian Salmon, sweet mustard, wasabi infused oil, plate decorated with coriander marinated carrots/pine nuts, tomatoes / dry blueberries on the top, garden parsley and green salad...] - nice nutritious well presented and delicious! "- Michael Salmon :)
Salmon with Mustard Sauce NEW
" [ingredients; Red Tasmanian Salmon, sweet mustard, wasabi infused oil, plate decorated with coriander marinated carrots/pine nuts, tomatoes / dry blueberries on the top, garden parsley and green salad...] - nice nutritious well presented and delicious! "- Michael Salmon :)
NATASHA's BIRTHDAY NEW
cooked: cabbage and strawberries salad, thai chicken pie, shashlyk, lemon tart, poppy seeds cake, walnuts cake, fruit
cooked: cabbage and strawberries salad, thai chicken pie, shashlyk, lemon tart, poppy seeds cake, walnuts cake, fruit
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RUSSIAN AUTHENTIC RECIPES
Fish Baked in Moscow way
This was my signature dish in Moscow and my parents would ask me to make it once in a while
Need:
600g fish fillets
10 mushrooms, canned or boiled
2 eggs hard boiled
2 onions
3 tbsp butter
7 potatoes
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated cheese (optional)
salt to taste
Do:
Sear the lightly salted fillets on high heat until light golden quickly. Grease a baking pan, put fish slices in the centre. Make a layer of potato slices around. Chop onion finely and fry until light brown and sprinkle it on the top. Then put egg slices and mushrooms, pour over sour cream and sprinkle with cheese (the latter with cheese action is optional as the dish then might contain too much oil). Bake in the oven until done.
Believe me - it's delish!
Fish Baked in Moscow way
This was my signature dish in Moscow and my parents would ask me to make it once in a while
Need:
600g fish fillets
10 mushrooms, canned or boiled
2 eggs hard boiled
2 onions
3 tbsp butter
7 potatoes
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated cheese (optional)
salt to taste
Do:
Sear the lightly salted fillets on high heat until light golden quickly. Grease a baking pan, put fish slices in the centre. Make a layer of potato slices around. Chop onion finely and fry until light brown and sprinkle it on the top. Then put egg slices and mushrooms, pour over sour cream and sprinkle with cheese (the latter with cheese action is optional as the dish then might contain too much oil). Bake in the oven until done.
Believe me - it's delish!
Selyodka Pod Ukropnym Sousom (Herring under dill sauce)
this dish would be an additional yummy treat on any festive season table in russia
Need:
1 good and soft russian Herring boned & skinned
- cut into 2-3cm diagonal pcs.
1/3 cup Red wine vinegar
1/2 cup Olive oil
2 ts Sugar
2 tb dill chopped
Do:
Mix everything except the fish together. Place fish in deep dish and pour the mixture oevr it. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
this dish would be an additional yummy treat on any festive season table in russia
Need:
1 good and soft russian Herring boned & skinned
- cut into 2-3cm diagonal pcs.
1/3 cup Red wine vinegar
1/2 cup Olive oil
2 ts Sugar
2 tb dill chopped
Do:
Mix everything except the fish together. Place fish in deep dish and pour the mixture oevr it. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Potatoes stuffed with Mushrooms
this would probably be once in a while dish as it is quite time consuming and we did not want to spend too much time on food - simplicity was the answer always to make something fresh, healthy and very quick
Need:
4 large potatoes
1 large onion
150g fresh mushrooms
for Sour cream sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp flour
1 tsp oil
5 tbsp cheese (optional)
salt
Do:
Choose the biggest potatoes, peel them and make a round cut. Boil potatoes until they are almost ready. Take out the hearts carefully and use them for other dishes. Fry chopped mushrooms with finely chopped onion on the pan with oil. Fill the deepings with fried mushrooms. Put filled potatoes in a deep skillet. Mix sour cream with oil and flour thoroughly and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. And bake in the oven for 20-30 mins.
this would probably be once in a while dish as it is quite time consuming and we did not want to spend too much time on food - simplicity was the answer always to make something fresh, healthy and very quick
Need:
4 large potatoes
1 large onion
150g fresh mushrooms
for Sour cream sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp flour
1 tsp oil
5 tbsp cheese (optional)
salt
Do:
Choose the biggest potatoes, peel them and make a round cut. Boil potatoes until they are almost ready. Take out the hearts carefully and use them for other dishes. Fry chopped mushrooms with finely chopped onion on the pan with oil. Fill the deepings with fried mushrooms. Put filled potatoes in a deep skillet. Mix sour cream with oil and flour thoroughly and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. And bake in the oven for 20-30 mins.
Sorry I started typing last night this story and went to sleep in front of my pc.
Happy new year Russki style –
mini-lessons you learn about russians or
symbols and traditions of russian new year
When you start learning RUSSKI - Russian language the first and the easiest word to remember is HO-RO-SHO – “good” (pronounced close to “horror-show”) but this is obviously not enough of Russian culture for you today as I want to tell you about X-mas and New Year.
Lots of my friends keep asking me how Russians celebrate X-mas a New Year so here we go...
“horror-show”, I will tell you!
my midnight story...
Russians love celebrating everything they see, know and everything they dont see and don’t know… We are so ridiculous in celebrating that we even know the date of French revolution (Bastille day) - only in order not to miss on extra-reason for drinking… Yes, we must need a reason to celebrate then the celebration goes on smoothly and naturally… Drinking without a reason considered alcoholism so finding the reason is a good way to stay healthy!.
Russians start celebrating X-mas with the whole Catholic World – 24th of December by drinking hard core… We go back to the part on "what we drink" later as you all probably have quite a vague idea thinking that vodka should be on the table as a DAVAJ-DAVAJ and DA-DA (“cummon-cummon and “yes-yes”) décor. This is wrong.
When Russian men wake up the next day after the first day of celebration, usually they do it with their face in sauerkraut for poor families, in Russian potato salad Olivier - for middle class, in red caviar - for rich and in black caviar - for oligarchs, They start preparing to the next food-drink-flowing-like river date and it is 31st of December – New Year's eve which is - thanks god - the same for everyone in the world (almost)… 1st of January the picture of waking up in salads and caviar does not change – it's all the same… what changes? – the color of your face.
But wait as there is more to it. real Russian X-mas starts on 7th of January (Orthodox style) – this is when the original face in the salad thing happens the "right way"… But wait as there is even more and celebration does not end up with this 7th date as 14th of January when the whole country should be working already a new drinking season opens: New Year Old Orthodox style…
There are the dates for you…
There is one note though on "when you should stop drinking":
when you feel the salads from the festive table take you out for a walk - there is the day you stop
or when you hear the caviar telling you should also buy a Chealsea Club - there is a DA-DA day to stop.
BTW lots of Russians have the same destiny: in childhood they were all abandoned by their parents, left at the cellar door or some bottle shop and were raised by vodka bottles.... serious!
Happy new year Russki style –
mini-lessons you learn about russians or
symbols and traditions of russian new year
When you start learning RUSSKI - Russian language the first and the easiest word to remember is HO-RO-SHO – “good” (pronounced close to “horror-show”) but this is obviously not enough of Russian culture for you today as I want to tell you about X-mas and New Year.
Lots of my friends keep asking me how Russians celebrate X-mas a New Year so here we go...
“horror-show”, I will tell you!
my midnight story...
Russians love celebrating everything they see, know and everything they dont see and don’t know… We are so ridiculous in celebrating that we even know the date of French revolution (Bastille day) - only in order not to miss on extra-reason for drinking… Yes, we must need a reason to celebrate then the celebration goes on smoothly and naturally… Drinking without a reason considered alcoholism so finding the reason is a good way to stay healthy!.
Russians start celebrating X-mas with the whole Catholic World – 24th of December by drinking hard core… We go back to the part on "what we drink" later as you all probably have quite a vague idea thinking that vodka should be on the table as a DAVAJ-DAVAJ and DA-DA (“cummon-cummon and “yes-yes”) décor. This is wrong.
When Russian men wake up the next day after the first day of celebration, usually they do it with their face in sauerkraut for poor families, in Russian potato salad Olivier - for middle class, in red caviar - for rich and in black caviar - for oligarchs, They start preparing to the next food-drink-flowing-like river date and it is 31st of December – New Year's eve which is - thanks god - the same for everyone in the world (almost)… 1st of January the picture of waking up in salads and caviar does not change – it's all the same… what changes? – the color of your face.
But wait as there is more to it. real Russian X-mas starts on 7th of January (Orthodox style) – this is when the original face in the salad thing happens the "right way"… But wait as there is even more and celebration does not end up with this 7th date as 14th of January when the whole country should be working already a new drinking season opens: New Year Old Orthodox style…
There are the dates for you…
There is one note though on "when you should stop drinking":
when you feel the salads from the festive table take you out for a walk - there is the day you stop
or when you hear the caviar telling you should also buy a Chealsea Club - there is a DA-DA day to stop.
BTW lots of Russians have the same destiny: in childhood they were all abandoned by their parents, left at the cellar door or some bottle shop and were raised by vodka bottles.... serious!
So when people ask me how long do the holidays go for, I’d be very honest if I say: from 24th of December to 14th of January we celebrate every day. Three weeks pass by like three clicks on your laptop.
Vodka – da-da, but wait as you would not be blessed as a real Russian guy or a real devushka (girl) if you have not tried a pure spirit – 96 degrees it sure is - it goes well down with any caviar or any salad. After a glass of this drink there are no rich or poor anymore – everyone is equal as the grass after mowing and the “horror-show” continues…
Russian nights are sooooo cold (40 below ZERO and we are not even at the Casino!) and there are no other ways to warm you up apart from sleeping next to a very brown large bear, having all night sex with a good looking Russian or drinking pure spirit… By the way drinking alcohol is considered as sport the same way Russians think that chess is sport. I will not be surprised if they will soon introduce vodka competitions at the Olympics the same way they plan to introduce pole-dancing and it is excellent!
Vodka – da-da, but wait as you would not be blessed as a real Russian guy or a real devushka (girl) if you have not tried a pure spirit – 96 degrees it sure is - it goes well down with any caviar or any salad. After a glass of this drink there are no rich or poor anymore – everyone is equal as the grass after mowing and the “horror-show” continues…
Russian nights are sooooo cold (40 below ZERO and we are not even at the Casino!) and there are no other ways to warm you up apart from sleeping next to a very brown large bear, having all night sex with a good looking Russian or drinking pure spirit… By the way drinking alcohol is considered as sport the same way Russians think that chess is sport. I will not be surprised if they will soon introduce vodka competitions at the Olympics the same way they plan to introduce pole-dancing and it is excellent!
Now let’s go back to what do we like to have on our tables for X-mas and New Year celebrations.
Olivier (Russian potato salad is the King of the table),
shuba (herring covered with layers of vegetables (cooked beets, carrots, potatoes, onions and eggs),
[we’d also have crab salad, fish salad, and cheese salad - all covered in real style mayo - usually 8-10 salads all together],
caviar (you never go wrong with that ),
We also cook chickens.
Goose is a good and posh treat for a luxurious table set up but it is a flying dream…
and there are lots and lots of small goods – delicatessen: pates and different style of hams, cold and hot meats and kolbasas, The latter might also go on open sandwiches (buterbroads).
Then goes fish of any kind : hot and cold smoked beluga, sturgeon and red salmon…
Mushrooms follow the parade - mushrooms of any possible kind – marinated or pickled.
Kholodets, a jellied meat dish with peasant origins that is now a delicacy with an international reputation,
and code liver…
Pirozhki is a must for every festive table! They go with any filling: meat, cabbage, rice and eggs, cheese and liver so do Russian bliny (pancakes) that you can top up with caviar and honey.
Bread especially rye type is a good balance for every table like salt and pepper. Russians say: bring in the bread and salt other wise your table will be crooked.
Vegetable "caviars" like ikra made out of zuccinnis or eggplant is a good table delicacy every Russian babushka knows how to make.
Then there are lots of picked and marinated vegetables and zakuskas: tomatoes, cucumbers (gerkins) and peppers.
Whole baked piglet with a bunch of fresh parsley stuck inside his mouth is a fantastic table decoration surrounded by baked and dill-ed potatoes…It must smell with garlic which does not prevent Russians from kissing...
Well, and I was joking about pure spirit. Usually Russians drink champagne for X-mas and New Year holidays as we civilized more than everybody thinks :).
Sweet table or deserts would usually have one nice big and very tasty cake (honey or souffle – birds milk) and lots of chocolates like Mishka na Severe, Belochka, Griliazh v Shokolade, Yuzhnaya Noch’ chocolates; and fruit, they would probably be limited to mandarins – but very very sweet type of…
We would never sit at the table that was not decorated with lots of crystal ware and fine china. Black tea is served too - usually rich Ceylon type.
On a New Year eve every Russian who respects himself (and all Russians do!) should sit down in front of TV and watch a stupid movie called: “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy your Banya (Bath)! (Russian: Ирония судьбы, или С лёгким паром!; trans. Ironiya sudby, ili S lyogkim parom!)” as it was the only Russian movie about New Year it has been shown on TV late December dates for the last 40 years. no one in the world would understand why Russians do stop cleaning their houses, get clued to TV and watch this crap,but it makes everyone cry and smile...
Russians love Chinese astrology so they celebrate New Years following the Chinese calendar / horoscope theme with symbolic Chinese animal of the year: dragon or rabbit or what ever has tails or ears…
Olivier (Russian potato salad is the King of the table),
shuba (herring covered with layers of vegetables (cooked beets, carrots, potatoes, onions and eggs),
[we’d also have crab salad, fish salad, and cheese salad - all covered in real style mayo - usually 8-10 salads all together],
caviar (you never go wrong with that ),
We also cook chickens.
Goose is a good and posh treat for a luxurious table set up but it is a flying dream…
and there are lots and lots of small goods – delicatessen: pates and different style of hams, cold and hot meats and kolbasas, The latter might also go on open sandwiches (buterbroads).
Then goes fish of any kind : hot and cold smoked beluga, sturgeon and red salmon…
Mushrooms follow the parade - mushrooms of any possible kind – marinated or pickled.
Kholodets, a jellied meat dish with peasant origins that is now a delicacy with an international reputation,
and code liver…
Pirozhki is a must for every festive table! They go with any filling: meat, cabbage, rice and eggs, cheese and liver so do Russian bliny (pancakes) that you can top up with caviar and honey.
Bread especially rye type is a good balance for every table like salt and pepper. Russians say: bring in the bread and salt other wise your table will be crooked.
Vegetable "caviars" like ikra made out of zuccinnis or eggplant is a good table delicacy every Russian babushka knows how to make.
Then there are lots of picked and marinated vegetables and zakuskas: tomatoes, cucumbers (gerkins) and peppers.
Whole baked piglet with a bunch of fresh parsley stuck inside his mouth is a fantastic table decoration surrounded by baked and dill-ed potatoes…It must smell with garlic which does not prevent Russians from kissing...
Well, and I was joking about pure spirit. Usually Russians drink champagne for X-mas and New Year holidays as we civilized more than everybody thinks :).
Sweet table or deserts would usually have one nice big and very tasty cake (honey or souffle – birds milk) and lots of chocolates like Mishka na Severe, Belochka, Griliazh v Shokolade, Yuzhnaya Noch’ chocolates; and fruit, they would probably be limited to mandarins – but very very sweet type of…
We would never sit at the table that was not decorated with lots of crystal ware and fine china. Black tea is served too - usually rich Ceylon type.
On a New Year eve every Russian who respects himself (and all Russians do!) should sit down in front of TV and watch a stupid movie called: “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy your Banya (Bath)! (Russian: Ирония судьбы, или С лёгким паром!; trans. Ironiya sudby, ili S lyogkim parom!)” as it was the only Russian movie about New Year it has been shown on TV late December dates for the last 40 years. no one in the world would understand why Russians do stop cleaning their houses, get clued to TV and watch this crap,but it makes everyone cry and smile...
Russians love Chinese astrology so they celebrate New Years following the Chinese calendar / horoscope theme with symbolic Chinese animal of the year: dragon or rabbit or what ever has tails or ears…
Grandather Frost (or Father X-mas ) comes over to every Russian house with a child – the same way they do everywhere in the world (G-Father X-mas can be shaped as your father and even have the voice of your father you will not remember it anyway as you are too small to remember. When you start to remember it is too late as you start drinking and you do not remember anything anyway…) Father Frost (Ded Moroz) usually has a very cute maid next to him (his grand-daughter and his right hand to help him take the presents out of his sack and to assist him to find the way home when he is too drunk)…
G-Father Frost comes to every adult too depending on the day of celebration and how much vodka the guy had the night before. This way Father Frost can come in any shape and can even have the voice of Russian president (Putin, Medvedev or even both of them)… The more you drink the better images of Father Frost will come to you after… I bet the person who saw the best image of all called him "Jesus!".
Russia is the only country in the world where you can celebrate NY 9 times moving from East to West with a certain speed (9 time zones). We have not decided yet what transport you can use for this sort of exercise but most of them except sleds with dogs will not be able to cross some parts of this country. We would prefer trains with one condition only: the train full of Russian babushkas should run parallel to ours and baushkas should sell us gerkins, fresh apples and pirozhki right from the windows of the other train.
S NOVYM GODOM! S ROZHDESTVOM! (Happy New Year, Happy X-mas! )
But this is how I see X-mas and NY Russian style which we had 20 years ago – please share your own childhood memories… Sorry for the messy story…. I am just half asleep… the other half is somewhere else already…
http://www.pinterest.com/matryoshkamasha/russian-table/
There is one more and last note to this article i almost forgot to write - if you do not drink at all and you are also that boring like we are on the NYE you might end up doing even more stupid things than drinking and putting your face into a bowl with salad like:
dancing,
going for walks (!!!!) in the fresh air (!!!!),
running,
jumping,
walking inside the metro carriage in a company of five merry friends laughing, having a X-mas tree upside down in one hand and a goat on the leash in the other hand singing Russian happy songs and playing harmonica and
even throwing snowballs after all...
WTHell!!
G-Father Frost comes to every adult too depending on the day of celebration and how much vodka the guy had the night before. This way Father Frost can come in any shape and can even have the voice of Russian president (Putin, Medvedev or even both of them)… The more you drink the better images of Father Frost will come to you after… I bet the person who saw the best image of all called him "Jesus!".
Russia is the only country in the world where you can celebrate NY 9 times moving from East to West with a certain speed (9 time zones). We have not decided yet what transport you can use for this sort of exercise but most of them except sleds with dogs will not be able to cross some parts of this country. We would prefer trains with one condition only: the train full of Russian babushkas should run parallel to ours and baushkas should sell us gerkins, fresh apples and pirozhki right from the windows of the other train.
S NOVYM GODOM! S ROZHDESTVOM! (Happy New Year, Happy X-mas! )
But this is how I see X-mas and NY Russian style which we had 20 years ago – please share your own childhood memories… Sorry for the messy story…. I am just half asleep… the other half is somewhere else already…
http://www.pinterest.com/matryoshkamasha/russian-table/
There is one more and last note to this article i almost forgot to write - if you do not drink at all and you are also that boring like we are on the NYE you might end up doing even more stupid things than drinking and putting your face into a bowl with salad like:
dancing,
going for walks (!!!!) in the fresh air (!!!!),
running,
jumping,
walking inside the metro carriage in a company of five merry friends laughing, having a X-mas tree upside down in one hand and a goat on the leash in the other hand singing Russian happy songs and playing harmonica and
even throwing snowballs after all...
WTHell!!
FESTIVE SEASON
DARK CHOCOLATES WITH PRUNES AND ROASTED ALMONDS
for tonight: making chocolates for my friends who helped us so genuinely in the passing year... dark delish with prunes and roasted almonds inside they melt and stick and crunch - all healthy all hand made by your smiling servant NM. they are still hot - i will photograph them when they are nicely packaged: tada!
DARK CHOCOLATES WITH PRUNES AND ROASTED ALMONDS
for tonight: making chocolates for my friends who helped us so genuinely in the passing year... dark delish with prunes and roasted almonds inside they melt and stick and crunch - all healthy all hand made by your smiling servant NM. they are still hot - i will photograph them when they are nicely packaged: tada!
OASIS BAKERY
breakfast at Oasis Bakery today with Bilal Ali - very grateful for this treat. not food the company and the gesture matters. i am keeping he veggie pie for Yoshi Lis, but the coffee was... WOW!!! probably the bestest in Melbourne (i tried to copy them before - with regrets nothing even close) . Oasis is very distinctive for the quality of their coffees - Lebanese stile with cardamon seeds - i was not surprised the cafe is full of russians who appreciate this good quality food/drinks too... thank you Bilal
breakfast at Oasis Bakery today with Bilal Ali - very grateful for this treat. not food the company and the gesture matters. i am keeping he veggie pie for Yoshi Lis, but the coffee was... WOW!!! probably the bestest in Melbourne (i tried to copy them before - with regrets nothing even close) . Oasis is very distinctive for the quality of their coffees - Lebanese stile with cardamon seeds - i was not surprised the cafe is full of russians who appreciate this good quality food/drinks too... thank you Bilal
FEELING RUSSIAN TODAY?
come over as my borsch is ready served with blue bay light sour creammmmmmm... [Blue Bay Cheese Appreciation Society] and bordinski rye. fixed for tonight hot and yummy...
come over as my borsch is ready served with blue bay light sour creammmmmmm... [Blue Bay Cheese Appreciation Society] and bordinski rye. fixed for tonight hot and yummy...
BOYSENBERRY CAKE EUROPEAN BAZAAR SHOP NORTH ROAD ORMOND
new boysenberry cake from European Bazaar Shop North Road Ormond.. we just got a sample cake that will be delivered fresh to the shop every second day. there is nothing like this anywhere in the european shops in melbourne... and it is spectacular and it is very russian (not that it is blonde and with blue eyes but just as delicious)
new boysenberry cake from European Bazaar Shop North Road Ormond.. we just got a sample cake that will be delivered fresh to the shop every second day. there is nothing like this anywhere in the european shops in melbourne... and it is spectacular and it is very russian (not that it is blonde and with blue eyes but just as delicious)
ECLAIR CAKE EUROPEAN BAZAAR SHOP
This one is made out of 100 tiny little eclairs all covered from inside out in milky cream and dark chocolate so yummy you will feel you are flying back to Europe again... enough said... pictures.
This one is made out of 100 tiny little eclairs all covered from inside out in milky cream and dark chocolate so yummy you will feel you are flying back to Europe again... enough said... pictures.
MUSIC ON MUTE SALAD
one of our favourite nights of the month is when Serezha comes over...
~main:
¼ cabbage
¼ red spanish onion
1 carrot
1 small green pepper
8 small organic green/yellow/red tomatoes
coriander leaves
continental parsley leaves
200g strawberries
2 celery stalks
pine nuts
dry blueberries
dry cranberries
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
~on the side: organic beef sausages
~Milan’s cheese and spinach bureks
~jewish grape juice
~no music today - we simply made it dry - sorry
>>>
~desert:
hand made white chocolates with roasted almonds / blueberries and cranberries
lipton fruit tea
Serezha’s philosophical talk plus plus...
one of our favourite nights of the month is when Serezha comes over...
~main:
¼ cabbage
¼ red spanish onion
1 carrot
1 small green pepper
8 small organic green/yellow/red tomatoes
coriander leaves
continental parsley leaves
200g strawberries
2 celery stalks
pine nuts
dry blueberries
dry cranberries
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
~on the side: organic beef sausages
~Milan’s cheese and spinach bureks
~jewish grape juice
~no music today - we simply made it dry - sorry
>>>
~desert:
hand made white chocolates with roasted almonds / blueberries and cranberries
lipton fruit tea
Serezha’s philosophical talk plus plus...
my blender decided to get smart today: it either pretended it was a simple chopper or just one lazy crocodile... anyway it did not want to do the job right. this is what became out of one planned smooth pumpkin soup - that turned into un-imaginary rough but still tasty substance - topped with shi-taki mushrooms roasted with garlic and onions plus fresh parsley flowers: i called it
NOT ALL RIGHT BLENDER
because at the end it's nothing to do with the soup...
pumpkin
carrot
purple spanish onion
coriander leaves
parsley
celery leaves
tomatoes
yellow and green pepper
hot red chilli
no-salt salt and spices
NOT ALL RIGHT BLENDER
because at the end it's nothing to do with the soup...
pumpkin
carrot
purple spanish onion
coriander leaves
parsley
celery leaves
tomatoes
yellow and green pepper
hot red chilli
no-salt salt and spices
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Cooking and Culinary other articles: 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00
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