If you relish cooking what’s in season, spring is the happiest time! With all this springtime bounty, and because it’s not yet so hot that cooking anything apart from gazpacho is impossibly uncomfortable, it’s the perfect time to enjoy a pot of summer borsch.
Break out your crepe pan! It’s Maslenitsa, Russia’s raucous and riotous Shrovetide! A weeklong carnival before Orthodox Lent begins, whose origins and traditions, including its signature pancakes, are much older.
Longevity Noodles are easy to assemble, infinitely flexible, redolent with the flavors and symbolism of Chinese New Year, with a pleasing ratio of effort to reward: perfectly suited to the laid-back spirit of the Year of the Pig.
The classic Soviet New Year’s menu is as resistant to change as the current regime. It all hinges on two mandatory, incredibly labor-intensive, mayonnaise-based cold salads: Salad Olivier and Herring Under Fur Coat.
What better dish to inaugurate our new life in Riga than this ultimate comforting stew, created by another American expat writer?
When you love corn but hate corn-on-the-cob, it’s time to get creative.
Shrimp, Fennel, and Orange salad was invented for a Russian holiday but has remained a firm favorite throughout the summer. It’s quick and easy: under 30 minutes, you have a delicious salad that works equally well as starter or main course.
Tomatoes are in the magnificent zenith of their brief season, and I’m on a mission to enjoy them almost every way I know how, including with grains in the large, lush salads that make up my lunches and dinners this time of year.
Veal Orloff: The French Classic Fit for a Russian Prince
